In-store sales techniques SBAM

The SBAM technique is perfect for customer service and sales in-store, at trade shows and fairs. It’s simple, easy to apply and covers the key points of service.

Issues

All too often, when we walk into a store, no one notices us, or a waiter glances at us, notices us and then goes back to his or her own business. Even more frustrating, we leave the store, say hello, but nobody notices us – we feel like a nuisance.

Sometimes, too, we want to take a quiet look around, only to be attacked by a sales assistant who tends to make us flee the store, never leaving us alone.

The causes

The causes of disinterested sellers are threefold:

• The customer service agent is jaded, doesn’t like his job, waits for customers to contact him
• He’s new, has no idea what he’s doing
• He’s never been trained in sales, he doesn’t know the right and wrong attitudes.

The aggressive salesperson, on the other hand, is probably on commission or trying to win a sales contest.

However, the best way to sell in-store is to let the customer come in, not to put pressure on him or her, which could cause them to leave, and to be ready to answer any questions they may have.

The principles of the SBAM method

The principle of the SBAM technique is to show the customer that we notice him, that we’re not indifferent to his passing, we welcome him with kindness and we don’t attack him. On the contrary, we greet them and let them make their own choices, being there to help them if they wish.

Smile

It’s the first four seconds that count, and the customer evaluates first:

• The agent’s face
• Eye contact

The smile gives the agent a friendly, welcoming face and requires eye contact. The smile welcomes the customer, showing interest in the aggressor.

Hello

The first word is important, as it also lets the customer know whether the agent’s voice is friendly, which it will be, because hello is said with a smile, and a smile is heard in the voice.

Goodbye

It’s very unpleasant to leave a restaurant, a café, a store, to want to say goodbye and find that no one sees you off. Worse still, you wave and no one hears you, notices you or responds.

On the other hand, it’s always nice to know that you’ve been noticed and greeted – it’s part of a customer’s basic motivation.

Thank you

It’s always a good idea to thank a customer for their interest in us:

• From its passage
• From his interest in the product
• From the discussion

In conclusion

The SBAM technique shows interest in customers without pushing them to buy, and is the best way to keep them coming back.