TALKING POINTS
It’s all
about the customer
By Jake Voelcker, owner, Bicycleworks
Do you ask what they will be using the bike for? Award yourself 10 points! Do you ask a bit more about themselves? 20 points! Or do you show them a range of shiny new bikes and tell them how great they all are?
Uh-oh...You lose 50 points!
A The theme is: always ask questions. The customer doesn’t
want to hear about your road bikes if they came in to buy a folding bike. They don’t care how great this year’s e-MTBs are either... but how do you know unless you ask? It’s not about you. It’s not about the store. It’s not even about the bikes. It’s all about the customer.
Consultation and diagnosis Think of yourself as a doctor. The customer has symptoms – they want to get some exercise, or they are dissatisfied with their current bike, or they need to start cycle commuting – and they may already have an idea of what medicine they think would work, i.e. what bike they want. But would a good doctor give the patient any old medicine
they ask for? You need to check if they have described all their
symptoms. Are they only going to use the bike in the city? Or would they like to try some longer weekend rides if they get a good enough bike?
36 | December 2021
customer looking for a new bike walks through the door... How does the conversation go? What does your sales process look like?
Then you need to check if the medicine will cure the symptoms. The customer might want a folding bike because it’s easier to store. But what if they have a 20-mile daily commute and need to carry heavy luggage? Is a folding bike still the right option? In the long-term the customer won’t thank you for selling them the wrong bike even if it is the bike they asked for! But if you carefully listen to their requirements, make some recommendations, and then sell them the right bike, you’ve got a satisfied customer for life.
“... and what else?” Always ask more, dig a little deeper. Jane Doe came to buy a commuting bike, but if you ask a few more questions, she may reveal a plan to cycle across Europe next year. So now you know she is in the market for a touring bike as well. Joe Bloggs says he needs a basic bike to get to his new job. But if you ask, he may tell you he works night shifts. Now you can show him the model with dynamo lights, and ask if he needs hi-vis gear too. He’s happy because he’d never heard of dynamo lights and he thinks they’re a great idea. You’re happy because you just sold £150 of upgrades.
Logic or emotion? It’s not all about sensible upgrades like dynamo lights. A big part of the customer’s sales decision is based on emotion, so work with that. Sell them an idea, a dream. How will this bike make them feel?
www.bikebiz.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
