New Quiz to Help Your Retail Sales Associates Thrive

Are you an RSA superstar?

Take—and use—this, quick, five-question quiz as a roadmap to improve your techniques to win customers and grow sales:

BY KEVIN CUNDIFF

It’s one thing to know the ins and outs of your product offerings, but do you really have what it takes to maneuver sensitive customer situations? Find out if you have what it takes to be a sales all-star with this five-question quiz. Good luck!

1. When you greet a customer and ask what she’s looking for as she walks in, she responds with “Just looking, thanks.” You then see her head to a specific section and start eyeing a few similar products. What happens next?

A. Let her figure out which product she wants herself.

B. Ask a few intuitive questions about her needs.

C. Push sale items on her.

Answer: B. Ask a few intuitive questions about her needs.

Approaching customers with the intention of conversation rather than interrogation is always the best approach. In this scenario, you should attempt to start a friendly conversation with the customer to find out why she came in and what she’s looking for before you offer any recommendations.

2. A customer asks for your opinion on the best item. How do you respond?

A. Pitch her the most expensive product.

B. Consult with her to best determine her needs.

C. Tell the customer you don’t feel comfortable giving your opinion.

Answer: B. Consult with her to best determine her needs.

Before you offer a sales pitch, it’s crucial to determine what the customer really needs, for example, the real reason she’s looking for that sleeper sofa in a particular material and color. Consult before you pitch, and you’ll be more likely to walk away with a sale.

3. A person comes in looking for a specific item but has a tight budget. She’s eyeing a product that might not deliver exactly what she’s looking for, but it’s within her price range. How do you handle it?

A. Let her purchase the lower grade item. A sale is a sale.

B. Tell her she’s making a bad decision.

C. Discuss the value of stretching to purchase an item that will fit her needs.

Answer: C. Discuss the value of stretching to purchase an item that will fit their needs.

Good sales associates know that price and value are two different things. Demonstrate the greater value of an item that fully fits her needs and provide her with appropriate options—like financing—so she doesn’t feel financially stressed about the purchase.

4. When you ask a customer if she needs help, she replies with an abrupt, “No.” What do you do next?

A. Give her a break and then approach her again in a few minutes.

B. Leave her alone.

C. Reply with a snarky comment.

Answer: A. Give her a break and then approach her again in a few minutes.

On the sales floor, “no” is rarely a firm, non-negotiable “no.” As we all know, a good sales professional doesn’t give up easily. Be persistent and have the confidence to approach grumpy customers multiple times until they’re willing to have a conversation.

5. A retail sales associate on your team knocks her individual sales goal out of the park, bringing in the most monthly revenue of any RSA ever. How do you respond?

A. Quietly congratulate your teammate in the break room.

B. Share the win with the entire team—a win for one is a win for all.

C. Feel down on yourself for not hitting numbers that high.

Answer: B. Share the win with the entire team—a win for one is a win for all.

Successful sales teams are unified around a common goal. When one sales associate does exceptionally well, it’s a win for the entire team that should be celebrated and embraced. Take your individual goals seriously, but when someone manages to bring in major revenue, it’s a success for the entire team and business.

Practice makes perfect! Keep practicing and soon enough, you’ll be a sales all-star. 

Kevin Cundiff is vice president of retail for Fortegra Financial Corp., headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. Fortegra and its subsidiaries are a single-source insurance services provider that offer a range of consumer protection options, including warranty solutions, credit insurance and specialty underwriting programs. Fortegra solves immediate, everyday needs, empowering consumers to worry less and experience more. Cundiff can be reached at kcundiff@fortegra.com.