How Do You Grab a Customer’s Attention?

Many speculate on this conundrum and it’s actually quite simple. One easy way is to evoke their curiosity—their desire to know more.

When you evoke curiosity you create a gravitational pull that is irresistible. Customers are eager to take the next step. You can create curiosity by showing just a bit of the glitter of the gold you have to offer. Make them want to see more. For example you can say, “Did you know that this moisturizer can reduce wrinkles in 7 days?” to grab their interest, then follow up with an open ended question to keep them talking, “What moisturizer are you currently using?”

Getting your customer to talk is another way you can help keep your customers’ attention and close the sale after provoking their curiosity. Great relationships are based on great conversations, not preaching. When customers walk into any store they expect to encounter one of two extremes: someone who won’t stop talking and explaining product features or indifference and silence. When approaching customers, find a happy medium between these two scenarios. Customers want to have a lively discussion that helps to improve their understanding of their needs and the possible solutions you may offer.

Know the other person’s goal and help them accomplish it. Have you ever spoken with a customer who seemed distracted? Perhaps you noticed their eyes wandering or saw them reach for their phone. Or have you tried to approach someone and they keep walking?

In both cases, the problem is the same: You are not showing how you are relevant to the other person’s agenda. This agenda is always your starting point for building a trusting relationship. Everyone has a personal agenda. It can be three to five priorities that they are focused on (shinier hair, firmer skin, getting better at applying eyeshadow). Make sure to ask open ended questions (ones that cannot be answered with yes or no) and get your customer involved in the conversation to find out what their agenda is.

Whether you’re talking about a customer or a friend, your first job is to understand that person’s priorities. Do you know what is important to them right now? Only when you understand this will you clearly see how you can help them and add value to the relationship. Only then will you be able to put your product or service in the context of what’s most important to that person.

Categorized in: Sales Tips

This post was written by Andrea Welzien