THE MONTHLY Sales Skills SERIES

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2026

53:02 Video (271 MB) HD Video (949 MB) Audio (49 MB)

Okay. So happy Wednesday. I'm so glad that we're talking about this. So today is a lot about just browsing. And, when I looked at the newsletter or the email that you might have gotten today, that was that said, you don't have a traffic problem.

You have a conversion problem. And and then I went to I proceeded to read the rest of it that was because I get my emails too. And and I thought and in the email, it said about conversation. And I what I found was kinda wild was my first reaction when I saw the newsletter was, you don't have a traffic problem. You have a conversation problem.

And I thought, how fitting is that? Even though I read it incorrectly, how fitting is that that that's what we're talking about today? Because that's really what it is. It's that we have we have a conversation problem as the the inability to connect early in the process and get things moving in the right direction. So for those of you who are on here for the first time, welcome, delighted to have you.

For those of you who are back again, thank you for returning. And as we've done in the past, this is this information today is related to if you're following or you're getting the newsletter, it's that. It's related to that. And so I'm gonna go through some of the, key points of what was in the blogs, and then I'm gonna open this up for conversation so that I can hear about what some of your struggles are with just browsing or greetings or effective greetings and getting things started right. And then I welcome others to talk about what's working for them so that I'm certainly not the only person on this call with some answers.

Alright. So starting out, let's start with before the before the customer even comes in. So the first thing we wanna do is we wanna get our head in the game. Get our head in the game. And I know that and I know I have a lot of retail people on this call.

So in retail, we call and we call what up means is up either means your position that you're up next. Up is another noun, which is the person coming in is an up. But I think one of the things that we don't really do is think of up as a verb. Think of up as where we need to be when someone comes in. Like, you need to be up.

Up as in enthusiastic. Up as in ready. Up as in your heads in the game. Up as anything that you've done in the past is completed. That's it's complete.

You are up. You are focused. You are intentional to give the neck that person that walks in the door your very best engagement, and that's what we're looking to do. So clear your head, get to neutral, think about what you wanna accomplish, think about who you are gonna create them to be for you, because that's, like, we're they're kind of a reflection of us. So create them as someone who's dying to be here, really wants to engage, all of that.

So that's how you end up greeting them. So and I know we have some trade showroom people on this call too. So consider this, that whether it's retail or trade, when you're up, like, get up. Get up, stand up, be up. Have up be a direction as well as a noun so that the person that's coming in really gets the very best.

As a sales manager, you wanna start watching that position, the up position, the post position. You wanna start watching that position to see, is that person really ready for whatever is gonna happen next? Are they looking to give it their all as the person who's up? Alright. So that's the first one.

If you're up, get up, have your head in the game. Next, if you're up, when you're up and and someone walks in the showroom, again, whether it's trade or or retail, when you're up when you watch them, observe them, get a sense of them, Get a sense of how they're coming in. Are they happy to be here? Do they seem a little confused, frustrated, exhausted, overwhelmed? Do they do they get a sense that they don't belong here and they're still questioning that?

Like, get a sense of them. Like, take a moment, take a beat, take a breath, and just get a sense of them and their energy. And in that same thing, excuse me, create again, create them as the person you want them to be. There's there's someone who's interested to be here. They're happy to be here.

They they have something that they wanna accomplish. Like, create all of that. And as a manager, you wanna look at, is this something that you're practicing with your team members? I find that this is the two questions that I get asked the most are, how do I ask for the sale more without being pushy? And what do I do with just browsers?

Seriously, in the decades that I've been doing this. So this problem has not gone away. It's not gone away. And having a reception at the at the front of the showroom, that's helpful because they can be the the sort of warm up act. But we've not gotten good at this, and it's an area that I'm I'm not sure if we practice enough.

Okay. Number three. Take a look at when you are in when you're gonna approach that customer, what are you gonna ask them? Are you prepared with opening statements? Are you prepared with, engaging questions?

What are you gonna say to them? And rather than go back to what you always say, try to imagine what they might want you to say to them and then ask that. Really? What what are you going to what are you gonna do with this? Where are you gonna be?

If your if your up desk is right near the door, do you wanna greet them there, or do you wanna move? If you're going to greet them, are you gonna greet them in motion in as you're walking by and saying hello, welcome and glad glad to see you. Keep walking. Go do something. Come back.

What are you gonna say to them? Do you have an opening question? Do you have an opening question that has anything to do with right now the World Cup is still going on? God knows we can talk about that. Someone's wearing a shirt.

Or or is it the weather? Or I'm in Massachusetts. It is overcast because of smoke from Canada. Like, that's something to talk about. Or talk about what traffic was like.

Something. What are you going to say to them instead of what we always say to them? Because what we overlook is that what we say to them contributes to them saying I'm just browsing. So if we're asking them any version of how may I help you? What brought you in today?

They are going to say, I'm just browsing. I'm just looking. That's what they're gonna do. So unless we're asking something very different from what they're expecting or what they experienced at the last place they've been, if you're the second one, then we need to come up with something more, more clever, more playful, more interesting. So I know that there are people that play with this.

There's a team that I worked with in Denver, and one of the things that they did is that they practiced stopping. They had a a, not a corridor, but a a walkway that to go to the front door. And they would stop and ask a question from a distance and then not move until that person answered them, and it would ask another question and then would move. I don't know that we experiment enough with this. And there are so many things that we can try, but I don't think that we are.

I think that we keep trying this a different version of the same thing and then wonder why it's not getting any traction because it's not any different. So, personally, I'm I'm fond of what I call over the shoulder greetings that you are it's it's sort of a two step greeting depending on who they are, of course. But you say hello as you're going somewhere, as you're going to fluff upholstery or going to check a tag or it looks like you're busy and you're working. But you're gracious and you're welcome in. It's great to see you.

Thanks for being here. And then go do something and then come back. They don't even have a chance to say I'm just browsing. But it breaks that up, or you could have a warm up back. If you're up, you could set send Mary Belle first.

Say Mary Belle, just walk by and say hi. I'm gonna greet them in a minute, but you be the person that they say I'm just browsing to, and I'm gonna get it. Try different things. Try different things. And the same thing's not gonna work for any everyone, and we're not looking for one way.

We are looking for a variety of of, effective openings, effective questions, effective statements, effective, types of engagement. And I think the first thing is, and some of you have heard this before that I quote Lou Holtz with when people need love and understanding the most is when they deserve it the least. And if we have people who are coming in afraid that they don't belong there, don't know if this is the right place, is this too expensive, and their fear is or insecurity shows up as reticence and resistance, that doesn't mean they're not in the right place, and it doesn't mean that they're mean or awful. All it means is they're afraid of you. And that is such a hard concept for us to wrap our head around because you think, I'm a nice person.

How is anybody afraid of me? It's like, well, because they're afraid of the environment. And especially as your store has higher price points, they are afraid that they don't belong here. And it doesn't register for us because we're not equating those two things, but they are. And so to be compassionate, playful, empathetic, dial up those skills because that's it's that your your energy greets them before you do.

If you see them as an interruption, it shows, and they see it that way too. If you are indifferent or if you were busy doing something else or if you don't think they belong there or if you get a peek at their car when they pulled in and you think, this is what I've been waiting two hours for. So if you think that they're killing time and wasting yours and don't think it shows, it shows. This is the most important thing that we can do. You can't close what you don't open.

And this is this is our social skill stuff, which is sensitive. And it's difficult for someone to say, I feel awkward with strangers. It's like, okay, then let's work on that. But it's the fact if you feel awkward with strangers. Now those of you who were who, I've worked with before who are familiar with DISC, if you're compliant, you are awkward with strangers because you'd rather avoid them.

And I don't mean that in a bad way. I mean that in a that's how it goes, is that high steady, high compliant, are more comfortable with with waiting to be greeted and waiting for interactions to occur then initiating them. If you're a dominant or, you are a an influencer, you're gonna be really comfortable initiating a a a connection. So I don't know. I think that you ought to just consider it.

Consider that this is something that needs a little bit more practice than what we're probably giving it. Okay. So have some opening questions. So let me give you some to play with. Like, rather than having them say, you can ask, are we welcoming you in or welcoming you back?

Is this I which is not the same thing as have you been in before. So just look at some of the questions that you're asking as well as start to build a start to build a repertoire of responses for when they do say I'm just browsing. Because I have found that and I don't think this is too strong a percentage, that you can cut your resistance or just browsing and nothing comes from it by half, 50%. If you have a question or a statement to respond to, just browsing that is other than, okay. Look around.

I'll catch up with you in a few minutes. I know you're gonna have some questions. Because that's what happens. That's what happens. So when we go back and reapproach, we had a kinda lame initial approach, and you're gonna have a lame reapproach because you're gonna go back and say, do you have any questions?

And they're gonna say no. So when they say I'm just browsing, it's like this is the perfect place to start. Thanks for starting with us. Or they say I'm just looking and you say if you're looking, you're probably gonna find something. So how can I help you to do that?

Or if they say I'm just looking or I'm just browsing, wonderful. To add to what you have or to replace something? Or for what room today? Are you looking for yourself or someone you love? Like, that's five.

So to come up with some ways of asking a question when they say I'm just browsing so that you can at least spark something else for which room today? Like, what is what's the question you're going to ask to keep the conversation moving? You may still let them go, but you're gonna let them go a little bit differently. Truly, a little bit differently than that. So, so if you do let them go, I would recommend that if you go back, rather than saying, do you have any questions, ask them, what's the first question you have for me today?

Similar to when someone says they need to think about it as an objection to ask them, what's the what's the one thing you wanna think about most? So when we ask people to isolate something, it will spark more of a conversation than if you leave your question open and vague. So, again, these are things to practice. And for sales managers, I really encourage you to practice. Ask your sales people, your associates, your designers, what is the most uncomfortable customer you get?

Then have them be that and you be someone who who opens that, that that's the greeting that you get. And what are you gonna do with it? Play with it. You don't have to be right, but you're always gonna learn something if you just play with this stuff. Okay.

And the last one is let's say that you get through. Let's say that you they say, I'm just browsing. You say for yourself as someone you love, and they say, oh, it's for myself, but I am expecting my spouse to be in shortly. You know, they're finishing up a golf match, and they're gonna meet me shortly so that we can work on this together. And you say, okay.

Can we something. Can we get you started? What's the room we're starting with? We can have them catch up with us. But you just move into it.

Or you say, great, like, where are they playing golf, and do you play golf too? You could start that. Start a a chatter. Everything we're talking about here, honestly, are social skills. And I know that for the influencers on the call, this is not an area that's a difficulty for you because high influencers in DISC, high influencers, they they they've never been a stranger.

They can find a way to talk to anyone because they are hell bent on finding commonalities, finding something that is gonna bridge the divide between us and have a stranger become at least an acquaintance. So with high influence, high steady in the DISC profile, what does happen is how do you stop the chatter and move this to a business conversation? And for that, we have what I call pivot questions. So with that, let's say that you're talking about well, let's say you're talking about golf. You talk about golf and, you know, different things about golf and just golf.

And to say something on the order of, I could talk about golf with you all day, and you're so enthusiastic about it. It makes me wanna get out and play today. However, I know that you came in for something special. So where can I direct you to today? Or what are we gonna work on while you're here today?

That. So we need those questions that are gonna move us from social chatter to a business conversation. Or, what I'm the in the in my bridge questions, what can I help you accomplish today, is a way of pivoting from chatter to a business conversation? And, again, this is one of those delicate social skills that that if you have kept the greeting light, forget about furniture. This is a person.

We're selling people furniture. This is a person. So just be interested in them because that's what we most wanna communicate in the in the beginning, is that we're interested in them. And anything that anything that smacks of indifference or they don't belong there or, the the you're not the right person, anything that it just is it just it it leaks through everything, and that's what they experience. And I don't think that that's what anybody wants.

So so, questions. This is it's broad. I'm sure that you've got some examples, and then this is I'm gonna open it up to questions and answers now to anyone who has questions about what to do, what to say, how to say it, with whom to say it, any of that. So who wants who would like to go first? I can start us off.

Thank you. Yeah. So I'd say I resonate or our team probably resonates with a lot of what you're saying. We probably have the most high eye of the DISC, you know, the very successful team. So they're very comfortable talking to people.

I would say, do you have any more suggestions on turning it less from chatting into more of a business conversation? We're not good at the close. You so are they good at switching it from where do they so what are you noticing with them? Do they get caught in the conversation and they don't know how to move it along? Are they enjoying it too much?

Are they talking about them? If they well, one of the dangers we have as as wonderful as influencers are is the talk about themselves conversation so that they see when the client says, talks about golf, they start talking about their golf game. And I know that initially, they sometimes see this as a way to create connection, but they keep talking about themselves. So some of it might be, what's the content of the conversation? Are they are they asking more questions of the customer about golf for themselves and what their experience is?

Or are they taking this as an opportunity to talk about their golf game and what they like about golf and their outfits when they play golf, any of that stuff? What are you noticing? Well, I guess I overhyped them, because they so a lot of times, they're taking just browsing too seriously, but then if they are following up, it's more trying to get in socially. Like, they think that's their way back in. So maybe getting distracted on that and not turning it back into what are we trying to get accomplished today Yes.

While looking. Well, I would say that would be, maybe to help them. That's a good question. Maybe to help them notice where in the conversation they need to convert this from social chatter to business. And I would say that, if you they're good at if they're high influencers, they're good at gauging the sort of spirit and energy in the conversation.

So I would probably, wherever possible, ask them to determine when they think that conversation needs to move. And so that they can, they can heighten their sensitivity to where that either dip is a little bit of a low. They notice the client starts looking elsewhere instead of looking at them. Like, what are the clues that they would need to know that the chatter has exhausted itself, and we need to move this to why they came in? Yeah.

So or you can time it. Like, you probably have about if you're five minutes into Chatter, that's that's far enough. Right. Yeah. Thank you.

And thank you for going first. Who would like to go next? I have a unfortunately, we have a lot of Lauren, no last name, so I can't see who's who because of how it got registered or something. So, yes. So what's the struggle what's the biggest struggle that so I'm gonna ask sales managers.

What's the biggest struggle where do you notice with your associates that where do you notice that it's not going well? Is it at the front? Is it further along that they've tried to reapproach? Where are you noticing the breakdown occurs that they cannot get in? Erica Olsen?

You may be off off screen, but I see you're here. Or Jesse. I was hoping Erica would jump in. Of course you were. I think it it might depend differ for us between our two locations.

Okay. But I think I see it often where it's, you know, right after somebody comes through the door or after that initial greeting and, you know, they put up that wall right away, and sometimes we don't know how to get around it. So what is tell could you be a little bit more specific? What are they what is happening now that have you well, my first question is and this is to all sales managers. Are you watching the are you watching your sales associates from when the car pulls into the parking lot and watching what they do as we've talked about, how they prepare, what they, what they do physically, where they put themselves, what they what their first question is, what the customer says, what they respond.

Are you able to watch from as they walk in the door all the way to that point? I don't do a great job of watching the whole process, but I think you made a great point about being prepared before they walk through the door and having something unique to say to them, a greeting. Because I think often, it's very easy just to say, hi. Welcome in. What are you looking for?

Instead of trying to find something personal. And sometimes the customer's just browsing, and they browse through quicker than we can even reapproach. So there's just no connection. Well, I think that's true. And I think that well, first of all and I think that there's a direct correlation between top producers and what they think people are here to do.

Mhmm. Right? I think top producers do not believe that customers are browsing. Top producers think these people would have plenty of other it is summer, and it's hot. If there's a beach nearby, they could be at it or at the pool.

If they and furniture is a delayable purchase. So if we think that they're here for any other reason than something serious, That's how it all starts. Truly. The are they think they are killing time and wasting mine. And when we think that and don't think it shows, it shows.

So are they like, oh my gosh. Are they prepared? Like, I wonder if this is gonna be a sale or an appointment today. I wonder I wonder what room this is gonna be for. Like, they're not thinking that way.

They're doing something else. The customer comes in, and in their mind, they're that customer is now an interruption from from could be Facebook for all we know. Right? But they're interrupting them, and and we, again, don't think it shows. They're not prepared to make a great greeting.

They're not prepared to welcome that person in so that they feel as as they feel the gratitude that we are so happy that they're here. That is not happening. Sure. That's a great point. Right?

And if we actually took that on in leadership, if we took that on and said, we want our customers, when they walk in the door, to feel loved and appreciated, and we are so happy that they're here. And we took that on, even did it for one week and really watched that, really, really dialed into that. I I assert we would have a really different, engagement. We would have a way different conversion rate. It would be different, but we are not doing it collectively collectively.

Mhmm. So Yeah. That's a great point. You know, and it it's certainly and, Jesse, I know that you and Erica and, and I had talked about this on another in another call, and that, Jesse and Erica were in the last sales management program. And I just don't know that we take on the the whole breeding and what we're gonna do with it as a as a level of practice in a way that really matters.

Right? And that, how are we practicing so that we're practicing let's say that if salesperson is up, customer walks in the door, that you watch them and the salesperson actually matches their pace to that customer. Right? That if the customer is moving slowly, they move slowly. That you wanna match what the energy is that they've come in with with yours.

I know that we love how enthusiastic influencers can be, but that actually can be a lot for someone who's a compliant to be met with that level of you, you know, Cocker Spaniel puppy energy that is so we're so happy to see you here. So we wanna measure that in a way that is just more in keeping with what we have. Right? Sounds good. Thank you.

Well, thank you for that. Okay. Anyone else? Who wants to be next? And anyone from trade showrooms as well because that's a little different.

And it's it's funny that I watch people in, trade show rooms who have been in retail and successful as retail salespeople who have better skills in trade show rooms than people who have not. Because they've been in that world of creating an incoming stranger and making a connection with them. And I think that that's something to and does anyone up against I see that Tim's on the call. That anyone experienced that as trade showrooms. What do you expect when you have a dedicated customer base of designers who you either know or don't know?

What's the protocol for incoming opportunities in a trade showroom? And, Tim, you may be the only one that I can actually identify here. But what do you notice, Tim? He may be otherwise engaged. Okay.

So Hi. Hi. My name is Kiana. Hi, Kiana. So much.

I have a question. So one of my main, like, I would say, is that I start greeting them with what I think is a neutral, comment. Like, it's a beautiful weather out there. Like, how how did you enjoy your commute getting here? And then they go back as to say, for example, oh, I hate the sun.

It's too warm, and the commute was traffic. Like and then how do you bounce back from that? Ask a question. So ask a question. When they say it's too hot or I hate the sun, say tell me what you prefer.

Or they say I hate traffic. It's like, how do you avoid it? Oh, I see. Right? And So And what what have to solve the problem.

Right? That's not the problem. Right? All we wanna do is keep the Volley going. Okay.

And so my next question, this is something that I had experienced with, and it was very awkward to me was that, clients come in, and they're kinda running away from anyone who think is going to approach them. And then when you get to say hi, they're like, we're just browsing, and and they continue running away from you. When would you accept the defeat that this person is actually browsing and has just does not want to engage with you, or when do you just keep pushing? Well, it it depends on how playful and persistent you are. Like and this will sound odd literally, but, you know, it could be one of those, alright.

The per we're gonna race to the back of the store. It's about a 100 feet. The person that gets there first is gonna buy lunch today. Or, like, how can we be playful with that? Like, I know you're you're running as fast as you can to get away with me.

If you just let me tell you where where some things are, I will let you keep running. Like but I say that but I say that with a caveat, and the caveat is this. You can't be playful if you're angry. You can't be playful if you're resentful. You can only be playful if you're playful and looking to actually enjoy them and have fun and aren't making them wrong for avoiding you.

Right? That you're playful about it, and you're not taking it seriously, and you're not in your head like, what a jerk. How did I get this one? Two hours, I haven't had enough. Like, any of that stuff that's going on in our head that we don't think shows, it does show.

Yes. Yes. But it's like, oh my gosh. How can you avoid me this long? I'm not that I'm not that diff like, whatever.

Like, how can you make this fun and interesting? Because there I guarantee you get somebody on your on your team who does not have a problem with ops, does not have a problem with them, gets through everybody. And you gotta watch what they do because they have a highly flexible, highly open and approachable way about them that is not that people don't resist. They are literally irresistible. Yes.

But if you consider that it's a practiced way of being, like, little children can be like that, but they're not all irresistible. Right? Yes. And and but it's a practiced way of being. So it's it it is practice being playful, generate, being grateful that they're here.

Like, really be present to being grateful that these people are here. You get to work in a beautiful showroom. You get to sell home furnishings to help people have beautiful homes. Like, be present to your own stuff that's wonderful. Yes.

Instead of, oh my god. It's been two hours and this is it? Like, seriously? What's what are they doing with those marketing dollars? Like, it's like, that's what's going on in their heads, and that's who greets them.

Yes. That's very true. Right. Yes. Thank you so much.

You're welcome. Now there's a there's a there's a company that many of you have heard about, retail company called Bob's Discount Furniture. And years ago, Bob's Discount Furniture came up with a an opening in the greeting. And if you know of them, they're, like, they're they're popping up everywhere across the country. They it is as you see it.

There's no special order. So Bob's knows that you have one shot with this person because if they leave here, there's nothing new to call them about. There's nothing that just came in or there's it's it. What they see is if they don't find it the way it is now, that's it. So which doesn't mean anything other than that.

So what they were doing, what they tried to do was to say, can I help you find something right away, or do you want a couple of minutes to yourself? Which is a wonderful, wonderful opening, except that they weren't doing both. They weren't doing it as the sales team was not doing it as an either or conversation. They were saying, do you want a couple of minutes to yourself? Now as a high dominant in the disc profile, I would say, like, get me somebody else, maybe on the inside.

But there are people that aren't gonna respond to that, that they don't want a couple of minutes. They are like, you know, tap, tap, tap. Let's go. And so it didn't work because the salespeople use the part of the question that they were most comfortable with rather than asking it as a as a question that makes the customer comfortable. But there are and again, for those of you familiar with DISC, there are openings if you identify someone as a high dominant, I they always look like they're on a mission because they're always on a mission.

So you can say to them, because they walk in, look right at you, don't smile, and say, where are the sectionals? Where where are the mattresses? Like, they and that's how it's gonna go. It's like, alright. You're on a mission.

Follow me. Let's go. Like, that's the kind of response that they want. Whereas an influencer's gonna come in. You hear them before you see them.

They're all excited. It's like, oh my god. This is so gorgeous. Like that. Esteadies are gonna come in, and they're they may say hi to you from a distance.

They're often with someone else, but they don't initiate in a conversation. And compliance are not gonna look at you and are much more apt to say, give me a few minutes and browse unattended. So when we understand how by style and wiring they're apt to act, then we can amend and adjust our greeting to be like that. So between getting to neutral, voice match, body match, identifying and adapting to disc, just that alone, you've got a shot at creating a greeting that that customer will appreciate. But it takes some work on our part to do that.

Okay. What are the questions you have? How about those people that come in on the phone? I think we have a special place for them. You know, they come in on the phone and I don't know what we think.

But I did an exercise with a team in Florida once, and it was just on this topic. And I asked them because there were a lot of complaints about the customers. So I said, alright. So up on a flip chart, I started to make a list. And I said, alright.

Let's just list all of the things that the customer should. And I put that up on the should be doing when they walk in the door. Like, what are the shoulds that the customer should be doing? And we listed, and we filled a page. They should say hello.

They should look at me. They shouldn't turn around. They should hang up their phone. They should. They should.

They should. Like, we filled a page. We filled a page. And consider that should always precedes a resentment. When we say should, there's some resentment sure to follow.

So when we looked at all of the shoulds that that customer should be demonstrating, doing when they walk in, there was so little room, so little room for humanity or anything. That customer had to be perfect. When the fact of the matter is, the only thing that should happen is that we should be grateful that the door opened, and that's it. Right? The rest is the work up to us.

Our ineffectiveness with the customer isn't reflective of them. They are reflective of us. Right? So if we're a little grumpy or impatient and we're noticing that everybody today is grumpy or impatient, it's not that everyone today is grumpy or impatient. It's that that's the energy that greeted them, and that's what they reacted to.

And if if if we are a high steady, let's say, and we think for a greeting to be effective, then we really have to have talked to each other. We need to know about their children. We need to then we have an unreal unrealistic expectation of how much of a connection we should have with this customer. We don't need that much of a connection. Consider that they need to barely tolerate us at the end of a greeting.

They need to just allow us to start asking them questions. They don't have to like us. They don't have to like us. They just have to allow us to ask them some questions. Asking questions, sketching the room, spending time with them, that's what's gonna build the connection.

But it's kinda like getting married on the first date. That's not what we should expect the greeting to be. What we need to do is we need to work more at the greeting to create more comfort that they walk into and comfort that we express so that they're comfortable with us. That's what we need to do. They're doing whatever they're doing.

But what contributes to a customer saying I'm just browsing is that whatever preceded us, whether it's another store or a fight with their spouse or something before they walked in the door. Like, it it has absolutely nothing to do with us. Right? Or it it it's a response to how may I help you or what brings you in today? Because I I have done exercises with teams just on this.

And the and the exercise is to practice asking different questions at the door and we'll pair up and customer walks in and the salesperson says, how may I help you today? It's like, wait a minute. Stop action. We're practicing doing something different right now. And the and the the habit of saying, how may I help you and what brings you in today is so strong that they can't couldn't stop themselves.

So notice when that happens. Right? Notice when that happens. Okay. Does anyone have some opening questions that you have found to be effective or places to stand or sit or that you have found in a variety of situations tends to work well.

And if we have any salespeople on the call, we'd love to hear from you on that too. But any anything that you've tried that you have found to be an effective opening statement or opening question that you wanna share with the group? Okay. Or a response to I'm just browsing. How about that?

No? Okay. So I encourage you then to take a look at for those of you who are salespeople on the call, I encourage you to either get a buddy who can watch you greet the customer. Like, if they're behind if they're behind you in rotation, then have them observe you and watch what you do that's unknown to you. You have blinders on.

It's just it's in your blind spot. You don't even see or know that this is happening. And for them to really observe where you greeted them, what you said, what the customer said, what your action was, they may even sit in a place that they can really get a a good view of this. But I encourage you as salespeople to be, to be inquisitive about your own performance and to put your performance at the end of your arm instead of defending it with that's just the way I do it. And, like, let that go.

Because the biggest things that DISC provides are behavioral flexibility and emotional objectivity that we can when we can understand ourselves and our wiring as a DISC person and then understand how to how to, identify and adapt what other people are, it gives us a lot of, information to have to to speed it up, slow it down, be more energetic, be more subdued, that that really is gonna resonate with the customer. And so that's one, is to have someone observe you and tell you what they're seeing. Two is to start to build some opening questions and some behavioral flexibility around how you greet people and where you greet them. Right? And what you say is and have have a variety of opening statements and questions so that you can use them and see if they work.

And then the third thing is salespeople. I would say you wanna cultivate, say, three to five responses in the form of a question that when someone says I'm just browsing, you have as a response. So those three things as salespeople have someone observe you, and you observe other people so that you can do the same for them. Come up with some opening questions and statements, and also come up with three to five responses when someone says I'm just browsing and see if that gets you more distance. And put a put a time frame on it.

Say I'm gonna do this for three days as an experiment and see what I do. Because when sometimes when we take things on as an experiment, it gives us a little bit more, less resistance and more openness is one. Oh, thank you, whoever said this. Being oh, it's Erica. Being busy is our best way of connecting.

Our visual team I just lost that. Our visual team gets a lot of questions for in all locations. That's absolutely right. That's why one of my favorite greetings is either over the shoulder or if you're up, go sit near the front door with your thank you notes and then look up when they come in and say, oh, hi. Welcome in.

Come on in. We're just doing some stuff here or that. Like, having them interrupt you intentionally. Alright. That's for salespeople.

For managers, you wanna start looking at what's really happening. You and as the same way that I mentioned for someone to observe a salesperson, the manager should do the same. Is that salesperson in position? Is their head in the game? Are they prepared?

Are they expecting to do something and produce an outcome with this opportunity? Are they happy? Are they grateful? Are they have they shaken off whatever is in the way? Do five we should probably do five jumping jacks before someone walks in the door.

There's a team that I work with in Milwaukee, and one of the things that they do is you don't get in rotation if you're not up. You just don't. Like, you go to the bottom rotation till you get up and are ready to work with someone, which I think is lovely, actually. So managers practice this with your people, with your team. Either do it in short skill drills for them, bring it into the huddle, do it as a meeting, slice it up into lots of different things so that and if someone's struggling, if someone has two ops and hasn't gotten anywhere, they should not get another one because they're gonna do the same thing.

So unless you interrupt what they are doing, they really have they're not in a good place to take another one because they're gonna do the same thing. Right? So you want your the sales manager needs to monitor that. I mean, it would be great if salespeople thought, I've had three strikeouts. I should not be in rotation.

But most aren't gonna do that. Right? So you want this you could have a breakthrough as a team in this one area, but it is absolutely gonna take a village to do it, and everyone's gonna be uncomfortable. But consider that Discomfort is how you know you're practicing something different. Discomfort is the measure of progress.

It's not something to avoid. Right? And so that you can either be uncomfortable learning new ways or you can be uncomfortable having five straight ups and nothing happened. Like, pick which discomfort you want, but one of them's gonna win. Okay.

So any other questions? How does your, how does who aren't up? How does your handle associates who aren't up? If you're if you're not up, then you need to get up. They either have a conversation, go talk to the sales manager, literally, jumping jacks.

Like, Tony Robbins would say that. Like, do jumping jacks. So do something that's gonna give you a physical state change so that your head's not in the same game. Right? But if you're not ready or if you're still drinking your coffee and you're up, it's like, nope.

You're gonna skip this one. The person who's ready is gonna take it. And their their close ratio is 50%. Just saying. When you take this seriously and look to make an impact and a difference in this step in the process, everything else will change.

I promise you. And I really encourage you to learn more about DISC and how that impacts everything, especially behavioral flexibility and emotional objectivity. Right? So that you can be open to everyone that walks in the door and grateful that they're here. Okay.

Any other questions? Alright. Well, thank you. So speaking of DISC, for the next two, August and September, this is gonna be about DISC. So the August meeting is gonna be how do what it means to you to understand your DISC profile.

And then the September meeting is gonna be identifying others and how to adapt to other people. So it's two meetings on disc. One is about you. The other is about them. So I really encourage I'm gonna be talking about those in the, in the blogs for each month, but I really encourage you to to start to play with that as a way of managing your and coaching your sales team and as a way for salespeople of being behaviorally flexible with all of their opportunities.

And, of course, I'm here if you have any questions, so reach out. So thank you. Thank you. Thank you for being on the call. You still have sixteen days left in July to make goals, so go do that.

And I'll talk to y'all soon. Thanks, everyone. Thank you. Bye, Marybelle. Bye.

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