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It's
The Fun Part Of The Business!
There's nothing like making that perfect match. It's a great
feeling of satisfaction to complete a job that perfectly matches
customer's needs. It's the fun part about the business.
Your customer is as pleased as you are, and is likely to provide
some good referrals. But it isn't easy to attain this level of
satisfaction with every customer. A customer who begins
looking for blinds or shades today has probably not given a lot of
thought to all of her needs. By helping her to uncover
those needs up front, you'll lay the groundwork for a better sale
—and a better working rapport.
 Download
This Customer Needs Survey!
Here's a great way to get started with every customer. Take a
minute to download this Customer
Needs Survey (requires Adobe
Acrobat). The download time should be less than
one minute for most connections.
Print
copies of this survey and start using it with every customer.
It only takes a few minutes to fill out and it gets you headed in
the right direction from the start.
There
Are No Questions About Budget...
There are no questions about budget on this survey. It is
designed to get your customers talking about their real needs.
The time to address budget concerns is after the needs are
determined. If you start by talking about budget, it's
unlikely that you'll be able keep your customer focused on finding
the products that will best serve his or her particular needs.
You want to keep the sale open to all possibilities. That's
not to say that you shouldn't pay attention to clues about your
customer's budget. You should. But if you ask the question
directly, you may limit the possibilities.
Use
The Information To Upgrade The Sale
As
I said earlier, it has probably been several years since any
particular customer has purchased window coverings and many new
things are available. Many customers, for example, still are
not aware of Silhouette® window shadings. They are likely to
begin by asking you for what they DO know. This may mean they
are looking for a new version of what they already have. Or
they may be interested in something a friend or neighbor has
purchased recently. The questions on the survey will help them
to realize that there are other features they should be
considering.
 The
first question simply asks about in which rooms your customer is
considering new window coverings. Pretty basic, but the mere
presence of the checklist may cause them to think of another room in
the house that may need some attention.
 If
the first question is easy, though, the second may throw them for a
loop by asking what he or she is seeking to accomplish with window
coverings. Each person is different and each has different
needs, but to some degree or another each of the features listed may
cause him or her to think, "Well a little extra insulation at
the window would be nice." or, "I sure would like to
be able to keep my view, but still have privacy when I need
it." The question seems innocuous, but it really can get
them thinking about window coverings in a new way.
 If
that threw them for a loop, the third question may really get
them. By asking them to define their decorating style you'll
start getting a good feel for what's important to them. Many
of your customer's may not know how to answer this question.
And that's okay. Better still, it may cause them to ask your
for advice on design. Which, of course, is exactly what you
want them to do.
The
rest of the questions, shown below, will help lead your customers to
appropriate options and let them know that there are ways to cover
arches angles and skylights.
Once
your customer has filled out the form with you, you'll be able to
address their needs with products that will do them the most
good. It's a way that you can make that perfect match with
every customer. You'll love uncovering those needs!
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