retail news
How Salespeople Are Adjusting in the Wake of COVID-19 WORDS BY ROSA SOPHIA
Since Coronavirus began spreading in the United States, Mobile Electronics Association has been hosting weekly meetings to help retailers stay informed. On April 23, the focus turned to sales as Kevin Hallinan of WINNING, Inc. provided his insights in a presentation entitled The Buyer Seller Dance and How to Take the Lead. Hallinan discussed the ground rules of selling, which he also shared with readers in the Strategy & Tactics section of Mobile Electronics magazine’s February / March 2020 issue. While Hallinan underscored that the art of sales involves making a customer comfortable, questions arose from attendees regarding how to handle sales in the midst of the spread of Coronavirus and beyond. One attendee inquired as to how salespeople should handle a worried client who prefers email rather than an in-person meeting. “Get them on the phone,” Hallinan advised. “Respond to the email and say,
18 Mobile Electronics May 2020
‘Thanks for reaching out. What’s the best time to talk on the phone?’ In times of quarantine, we may have to sell over the phone.” Since handshakes have become unwelcome due to the spread of the virus, Hallinan said, “Give them the six-foot rule and own it. Be comfortable with no handshake. I’m going to give them that space.” In this way, head motion and eye contact become all the more important. “You almost have to overemphasize that and add a little more body language,” he noted. Another attendee asked whether the salesperson should clean a product after demonstrating it and then invite the client to try it. “That’s a good idea for two reasons,” Hallinan said. “First, it gives them comfort and shows you care about their health. If you have extra disposable gloves, you can also offer them a pair.” The topic of system demos after an installation also arose in the
conversation. “I would say to the customer, ‘You’re welcome to come back when this is over, but for now, play with the system and we can Facetime if you need to, and I can walk you through it remotely,’” Hallinan suggested. Chris Cook, President of Mobile Electronics Association, prompted Hallinan to share any suggestions that might help make customers more comfortable in-store during this difficult time. “What would you do to make them feel more welcome when they come in?” he asked. “When retailers are closed or slow, would you recommend thorough cleaning and painting to make the place look and smell really clean?” Hallinan said yes. “Fresh paint says, ‘New, clean.’ Offer hand sanitizer. Let people know you’ve thoroughly sanitized the facility and that you take their health and yours seriously,” he said. “A lot of shops are hiring cleaning companies to come in.”
