How to increase consignment sales with active listening

Use the Hot Button technique to increase consignment sales

If you listen and observe very closely, your shoppers give hints about what they’re looking for. It’s called “active listening.” Shoppers usually reveal a hot button or trigger that will inevitably increase consignment sales. But I warn you, it requires salespeople to pay serious attention.

The steps for active listening

Active listening doesn’t involve just the ears, it requires the listener to understand the complete message. Salespeople need to be aware of a shopper’s body language, inflection and level of interest. The goal is to learn something.

1. Give the shopper your undivided attention. Acknowledge what they’re saying. If you’re having trouble concentrating, repeat what they’ve said in your head.
2. Show that you’re engaged. A salesperson’s own body language should indicate they’re listening and interested. Find the “hot button.”
3. Provide feedback or ask questions. Determine immediately if you’ve heard the shopper correctly. Ask open-ended questions, not ones that can be answered with “yes” or “no.”

Watch and listen for the Hot Button

WhizBang! Retail Training insists customers reveal, “something particular about the product they are looking at (either a feature or a benefit) that really resonates with them.” Watch if their eyes light up or they pay closer attention when a particular item is shown. See if their body language changes or listen closely to any comments they make. This will reveal their hot button.

Here are a couple of examples…

1. You work in a women’s consignment clothing boutique. Your customer has several dresses in the fitting room. When she comes out in the red one, her eyes are sparkling and she mentions that she loves this particular shade of red. So, it’s the red color, not the kind of fabric, or the style that she’s excited about. That shade of red is her Hot Button. As you continue to work with her, keep coming back to the color. If there’s something she doesn’t like about the particular dress, try to find other dresses in that red or a very similar red color. That’s what will make her happy and lead to increased consignment sales.
2. If you work in a furniture consignment store, watch how shoppers touch the merchandise. Chat with them about styles and colors. Ask about their dreams for creating a cozy living room. However, when they plop down on the leather sofa and sigh, realize leather is their Hot Button. Show them every piece of furniture you have in leather.

Now’s the time to increase consignment sales

For instance, practice active listening and increase consignment sales with the shopper who’s looking for something for Mother’s Day. They may not know their Mom’s exact taste, but they do recognize things she likes. Listen if they say she’s sentimental or the color pink looks good on her. Obviously, as your salespeople use active listening, it becomes easier to close a sale. Finding a shopper’s Hot Button not only increases immediate sales, but the customer quickly realizes you’re paying attention. Attentive salespeople build relationships and that increases consignment sales. For more information on creating a successful sales team, read 5 traits of highly effective salespeople.