13 Ways to Be a Likeable Salesperson
Making yourself likeable is the number one way to sell yourself and ultimately your merchandise, and there are specific guidelines and tools that can be followed and used to make yourself more likeable. Here are 13 ways to be likeable that ultimately lead to customer loyalty:
Enthusiasm: Be enthusiastic about what you do.
Smile: A smile is the quickest path to likeability. Sometimes we need to push that smile out, even when we don’t want to, but it makes a difference.
Helpful: Pitch in and do more; everyone likes positive self-starters.
Patient: Everyone learn in different ways and at different speeds. The people who are patient are also more likeable, wouldn't you agree?
Happy: Happy people make us happy. There is nothing worse than being with someone who you know will die of terminal seriousness. A friendly, magnanimous person is engaging and someone we want to be around. Traditionally, salespeople are not someone we want to be around—unless they are likeable that is.
Interested in Others: Good salespeople don’t talk about themselves, they talk about the customer. The best sales process includes Researching the customer's wants, interests, needs, concerns, and desires. Sell from the customer's point of view. Let it be their decision and not yours.
Be Flexible: Be flexible in your thinking. Although we might respect their position, rigid people are not necessarily the most likeable people. Customers always have special requests and desires that do not fit neatly into your store's policies and procedures. This trait may require an examination of your store's return policy. It's hard to be happy when delivering bad news.
The Ability to Ignore: Sometimes people make stupid and hurtful statements, and the best thing to do is to ignore not criticize them. A likeable sales professional has to let things roll off his or her back.
Communicate in Their Style: Match how you talk to your customer. If he speaks slowly, respond by speaking slowly. If she likes using examples, then respond with examples. Go at the pace of your customer, not yours. Too often, salespeople, rapid-fire features at a customer and they become overwhelmed. This happens when we don't match their style. Some customers want to go fast.
Give the Customer a Silent Compliment: Ask for someone’s opinion. Doing this will signal to her that you respect and appreciate her point of view and advice and increase your likeability.
The Rule of Reciprocity: If you give something to somebody, he will generally like you. It could be as simple as offering a piece of hard candy at a checkout counter. A free gift with a purchase always works. Or even better, a compliment on their buying process.
The Rule of Relevance: There is nothing more annoying than dealing with someone who lives in the past. This applies to anyone, old or young, who loves to talk about a past employer, a past vacation, a past spouse, or a past anything. Don’t gab about past; be in the moment and be current. It makes you likeable.
The Rule of Screens: Unfortunately, to many salespeople today are more interested in their mobile devices or other screens than the customer. Put them away. Be present for your customer. Your friends and Facebook can wait.