You had the vision. You had the funding. You’d hired a babysitter. You had high hopes that this was going to be a special day – if only you had found a sales professional to make it special for you. Do you remember how disappointing this was? I hope so!

If you want to be a great sales professional, you must first learn to be a great customer. Observe constantly how you, and those around you, are treated when seeking service. Watch how a service provider’s attitude affects the customer’s behavior. Pay attention to how promptly you are greeted. Did the service provider seem genuinely interested in your satisfaction with your purchase, or merely its proceeds? How do you feel when a clerk pre-judges your ability to buy something nice? Were they professional in both appearance and behavior?

Always remember that what you seek in those serving you is exactly what customers hope to find in your presence. Many days the best customer service lessons to be learned occur when it’s you who are the customer.

Tom Jennings

The first order of business needs to be to focus on what big retailers are doing right. Contrary to our somewhat biased opinions of them, they are doing a lot of things correctly. They didn’t get big by accident! Does Home Depot think that store location is important? Absolutely! How does your location compare? McDonalds realizes the value of having even the most minimally skilled employees present a clean, uniform appearance. What does your customer see when your staff approaches? FedEx spends liberally to have an instantly recognizable fleet when you pass them on the street. They realize the value of both brand recognition and sense of security when they pull into your driveway. What do your customers see at first glance when your vehicles approach?

Large home improvement retailers also recognize where they aren’t as proficient – serving the customer after the sale. This is one reason why they minimize the value of professional installation, encourage DIY, etc. They know that specialty stores have the advantage in this arena.

You know that your staff can outperform them as well. The real question is, does your customer know? What are you doing to convey this message? More importantly, what credentials do you have to demonstrate this fact? Is your sales staff WFCA certified? Are your installers CFI certified? If not, why not? If they know what they suggest that they know, neither certification will prove to be particularly difficult or expensive to attain. As far as the customer is concerned, if you can’t prove it – it’s just so much talk! You say that the customer experience is superior at your store. From the customer’s viewpoint, what measure of proof does your staff offer?

Tom Jennings

I realize that most sales personnel work on some sort of a commission basis, and the temptation can be strong to get the sale by whatever means may be necessary. Please realize that this attitude will not eventually lead to success, but rather ultimately to failure.

When problems inevitably occur, customers tend to have short memories. You will still receive call back requests, regardless of any concerns you may have raised verbally. Warranty claims will be denied. Friends and neighbors will see an unsightly installation and ask “who did that to you?” You can bet that only one side of the story will be told – and it won’t be yours.

Just say “life’s too short to purposely do things wrong” and move on. Your career will be better off for your having done so.

Tom Jennings

Tom Jennings

In many ways, I’m not sure that the flooring business should be viewed differently. While I realize that it is not seasonal like a sports team, spring is an excellent time to review your team’s roster. Do you have a prima donna on staff that can produce the numbers but is killing the teams’ chemistry? Is there a promising rookie that just needs the chance to play? Is your staff overloaded with the “steady Eddies” of the sales world that are good – just not quite good enough? If so, remember that nothing great is ever accomplished at the “OK level”.

When reviewing your staff, decide which players are the most receptive and responsive to coaching, and which are not. Then take appropriate action, for just as in sports, inactivity should not be an option. Every day your team is either moving up or down in the standings. In which direction is your team trending?

Tom Jennings

Most managers tend to have an attitude of “that may be true elsewhere, but not at my store”. Yeah, right! To prove my point, this week ask each of your sales personnel to communicate your store’s brand story. This should not be an assignment that can be rehearsed, nor should it feel like a test. Merely approach individuals during a free moment and ask them to extemporaneously explain to you why your store is unique, as they would to a customer.

See if they know your firm’s legacy. Each firm should possess unique selling propositions for the customer. How are these being conveyed? If your firm is aligned with a particular group, is this story being demonstrated to the customer in a manner that they would find compelling? Do your organizations values and culture resonate throughout the presentation?

If so, congratulations! You’ve done an excellent job training a well qualified teammate. If not, recognize this as an opportunity for both you, and the sales person, to improve your respective abilities.

Tom Jennings

What we must remember is that in our field, installation and service are products, just the same as a box of tile or a roll of carpet. It is an integral part of what the customer is purchasing from us.

Ask yourself the question, can you sustainably compete on price alone? Sure, anyone can sell for less for a while, but can you do it profitably over the long haul? Some dealers can, but it takes tremendous resources to commit to the inventory, marketing and operating costs that doing so requires. It is one of the reasons that big box stores have to be big!

If you can’t be the biggest, nothing is stopping you from being the best. Contrary to what many think, not everyone is looking for a mediocre product at a cheap price. Customers spend premium money every day with smaller scale suppliers that consistently get it right the first time. Not only will they willingly spend more, they will often brag about doing so. For most dealers, it’s the only logical way to thrive in a crowded market. Don’t believe me? Ask someone who’s drinking one of Jim Koch’s Samuel Adams beers!

Tom Jennings

Training, on the other hand, prepares them to do the job at hand. While the focus is understandably placed upon the product offerings, it is just as important that the same emphasis be placed upon the techniques that will create the greatest opportunity for the new employee’s success.

All too often I have seen more emphasis placed upon the induction than the training. We all like to brag about our legacy and accomplishments.  While understandable, this is a short-sighted approach.

If you want the best for not only this new employee, but your total staff as a whole, be willing to invest in the proper training. Develop a training curriculum and timetable that is adhered to. Remember that both habits and attitudes are formed quickly. It is imperative that each be positive. Expect your new trainees to take instruction seriously and insist that they deliver results consistent with what has been taught.

There is an investment of both time and money required to hire and train correctly. However, the cost of not doing so is even greater over time, as both employee turnover and missed opportunities take their toll. How much can your firm afford to squander?

Tom Jennings

He proceeded to tell these poor folks everything that he wanted to say without asking what it was that they were hoping to hear. Joe sure knew his face weights, twist levels and cushion densities. He seemed to be on a mission to save the poor misguided customers from themselves.

The problem was that these folks, who by now are glazed over, didn’t come in looking for a 40 oz. nylon carpet with 4.5 twists per inch installed over an 8 lb. cushion. They came in looking for a beautiful floor that would be a joy to come home to. They came in looking for a carpet that would be easy to maintain. They came in looking for a floor that would be comfortable for both the children and the family dog to lie upon. And while they may not have admitted it, they likely were also looking for a floor to impress their friends and neighbors when they entertained in their home.

Instead, what they got was an “education”.  Always remember that customers really don’t care what it is that a product does. They want to know what it is that a product will do for them. It is imperative that we all sell with emotion. Great sales people are masters at painting a virtual picture for their clients to envision.

As these customers predictably left the store without purchasing, Joe actually stated to me that “they will be back when they see that I’ve got everything that they need right here”. As far as I was concerned, Joe had everything – except a clue as to why people buy. Don’t be like Joe!

Tom Jennings

Hundreds of vendors, employing thousands of staff members, are creating a place for themselves in what by all definitions is a mature industry. They are doing so by providing both goods and services that aren’t offered by massive suppliers. Smaller firms can, and must, be more creative and responsive for their customers. In short, they must be “important” to their clients. Their success is dependent upon them not being “just like the big boys!” To do so, would eventually render them irrelevant.

Is this really any different than the situation that exists today in the retail portion of our industry? Sure, staff members wearing aprons take a significant portion of the business. But remember that just like the mega mills, when their share has been taken, the remaining market to be served still remains large.

Smaller firms will continue to not only survive, but thrive, by using a recipe similar to that used by smaller manufacturers. Be flexible. Be creative. Be unique. Most significantly, be important to your customers. By failing to do so, your firm will become irrelevant in your market as well, and eventually will be gone! Take a good hard look at your market, then find a niche and fill it, just as the successful smaller manufacturers and suppliers are doing. Whether wholesale or retail, rewarding opportunities still exist for those who dare to do things differently than “the big two”.

Tom Jennings