The Opening phase

”You will never get a second chance to make a good first impression” The opening phase ”You will never get a second chance to make a good first impression”

The opening phase The goal in the opening phase is to secure that you have the full attention of the customer, and that the customer have the full attention from you.

The opening phase To give you the best possible tools to get a good opening dialog with the customer so he/she can feel relaxed and in good company, are here the top 10 in the opening phase.

The opening phase – Top 10 1. Smile and be forthcoming. 2. Get real contact with the customer. 3. Be alert. 4. Speak in the same tempo and tone of voice as the customer. 5. Speak positive about the customers person, actions, attitudes show you respect the customer no matter race, colour, religion etc. 6. Show the customer that you respect your colleges, products and your company. 7. Show with your voice and the choice of words (and body language) that you are happy and a positive person. 8. Show joy in helping the customer. 9. Be relaxed, calm, rested and have a good hygiene. 10. Never speak badly about a competitor.

Another good rule to remember in your daily work is the 5x20 rule. The opening phase – 5x20 rule. Another good rule to remember in your daily work is the 5x20 rule. The first 20 cm - Your face - be smiling and show openness and interest for the customer. The first 20 steps - You must act professional and determined when approaching the customer. The first 20 seconds - These determine whether the customer likes you or not. The first 20 words - Start with a good opening dialog or small talk. The first 20 movements - Your body language must be identical with what is being said. If something is wrong with one of the above 5 steps, it will probably effect the rest of the conversation.

The opening phase - Opening techniques. One of the best way to get the full attention from your customer is to activate him/here, to make him/here the central part of your conversation. To do that you have to use your opening techniques, there are 6 different and god techniques.

The opening phase - Opening techniques. Questions Ask your customer a relevant question. (remember that it has to be an open question). Ex. What have you done earlier with….? Ex. How did it look like before…? Etc.

The opening phase - Opening techniques. References It work trustworthy if you can refer to a positive experience another customer have had with your product. Ex. 80% choose this product because of the …. Ex. Many customers have had great experience with this product….. Etc.

The opening phase - Opening techniques. Demonstrations To get the customer to related to the product it is important that you show the function of the product or even better involve the customer, let him/her try the product. Ex. Open a pillow and let the customer see/touch the filling, feel the fabric/leather etc. This works very convincing to the customer. Ex. Let the customer sit in the chair/sofa

The openinge phase – Opening techniques. Ask questions that will help you determine what the customer is looking for – What do you think of the comfort in this sofa? You can also use the situation to get the customer to say yes to your augments – Can you feel the thickness of this fabric/leather – Can you feel how comfortable this sofa is to sit in. Etc…..

The opening phase - Opening techniques. New arrivals To present a new arrival catches the interest of most customers. If you use this opening it is important that you pay attention to the customers reaction (answers and body language) Ex. And as something brand new you can know get this in …….. Also. Ex. This sofa is a new arrival ..

The opening phase - Opening techniques. Facts When you use facts it is important that you only tell the truth and nothing else. Ex. Many tests has shown that…… Ex. The seat cushions in sofa has been tested to….

The opening phase - Opening techniques. Reference If you know the customer in advance it is a good idea to refer to what has happened earlier, it is important that you only refer to the positive things. Ex. Last time you where here, we talk about a picture to match the sofa you bought, this picture has just arrived and it matches the colours in your sofa. Ex. How was your holiday?

The opening phase - Opening techniques. Many times it will be a good idea to combine the opening techniques. Ex. Fact and Question. All customers buys this sofa because of the soft comfort, what do think of the comfort?