Strategy & Tactics: The Fine Art of Selling Accessories

WORDS BY VINCENT DE STEFANO

A long time ago I started to think about moving out of my folk’s home and getting an apartment of my own. It was really my parents’ idea—as in, “Vinnie, it’s time for you to go.” So, I started putting together a list of what I had and what I needed to set up my new digs. It occurred to me there was a huge gaping hole in my provisions. No stereo system! I love music and had almost blown my parents old combo console TV, turntable and radio many times listening to my tunes. That was part of the reason it was suggested that I find other accommodations—not just the blowing up part but mostly the tunes. The chances of me sneaking that beast out of the house without getting killed by my parents was slim to none. The only thing I had that even came close was a clock radio my mother had given me on my tenth birthday and it was not exactly “High Fidelity.”

I started to think very hard about my lack of stereo problem and two other pressing issues entered my mind. First, I had no money to purchase a stereo. Second, I had no job. I’m certain you can see that long-term planning was not my strong suit at the time. So, I started looking for gainful employment. Rogersound Labs, the premier stereo establishment in Southern California at the time, was hiring! Voilà, all my problems solved in one shot. So, I donned my suit and tie went down to RSL and filled out an application. Lo and behold they actually hired me.

Embarking On a Career in Sales

Suddenly, I found myself with a job I loved. I was working with a great bunch of people who, even though they appeared to know lots more about what we were selling than I did, welcomed me with open arms. However, the real icing on this employment cake is that on my last interview my new boss told me that I could make as much as $25,000.00 a year! “You’re kidding!” I exclaimed. (Yes, it was a long time ago.)

I loved my new job, so I really applied myself. I was the first to arrive every day and the last to leave. In my first week, I practically ran up to people when they walked in our door. I’d greet them, find out what they wanted, show them the item and then write it up as quickly as possible and move on to the next available customer. At the end of my first week, I realized I had been moving faster and writing more invoices than all those guys who knew more than me. I saw a very bright future ahead of me.

When I showed up at the start of my second week, my boss approached me and asked to speak with me in his office. Of course, my first thought was he’d noticed my brilliance as his number one sales generating machine. My mind raced. Was it a promotion already? Was it some kind of raise? Hell, at that point I was so stoked that even a pat on the back with a hearty, “Job well done, Vinnie!” would have been great.

However, it wasn’t any of those things. He closed the door and leaned against it and said rather sadly, “Vinnie, we have grave doubts about your future with Rogersound Labs.”

To say I was stunned would be a gross understatement. This is not what I was expecting or wanted at all. Before I could even gather my thoughts, I blurted out, “But why? I’ve been busting my ass, man!”

He told me he recognized that I was working hard, but he went on to say something that I now see as the best information anyone has ever given me in this business: “Vinnie, we really sell only two things at RSL and unfortunately, you are only selling one of them.” I did not have the faintest idea of what he was talking about. I knew there were a lot more than just two products on our showroom floor. He could see that I was confused. He told me that he liked me and wanted me to have at least another shot at making it as an RSL salesperson. However, he told me that I needed to learn very fast to sell that other thing or I would not last beyond my second week. Man, what a drag! No job, no money for a stereo or apartment and when my parents found out I lost my job in less than two weeks, I would be sleeping in our garage for the rest of my life.

Learning to Listen to the Customer

My boss explained what he meant by, “We only sell two things.” He said the first thing we sell is what the customer came into the store looking to buy. He told me I actually did a bang-up job on that. This made me feel better for the moment. However, he went on to say that if the product was all they wanted to sell at RSL, they could replace the salespeople with vending machines because a machine could sell just as much as any of us could and vending machines were cheaper and never needed bathroom breaks or paid vacations.

Then he told me about that mysterious second thing. “Vinnie, the second thing we sell at RSL is everything else customers need but do not know they need until a salesperson shows it to them. That is something vending machines are incapable of doing.” He went on: “Most customers know very little about the things we sell or what they really need. There is no way on God’s green earth that customers can buy things, even things they need, if they do not know that they exist. That’s your job. Educating customers about what they really need.” It seems so simple now.

He told me I needed to slow down and spend more time with each customer. He told me not worry too much about what they tell you they want, but instead to try to find what they really need. Ask lots of questions and then shut up so you can listen carefully. Not only that, but really look at them so you see who they are. “Take your time and really get to know your customers,” he told me. “If you do that, they will give you everything you need to sell them that second thing.”

Accessories Are the Bedrock of Successful Retail Sales

That lesson was one of the most important I have ever received and it changed my retail life from that day forward. Since then I’ve come to understand that the ability to sell that second thing— what we call accessories—is the bedrock of successful retail selling. The plain truth is that accessories are the most profitable items in any store regardless of whatever they may actually be. They are profitable for the customer because the right accessories should make whatever they are buying better for their ultimate satisfaction in very tangible ways. Better for the salesperson because happy satisfied customers are always better for salespeople and retail businesses. More importantly, these are generally impulse purchases of things that are entirely new to most customers. Therefore, they seldom need to be discounted. So how do you sell accessories successfully? You start by remembering that customers cannot buy something if they do not know it exists. Therefore, you need to present accessories each and every time you determine that your customers’ purchases would be better with them than without them. However, not all accessories are exactly alike and there different and better ways to sell and present each successfully.

Three Types of Accessories

There are three kinds of accessories. Let’s call the very first kind “Need-to Accessories,” items a customer absolutely has to have to make something work. For example, nearly every flashlight comes with a message that says “batteries not included.” This should be the easiest accessory to sell. Simply put the batteries in your customer’s hand. That act alone will increase your chances of a sale by more than 70 percent. Tell them, “Here, you will need these, too.” If they ask why, tell them politely, “Because without these batteries, that flashlight will not emit one photon of light.” It does not get any easier than that, my friends.

The next category is “Ought-to Accessories.” With this accessory, you know the customer will get more out of their purchase. Again, put it in their hands and say, “Here, you really ought to buy this.” When they ask why, tell them how the accessory will improve their purchase. Do this in plain English and only one or two sentences. “Hey, I know that the 5¼ Co Axials you want are a great bargain, but you told me that sound quality was very important to you. I suggest these components instead because they will sound much better and will allow that excellent amplifier you are buying to produce higher highs and lower lows.” The last category is “Nice-to Accessories.” These are designed to add a sense of luxury. Think leather seats in a new car. That car will drive just fine without them, but then you would miss out on the look, feel and smell that only leather seats can deliver. When you add these accessories to a sale, it should make whatever your customer is buying shine a little bit brighter.

How to Sell Accessories

As you get to know your customer, take time to notice what’s important to them. What are they wearing? What are they driving? If, for example, your customer is wearing a Rolex watch and driving a Porsche, that tells you something. With a customer like this, you once again put the accessory in their hands and say, “Here, this will go nicely with what you’re buying and add to your enjoyment. It’s not the cheapest, but it’s the very best we have to offer.” Not every customer wears a Rolex or drives a Porsche, but I have never met a customer who wanted less than the best they could afford. What you need to do for “Ought-to Accessories” is use your ears, eyes and common sense to determine what will make what any customer is buying shine brighter to them and everybody else. Then offer it to them with confidence. Selling accessories is necessary for any retail business to survive and be profitable. However, selling accessories is not just loading customers up with things they don’t need just to fill your cash drawer. The art of selling accessories is predicated on your customers’ needs and desires. It requires a salesperson get to know the customer. It is simply offeringyour customers the things they need, ought to have, or might like to have to make what they are buying work better for them. You must also recognize that customers cannot buy things they don’t know exist. If you do not offer it to them, you are saying no for the customer and that’s something the customer can do on their own. If you choose not to offer your customer something you know they need and is in their best interest, you are denying them the opportunity to fully enjoy their purchase.

Vincent De Stefano is the President of De Stefano & Associates LLC, Sales & Marketing Consultants. He encourages readers to reach out to him via email with any questions or concerns: vdestefano54@gmail.com