Recently I took a trip through IKEA for my youngest whose branching off on his own. Oh God, am I old or what? Now I’ve been there before but this time I had a few things really strike me in regards to product presentation, product placement and a REAL system in sales. If you’ve never been, maybe it’s worth the trip just to check out how well thought out and thorough this company is on giving you EVERY opportunity to buy.
Now I’m sure some things won’t translate in the pest control sales world but principles are principles and that should be what we look at here. So just try to put those bright green and yellow square couches out of your mind. Their system is a beautiful thing.
First;
One of the first things you find inside this store is a map. Not just one, but there are several in key spots throughout just in case you’re frustrated and just wanted to find that one thing and one thing only. It was also interesting that you could find it in either direction—back where you came from or ahead, where you hadn’t been.
This is relevant to me in that I had a colleague years ago who used this type of strategy very well. Our company had some well thought out brochure’s and he used them to perfection. On one page were certain paragraphs that touted our skills and service and on the opposite page were pictures of unwanted insects and drawings of entry points. Like a master he went back and forth as if guiding you through a maze until the customer was sure that was the road map for them. Now all along the client had questions, objections or threw in new twists but this guy never got rattled. He just kept them on the path and I’m telling you–HE CLOSED SOME SALES.
Of course this is only one example and you may have a different kind of map you use–the important key. Point the way!
Second;
As we strolled through this vast 2 story labyrinth we passed EXACTLY what my son wanted more than a few times. Now I’m not a shopper and when I see what I want I grab it and head the heck out. At IKEA, no worries, that same item he skipped by was not only available in one place but at least a dozen more. Different settings, in different applications but there it was. The power of this was that if you weren’t sold on it at first sight, you definitely gave it more consideration each time you saw it in a different light.
Now I realize we don’t stroll through a complex and our clients don’t pick out bugs to be treated but: Too many times when we ‘present’ our solution and our eh-hmm, customers just pass it up, we think all is done. Perhaps just like IKEA, we just need to have them continue to follow our map and then shazamm, there’s our solution once again and maybe in a different light, a new perspective and all ready for them. Pass it up again? It’s all good, just follow the map & present your solution as many times as you need.
Third;
It was so easy to buy! The thing I really appreciated about the IKEA system and perhaps what’s most powerful about any sales system….. Make it EASY to buy!!!!! When my kid FINALLY decided on what he ALREADY decided on which is why we were there in the first place…. we didn’t have to lug it all across the store, get a big cart or jump through any hoops. We simply took a tag from one of the many displays and at the end of our map, a young man was waiting for us who gladly went into a massive storage area and hunted down our prize.
This is where your solution, your service comes into play– we could’ve went into the big area ourselves and got our item, that too was mapped out. But here at the end of our trail it was just a natural thing to hand off our little ticket and let someone else do it. Your sales system should be the same.
It could be that your client (to be) has other bids, can do it themselves or can choose you. I’m here to say, what ever’s easiest–they will do. Make it EASY. Be ready to go and have a tech ready or do it yourself, make the scheduling easy, a no brainer and don’t throw ANY hoops to jump at at this point… This includes payments…Credit cards, advanced pay, swipe it on your phone, on line, 
discounts for cash, 30 days same as cash–get creative and make this work. MAKE IT EASY!!!!
Want more sales? Sure you do! Do you have sales system? If not, why not? I realize killing and preventing insects isn’t the most glamorous thing we could sell but hey– that kind of thinking didn’t stop IKEA.
