Create versus Make: The Story Of Two Shirts

A few weeks ago I went shopping for a new Hawaiian shirt and had two very good but very different shopping experiences. 

I first walked into a Tommy Bahama store not too far from my hotel.  I've successfully shopped here before and hoped to find another shirt for the collection.  When I first entered into the store I was warmly greeted and asked if I needed any help. I said I was interested in some silk prints and was wondering what was new.

While the sales associate was quite pleasant, she never really took control of the sale.  Instead we started the retail version of The Long March.  First she showed me the shirts at the front of the store, then the shirts at the back of the store, then back to the front, and ending up in the back once again.  All of them were okay, but nothing was jumping off the rack at me. 

She was kind enough to look in the back to see if there was anything else available but returned empty-handed. Since I was determined to purchase a shirt I finally decided on the only one that I sort of liked and I was on my way.

Here's what she did well:

• She warmly welcomed me to the store and was quite pleasant throughout the shopping experience.

• She stopped everything she was doing and made me her priority.

• She took the time to show me different shirts until I found one I liked.

• She looked in the backroom to see if there were any other shirts I could choose from.

• She gave me a very sincere thank you while handing me my purchase.

The Tommy Bahama associate gave me a good experience and as a result she made a sale.

A little while later I was cutting through a Nordstrom's and stopped in the men's department to use the restroom.  On my way back through the department a very nice employee with a warm smile said hello and commented on my Tommy Bahama bag.  I normally would have kept walking but she was so personable I decided to stop and chat for a minute.

She asked me if I had seen the Tommy Bahama shirts at Nordstrom's.  I said no, since I had just purchased one and wasn't planning to buy a second.  She said that wasn't a problem, but since I was a fan of the shirts I owed it to myself to check out their selection.  As I started to look at the shirts she asked me a few questions about what type I liked and what I had bought at the Tommy Bahama store.
I showed her the shirt I had purchased and told her I wasn't wild about it.  She commented that it was a nice shirt but she didn't think it was a very good color for me.  Now I have to tell you, I have no idea if she was just saying that or not, but she sounded like such an expert I didn't dare not trust her.

She showed me a shirt that I immediately liked and told her that I would buy it.  Without missing a beat she started to show me t-shirts to go with both of my new shirts. I passed on the t-shirts and made my purchase, making a mental note to return the shirt I bought at the Tommy Bahama store.

Here's what the associate at Nordstrom's did to make it an even better experience than the first one:

• She didn't just smile or say hello as I walked through her department. Instead, she engaged me in a purposeful conversation that eventually created a sale.  Remember, I wasn't going through the department in search of a shirt.

• She took control of the sale by asking me questions about my likes and dislikes.

• She didn't show me every shirt. Instead, she positioned herself as an expert and showed me a specific shirt.

• She showed me other items that would enhance what I was buying.

• She warmly thanked me for the purchase and walked out from behind the counter to hand me my purchase. I love that!

Here's the difference.

The associate at the Tommy Bahama store gave me very good customer service and as a result she did make a sale. To be honest though, if I weren't so determined to buy something that probably would not have happened.

The associate at Nordstrom's gave me an excellent experience when she created a sale by being a very engaging and effective salesperson. In this case, if the associated wasn't so determined to sell something that would not have happened.

When you compare the two, I had a better experience at Nordstrom's because I was sold something instead of being waited on.  I'm happier both with my purchase and my overall experience.

A good salesperson will always make their fair share of sales. A GREAT salesperson will also make their fair share of sales, but will sell even more than the good salesperson because they create additional sales.

This is just one example of why we owe it to our customers to sell them, not just wait on them.

Share some of the ways you create sales at our Retail Contrarian blog at http://www.retailcontrarian.com.