Columnists

Squirrel Spotting: 5 Pointers From ‘The Sales Minute’

ColumnistsJul 13, 2021

Squirrel Spotting: 5 Pointers From ‘The Sales Minute’

Peter Smith shares a handful of tips from his latest book that will, hopefully, make you want to read the other 96.

2021_Peter Smith.jpg
Peter Smith is president of Memoire and Hearts On Fire. He is author of two books, “Hiring Squirrels” and “Sell Something.” Connect with Smith on LinkedIn or at dublinsmith@yahoo.com.
My newest book, “The Sales Minute: 101 Tips for Retail Salespeople,” was just released and is now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and via other booksellers.

The format is quite different from my previous books in that “The Sales Minute” is built around the idea of quick tips, 101 of them as the subtitle suggests, and does not have to be read from cover to cover to be useful.

To that end, I mixed the tips throughout without chronological consideration.

I had originally intended to do “Tweet-sized” tips, but I ultimately decided that format would underserve some of the topics and tips.

Here are five examples from the book. I hope you enjoy them enough to make you want to read the other 96.

Mirror Your Customer’s Verbal and Non-Verbal Cues

Synchronizing your tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language with your customer’s is an effective yet largely unconscious way to create rapport.

Our brains are hardwired to sync with others (getting thrown out of the cave back in the day was a dangerous proposition), and we are more likely to trust people who mirror our gestures, vocal intonations, and physicality.

Quickly observe your customer’s demeanor (hurried, relaxed, quiet, louder, formal, informal, etc.) and align your behavior and demeanor accordingly.

It can and should be done in a subtle way, but the payoff in connectivity can be profound.

How You Communicate the Price Matters


How you say a price can change a customer’s perception of that price.

Crazy, I know, but studies show that to be the case. The more syllables used in verbally quoting the price, the higher the price is perceived to be.

For instance, “One thousand, five hundred, and fifty dollars” will be perceived as a higher price than “Fifteen-fifty.”

Likewise, a price with a comma, such as $1,550.00, will be perceived as higher than $1550.

When quoting price, condition yourself to use fewer syllables.

071321_Peter Smith book.jpg
“The Sales Minute: 101 Tips for Retail Salespeople” is available now via major booksellers, like Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Movement

Don’t allow yourself to be stationary for too long as it doesn’t translate well for customers entering your store.

From the earliest evolutionary days, when our ancestors traversed the Serengeti, our brains have been wired to respond to movement. It was, quite simply, how we found dinner, and it was also how we avoided becoming dinner.

Fast-forward 7 million years or so, and our primal brains are still drawn to three-dimensional movement.

Standing behind a counter, inside the front door, or at the back of the store behind a service desk is not likely to draw the attention or interest of a customer.

Movement matters, and it should always be in the customer’s field of view, directly or peripherally, not from behind.

Distracted Listening

As often as we are reminded of the importance of maintaining eye contact and giving our undivided attention, we hear less about the potentially destructive consequences of distracted listening.

Breaking eye contact with a customer sends a signal that you have lost interest and would rather be doing something else, and the impact of that distraction is more damaging to a shared experience than a heated argument. 

Be completely present when you are listening to a customer and break eye contact, with an apology, only when absolutely unavoidable. 


Show Product With Reverence

Always show your products with great reverence and respect. 

What you say will matter little if you handle the product in an overtly carefree manner, and treating your products as undifferentiated commodities invites the customer to do likewise. 

You are conducting visual theater, and the highest compliment you can pay your customer is to present your products with care and consideration. 

You are, in effect, showing the customer how to interact with the product. 

I hope you enjoyed this sample from “The Sales Minute,” and I wish you and yours a safe and enjoyable summer!

 Related stories will be right here … 
Peter Smithis an industry consultant, speaker, and sales trainer, and author of three books, “Hiring Squirrels,” “Sell Something,” and “The Sales Minute.”

The Latest

Historic and modern photos of diamond grading GIA
GradingMay 26, 2023
State of the Diamond Industry: AI and the Future of Diamond Grading

Gemologists have long used machines in diamond grading but technology has made it possible for them to “learn” how to do it on their own.

Supplier Spotlight Webinar John Pollard and Garry Holloway
Recorded WebinarsMay 26, 2023
Watch: Diamond Cut Quality: The Final Frontier Part 2

Supplier Spotlight Sponsored by IGI

My Next Question webinar series episode on selling lab-grown diamonds
Recorded WebinarsMay 26, 2023
Natural and Lab-Grown Diamonds: What It’s Like to Sell Both

Watch retailers Jeffery Bolling and Bobby Bengivengo discuss employee training, customer education and the sticky subject of future value.

LAB230043_Dossier_NJ_1872x1052_V1.jpg
Brought to you by
The Next Step for GIA Diamond Reports

The most trusted diamond report, available in print or the GIA App.

Models wearing Calvin Klein watches and jewelry
FinancialsMay 26, 2023
Movado Sales Slip in Q1 Amid Inflation Woes, Tough Comps

The company has plans to revamp the Movado brand and offer less expensive watches this year.

Weekly QuizMay 25, 2023
This Week’s Quiz
Test your jewelry news knowledge with this short test.
Take the Quiz
Bulgari necklace set with 118.35-carat unheated Sri Lankan sapphire
AuctionsMay 26, 2023
Piece of the Week: A Bulgari Sapphire and Diamond Necklace

Set with a 118-carat unheated Sri Lankan sapphire, it just sold for $3.4 million at Phillips jewelry auction in Hong Kong.

noamcarver-videoimage.png
Supplier BulletinMay 25, 2023
RAE Fine Jewelry Collection Debuting at JCK Luxury 2023

Sponsored by Noam Carver

Cover-WN19-Back-&-Front_V5-RGB-(1)_Community.jpg
Brought to you by
Beyond Borders: Crucial Factors in Colored Stone Origin Determination

Navigate origin determination with Continuing Education seminars offered by the GIA Alumni Collective™.

Graphic of phishing scheme
TechnologyMay 25, 2023
State of Retail: Why Jewelers Need to Invest in Cybersecurity Now

As cybercrime incidents threaten the industry, jewelers need to know what they’re up against and the best ways to protect their businesses.

Louis Anthony Jewelers remodeled exterior
IndependentsMay 25, 2023
Louis Anthony Jewelers Is Remodeling and Expanding

The Pittsburgh jeweler is redoing the lighting and showcases, and adding a full hospitality bar as well as new shop-in-shops.

Yurman Family Crystalline Pass at American Museum of Natural History in New York City
SourcingMay 25, 2023
David Yurman Unveils Quartz Exhibition at AMNH

The Yurman Family Crystalline Pass is inside the museum’s brand-new Richard Gilder Center.

Stanley Zale new principal consultant Hill & Co.
MajorsMay 25, 2023
Stanley Zale Joins Hill & Co. as Principal Consultant

Zale has more than 40 years’ experience in the diamond industry, including 17 years as Stuller’s VP of diamonds and gemstones procurement.

 Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada sign
Events & AwardsMay 24, 2023
New To-Dos in Las Vegas During Jewelry Market Week 2023

The Strip is full of new restaurant and entertainment offerings.

State Property necklace, Briony Raymond two-stone ring, and Emily P. Wheeler earrings
TrendsMay 24, 2023
State of Design: The Jewelry Design Trends to Know Now

National Jeweler’s senior editor covering fashion, trends, and design highlights the latest looks in the market.

A text conversation between a chatbot and a human
EditorsMay 24, 2023
How Jewelers Can Make the Most of ChatGPT

From what ChatGPT is to how to use it, this is the explainer tailored to jewelers.

127-carat Type IIa pear brilliant-cut Light of Peace diamond
AuctionsMay 23, 2023
Christie’s to Auction 127-Carat ‘Light of Peace’ Diamond

The D-color, internally flawless, Type IIa stone will be offered without reserve.

Pat Henneberry
IndependentsMay 23, 2023
Pat Henneberry Joins Veer

The industry veteran will serve as the diamond jewelry supplier’s head of business development.

Bruce Rubin Senior Vice President Frederick Goldman
MajorsMay 23, 2023
Bruce Rubin Joins Frederick Goldman

He is the company’s new senior vice president of sales and business development.

MajorsMay 23, 2023
New Approach School for Jewelers Announces Gemvision Partnership

The Tennessee school’s CAD Academy is now offering training in Gemvision’s MatrixGold software.

An International Gemological Institute diamond report
GradingMay 22, 2023
Blackstone Officially Inks Deal to Acquire IGI

Blackstone is buying the 80 percent stake in the lab owned by a Chinese company as well as the 20 percent held by the Lorie family.

Colored gemstones from Anza Gems
SourcingMay 22, 2023
State of the Colored Stone Market: Dropping Some Valuable Gems

In a collection of Q&As, key players give insight on supply, demand, the importance of origin, and whether the “Color of the Year” matters.

De Beers polished diamond in tweezers
SourcingMay 22, 2023
De Beers Consolidates Auctions as Diamond Sales Lose Steam

The company confirmed it will be combining the auctions for the fifth and sixth sales cycles into one.

Belit Myers, Coby Blanchard, Taylor Burgess, Tiffanie Ortis
MajorsMay 22, 2023
Stuller Promotes Four Employees Amid Organizational Update

Among other changes, Stanley Zale, the former vice president of diamonds and gemstones, is leaving the company after 17 years.

2023-2024 American Gem Society International Board of Directors
MajorsMay 22, 2023
AGS Confirms Members of 2023-2024 Board of Directors

One new addition was announced at the Conclave membership breakfast.

JAR Eye bangle Christie’s Geneva
AuctionsMay 19, 2023
It’s a White-Glove Sale for JAR Jewels at Christie’s

The 28-piece collection is the largest to be offered at auction.

An International Gemological Institute diamond grading report
GradingMay 19, 2023
Report: Blackstone to Buy IGI for Up to $550M

The deal could be signed as early as this weekend, according to a report by The Economic Times.

Marie Lichtenberg ruby and diamond check locket
CollectionsMay 19, 2023
Piece of the Week: Marie Lichtenberg’s ‘Check’ Locket

It’s an ultra-luxurious version of the designer’s signature style.

×

This site uses cookies to give you the best online experience. By continuing to use & browse this site, we assume you agree to our Privacy Policy