_{For our front-end colleagues}

A good sales process ensures your sales transaction goes smoothly. After all, any mishap would most likely revert back to you if certain information is not adequately disclosed. This can lead to damage to your organisation’s reputation and could even have financial implications. For example, if the customer was not offered a threshold bar and later placed an order. The extra delivery charge that incurs would be a difficult conversation to have with the customer. Therefore, it is very important to have a set of sales processes to assess and capture what your customer needs and offer a cost-effective package.

Be Pro
A great first impression is important. As a salesperson, you should have a well-groomed appearance and an inviting smile. Show your client that you are passionate about what you do. Be prepared and knowledgeable but try not to use jargon. Deliver a prompt and professional response. After all, you have heard most of the questions so why not spend a little time to smooth it over? Your response is a very important factor in customer confidence when you offer them products. The knowledge you show of our product will strengthen their desire to accept your recommendations and to further engage in additional services such as fitting and aftercare.

Be Analytical
Analyse your customer profile. Each of them has a very specific need depending on the scope of their project and you should offer a product that is relevant to their need rather than overwhelm them with hundreds of choices. It’s your job to narrow it down based on your assessment of their requirements.
Consider a simple case study, imagine you go to a mobile phone store and after you have described what you need, e.g., a good camera and a large screen etc. If the salesman provides you with 2 choices that fit your requirement and highly recommended them based on factors such as reviews etc, you would most likely walk out with one of them. If he offers you twenty different options, your response would most likely be I will look into it and think about it. Remember, you are not a catalogue store and customers came to you to seek advice.
Good salespeople actively listen to all the points raised by customers in order to create a recommendation they would appreciate. Small details such as one of their family members having a very active pet, a brushed floor would help the little friend with paws to brake more easily, or if one of their daughters is asthmatic, her bedroom should perhaps use a flat surface to reduce where allergens can hide and this also makes it easier to clean. A spouse that easily wakes up at night should be recommended the glue-down fitting method to minimise the floor from squeaking if the partner needs to visit the bathroom. This shows you are a good listener and are very attentive to the details of the conversation.

Be Resilient
A salesperson shouldn’t just give up when there the specific product the customer asks for is not available. Ask the question as to why the customer wanted to choose a certain dimension or finish. Most of the time they have just Googled the spec online and copied it down, then you realise the 125mm isn’t a preference and they will be more than happy to accept 127mm. A lot of times the customer would prefer the stain to be a little lighter in colour or a little darker. Depending on the lighting of your showroom, the customer might misinterpret how the floor would appear in that colour if they installed it in their home. If your showroom has a multi-coloured floor lamp then you should demonstrate how the floor would look mimicking the lighting condition of their home.

Improvement
Learn good selling tips and try to improve your strategy and become an effective salesperson. Come back and check out our latest articles.

_{For our administrative colleagues}

Quotation
Quote. If for some reason your front-end sales colleague has not been able to close the sale during their visit and they have tasked you to follow up with a quote. The timing could be pivotal for closing that sale. You don’t want to send one out within 5 minutes of their exit but also not leave it too long. The stage has been set and while your prospect is still mesmerised by the thoroughness of their new floor, you want them to commit to the sale.

Add a little context to your email or text. A human approach rather than “please see attachment”. Something personal like “Congrats on your new home!” if they told you they just got the place a week ago.

Capture Accessories
This should have already been done by your sales team during the engagement but sometimes, it is hard to have 100% engagement. Things like customers only having limited time and needing to go pick up their kids or your shop was very busy at the time. So here is your second chance of capturing their attention. It’s still worth mentioning the fitting accessories such as adhesive, door thresholds, and stair nosing as well as post-installation care products such as cleaner, wax oil etc. We have placed leaflets on most of our products to indicate that for the best result and compatibility, to use our range of OEM accessories. Do take a moment to study our product range so that you can advise as per our recommendations. To see our current Q-Fit & Q-Care accessories, please click here.

Logistic Arrangement
Your customer most likely needs the flooring to be delivered and it is best to capture all the information needed in one go. After all, repeat phone calls to check requirements can be seen as incompetent. Check to see if the road has width restrictions or if AM delivery is needed. Make sure to ask the customer for a site contact and telephone number for the delivery driver. Remind the customer if they see any damages, mark it on the delivery note/POD. Unless the damage is very significant, we do not recommend the customer refuse delivery as this could potentially delay the job. Although we always advise not to book work until all material is received, this isn’t practical in the modern world. With flooring, if only a few pieces are damaged, this could be used for the sides as cutting is a must. If damage warrants replacement, then we can deal with exchange replacement, usually on the following working day and at the same time, a “dirty” POD will enable us to log a claim against the courier. This way, we can minimise inconvenience and delays that impact the project.

Before installation
If the fitting is not done by your team. It is strongly recommended to inform your customer fitting should be carried out by professional fitters as improper installation would invalidate any warranty. Ensure that you have sent your customer the necessary instructions applicable such as UFH guidelines. And more importantly, for certain finishes, a coat of hard wax oil is required before traffic and needs to be reapplied periodically.