Sunday, May 31, 2015

Podcast 13 - Kristin Carpenter-Ogden


LUCKY NUMBER 13. This shared episode/podcast is way beyond anything I could've every predicted... it was awesome and I'm totally inspired by this mom of 2, owner of Verde PR and all round outdoor, lifestyle gal. Talking shop about the ever changing landscape of retail was a great conversation that could have gone on for hours... truly. We hope our listeners will enjoy the topic and while the conversation is an important one - my hope is you'll get a good laugh along the way. 


Check out this episode!

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Podcast 12 - Kris Kaplan


Today's special podcast interview is with Kris Kaplan. You'd never look at him today and notice that he's 25+ years sober, a lover of core values and principles. Sure he has an Ironman tattoo, is a certified Gazelle's Coach. His reps love him and he's grown up in the gift industry. Kris Kaplan or as I like to call him K2 is a testiment to one thing - perserverence. Grab a pen and paper and listen up!


Check out this episode!

Sunday, May 17, 2015

PODCAST 11 - Solocast {Upselling + Great Sales Apps}


Todays podcast is all about upselling and a few reminders of why it's good to build relationships as well as a few of my favorite apps to keep me on track. Notes are in my blog. www.retailcouch.blogspot.com


Check out this episode!

Thursday, May 14, 2015

UPselling + Favorite Sales Apps

It's never too late to start over. If you weren't happy with yesterday, try something different today. Don't stay stuck. Do better.



**Podcast 11 : SOLOCAST notes

Effective up selling requires patience, detailed observation, resilience and some skill.

Get a few more dollars out of your customers by following these five up-selling tips:

1. Get them talking:
People love talking about themselves. In my experience, the better the conversation, the longer a retailer stays in the conversation, the more they tend to spend and the greater the chance they’ll become a repeat customer.
Conversation helps build a relationship, showcases your product knowledge and makes the retailer/buyer feel like you’re their friend instead of a salesperson. How, though?

2. Ask open-ended questions:
Get your customers talking by asking them open-ended questions. You don’t want their response to be “yes” or “no” because you can’t learn anything about them, how they plan to use the product or how much they’re able to spend.
This process will reveal products or services that the customers didn’t intend to buy.
If you’re selling candles and accessories, for example, try asking questions like:
   What are your best selling candles now?
   How much are your customers willing to spend?
   Tell me about your favorite scents.

3. Suggest products your retailers need:
The answers to your open-ended questions will help you suggest products the buyer might need to solve a problem they expressed during your conversation. If you’re suggesting a more expensive product than the one they were looking to purchase, always explain its features, benefits and why this product is better suited to fulfill their needs. (REALLY KNOW YOUR PRODUCTS)
Not every up-selling story has a happy ending. How you handle rejection can send a message to the customer about how genuine your recommendations really were.

4. Walk customers through all of your lines:
– even if they didn’t want to see all of them.
The pathway you take through your products can present up-selling opportunities too. If you’re helping a retailer with creating a men’s area, walk them through the men’s products you carry and suggest additional lines that you’ve found popular in other accounts of yours.

Creating voids can make you more successful when you ask those open-ended questions. See how up-selling can help? If you don’t ask, you don’t know.


5. Close the sale the same way you started it:
Remember how bubbly and friendly you were when you walked into the store? Act the same way throughout the entire transaction, tell them your name and don’t forget to thank them for instilling their trust in you before you leave.

6. Cloud Syncing:
It is worthwhile investing some time into having your files and documents synced up through “the cloud”. This will ensure you will always have access to the latest versions of your documents across all computers. Nothing is more painful than to realize while on the road that the important document you had to print is only available on your desktop computer at home.
A simple solution is Dropbox it allows you to store files in the cloud and it supports multiple platforms. And best of all: it’s free.

I LOVE DROPBOX!!!



Being that we are all 1099’ers – being smarter with our time is just smart business. Which brings me to a few of my favorite apps for the time management, being able to scan orders or info to the appropriate vendor/person and just an overall importance of maintaining your professional side by keeping up with maintaining your bio and profile.

o       TurboScano    Adobe Readero    LinkedIno       SignEasyo       Best Parkingo       Stitcher



ACTION: Which up-selling techniques have worked best for you on the road, in your trade show booth, on the phone, etc...

Thanks for listening and reading!

Hope you enjoyed it. 
Michele

{Leave a comment with any suggestions, thoughts or a great recipe}

Monday, May 4, 2015

Podcast 10 - Lindsey Huxford of Kitsch


This week we speak with a great gal from a haute brand called Kitsch. Lindsey Huxford new she loved fashion from a young age and as such was determined to get to Los Angeles and go after her dreams of working in fashion. I hope you enjoy the podcast as much as I enjoyed speaking with her. 


Check out this episode!