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The Secret to the Cold Walk-in

by dave147
8 replies
Well, it may not be "THE SECRET" to the cold walk-in but
looking back over 10 clients that came on board
I noticed a similarity in 8 out 10.

Obviously your first aim is to speak to the OWNER of the business.
When you do get to meet the owner...after your introduction and
business card handover...you give a quick summary of some of the
great things you can do for their business.

Here you can either go straight into your full pitch
or what you should do is ask them do they want to hear more,
are they interested in hearing more. (Qualifying, rather than wasting time)

If they're interested in hearing more, here's what you should aim for next,
here's "THE SECRET"

Get them to SIT DOWN with you.
Get them out from behind the counter/the barrier
Ask them...
"Is there anywhere we can sit down" or "is there anywhere we can go to discuss this?"

By sitting down with you it breaks down that barrier.
It kind of becomes a MEETING.
There's more of a commitment from them to actually listen
to what you have to say.
They are making a commitment to take some time out and REALLY LISTEN.
You'll present your pitch better.
Your presentation appears more professional because they are
now in a meeting rather than being caught off guard by a "sales guy or gal"
It gets them more involved with the whole presentation.
They ask more questions (that's a good thing, it raises interest)


Out of my last 5 Walk-ins, 3 out of 5 signed up, and guess what!
I got those 3 to SIT DOWN.


So that is it!

Next time you're out there...get them to SIT DOWN with you,
then you'll notice the difference.


Dave
#cold #cold walk-in #secret #walkin
  • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
    Originally Posted by dave147 View Post

    Well, it may not be "THE SECRET" to the cold walk-in but
    looking back over 10 clients that came on board
    I noticed a similarity in 8 out 10.

    Obviously your first aim is to speak to the OWNER of the business.
    When you do get to meet the owner...after your introduction and
    business card handover...you give a quick summary of some of the
    great things you can do for their business.

    Here you can either go straight into your full pitch
    or what you should do is ask them do they want to hear more,
    are they interested in hearing more. (Qualifying, rather than wasting time)

    If they're interested in hearing more, here's what you should aim for next,
    here's "THE SECRET"

    Get them to SIT DOWN with you.
    Get them out from behind the counter/the barrier
    Ask them...
    "Is there anywhere we can sit down" or "is there anywhere we can go to discuss this?"

    By sitting down with you it breaks down that barrier.
    It kind of becomes a MEETING.
    There's more of a commitment from them to actually listen
    to what you have to say.
    They are making a commitment to take some time out and REALLY LISTEN.
    You'll present your pitch better.
    Your presentation appears more professional because they are
    now in a meeting rather than being caught off guard by a "sales guy or gal"
    It gets them more involved with the whole presentation.
    They ask more questions (that's a good thing, it raises interest)


    Out of my last 5 Walk-ins, 3 out of 5 signed up, and guess what!
    I got those 3 to SIT DOWN.


    So that is it!

    Next time you're out there...get them to SIT DOWN with you,
    then you'll notice the difference.

    Dave
    Dave; I can't believe nobody (meaning me) brought this up before.

    Yes, It's far easier to make the sale if you are both sitting down. This is also true in retail, and selling in people's homes.

    For example, in my retail store we have comfortable chairs in every part of the store someone could be looking at a vacuum cleaner. I only count "presentations" when they sit down. It really helps, especially if you are going to be there more than ten minutes. Very good point.
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    • Profile picture of the author dave147
      Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

      Dave; I can't believe nobody (meaning me) brought this up before.

      Yes, It's far easier to make the sale if you are both sitting down. This is also true in retail, and selling in people's homes.

      For example, in my retail store we have comfortable chairs in every part of the store someone could be looking at a vacuum cleaner. I only count "presentations" when they sit down. It really helps, especially if you are going to be there more than ten minutes. Very good point.

      Yeah I suppose it can work the other round way too...interesting!
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    • Profile picture of the author Aaron Doud
      Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

      Dave; I can't believe nobody (meaning me) brought this up before.

      Yes, It's far easier to make the sale if you are both sitting down. This is also true in retail, and selling in people's homes.

      For example, in my retail store we have comfortable chairs in every part of the store someone could be looking at a vacuum cleaner. I only count "presentations" when they sit down. It really helps, especially if you are going to be there more than ten minutes. Very good point.
      That is the one thing I never understood about a lot of retail stores. Even as a manager they wouldn't let me put chairs down. I have even managed at a place that sold furniture along with electronics and appliances and still didn't get why furniture sold so much of the store's total business.

      The bigger the purchase the more you want to get that person sitting down and comfortable.

      I love the fact you saw this and made it happen in your retail store. I believe it is one of the hidden secrets of retailing that has never been truly rolled out by the big boys. Having sold in every single department in that store I mentioned earlier I can tell you it was a night and day difference selling in furniture and being able to sit down with the customers.
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      • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
        Aaron; Maybe you aren't old enough to remember this.

        Shoe stores. The salesman would sit you down, take off your right shoe, measure your foot on the cool metal thingy, and then personally put shoes on you and tie the laces. You know...selling.

        If you are 50 years old or older (like most of my customers), standing on a concrete floor (under thin carpet for more than ten minutes is something to avoid. If you are walking slowly, you are in pain. I always offer a seat, even for repair customers.

        Even people who ask to use our bathroom are offered a seat.

        The book Selling Retail by John Lawhon is a masterpiece. written by a true master craftsman, on selling anything at retail. 90% of it can be translated to any other kind of selling too, of course. It's one of the 4 or 5 best books on selling ever written. It depresses me to see older copies on Amazon.com selling for a buck. What a treasure.
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        • Profile picture of the author KingOfContentMarketing
          Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

          Shoe stores. The salesman would sit you down, take off your right shoe, measure your foot on the cool metal thingy, and then personally put shoes on you and tie the laces. You know...selling.
          I remember selling radio time back in Athens, Ohio during college. At one farm supply store we'd sit on stacks of jeans in the back and discuss radio spots. No chairs back there. Good times.

          Here is my adventure selling shoes back in high school.
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        • Profile picture of the author mojo1
          Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

          Shoe stores. The salesman would sit you down, take off your right shoe, measure your foot on the cool metal thingy, and then personally put shoes on you and tie the laces. You know...selling.

          Hehe...I'm old enough at 42 to remember this selling feature. My mom wouldn't buy a shoe without my foot measured.

          At good ole places like Buster Brown's, Kinney's shoe store in South Florida.

          My daughter asked what is that metal thingy a few years ago while at the shoe store. I just laughed to myself when she asked this question.
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        • Profile picture of the author Aaron Doud
          Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

          Aaron; Maybe you aren't old enough to remember this.

          Shoe stores. The salesman would sit you down, take off your right shoe, measure your foot on the cool metal thingy, and then personally put shoes on you and tie the laces. You know...selling.

          If you are 50 years old or older (like most of my customers), standing on a concrete floor (under thin carpet for more than ten minutes is something to avoid. If you are walking slowly, you are in pain. I always offer a seat, even for repair customers.

          Even people who ask to use our bathroom are offered a seat.

          The book Selling Retail by John Lawhon is a masterpiece. written by a true master craftsman, on selling anything at retail. 90% of it can be translated to any other kind of selling too, of course. It's one of the 4 or 5 best books on selling ever written. It depresses me to see older copies on Amazon.com selling for a buck. What a treasure.
          I remember the shoe thing from my youth in the early 80's when it was still common locally and even happened in discount stores. Though there are still a few shoe stores that do it and I actually tried to recruit a guy a few years back from one that did. He liked selling shoes while in college so he stayed where he was sadly.

          And I agree one of the reasons I left retail was the standing. It wasn't fun for me and my feet and I know it wasn't fun for my customers.
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          • Profile picture of the author DarrenRM
            I try to make sure there is no counter or table between us. I would sit slightly adjacent on chairs with arms (to prevent arm folding).

            Mostly, and depending on my niche, I dress casual, keep it low key, ask a few qualifying questions. Quite often I've gone to visit someone regarding what their business offers because I actually wanted to buy something, and at some gotten on the subject of talking about business in general before mentioning my own services. I've usually always got business cards on me just in case this happens.

            Sometimes I feel speaking to other staff besides the decision maker warms the atmosphere. Sometimes the secretary or assistant is the real gate keeper and winning their favour may be the key. If you're going to be in the future position of revisiting the premises it makes sense to be on good terms with the cleaner as well as the general manager.
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