This is basically a discussion about the old and the new ways of selling and comes from an article in Inside Retailing this week.
The old way is to sell.
The new way is to help the customer to buy.
No, we are not playing with semantics. The two ways sound the same but the subtle difference is best illustrated by looking at a list of features.
Selling The Goods- The Old Helping The Customer To Buy – The New
Customer Relationship Management Authentic Conversation
Discounts Value
Features Feelings
Me You
Products Solutions
Talk To Talk With
Basically the new way is the retro way of selling – treating your customers like people, giving them good reasons why your product(s) meets their needs and not giving them the same old hard sell. We know our customers are becoming smarter, more critical and more discerning in their purchasing. It looks like the worldwide revolution against political dictatorships has a parallel on the shop floor – ignore the new customer’s needs at your peril.