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Dealing With Sales Rejection Retailing is fraught with customer rejection. No wonder salespeople get discouraged, neglecting to greet customers and forgetting to suggest better quality merchandise. "The one thing that holds back your salespeople is an inability to manage rejection," says Dr. Wolf J. Rinke (wolfrinke.com), a management consultant in Clarksville, Maryland. "The salesperson who personalizes rejection has difficulty approaching the next customer." What's the solution? Try Rinke's suggestion: "Reframe your mission from selling merchandise to meeting customer needs. Then you will always be successful. You will no longer experience those terrible ups and downs." people by their names, uncover needs and communicate in terms that testify to deep product knowledge." Your employees cannot engage effectively if they lack that last item, says Tschohl. Employees, then, must learn everything possible about your store's products. "I estimate that from 50% to 75% of people don't know anything about the products they sell. A customer can tell that within seconds." Your employees must also feel as though their personal success is tied to that of your store. "No one goes to work asking 'How can I make my company more money?'" says Tschohl. "So you have to uplift your employees' hearts and show them how they benefit from your store's success. Remember that the vast majority of people have personal problems, low self-esteem and personal conflicts. So you have to focus on personal development and build people from within." Ongoing training should result in the creation of a dynamic, powerful sales team. "Try introducing a new and fresh training initiative every few months," says Tschohl. "You cannot make a 25-year-old perfect for life with a few hours work." And include refresher sessions even for seasoned veterans. "People will slip back to their old habits pretty fast." It boils down to getting the best return possible from your investment in people. "Labor is your No. 1 cost," says Tschohl. "If the customer's listening switch is turned off, all your money is gone." Here's a bonus tip: Set an example. Employees will take their cues from you. "If the manager is not a role model, it's a problem," says Tschohl. "The manager needs to be the best of the best." That means knowing merchandise on the shelves and engaging well with customers. FOLLOW THROUGH How well are you doing on your campaign to upgrade your sales skills? Survey your customers several times a year. Ask them what they like and don't like about your merchandise and services. What can you do that will make their store experience more satisfying? Solicit employee feedback on new ways to engage customers and communicate your core goal to serve customer needs and exceed customer expectations. Encourage them to speak up and criticize if they see that a policy is resulting in lost sales. A concentrated campaign to train employees and solicit customer feedback will result in greater revenue. "Selling is not rocket science," says Tschohl. "But when you become good at it, you dramatically escalate sales." ■ Phillip M. Perry is a New York City-based freelance writer. .GV[QWTDTWUJDGCTGÀGEVKQPQH[QWTUV[NG Cosmoprof 2013 Las Vegas #B26242 62 August 2013 | beautystorebusiness.com America's Premier Brush Manufacturer