Some years ago, I was walking in the streets of Paris, whilst on the phone with a loved one. And I ended up in this famous area, which is the area dedicated for African-born merchant people. There were food stores, hairdressers, tailors, and so on.
As soon as I got off the underground and reached that neighborhood, a horde of merchants approached me. Some were asking if I needed my hair to be done, others were wondering about my nails, etc.
I was still on the phone, trying to make sense of what was happening around me. And truth be told, I needed a good hair dressing. I do not remember what upcoming event I had, but I knew I needed my hair to be restyled – and I hadn’t planned to take care of my hair on that specific day.
Such scene intrigued me, so I looked around me. Despite the crowd literally surrounding and talking over me, I could see plenty of hair and nail dressing saloons. My aim was to keep them in mind so I could come back and choose one.
The sight of the saloons made me dream… Yeah, I was already imagining my hair being spoiled. I couldn’t help seeing myself with a specific hair twists model, made in way that will highlight my face shape. I was already thinking on the size of the twists, how tight I wanted them, etc.
But the hounding quickly brought me right back to reality!
Here are the lessons learnt:
It is capital to give time to our customers.
No need to come “harass” them whilst asking about their that need as soon as they enter your shop.
They are two possible reasons why prospect would’ve come into your shop:
- They know what they need (and they are willing to make the effort of looking for it)
- They do not know what they want (in that case, it is likely out of curiosity they got in).
Now, people like me – who basically hate shopping – would make the effort of asking for assistance, should they not find whatever they are looking for.
With the rising era of smart phones and social media, everyone is just a phone call away. Or a DM away. As a business owner, one may feel the necessity to contact their prospect to better clarify their need. And that is OK.
What is not great, is feeling the need to hound them, especially when they did not answer yet. Give time and give space to your customers to respond.
No need to make proposals every thirty seconds.
Imagine you enter a shop, happily and patiently looking around. And whilst doing that, your experience is constantly distracted – to say the least. Your train of thoughts frequently disrupted. Either by a sound, or even by a sales assistant constantly encouraging you to purchase.
Now, imagine: that salesperson keeps checking on you with the solely aiming to have you withdraw your wallet and purchase. Some might enjoy and keep the conversation going on 😊. Others (like me) might feel pushed, and will therefore push themselves out of the shop.
Making proposals every 30 seconds can push the prospect out. Irrevocably. First of all because they may feel the shop’s anxiousness to sell – and who likes neediness?! But also because overly frequent new proposals will confuse the prospects and eventually drive them out.
Shopping is meant to be a smooth, enjoyable, and relaxing experience. Yet, due to certain factors, such experience can easily go south. However, some of the aforementioned factors are just as easily correctable.
One of them is for the salesperson to give time and space to their prospect to enjoy their shopping and make their choices.
What did I decide?
Following my experience, I decided never to go to that neighborhood in Paris for my hair to be done.
Why did I make such decision? Easy. For starters, I did not enjoy the way they projected what seemed to be their business-related uncertainties on me. And I certainly did not enjoy been considered as a cow to be milked. I am not responsible for their lack of assurance.
I am sure they were respectable and respected sales representatives. However, their methods weren’t for me. And if I could not trust them to be professional, it would have been difficult for me trust their employers with my hair.
And as we know, in any business, trust is capital – if not the capital.
What about you? Do you like being approached by a salesperson during your shopping time? Why? What better ways can you think of approaching a prospect to eventually turn them as a client? I’d like to read your thoughts, so please feel free to expose your stand point.