I often heard other store managers say that I was “just lucky,” I had big sales or that all my customers “came in ready to buy.” They never thought my sales team did anything extraordinary. I had to find a way to share what I did with my crew and show them there were concrete ways to becoming top salespeople. Wherever I went, the following ten steps hung on my wall. They served as a model and showed that extraordinary sales were within anyone’s reach.

1. Maintain a positive attitude towards yourself and your work. When something goes wrong, don’t waste time complaining but work towards its correction.

2. Understand a clean and organized store or desk directly correlates to high sales.

3. Approach more customers.
4. Realize that customers are on the defensive. Make a personal remark that demands a positive answer, putting the customer at ease. Never say, “Can I help you?”

5. Carry a prop when approaching a customer and get away quickly to let the customer browse. Return within a few minutes and continue to build rapport.

6. Ask questions that open windows; rarely ask anything that can be answered with a no.

7. Know the store’s stock and don’t oversell limited items. Never come out of the stockroom empty-handed. If something is sold out, present something similar.

8. Present additional products and accessories at the close of the sale.

9. Understand the merchandise: its price points, construction, wear and how it compares to other brands and competitors. Ask about new products before a customer does.
10. Thank customers by name at the time of sale and again with a short note the following day.

from milis