Knows when to speak

PERCEPTIVE : Knows when to speak

“Look at this Alex” said Nadim, grimacing at his computer screen. “Def Footwear is no stranger to complaints. But this one takes the cake” As Director Sales, Nadim had asked for all complaint mails to be escalated to him. Alex, his Head of Service Quality peered over Nadim’s shoulder. The mail was sweet, short and disturbing.

Team, I hate to look at my feet. Because they look strange in shoes totally alien to me. I confess I was a big fan of Def Footwear.

I couldn’t wait for Def to open after the lockdown as my shoes needed urgent replacement. I went to the Def Exclusive outlet in our area the day after it reopened. I never had a problem with Def’s premium prices. I believe good value comes at a price. I have a condition called ‘overpronation’. In plain language I suffer from ‘flat feet’ that makes it painful for me to run or exercise for long periods. Def’s podiatry approved cross training shoes were the perfect answer to my problem. Yesterday’s experience however revealed how a good brand can be let down by deficient salesmanship. Tokens, sanitization, temp check and all safety protocols were in place alright. The salesperson kept a safe distance too. But the problem was, he wouldn’t let me browse or speak in peace. He was over eager.

When he saw me go across to the Special Feet section, he assumed I needed orthopedic footwear. And he went on and on about models, prices and options. My attempts to interrupt and convince him that I just needed an enhanced model of cross training shoes didn’t work. Are your sales people asked to push orthopedic footwear? Anyway after 20 frustrating minutes, I walked out and picked up a pair from another brand. Wanted to share this with you so that you can fix the problem. Thank you.

An intelligent salesperson is perceptive enough to know when to speak. He never makes assumptions about the Customer’s needs. He is sensitive to cues from the Customer and gently steers the Customer to discover the need. Then he proposes a solution most appropriate to that need. Like a perfect host who knows when to fill the cup.