A small project required me to make a trip to the hardware store for some special screws. Instead of going to one of the big-box stores, I went to a local hardware store that I frequent, called Miller Hardware. While their total inventory doesn’t match that of their much larger competitors, I have yet to leave there without the item I was seeking. Their staff is also super helpful and nearly always available the minute I walk in.
This particular time, I was greeted as I walked in with a, “Whatcha need today?” I explained about the specialty screw I needed and asked, “How small a quantity can I get?” My expectation was that I would have to get a box of 100 or perhaps more. At least that’s what would have happened if I went to the big-box store. I was, therefore, pleasantly surprised when he said, “You can buy just one if that is what you need.” Immediate payoff for shopping at the local hardware store!
The employee showed me the bin and we decided on the right size. He asked me questions, consultatively selling me the right product. That is the second example of the positive effect of shopping locally. How many did I need?
I started explaining the project and that there were three screens on each side with three in the middle, so six total. Six screws, four sides, 24 screws. I asked the clerk for 24 screws.
He hesitated, thinking for a minute and said, “Tell me again how big the thing you’re building is? I don’t think you need that many!” I looked at him quizzically while I recounted in my head. Yup, I needed 24. I replied, “It’s seven feet by four feet.”
“I think you need only 12 screws,” the clerk said. As soon as he said it, I realized my error. I had counted three on each side as being six and then multiplied by four instead of two. Duh!
The point of this story is that, if I had gone to the big-box store, I would have come home with more screws than I needed that would have ended up collecting dust on my workbench. They would then be thrown away years later, while I wondered why they were bought in the first place. Instead, I was treated to an amazing consultative sales experience – a clerk who knew exactly what I needed and made sure I bought only what I needed and nothing more.
Regardless of what you are selling, the benefit of employing consultative selling and really taking the time to become a trusted partner instead of a vendor cannot be overstated. What would it take for your sales and marketing efforts to take on that kind of status?
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David is an international speaker, executive coach, serial entrepreneur, and shipwreck survivor. He is the bestselling author of Grounded (Little River, 2016) . If you’re interested in David’s expertise in the areas of leadership, finance, and public speaking, please get in touch here.