The Art of Selling – May I Help You?

You may be the best computer builder in your town, but unless you know how to sell then you wont neccessarily be the most successful. Retailing is a complicated business and its surprising how many computer businesses open up shop expecting the sales to come pouring in. The truth is, it can take months or even years to get your sales pitch right. The good news is that it can be highly profitable when you get it right.

When I walk into a store and there is a sales person, they almost always ask me “May I help you?” and I almost always respond with “No thanks. Just looking”. Asking “May I help you?” may be the worst thing you can say to a potential customer.

When salesmen ask me “may I help you?” I feel like they are going to give me the hard sell and I feel that I wont be able to get rid of them if I say yes.

One time I was helping my girlfriend shop for a new car and we had a salesman start coming over to us, so I immediately prepared my “no thanks, just looking” response. Instead he asked me “Hello, have you been here before?” which totally threw me off guard. I said the honest answer which was “no”, so he explained the layout of the car yard and told me if I need him just give him a wave and he’ll be right over and then asked if I had any questions. I said no and he went about his work and I felt totally relaxed and free to shop.

You could apply this to the computer industry by also asking them wether they have been to your shop before. If they havent then let them know where items are, and perhaps the services you provide. If they say yes then you could let them know about your current specials.

People hate the hard sell, especially when they are buying an expensive item such as a car or a computer. They know sales people are going to approach them and they are ready for it. Throw them off guard and avoid the standard “no thanks, just looking” answer. Let them know you are there to help if they need you and then leave them alone. They will respect you more for it and you avoid the sales sleeze image.