BusinessHABPlastic Adirondack Chairs
Plastic Adirondack Chairs: Adirondack chairs have long been a popular choice for outdoor seating. The design is distinct and eye-catching with a straight back and seat with wide armrests.
Selling a product doesn’t have to be complicated. At its most basic level, a sales program is defined principally by what you sell, who you sell it to and how you sell it. Beyond that, sales involve staying focused on the details of your product and customers. As a sales program continues you will want to keep paying attention to changing trends and the needs or desires of your customers. By observing these changes you will be able to adjust your program and keep your sales strong.
Showing Enthusiasm for the Product
1. Study your product. If you are able to convey knowledge about the product and to answer questions that customers may have, then they will understand that you really care about the product. If you find the product worthwhile, they are more likely to as well.
- It is absolutely vital to know your product inside out. If you do not know something a customer asks of you, try saying something like “I don’t know the exact answer for that, but I’ll be happy to look into it and get back to you right away. What’s the best way to contact you when I find the answer?”
2. Emphasize the perks of the product to customers. As well as getting good product information to the right people, it is important to translate the product’s features into benefits. This makes it easier for the customer to see why they should purchase the product. Think about things like:
- Will the product make the customer’s life easier?
- Will the product create a sense of luxury?
- Is the product something that can be enjoyed by many people?
- Is the product something that can be used for a long time?
Plastic Adirondack Chairs
3. Ensure that the product has been adequately explained. If you are not doing direct, person-to-person sales, then you will need to ensure that good product information is supplied via retail packaging, point-of-purchase displays, and any marketing materials. Even if you are selling products directly or making a pitch, having good product information on display will help you convince customers.
- Make sure that all product information is informative, true, and complete.
- Make sure that the language on product packaging and marketing materials is clear, direct, and easy to read.
- Invest the time and money to ensure that your product, packaging, and marketing materials look good—high-quality photos, vivid colors, etc.
Connecting with the Buyer
4. Share your love of the product. A good salesperson believes in the product that is being sold, and transfers this enthusiasm to the customer. There are numerous ways to show your love of a product.
- Don’t neglect body language and tone. You will convey energy and enthusiasm if you speak clearly about a product, and show expression when discussing it. On the other hand, if you mumble when customers ask questions about a product, or cross your arms over your chest, then it will appear like you are distant and don’t care about the product.
- Be prepared to discuss how you use the product, or how other satisfied customers have. Specific stories about the product make it relatable to customers. For instance, if you’re selling a shampoo, you can tell a customer something like: “My hair is usually so frizzy, but ever since I’ve started using this it’s been as smooth and straight as it is right now.”
Plastic Adirondack Chairs
5. Anticipate your customers’ motivations. You want to be able to answer any questions that customers may have about a product, but even more importantly, you want to anticipate those questions. This shows that you understand customer needs. Make sure that you are able to connect emotionally with customers by addressing those needs.
- Think about your typical customers. What motivates them? What needs do they have? Are they young? Single? Wealthy? Do they have families?
- Once you have an idea of your customers in mind, think about how your product can help them meet their needs or reach their desires.
Plastic Adirondack Chairs
7. Convert the customer’s motivations into the product’s characteristics. In marketing, this is known as “positioning,” and it consists of equating the product with the customer’s hopes and desires. A number of factors are important when positioning a product.
- Position the product in the best spectrum of the market possible. Don’t pitch the product too high or too low in terms of affordability and luxury.
- Position the facts about the product according to the person you’re selling it to. You may have a handful of different facts, but it’s up to your skill to know which of those facts best serve each individual sale.
- Don’t fudge facts or lie outright. Product positioning is about perception, not deception.
- Position the facts so that they transcend the product itself. This means that the desirable, positive values associated with the product are what sell it. Companies that excel at this include Coca-Cola, Apple, and many designer goods or labels. Think about how your product will connect with a customer’s lifestyle or values, and not simply serve a function.
- For instance, if you are trying to sell a relatively high-end minivan to a wealthy older person, you might mention its luxurious features. Do this by saying things like: “Take a look at that wood trim—it’s just beautiful. And those soft leather seats—they’re so comfortable. They’re perfect for taking a nice sunset drive.”
- If you were trying to sell the same minivan to a family with three children, however, you would emphasize its more utilitarian features. For example, you could say things like: “The third seat adds lots of room for carting friends around. It also folds down when you need room for hauling groceries, sporting gear, and things like that. And did I mention that side air bags and anti-lock brakes come standard?”
Plastic Adirondack Chairs
8. Be honest about your product. Long-term lovers of your product will only come about if you’ve been honest with them. This means being transparent in your delivery of product information and also admitting your own lack of knowledge or mistakes you’ve made. Don’t be afraid of honesty; it builds trust.
- If you ever are not able to answer customers’ questions or supply them with what they need, offer to follow up with them later, as soon as you are able to.
- Make sure customers know they can come back to you later if they have questions or concerns.
- If it ever turns out that a product isn’t right for a customer, be honest about it and help the customer find what he or she really needs. Even if you don’t make the sale today, your honesty and generosity will be remembered, and can translate into future sales.
- For instance, if you are trying to sell a sports car to customer who eventually tells you that he has five young children who he drives to school everyday, you could say something like: “Well maybe you’d be better off with a good minivan or SUV. But if you’re ever in the market for a second vehicle, come back and talk to me and I’ll help you get a good deal.”
Plastic Adirondack Chairs
9. Market your product. It is important to make your product information available through as many channels as possible. Today, the range of potential placements has increased a great deal thanks to the advances in communications. Give your potential buyers many possible places to find out more about your product in numerous ways, such as:
- Word-of-mouth
- Advertising (radio, TV, print, email, social media, online ads, etc.)
- Sales representatives
- Trade shows
- Conferences
- Cold call sales
- Product placement in movies, sports, etc.
- Local community events (for instance, donating a product to a local benefit auction will draw attention to your product and serve a good cause)
BusinessHAB