Don't Take Too Much

Don’t Take Too Much

Deep Read (3 mins) Quick Read (scroll down)

Think about when you were out with friends, or at a party, and met someone new. As you talked they asked who you are, what you do—normal things—and then kept asking, and asking, more and more questions. Don’t you begin to feel uneasy, with red flags popping up? What’s making you get defensive?

When we are in conversations with someone new, behavioral scientists describe this ‘getting to know’ moment as a transaction: we’re giving something about ourselves in exchange for taking something about our new acquaintance. But when the other person takes without giving we feel slighted and know something is wrong. Still, interacting with a new customer requires that we learn about our customer’s needs by asking a lot of questions! How do we avoid the negativity of taking too much?

The good news is that as our customer’s retail professionals, we have a lot to give that our customers want to hear! We can balance what we ask—how they’ll use their purchase, how active their lifestyle is, why they’re purchasing today—with the services we offer, especially our Protection Plan. And here’s an important key to success:

“Because you said…”

Starting your Protection Plan presentation this way directly balances taking and giving and keeps your customer comfortable with the conversation…and willing to share more.

“Because you said you love to bike, you’ll want to add the Protection Plan since it covers…”

“Because you said you run every day, adding the Protection Plan makes sense to protect you from…”

Do you see how you’re recognizing what they’ve given you, and connecting it with something you’re giving them in return? There’s also the added benefits of showing that you paid close attention to what your customer told you, and that you’re approaching the Protection Plan as your customer’s retail consultant, not a slick salesperson. This week, make sure you add “Because you said” into your Protection Plan presentations. It will keep your customers at ease while you…Make It Happen!

Quick Read: Using the phrase “Because you said” will balance the information you and your customer share with each other and keep them comfortable with sharing important details with you about how they'll use their purchase. Taking information without sharing something in return risks alienating your customers!