The business of Chit-chat

Learning the fine art of chit-chat can put potential clients at ease and make for good business

BY ANDREA V. HERNANDEZ

Staff Writer

Chit-chat

When Debbie Seeley-Dicks meets a potential customer, she will talk about a variety of things -- from the family pet to a new boutique in town.

This is how Seeley-Dicks does business. For her, chit-chatting is not just something to do to pass the time, but a way to start building rapport with someone she may do business with later on.

"Just chit-chat, really, about anything. It doesn't have to be business. It could be family, it could be the movies playing, it could be shopping, anything,"Seeley-Dicks said. And then, somewhere in the conversation, the small-business owner is bound to mention her copier company, Columbus Office Products Inc. "People buy from people they like. And sometimes, most of the time, the price is the issue," she said. "But if they know you and they trust you and they know you stand behind your product, you hope they will come to you."

Along with Seeley-Dicks, a number of local salespeople say this process of building customer rapport is one of the most important parts of the sales process -- one that can make or break a sale.

"If you haven't set up good rapport from the gate, they'll never come back in," said Danny Redden, senior salesperson at Gateway Lincoln Mercury Isuzu. "You're trying to build a long-term relationship with someone."

First impressions

For Redden, first impressions are everything in sales. So when a customer drops in at his car dealership, Redden will make sure to introduce himself and shake hands. And to get them comfortable, Redden will throw out a joke or two.

"I'll joke with them and say, 'Welcome to Gateway. How many cars are you buying today?' " he said. "Get them comfortable, get them smiling because you'll have a better chance of selling them a car. They'll accept the information that you give them." Mike McCallister, general manager at Home Ace Hardware in Columbus, said he tries to strike up a conversation with browsing customers to find out what they are looking for.

"The main thing is really trying to build a friendship with all your customers," he said. "You've got to just talk to them a little bit, make them feel at ease -- not like you're going to push something on them."

Salespeople should especially not push a customer to buy something that does not fit their needs, no matter how big the sale, McCallister warned.

Honesty is how Darryl Parsons, regional sales representative for Automated Doorways, plays the game as well.

At the automatic door company, Parsons sells sliding, swinging and revolving doors to general contractors, glass companies and end users like schools and hospitals. Though an automatic door may seem convenient for a business with lots of traffic, Parsons will let interested parties know when his product is not for them.

If a narrow sidewalk lines a shop's front, for example, a sliding door with sensors may open every time a pedestrian passes, Parsons said. An entranceway without an awning would not be good for an automatic door, either.

"I'd rather not sell the door than have it go into a bad place and the customer's unhappy," Parsons said. "It's just being up-front with folks."

Challenges
Besides letting some sales go for the sake of honesty, salespeople face other challenges in building trust with a shopper. For some customer, it just takes a bit more time and patience for them to let their guard down, Redden said.

"It depends on the person. Some people just naturally like to talk," Redden said. "Some people come in with an attitude... and you really have to work on them."

And sometimes cutomers will not give them the time to even deliver a sales pitch.

"A lot of people want to come in, get price and leave," Redden said. "That's the last thing a salesman wants to see - you walking out the door."

As for the encounters in which customers get to talking but don't purchase anything on the spot, Seeley-Dicks said that situation is a waiting game. So she makes sure to follow-up with a phone call or e-mail to keep her in mind.

"When the time comes, they will call me," Seeley-Dicks said.

Doing it Right
If done right, building a relationship with the customer can work out, even if it doesn't result in an immediate sale.

"If you help a customer and they like the way you've treated them, they're going to tell other people," McCallister said.

If it does result in a sale, keeping up with them is still worth it, Seeley-Dick said.

Her business offers copiers, fax machines and printers, as well as other related products: toner, copy machine parts and more. If customers are going to shop for those supplies, Seeley-Dicks said she hopes they will return to her.

"Once they buy from you, you want them to come back," she said. "You just need to stay in touch."

And for businesses where products and repair services are offered to the customer, keeping in contact in especially applicable.

In the case of Automated Doorways, there are chances that contractors may install the doors incorrectly or motion sensors in the doorway may fail.

"If these (automatic doorways) break, they want to know we'll be out there immediately," said Ed Gaffney, president of Automated Doorways. "Anybody can sell them. It's how you back it up."