4 STARBOARD Cnt Spec Selling Standards - Introduction Post generations have held a relentiess Curlosity for the power which jewelry embodies and reflects about its wearers. Amber, Jet, Nory and Shell were the first known gems to be wom. The Greeks, Romans, Indians, Persians and now extinct civilzations in South America all held precious stones in high esteem with many legends concerning their method of formation and so called ‘vitues” To the present day, anything bright and colaful from the earth or he sea nas been used as an adomment to signify wealth, rank, social status and even teligious beliefs - think of the mony jewel enctusted crosses that have appeared through the ages. The importance and meaning of jewelry is timeless. Ask yourself, how many times have you asked a guest about the history behind the piece of jewelry they are wearing? Your question always brings a smile fo thek face and their eyes light up with pride as they recant thelr own Personal story. They tell you things lke - i's @ keepsake, a family heirloom, reminder of a holiday, birthday or a Christmas gift from someone special. You will not get that same response from someone about the designer t-shit they are wearing! We know you will have had many experiences ike this; and each one clearly illustrates why selling jewelry is such a 1ewarding profession.STARBOARD > Selling Standards - Introduction Research has shown that the most productive salespeople adhere to some basic, but important Selling Standards. The information we are providing you with is not a set of scripts to be used verbatim. Enhanced with your own wards, personality and product knowledge these standards will help you to provide the best possible guest service and dramatically increase your soles. The Seliing Standards are grouped into 6 steps + Meet and Greet * What and Why + Features and Benefits + Add On Sales = Overcoming Objections + Seal the Deal There is a module on Sales Ethics at the end of the Selling Standards. Although tt is important to inctease sales through service and sales techniques, it is even more important that we follow the coirect guidelines on how to do this with integrity, Once you have read through these 6 steps there will be a sub-test on the Seling Standards. You will not be graded on the sub-test. Your grade will be based on the final test at the end of the entire e-leaming course. The sub-test is for your benefit and will indicate the amount of knowledge you have absorbed.= STARBOARD Selling Standards - Overcoming Objections Feel... Felt... Found Never let cn objection dampen your enthusiasm. To assist the quest you must empathize with what theyre going through. Feel, Felt, Found Is the best way to do this, They want what you have or they wouldnt be taking their time to stand there and object, They are just having trouble rationalizing this entire process! So let them know that you understand... ‘I know how you fae! Sam; I've had some other guests who have felt the same way, But they have found thot when they invest in piece of jewelry of good quality, they are making an investment that lasts them a life time." We are talking about empathy here! You are not making them feel ike they are cheap because they are questioning the price Thay do not look like this is all that they can atford. After all, you've had some other guests question it too, Its okay for them fo question it. You understand whete they're coming from. Youre ossisting them by letting them know what other people have expeiienced. When they made this decision it was a smart investment and they were glad they made it! This technique creates a comfort level for everyone involved in the decision. A common mistoke is that sales people release their guests too quickly after hearing their ‘objections. Again, an objection is nothing more than part of the buying process - and some guests must go through the process to get to the buying stage. Another mistake sales people make when presented with an objection is to argue with the ‘customer using the word "but". This approach leads nowhere and dissolves any trust built to that point.Specialist Selling Standards - Overcoming Objections Top Tips * Reter fo the ‘Why Us’ section of your selling standards for more great ideas to help you overcome objections! + Never let an objection dampen your enthusiasm * Nobody wants to settle! That's the reason the LOreal commercial is such a hit, “Because tm worth itt" We are alll worth itl Your guests are worth it! + No doesn't aways mean no forever, it can mean no right now * This can sometimes be the guest wanting to be assured or wanting fo know more about the product + Use open ended questions to discover the reservations + _Usten to the entire objection * Acknowledge: “I can understand...” * Probe with questions to discover the tue objection "How do you feel * Establish the true objection * Re-state the features ond benefits. to build the value for the quest * Be open-minded ,understanding and receptive to wnat they tell you * Repeat the features and benefits to buld the value for the guest * An objection is usually a inconect or incomplete reason the guest objects fo the saleSTARBOARD Cie ser] Selling Standards - Overcoming Objections Handling Specific Objections The following responses should not be learned merely to be repeated. You need only fo understand and implement their meaning, to understand their concept and put the answers In your own words. Personalize all the suggestions to your character and style of speech Handling Ghost Objections: “ren not sure if she will ike It - | come back ater...” or “Yd like my husband to see It fist Take this approach: + First, Acknowledge the objection: "Sounds like you have some concems” * Second, Ask them about their reservations: "May | ask you what itis that you are not sure about?” «Third, now you have found out exactly what It is they are unsure about (legitimate objection) re-state features and benefits to emphasize ‘guest-cppropriate’ value. Handling Legitimate Objections: Always listen to the entire objection — “The price Is a little too high for me. Take this approach: + Fis, welcome legitimate concems, "Thanks for shoring that with met or *! understand what you're saying" + Second, phrase a response in the context of Feel, Felt, and Found. ‘I understand how you feel. Many of my guests have felt the same way, however, from experience Ive found that there ore very good reasons for investing in diamond jewelry - may | shore them with you?’Selling Standards - Overcoming Objections * Third, Re-state the features and benefits of the product (as they relate to the inaividuall). Emphasize the value and osk for clatification of any further concems they may have. “lL can get it cheaper“ Of course they can! They can always find a lower price, But ore they comparing apples and apples. or oranges ond bananas? There's o reason the price is less at "the other place." Actually, there are lots of reasons including: * How itis made - Is it the same quality af workmanship? The quaiity of the materials It is made with. Whet warranty, guarantee, atter sales service do they have? Is it exactly the same materials they used to make it? This doesn't mean putting down your competition - dont ever do that. Re-stating the features ond benefits will build the value of the product and the trust the guest has in you s a professional Sales Associate. You should not decide how much they could, should, would, or wil spend. People want what they want. Help them to own the selection of their choice! If the objection is price - the explanation can be value. Confirm whether or not the competitor's item has the same features and benefits Ask them, "You like this one, but, you love that one. For the sake of on extra $50 do you really want to settie for something that you like vs. something that you love? Why would you ever want to do that? You are going to own this, and wear this for a long time. Which one would you prefer to see yourself in every day?" Dont ever let your guest "settle." Remember: A thing of beauty lasts forever. Try saying: “Wouldnt you rather invest a little more than you planned, than a Iitie less than you should?" STARBOARD yam a7Selling Standards - Overcoming Objections Deal maker Just because a guest Is asking for a deal doesn't necessarily mean that they want one, Sometimes they just ask to see if they can got ono! There is a tremendous difference here! Dont panic! Its the old saying, "You don't ask, you dont get, That's why theyte asking! The best way to handle the ‘Deaimaxer’ is to empathize, identity, and not panic!. Try this: “So many stores do ‘wheel and deat’. If | was shopping, | would have asked the same Question. We offer a quality product at a very good value. For that reason we don't offer further discounts” When you say that, "A lot of stores do wheel & deal,” you are teling your guest that * Other people have asked you the exact same question. * Many stores do, we don't, When you say that, ‘I would have asked the same question." you are telling your guest that: + You dont think he’s cheap. + He doesn't look tke he can't afford the regular price! + He's asking, and that's oxcy, When you say thot, "we offer a quality product at a very good value," you are telling your guest that: * | can see that you ate a discriminating shopper and that quality and value are Important to you.STARBOARD Selling Standards - Overcoming Objections "I don't want to pay duty when | leave the ship” + Acknowledge ther concem * Let them know thot despite the added duty they are still saving a lot of money compared fo the price they would pay for the same Item in the US. * If traveling win a family or group, explain that they can combine thei duty tree allowance (in $'s) and put toward the item they want to buy. * Special Note: Does not apply to minors in the case of cigarettes ond alcohol | know what you have now - and | have all cruise to shop... For Fine Jewelry and Watches: * "The great thing about shopping onboard is we offer an unconditional lyear guarantee, 80 You can buy it foday, | know you won't be able fo buy a nicer stone at this price, but If for any reason you are not 100% satisfied | wil be more than happy to take off your account. As far as | know we are the only jewelry retailers that offer this great service for free.” Other items: * “That's one of the benefits of shopping onboard - you have all cruise to shop - but remember because of the great savings that we have 1o otter, our supply is limited ond demand is high. * Also, we do have a price guarantee - It means that we guarantee to match the price from any authorized retailer. Smply bring In written proof and we will gladly match the Price or refund the difference. That way you can shop with confidence knowing that you'll never pay more than you should.” OBJECTION OVERRULED!STARBOARD = Gece) Selling Standards - Overcoming Objections Everything Is going along smoothly. The guest is showing strong buying signols. You are answering their questions and assisting them with their decision. Then comes along an objection — what do you do? come you Secgne Fistty, clwoys tell yourself this: “The 'O' in objection stands for L Opportunity! Having objections is c natural part of making decisions about buying goods; countering those objections is a natural part of the sales process. Leaming about a guest’s objection ‘can give you direction as it will cllow you to re-state the features that hold most value to your guest. Objections can be divided into two categories - Ghost and Legitimate: * ‘Ghost’ objections are those that cannot easiy be defined by the Sales Associate, such 98, "I Need 10 think about i." in this stuaton, the Sales Associate needs to revert back to the ‘What and Why’ stage of their sales presentation. It is important to Identity the underlying reasons behind the objection. By asking open-ended questions, the Associate will be able to gather more specific information from the quest and discover the legitimate concem (which can more easily be addressed). * A ‘Legitimate’ concem is an nonest attempt on the quests part to explain why the Product does not match their requirements. Usually, the objection Is a request for additional information because the Sales Associate has not given the guest enough information to make a decision one way or the other. Legitimate objections can aiso be Interpreted as the guest needing assurance that they ore making the comect buying decision - it is a sign that they want to feel more comfortable before actually commiting to a purchase.LE STARBOARD Cte carr) Selling Standards - Add On Plan, Plan, Plan, and Plan Again For Instance, not only must you decide which products to sell, you must determine what products) they relate to. So, if you are going to add-on with earings, you've got to decide, in advance, which necklace they will match. When Is the best time to make add on sales? As you receive positive buying signals from the guest make sure you wardrobe the sale by showing your guest the entire collection. If you bought a jacket for example, you would Need the coordinating clothes - and the some Is rue for jewelry. An add-on is not a bullying technique to make the guest buy more, it's part of your sales presentation and a fon of excellent guest service. If you show the matching earrings with a necklace you're exceeding the expectations ot the guest and even if they decide against the additional Purchase they will be flattered that you offered It to them. Never assume you know what the guests budget is and decide not to show them anything else. An entertainer never leaves out a part of their show because they think the aucience might not want to see it - and you should never leave out part of your sales presentation either. For example: Guest #1 - You sold her a beautiful tanzanite fing, but falled to show her additional complimeniary items, Guest #2 — you sold her a beautiful tanzanite ring - she also bought the matching ring, earrings and bracelet - because you showed them to her! Question: How do you think guest #1 would feel when she realized that she did not receive the attention and service of guest #2 7LE STARBOARD cs se Selling Standards - Add On Answer: Most likely she would feel disappointed that she missed out on the opportunity to complete her ‘wardiobe’, she may also feel offended that you didn’t offer her the complimentary items. Your add-on sale statements should include words like: See, miss, mind, show etc. Examples: * “/have something that | really want you to see” * [have a great matching item that | wouldn't want you to miss” * “Ihave just the right thing in mind to compliment that item * “Let me show you...” Top Tips * Remember, guests are in a buying mood once they have decided on the fist tem * Plan, Pian, Pian, and Pian Again! Decide beforehand which products you are going to use as add-on sale items + By adding the word “incidentally’ to your dialogue, there is a cosualness to your suggestion and reduces the ‘hard sell" feeling that sometimes accompanies an add- on sale. + Ioppropriate to the sale and itis beneficial to the guest, offer more than one additional item. + Show, Show, Show — until they say no! + There Is nothing more embarrassing than closing a sale too quickly, thanking the guest for thet visit - only to see them find someting else they like before they walk out of the shop. It can be awkward startng up the conversation again and it Is then obvious you have not shown them the full range you have available, limiting your sales potential + Always remember ~ by offering an add-on item, you are offering your guest the service that they deserve. a7 STARBOARDa STARBOARD Cre ESenry) Selling Standards - Add On All successful salespeople have one thing in common: They know how to make sales “ofter the sale’ Adding-on is the second most important patt of our sales map, closing being the first. Adding-on is easy because a sale has alieady been made. For the Sales Associate, once guests have agreed to purchase trom you, geting them to make on s80n ¢ Additional purchase is far easier and more profitable than finding a new guest. Why? Simply pul, your quest Is in a buying mood, ‘A guest who has just bought can buy more. You are not being monipulative. In fact, you are being a better salesperson by reminding a guest of additional benefits that could be derived from the additional purchase. Guests are intelligent! people who make decisions every day. If they do not need or want the item that you have offered, they will tell you. So ihe message here is get rid of any hang-ups you might have about the guest perceiving you as aggressive, you'te not ~ you are pioviding your quest with superior customer service. Remember fo suggest adaltional merchandise that you think will meet your guest's needs, When your suggestions satisfy more needs then your guest expected, you will sel more items with just a little extra effort. The win for guests is this: Even though they are paying for acaltional products theie’s often {an increase in satisfaction with the purchase as well as the increased convenience of one- stop shopping. For example, if you have ever purchased a new computer, you probably noticed how befcre you left the store the salesperson had "helped you decide" to purchase a printer or maybe an extended warranty for your new PC. These add-ons probably doubled the store's profits (and the salesperson’s commission) from the original solo. Without paying for any extra advertising or promotion, that $1000 sale easily tumed into $1300-$1400 sale!STARBOARD = Selling Standards - Add On The next step is easy: Sales Associate: 'You know, we have some great earings that would go perfectly with that necklace - let me show you" What's the vory worst someone could say to you after you have just paid them a compliment about their original purchase decision? The worst one could say to you is "No, ‘thank you." But, More likely, you will have tremendous sales resuits. Sell First and Tell Later Be careful of entering the add-on stage too soon. Selling additional items too early in the sale might tum the guest oft and you could lose the original sale. It is better to make a subtle reference to the matching items and then move on, This will help you suggest the ‘add-on sole later. Example: Guest "How much is that tanzanite ring?" Associate “Let me give you a cioser iook, tt is part of a stunning new range. It’s a beautiful color isnt if? Try It on.” Guest “This is just the style | have been looking for and It fits perfectly — and how much did You soy it is? Associate “i's only $249 and the earings from the same range are great value at $99 moking a tenific set” Familiarity Breeds Success The more familiar your guest is with the add-on tem, the more likely he or she is to buy. The add-on stage Is not the time to inttoduce a brand new product, unless the price is unusually low. The purpose of adding-on is to increase the order while the buying motive is strong. Introducing something unfamiliar wil only confuse the guest.A STARBOARD cs e Selling Standards - Add On Several years ago a study wos conducted on Soles Associates regarding their add-on sale productivity. The results were interesting, 60% offered a second Item 25% went for a third 5% showed a fourth. Which of the associates made thelr targets? without a doubt the ones that were using their add-on selling sklls! WORK SMARTER - NOT HARDER! Add-on selling is easy and can Increase your sales - and increase your commission! As you can see from these statistics, you don’t have to stop at one add-on sale item only. If appropriate to the sale and it is bonoficial to the quest, offer more additional iteme. In oiler words "Show, Show, Show — until they say no!" Keep offering. Almost every product has numerous possible add-ons. Make a list of three or more for each of your products, By using the add-on you can stay in contol of the sale and there are only 3 ways it can go: 1) The guest will buy the fist item — Great! 2) The guest will buy the fist item and the ad-on — Even Greater! 3) The guest will raise an objection but you can easily overcome the objection by asking open-ended questions Here ore convenient ways to suggest additional merchandise that wil benefit your guest. Classic Add-On. If a guest is going to buy a pendant, surely it makes sense to offer the matching earings? + You con suggest that a guest take advantage of a special promotion. In this case, show the guest the promotional item and explain how it can benefit them. * You can suggest that your quest purchase adattional tems. For example, it your quest is thinking of purchasing a single gift, you could ask them — “are there other people you need to bring gifts 10?"Selling Standards - Add On * Write own, in a list format, the ttems they are looking at and show them what the total would be, stessing the savings they could make. * If they are buying for someone else you could suggest that they should also treat themselves + The easiest of al - a cleaning product! Tell your guest that you want their purchase to stay looking as good as new! + Ask for their opinion on another piece of jewelry in the store, they will be flattered that you value thei opinion at the very least. Priming Priming injects personality and charm info the conversation. Enthusiasm is a catchy thing and adds @ whole new efernment IU Ihe selling process. "The Pimer is o technique that makes the process easier. The primer means that you have preconditioned or "primed! the guest for the add-on stage. It goes Ike this Example add-on scenario: Guest: "Ill take the sapphire necklace please" Sdies Associate: "Oh, that's a good choice." Or "I just love that one.” The point is that you are giving your approval of the guest's purchase. When most people buy an item, there is a moment of uncertainty, They wonder if they made the right choice, if they paid too much, or if they teally needed it, Most of us consciously or unconsciously seek approval ftom others. By “approving their purchase you actually make them feel “correct. In essence, they Cid the right thing.Selling Standards - Features & Benefits Features and benefits are two types of merchandise intonation that you share with guests when you ate helping them meet their needs, Features are the characteristics, design or construction of the merchandise. They are directly observable, concrete and v describe the item, So For example, In a watch, features would be whot It Is made of, its water resistance, what type of crystal the face is made of etc. But features alone do not mean much. Guests want fo know "How will | benefit by making this purchase?” isting fectures is a part of a sale, but It doesn't require much thought or imagination because you could ropeat the same feature to everyone, You must always add personal televance to the guest - features are no good on their own. Be very careful not fo bombard your guest with technical terms, if guests fee! overwhelmed with the language you use they will fee! confused and feel incapable of making a decision and utimately leave your store. Benefits then, are what the features will do for the guest. They are the reasons the products wil meet the guests needs. You have established trust during your conversation with the guest ~ by showing an interest in thei needs and asking open-ended questions, Now Is the time to introduce value - and this means more than justifying the price alone. Value can be defined as the benefil/s a guest derives from their purchase, Once o guest understands the value of an item, the price becomes less important, However, it is important to note that what one guest thinks of valuable in a purchase may be Cute aitferent to what is valuable to another gues. If value is not established in the eyes of the guest there isn’t much chance of a sale. This is why It is so Important to listen to what your quest has told you throughout the ‘what and why’ stage.P< STARBOARD Car pecial Selling Standards - Features & Benefits Often in retail you have two different types of jewelers. * The first is focused on technical and scientific product knowledge and will go into great detail discussing these features for their quest. * The second is absorbed by the excitement and romance of jewelry, concentrating on the images of love, romance and happy memories and frequently will not be able to answer any technical questions at all Which is the best technique? Both approaches can do very well especially If they are Matched with a guest who has similar values. However not every guest is the same. The most successful jeweler is aware of this and uses both romance and appropriate product knowleage with the selling standards to bul trust ard personalized value for each guest You work in a very special industry that caters to guests’ desires rather than necessities und {or this reason you have to "raise the bar’ in the delivery of the selling standards and remain In. control throughout your sales presentation, There are two teasons G guest wil buy: TRUST AND VALUE * You build TRUST by showing you understand their needs. + You create VALUE by personalizing the features to benefit them You rust build value in the guests’ mind by telling them about the fectures and benefits ‘and allowing them to try the product on before they hear the price, that way they can understand why It is that price. Many associates feel uncomfortable not giving the price Immediately, This is natural as we are conditioned in the service industry to give the guest what they want, We are not saying don't give the price, we are saying give the price correctly. This will feel strange at first but the more you proctice this important stage of presentation, you will notice a change a change in the success rate of your sales. Remember - Golden Rule: Never reveal the price of an item before delivering features and benetits!STARBOARD Selling Standards - Features & Benefits When a guests asks a price: + Compliment their taste * Bring the jewelry out and carefully polish it wth your polishing cloth as you use your What and Why’ techniques. Polishing does three things, it allows you time to find out what the guests needs are, fo subtly read the ticket to famiiorize yourself with the features and the price and also demonstrate how much you value the piece, * Give at least two features and benefits of the piece. + Use enticing descriptive words to describe the merchandise and to ‘tomance’ the Jewelry. + Use the presentation pad every time. This allows you to keep the focus on that one item, covering the cistracting lights and products in the glass case below. This aiso helps you commol Ihe sule und Is U scully standard * When presenting jewery to your guest, hold the piece on the presentation pad and wait for them to take it from you. This gives value and creates drama. If they hesitate encourage them to try it on, + The potential of your quest buying the item increases greatly if they actually try the piece ‘on, Jewelry is a very tactile product and the quest should be given every cpportunity to hold It. If it is for a gift for the opposite sex, model the piece yourself or ask a fellow ‘associate to model it for you. * Never leave the item unattended for any reason, when the jewelry is out of the case It should also be accompanied by you. + At this point if the quest asks the price again, tell them but be brief and confident. If the guest doesn't bring up the subject of pice neither should you. By this time you should have established the value for them, the focus should no longer be the price but the value of the product to them + Ensure that you have a loupe close at hand so that the guest can inspect the piece if they wish, This tool builds trust and gives the guest confidence, + The more you know about the merchandise, the more enthusiastic you will be and the More you will pass that excitement on to your quests! 77 STARBOARDCon ery Selling Standards - Features & Benefits * Selling benefits is Important because it helps you focus on the guest, not the Merchanaise. By seling benefits, the quest knows you are concentrating on what the Merchandise can do for them. This focus helps bud loyal guests. Ths is a fine art and not something that everyone can do but this is what separates a Jewelly Specialist from a cashier, Creating Desire When you create desire you are selling to the emotions. Use descriptions to help your guests’ picture themselves owning the item, Creating desire is not only personalizing the benefits for the guest but inspiring them to buy that piece now! Inspiring the desire for ownership is an essential part of a sale. A guest may understand the value of o beautiful sting of pearls but not wont it until they see how stunning the pearis look against their skin, The same is true of whatever piece of merchandise you have in your store. Benefits will help you to create that desire. The most important thing to remember about a benefit is that it is as individual as our Quests whereas the features of an item will always be the same. For example: Feature: ‘water resistant’ Possible benett: it doesn't matter if you forget to take it off before showering Possible beneft: it can be wom in the swimming pool Possiole benef: it can be wor while at work (e.g. nurse, bartender) STARBOARDa? STARBOARD Selling Standards - Features & Benefits There are many possiole benefits to ‘personalize’ for your quest — but the feature is stil the same. To be ttuly successful In sales you have to match your guest's individual needs to a particular plece of merchandise. People wil buy trom you if they trust you - and i they nave attached thoi own personal vaiue to the piece of merchandise that you are showing them. Remember that buying jewelry Is an emotional and often spontaneous experience. When we don't buy It’s a logical decision. You have to get your guest excited enough so that they want to own your jewelry, TOP TIPS!!! Remember, guests do not buy featues, Ihey buy benefits, and Sales Associates wno sell benefits, sell much more merchandise. * There are two reasons a quest will buy: TRUST AND VALUE + Features Tell anc Benefits Seal! + Each guest sees different benefits in on item * Create desire tor ownership by personalizing the benefits of an itern a a7 STARBOARDSTARBOARD Cte Ge Selling Standards - Meet and Greet Summary - It’s all about you! Take pride in the way you present yourself - your guests will judge you on this ond it is important that you get It ight. it you don’, you might lose a sale before you even say ‘hello’! Let your persona be such that your guests find you pleasing. By persona we mean your personal hygiene, your dress, your tone of voice, your eye-contact, the posture with which you greet your guests, the words you use to greet them, your smile, attitude, your professional presence, ond the other seemingly unimportant facets of body language guests rely on to form thelr first impressions. It is quite easy to see that first impressions do count when it comes fo the retail sales environment. A sale can be won or lost if the first impression your guest has of you and your shop is a negative one. Take the time and effort to ensure that the fist impression you give Is professional and Dostive - It will serve you well Top Tips * First Impressions count. Body language counts 55% of what we say and how we say it + smile! * Be aware of guests’ signals when they enter your shop. * Acknowledge all guests at all times. * What greetings are you currently using? Are you creative and interesting to the people thot you meet? * What does your greeting say about you? * Tiy using greetings that they haven‘t heard before - surprise themn - get thelr interest + Human nature dictates that there is nothing as interesting to people as them selves, Tak to thern about them — they will love It and they will enjoy being in your compeny * Silke up a conversation, buld a relationship with them, + Have fun with them!Gia en) Selling Standards - Meet and Greet "We are offering a special sale on that item today.” “Remember, that when you shop with us there is an additional 25% off our opal inlay collection in addition to the tax and duty free savings" This type of greeting also gives you their opportunity to deliver a service to them that is ‘above and beyond’ their expectation. For example you might say “Let me polsh your bracelet while you're looking around.’ Mini-Tour Greeting Mini-tour greetings should be used when guests are looking around without focusing on specific merchandise. First, point out the locations where different types of merchandise can be found, then mention any new product artivals or special promotions etc, For example “Let me show you where everything Is Acknowledge waiting guests with a nod, smile and eye contact and say “! will be with you shortly” ‘Also, thank them for waiting when they step up to the register. ‘And finally, never stand behind the register unless you are ringing up a guest's purchase. It is important to remove all barriers between you and your guests, so, walk around and find every Opportunity 10 greet your guests - they wil fee! welcomed and helped by your excellent service.om STARBOARD Selling Standards - Meet and Greet the jewelry they are weating - they will take grect pleasure in shating their story with you! If they do tell you about their jewelry it wil also give you an insight about their personal taste. Only make a genuine compliment as your guest will detect the insincerity and you wil lose the ttust and confidence of your guest Ty @ relaxed and conversational approach to greeting your guest such as’ * Hi there, | love the stone In your ring, what a beautiful color! * Hello, | see you have found the tanzanite, that’s my favorite gem. + Hithere, that’s a really interesting piece you're wearing — where did you get it? if. greeting Goesn't feel natural for you to say then don't say it, Say it ino way that you feel comfortable with. A Quest Is able to sense when you are using a ‘scriot’ and they will pick Up on statements that you are net comfortable using, This will moke Ihem feel uncomfortable and this is the last thing we want! Merchandise Greeting Merchandise greetings should be used whenever a guest is looking at merchandise. This is @ great way to create sales by drecting the customer's attention to a spectfic product. By giving the customer details about a product, such as: * “That style 's an exclusve design” + “This is Guce''s latest fall collection” + “Hi there, | see that “something in the case has caught your eye!” You make the guest fee! helped and appreciated - that makes merchandise greetings one of your most effective ways to greet a guest and begin to make a sale, Service Greeting Service greetings can help the guest find out a little more about the jewery and they can even let the guest know about special promotions. For example:y= STARBOARD Selling Standards - Meet and Greet Always use a pleasing, warm tone of voice and polite language. Using your tone of voice and body language corectly shows the guest that they are genuinely welcome and that you are interested In provicing them with superior service, Remember: * Smile * Make eye contact * Use a pleasant tone of voice + Use polite language Greeting the guest is a way fo let them know that they are your first priority. When a new guest appeais, or a guest jooks Ike they might need help, give them your attention Immediately. That means interrupting ony conversations you may be having with other Associates, stopping merchandise te-stockng of other non-seling work activities ond attending to the guest. Even if you are in the middle of helping a quest, always acknowledge other guests - simply smile, make eye contact, and let then know you wil be with them shortly, Most of these concepts probably seem obvious to you; after all, you know how you want to be treated as a customer, ight? Welcoming: 4 Types of Greeting General Greeting General greetings are often used to welcome a guest to the shop, for example: You might smile, nod your heed, make eye contact and say something like "Holo, the weather Is beautiful today - con't you agree?” ‘A wonderful technique to initiate a conversation is to admire a piece of jewelry that the guest Is wearing, They will be flattered by your attention and usually there is a story behindAi STARBOARD Cre Gas Selling Standards - Meet and Greet Introducing Yourself We have taked about making our guests feel comfortable in our store - so is it now natural to introduce ourselves. Your personal introduction implies you really care about your guests, you want to know hinr/her better and it establishes trust. You should know the guests name. Remember, It you don’t use theit name casually throughout the sale it will imply the introduction was phony and you don't really care. if yOu don't care about them they aren't going to buy jewelry from you. It will also assist you in temembering thelr name, shouldnt we remember the name of a guest who bought a beautiful tanzanite ring from us. We should greet the guest whenever we see them - in the store, on Promenade Deck or even ashore as while they are cruising with us. Greeting Questions: What greetings are you currently using? Ave you creative and interesting to the people thet you meet? Every sale begins with the greeting, yet this is the step at which most sales are lost. Every guest who walks through the door needs to be greeted: this conveys c friendly feeling to your guest making it clear you are there fo assist them. Even if you are occupied with ‘another guest, making eye contact acknowledges themn and makes ther feel welcome. {tis important that you greet each guest immediately in a warm and friendly manner. That means, giving your guest a sincere, friendly smile and establishing and maintaining eye contact with them where culturally appropriate. Of course if your guest looks away, be courteous and do not continue eye contact,y= STARBOARD Car Geant Selling Standards - Meet and Greet If @ guest does gve you the repyy “Just looking’, be careful of your response (especially if youtte tied at the end of a long sea day!) It nay be tempting to offer a short reply such as: “and I'm just saying good evening” Ths is NOT c very good way to start a relationship with someone that you want to buy from you! “I don't want help at all” Sometimes guests merely want to browse and may say: “Im just waiting for a friend’ Or “| can find what | want on my own" Guests who do not want any help may make vogue or general statements in response to your questions or comments and, cometimes they lot you know through their behaviors. For ‘example, Quests may show little interest in the merchandise by leaning up against a wall, chatting with their friends, or they move away fiom a Sales Associate wnen greeted. So what do you do when the guest does not want any help? + Make them feel welcome by giving them a brief mini-tour, * Continue to watch for any signals that may tell you they have changed their mind and could use some help. There Is also another aspect of keeping alert that is very important... Secutity should always be at the forefront of your ming when presenting jewelry. The greatest tisk of theft Is from the opportunist. Simply put, never give them the opportunity. It is acceptable to show more than one item at a time especialy when you are showing matching itemns but aways Keep a mental note of how many items you have out and use your presentation pad to maintain control at al times. It is never acceptable to attend to more than one guest at a time, even if they are both looking at items from the same case Qs itis impossible to maintain control.STARBOARD Gin Grn Selling Standards - Meet and Greet tts your responsbilty to see, hear and understand these signals Leam more about reading signals. “Iwant help now" * There are a number of signals a guest may give you to let you know that they want help immediately...come are spoken ond very clear, for example: “Do you camy Johnny Walker Blue?” * Some signals are unspoken, such as when a guest shows an interest in merchandise by looking at it or touching it, or when they look around for help. The dreaded ‘Just Looking’! This should be the slur! of Ihe Conversation not the enc. Guests are conditioned to say just looking’ when any Sales Associate approaches them as they expect to be pressutized into buying sornething. Even if you said something like "All the jewelry is free today’, you would Probaby stil be met with this generic response. The secret Is 1o ask questions that require More than a yes/no/ust looking response. When a guest says ‘just looking’ you have to Qualify wnat they mean by that to know which direction the conversation will take next, Your tesponse should be: * Great, wnat is that you are looking for? * Fantastic, who ore you looking for? Perhaps | can make a few suggestions to help you. * That's how it starts, 'd love to hear your thoughts on my collection * You ate more than welcome fo look and while you are looking I'd like to point out. + Wonderful, what is your favotite....,| can point you in the right ditection. Always be positive, when you show your guest that this is not a problem, they will feel more comfortable and be more receptive towards you. The comments above should not be used verbatim; you should use your own personality with these comments fo open your conversation.ys STARBOARD = Specialist Selling Standards - Meet and Greet "May | help you" Is often used as a greeting to open a sale, this Is a major mistake, For example: Imagine you hove invited fiends over to your home for a attink or dinner. When they knock on the door do you open it nd ask them what they would lke fo drink before you even take their coats? No, you open the door and greet then, "Hi, how are you, come In,” You would show them into your siting room, and then take their coats before asking what they would Ike to dink Essentially, what you did first was greot your guest, when they were comfortable you then determined ther needs. - Wine or a soda? Reading Signals Each guest communicates their style in the way they look, move, walk, and talk - they give ‘out signals. You need to master the art of recognizing thase signals ond then adjusting your style to telate to them. it is NOT about pre-judging guests. It IS about realy LOOKING and USTENING and leaming to respond in the appropriate manner to build rapport. Not all our guests want or need the same amount of help during a visit, Decicing how much fime you spend with, and what you say to your guests, depends a lot on the signals you get from them, Most people will give both spoken and unspoken signals, for example body language and tone of voice, By watching guests when they enter your store, you will be able to pick up on thelr signals and decide how to priortize your time and what to do. Generally, the signals customers give mean one of three things. + Some guests want help immediately * Others want fo look around first - but will want help as soon as they are ready + Others do not want any help at allLe STARBOARD onboar Gee Selling Standards - Meet and Greet Alinough challenging, a lack of acknowledgement of the guest's presence can be very damaging. It is very annoying to be ignored by a salesperson when you need assstance ~ especially one that is talking to a co-worker oF a frlend on the phone. Most likely, when faced with this situation guests will tun and walk right out of the shop. People do not feel like spending money if they feel inat their custom is unappreciated. Think about your experiences as a customer - have you ever folt invisible? You may not Necessarily have wanted a lot of attention, but you probably expected at least some tecognition. If You do not stay alert and aware of our guests, you not only create the impression thet you do not care, but you also miss great opportunities to influence guests to buy! Tips for keeping alert. * Look around the store frequently to check for guests who are just coming in oF look like they might need help. * Keep your head up and avoid looking down at your work continuously or at the floor when you walk + Ifyou ate busy with a non-seliing activity, periodically lit your head up to look orcund. Whenever possible, move your work to an area where you are likely to spot an entering quest, Acknowledging Guests The most effective greetings blend the style of your shop, your personality and the demeanor of your guest.im STARBOARD Selling Standards - Meet and Greet Meet & Greet — Now we're ready! When the guest first enters the shop, the curtain Ifts and your job as a retail sales Professional begins! We work in a unique excting environment where our guests are already in ‘Vocation Mode’. We stand out from our competion by entertaining our guests as they shop onboard. Imagine your shop as your theatre and your guess as the audience, when they walk into the shop, the performance begins! Guests want to fee! welcome in your shop and you have only one chance to make a good first impression. This is not a regular jewelry store in a mail where you have a steady flow of Customers every day. If you make a bad impression the first night of the cruise you may ave lost not only @ purchase, but also a valudole opportunity for that guest to promote you to follow guosts. Many gucats will have to purchase their cruise line logy iterns, souveni etc from our gitt shop - there is nowhere else that they can purchase this merchandise. But with jewelry it Is a dlitferent case - our guests have many options 1o purchase their items elsewhere, L.e. on jand. We have to take advantage of the fact that our unique position Gives us the opportunity to build relationships fiom the very start of their cruise giving us 0 heod-start on the cornpetition! Guests should be greeted within 15 seconds of entering the shop. In order to do this you need to keep alert and be very aware of what Is going on around you. Keeping Alert Being aware of who is coming Into your shop and where guests are in your department is ccrtical service skil. Always be aware of guests entering or moving within your store, that way you are always ready to welcome them, give them a smile and answer any questions they may have. This can be challenging os there is often multiple guests entering at one time, you may be helping other guests or you may be busy with other non-selling activities. ~~ i a STARBOARDSTARBOARD = i Selling Standards - Meet and Greet 4) How Do You Speak? Your voice is a powerfU fool in self-expression. Control and use it effectively, How you soy something often Is more meaningful than whet you say. Use a natural tone and donit deviate from your normal speaking tate, volume, thythm, pitch or resonance. Confident People have relaxed, warm and wellmodulated voices that match their feelings. allowing them to appropriately express excitement, enthusiasm and interest during conversations, 5) Maintain Eye Contact Look at the guest's eyes when you are talking to them, This says: ‘| am interested In you and what you are saying’ Keep your head up and maintain good eye contact to signify openness and honesty. Eye contact can emphasize a point and establish trust. Lights, Camera, Action! Not only does the guest judge your appearance and body language, but aso the ‘appearance of the store you are working in. Good housekeeping and merchandise Presentation also play a critical role in creating the guest's fist impression of you and your shop. If you have ever seen a restaurant with boaly solled tablecloths or a pharmacy with dirty shelves then you would, in all probabil, not entertain these ploces ~ they have lost a sale based upon your fist impression of them Your display cases must be Immaculate and enticing — before you even have the ‘opportunity to greet a guest, the guest has seen your shop. Your display cases are your ‘Silent Sales-pecple’ creating desire, enticing or discouraging a guest 10 proceed further. This fs the fist area of control in a jewelry presentation and you hold the key ~ literally, This is Not a fable of ‘Two for Twenty T-shirts’ that the guest can rummage through. The only person that has access to those cases fs you and how well you maintain them communicates how valuable your product is.STARBOARD = Specialist Selling Standards - Meet and Greet Stive for posture that's os free and natural as your speaking style, but don't be too controled oF rehearsed. When your movements are in sync with your words, youll seem confident, expressive and controlled, 2) How Close Can You Get? Like anyone else, guests become uncomfortable if their personal space, or prefered distance ftom others, is invaded. Extroverted people prefer a ‘social zone" of between 18 and 48 inches from their bodies, while introverts need more space. When emphasizing key points, project sincerity and confidence by leaning slightly fonward, maintaining eye contact and using expressive gestures, Leaning back and looking down may be interpreted as a lack of confidence. 3) Smile and the World smiles with you! When a guest enters a shop, he or she wonts to be noticed. Just a friendly smile, ond Perhaps c nod tram a distance shows: ‘I've noticed you. You're welcome in the shop. | am friendly,’ A smile conveys that you like your job, you ike your guest and that you will give them the best, most enthusiastic service possible. When you smile ct your guest they will automatically feel relaxed and comfortable with you - this | a good way to get the sale storted! \Wtth an outgoing and friendly personality, your guest wants to know who you are, Guests love To be entertained and you can really build good fapport with them if you shine in the spotight! It Is Impossiole to speak without enthusiasn when smiling, and remember it is your enthusiasm that motivates guests to buy! Smiling is easy, ond it can mate ail the difference about how a guest feels about the shops. tt you find tt difficult to concentrate on your body language, simpy remember fo smile, and you will achieve a lot, 7 STARBOARDSelling Standards - Meet and Greet Guests wil rate our professionalism based upon the very first impression we give them. Are they right to co this? Let's look at it this way. Imagine yourself being wheeled down to an operating reom, how would you feel if you saw the surgeon stanaing there in jeans and a T-shirt? it would hardly inspire you with contidence! Or likewise, how would you feel about a waiter serving you with diy nands? A. professional appearance counts and the guest will quite righty evaluate your outside ‘cover’ before they have even spoken to you. ike it oF not, your ouMard image, your attitude, your confidence level and your overcil delivery are all affected by the clothes you wear, The trust you receive duting your Presentation is in dkect proportion to the trust your visual image ears for you before you even say a word, Dressiny fur success CUNT give YUU Ihe edge over your Compemtion, Personal Appearance Guests expect staff to be smartly oressed and well-groomed. With smart clothing ond grooming, you show respect for the guest and your merchandise. + Is your hair washed, brushed and tidy? * Are your clothes clean and ironed? * Are there any stains on your tie? + Iffemale, do your tightsnose have a run? * Are your hands and nails clean? + Are your shoes clean? Body language Nonverbal communication in the form of body language transictes almost instantaneously. Body language. sometimes known as non-verbal communication, refers to the way we communicate by using different ports of our body rather than the writen orSTARBOARD Selling Standards - Meet and Greet spoken word. It is very important that your body language is interpreted the way you want It 10 be, Poised and retaxed, alert but not tense, even when you may not really feel that way. Self-awareness is the secret, When you are aware of how you look, you can obtain the look you want to transmit to your guests. Your body language Is also an indication to guests about your contidence level. The key to baing relaxed and confident is to know that as your guest walks into your shop they view you as the expert, you do this every day, every cruise and have helpful information you can share with them, Also, if someone does not have an interest in jewelry they will not wakk into the shop. Whether it is conscious or subconscious, they are interested in jewety when they enter your shop and you are now in control of whether they wil buy something. Your lune of voice and fuckal expression tel people more than your words, * Tone, inflection and facial expressions account for 93% of your message. + The actual words only account for 7% if these figuies even come close to fealty (and research supports that they do}, then the importance of our non-verbal communication is overwhelming, You con tell a great deal about others, and they about you, simply by noting body gestures. So always be aware of your body language and your tone of voice. Your body language plays a strong a role in reflecting your professionalism. Slouching over counter tops oF sitting behind a counter doesn't exactly spell an enthusiastic welcome to a prospective gust! Use the following tips to accentuate body language that stresses professionalism and performance: 1) Posture and Gestures Even if youre motionless, your posture communicates a message. Confident people have relaxed, balanced postures. They hold their bodies upright, walk freely with their arms swinging and take determined strides, >< STARBOARDAim STARBOARD Cre ear Selling Standards - Meet and Greet 6) Confidence (Our shopping experience offers complete peace of mind and sotistaction is our guarantee. Also, remember our guarantees... Never Undersold and Always Guaranteed This means that we guarantee to match the price from any authorized vendor, Guests can shop with confidence and never pay more than they should, Unconditional One Year Guarantee We offer every guest an unconditional 1 year warranty on alll of our fine jewelry and fine designer watch brands. This is unheard of in the jewerry retail business, you will se mary pretenders But this is the real deat. Almost all retailers now charge for this warranty. But before we go any further, let us stress that ultimately, the most important reason is YOU! Incorporate postive statements into your sales presentations, such as the types of products and services we offer, brand names, warranties and special training youve had etc. Preparing to ‘Meet & Greet’ - First Impressions Count! We have offen heard the age old saying “Dont judge a book by ts cover” — in sales this proven to be true time and time again! How many times have we pre-judged a gues's spending power by their appearance? We judge our guests by the way they fist appear to us - by the way they present themselves. If we see a guest who Is poolly presented, we are inclined to think that their spending power is abo poor. But more offen than not, these are the very people who surprise us by purchasing high-ticket items. Guess what? In the very same way that we judge our guests, they too are judging us!im STARBOARD Con Speci Selling Standards - Meet and Greet WHY US? > There are sx key reasons fo shop onboard: 1) Savings Our merchandise is tax and duty free. Duties add anywhere form 10% to sometimes over 100% to the actual cost of the item. The shops onboard are tue duty free stores ond that means savings up to 70% off the prices you would pay ct home. Sales tax Gdds anywnere trom 6% - 12% of any purchase. The shops onboord never have a sales tax of any kind, and that’s on top of the already low duty free prices. 2) Selection The styles and brands shown in the catalogue represent only part of our world class ‘ssorment, Our buyer's travel the world looking for naw suppliers. We look for the quality of apiece not the name and find we can be more competitive with our prices. 3) Service Shopping is so much more than just the items that our guests buy - it’s who they buy from that counts! We guarantee the best service possible by being professional, knowledgeable and caring Associates Al transactions are supported by our Customer Service center in Miami. 4) Quality (Our merchanaise teams travel the world year ound to ensure that our guests find the highest quolity products and the most famous brands 5) Convenience Wherever our guests are onboard, we are always just steps away and open whenever the ship is at sea, Whatever they need they will conveniently find it in our shops. They can see the sights on shore and do all of thelr shopping with the Shops Onboardce STARBOARD Selling Standards - The Sales Road Map This section will focus on the dynamics of the retail sales process. We will ciscuss a typical sales cycle from the second a guest waks info the store to the point of their making a decision to buy. This section is critical to help you understand the buying process of our guests ond the role you play in moving the guest through the buying cycle. The Road map will provide you with a service-based sales approach designed fo optimize every sale that you makel Seal “> Meet& the Deal Greet Overcome Objections ns Add On Features ‘ . & Benefits