Selling Luxury Connect with Affluent Customers, Create Unique Experiences Through Impeccable Service, and Close the Sale

by Lent, Robin; Tour, Genevieve; Perrin, Alain-Dominique

• ISBN13: 9780470457993
• ISBN10: 0470457996
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-06-15
• Publisher: Wiley

Summary

Selling in a luxury universe is full of magic, passion, and emotion. The customer, the creation and the Sales Ambassador all enjoy an exchange of views that is just as important as the luxury item itself, and its beauty. The sales ambassador therefore plays a critical role. He or she is the living brand for the customer and should embody the brand and serve as the "Ambassador" to the lifestyle that the brand represents. In order to be an Ambassador, it requires a multitude of skills, personal energy, and subtlety. This book presents 88 principles and tactics for understanding luxury customers, providing breathtaking customer service, and closing on high-ticket sales.

Author Biography

ROBIN LENT is Senior Consultant at AC3, a Paris-based training company that specializes in training and communications. Robin has been working for 18 years in the field of luxury.

GENEVIEVE TOUR is a Training Consultant at Cartier International and has an MBA in Luxury Brands. A luxury specialist, Genevieve has spent many years as a Cartier Sales Ambassador both in France and in the USA before holding other positions in marketing and communications."

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. xi
Acknowledgments	p. xiii
Introduction	p. xv
Initial Thoughts	p. 1
The Vital Role of the Sales Ambassador	p. 3
In the eyes of the customer, the Sales Ambassador is the brand	p. 5
Loyalty begins with the first contact	p. 6
Keep in mind how you like to be treated	p. 7
There are customers behind customers	p. 8
The incredible loss from one lost customer	p. 9
The emotional side of the purchase	p. 10
The island vacation or the earrings?	p. 11
The price is only one of the factors	p. 12
The "Wow" comes when you go beyond expectations	p. 13
Discretion and confidentiality	p. 14
The Frame of Mind of the Sales Ambassador	p. 17
Be a person before being a Sales Ambassador	p. 19
Turn every contact into an experience	p. 20
Get inside the customer's story	p. 21
Congratulate customers	p. 23
Compliment your customers	p. 24
Every complaint is an opportunity	p. 25
The other competitor	p. 26
Service costs nothing	p. 28
The great danger of prejudices and preconceived ideas	p. 29
Work as a team player	p. 30
Relationships and mistakes	p. 31
The Savoir-Faire of the Sales Ambassador	p. 35
The successful selling style	p. 37
Life is a celebration	p. 38
Use each contact to inform and educate	p. 39
The power of timing	p. 40
Time is a precious sales tool	p. 42
The art of using silence	p. 44
Music as a metaphor for selling	p. 45
Select the words you use carefully	p. 46
Tones, rhythms, and volumes	p. 47
The competition, your customers, and your advantages	p. 48
Personalize your service	p. 49
Pleasure comes from consistency	p. 50
Maintain your energy	p. 51
Make someone's day	p. 53
Each telephone contact is another opportunity	p. 54
Analyze the sale you made	p. 56
Analyze the situation when the customer did not buy	p. 58
Preparing to Sell	p. 61
The impact of the right atmosphere on customers	p. 63
Luxury is in the details	p. 65
Keep the service level up even when things are busy	p. 66
Prepare your selling tools	p. 68
Know what you have in stock	p. 69
Learn how each creation was crafted	p. 70
Know what is happening in your city	p. 71
Welcoming and Discovering the Customer	p. 73
A greeting needs a smile	p. 75
Your body language speaks louder than words	p. 76
Listening with your eyes	p. 77
The importance of discovery	p. 79
The gift purchase	p. 81
The power of questions (quality over quantity)	p. 82
Be a careful listener	p. 84
Find out how your customer feels about your brand	p. 85
Make statements to obtain information	p. 86
Introduce yourself	p. 87
"Just looking"	p. 88
The art and importance of reformulation	p. 90
Proposing, Romancing, and Handling Objections	p. 93
Keep your proposals simple	p. 95
Create curiosity	p. 96
Handle everything you sell as a precious object	p. 98
Position the offer	p. 100
Make clever use of the light	p. 102
Romance your creations to enhance the emotions	p. 103
Storytelling	p. 104
Invite the customer to try on the model	p. 106
"Wrap" the price as if it were a gift	p. 108
The art of exploring "Let me think about it"	p. 109
Prepare for dealing with objections	p. 111
Concluding and Making Additional Sales	p. 113
Be aware of buying signals	p. 115
Tips to conclude	p. 117
Suggest the best solution	p. 119
The importance of reassuring when concluding	p. 120
"Picture" the purchase	p. 122
Advise customers about maintaining their purchase	p. 123
Suggest ways of offering a gift	p. 125
The additional sale	p. 126
Building Customer Loyalty	p. 129
Loyalty comes from offering gifts linked to the purchase	p. 131
Offer two business cards	p. 132
Make a good last impression	p. 133
Every departure is a preparation for another visit	p. 134
Loyalty comes from remembering your customers	p. 136
The database is an essential tool	p. 137
Celebrate the newborn	p. 138
Build loyalty by staying in touch	p. 140
Ask for a referral	p. 142
Customer after-sales service and the broken dream	p. 144
The ideal after-sales service scenario	p. 146
Outcomes of the Eight Stories	p. 149
Conclusion	p. 153
Index	p. 156
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