A recent kbbreview survey reported that 92% of retailers said their footfall was either down or significantly down, furthermore 64% said their sales were down and average value down. Gaining the competitive edge in challenging times as the 'cake' gets smaller, means it's key to maximise every opportunity.

Without wishing to preach to anyone, I wondered whether it would be useful to explore if there are small changes required to update traditional sales techniques.

Marketing products and services still relies crucially on the four Ps of the marketing mix - product, price, place and promotion, although in current conditions I think the extended seven Ps including people, process and physical evidence is worthy of closer inspection.

When footfall reduces, those who have chosen to take the promotion out of the mix now have to work even harder to attract and satisfy customers. Without promotion the customer may only build a picture of you and your business from the first showroom visit. At this key moment is it time to appreciate the psychology behind selling that may make or break an all important sale?

Running a business is undeniably stressful when juggling many roles, one minute an employer, the next a marketeer and so on and stepping back to reassess your sales methods may be last on your list of priorities. I feel the psychology of buying and selling has changed in the last decade and where some have adapted perhaps others have continued in the same vain. Adopting the 'if it's not broken, why fix it?' approach.   

One of the main reasons to review sales technique is that while retailers have upped their game, so have consumers, as they have higher expectations and are ever more fickle. It is a dual issue, gaining competitive edge to succeed while creating a level playing field with the consumer and one solution may be to reassess your sales tactics. We all know that independent retailers possess many years of kbb experience and are able to easily impress customers with their depth of product knowledge. Although how many are guilty of boasting or simply getting carried away with the features and benefits of the state of the art oven or the must have high gloss kitchen without pausing for breath?

Building a profile of your customer by initially asking more questions and taking time to listen ensures you have a valuable knowledge bank that you can tap into throughout the sale. Respect and trust is crucial, customers will appreciate the feeling of a one-to-one consultation and a new 'sales' experience maybe the breath of fresh air they were looking for. By utilising key questions right from the start while watching their body language enables you to identify firstly if they are a serious buyer and if so what makes them tick.

Interestingly 19% of retailers from the kbbreview survey said sales were down but average value had gone up, so this begs the question have certain retailers changed their sales tactics? Whether this is true or not, it is food for thought, tapping into the emotive side of the buying process is a must and finding the emotional attachment may be only a few questions away. Ascertaining whether they are more interested in the look or feel of a product or alternatively whether their buying choice is based more on status all help you think of your next sales move.

Modern selling involves a combination of elements that creates the feel good factor within the customer and the clever 'sales' person is one that knows how to identify them. In addition, the more you listen and provide relevant answers means the customer is less likely to question the price because they feel they have received a good buying experience. This process doesn't end with the sale, as a continued positive feeling through installation and aftercare is the final piece of the jigsaw - a customer recommendation is priceless.

At the end of a sale, evaluation may be extremely beneficial in light of decreasing footfall and planning for long-term business growth. Ultimately many retailers may already be well versed in such practices but the moral of the story is when times are tough and sales are down it's worthwhile taking a second look to ask, 'do my sales tactics really work?'

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