Top 8 sales strategies for greeters

A highly skilled and personable person in the greeter or reception role is invaluable to the sales process. Unfortunately, what we find is these people are often overlooked as even having a role in selling or worse, are loaded down with unrealistic sales targets that run contrary to some of the most basic items on their job description.

Top 8 Sales Strategies for Greeters:

1. Don't try to sell! Too many receptionists have conflicting objectives for their job. Look at their job description and you'll usually find things like answer the phone within three rings, greet all people walking into the branch, answer questions, direct traffic … and sell! They can't do it all. Why would you want the greeter to get too involved in the sales process? What if the phone rings or someone else walks up to their station? Leave the selling to the sales people and the greeting to the greeters.

2. Start the sales process for your coworkers really well. First impressions count. Be happy and smiling all the time. If you can't, maybe consider a different role.

3. Smile and make eye contact early on with people approaching your station. Don't wait until they get right in front of you to look up from the paperwork. Nothing say "indifference" more than waiting until the last possible moment to acknowledge the customer.

4. Respond to requests for information with enthusiasm. When a customer approaches and asks for information about your products, or to open an account, or buy a product, or needs a rate – be GLAD they did! It means the marketing plan is working and we don't have to go out into the big bad world a drag them in – they're here already! Maybe that customer that walked up and said they wanted to speak with someone about opening an account just left their financial institution in a huff. Maybe this is your companies chance to set the tone for this new relationship. Respond with enthusiasm. Thank them for coming in and be up beat! "You'd like to open a new account? That's great we'd love to open an account for you, let me get someone to help you with that right away." Avoid what I heard someone do recently: "New account? You'll have to go through the teller line." Yuk!

5. Have clear objectives in place. In most cases reception is not expected to take the sale from start to finish so don't ask them to go too far in the sales process. How far in the process should they go? They should ask a few quick questions to understand who they should direct the customer to. There is nothing worse than having the receptionist tell a customer where they should go, only to find out after speaking with that person they should really be talking to someone else. Ouch. Not a great way to start.

6. Have the equipment you need to do the job. Have access to people calendars and appointments; know who is in and who is out; know how to reach them quickly. The smoother and more organized you look to the new prospective customer the greater the impact you'll have on their favorable impression of you – and the company.

7. Get rid of all "get away packages". This includes brochures and rate sheets. Consider what the customer coming in looking for information tells you just by showing up:
• They have a need.
• They have chosen your company to potentially help them fulfill that need.
• The timing is right – odds are they will make a decision shortly.
• They may not be happy with their current financial institution.
• They are looking for a professional.

Just because they ask for a brochure doesn't mean that's all they want – it's just an easy way for them to start. Let's get them in to speak with someone who can ask a few more questions and take the sale a bit further. If they really do just need a rate sheet, let that person hand it out. Keeping that information up front and making it too easy to get just promotes people coming in with real needs and leaving with paper. Remove the temptation.

8. Be adept at handling the incoming rate or product inquiry call. For the same reasons as number 7 don't get into it with the customer. As soon as you hear they are looking for rate information let them know you are really competitive right now and you'd be happy to get someone that can give them that information. If that someone is not available get someone else. If they're not available get the customers name and number, a good time to call them and have someone get back to them right away.

Focus attention on the front end of the sales process - the first impressions - and it'll make the back end go a lot smoother. That will increase sales.

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Copyright © 2008 by Fusion Performance Group Inc.
Copyright © 2012 by Fusion Performance Group Inc. If you share this, print it out, or reproduce it in any way, please retain this copyright statement.