You know the drill. Designer sunglasses come in a variety of styles including wayfarers, aviators, and cat eyes. They come in a variety of frame and lens colors. Consumers even need to consider UV protection and whether they want polarized lenses. So many thoughts flood their minds as they stand at a kiosk staring at sunglasses with that deer-in-the-headlights look.
You have one of three options during such scenarios. The first option is to leave the customer alone to figure things out for themself. Your second option is to choose a pair of sunglasses for them and then start reciting all the reasons they should buy them. Your final option, which is the best one in our opinion, is to guide the customer to the right pair of sunglasses for them.
Selling Them to Themself
When you guide rather than trying to sell, you give your customer the opportunity to maintain control over the transaction. Guiding ultimately means you are not selling anything. Rather, the customer is selling sunglasses to themself. They are deciding what they want and need. They are deciding what looks best on them. Your job is to simply guide them along the way by answering questions and offering expert advice.
Guiding the customer along the sales journey has emerged in recent years within industries that have historically relied on hard selling. Take travel planning. Travel agents now do much the same for their customers as we are recommending you do for yours. They ask targeted questions designed to help the customer figure out how to put together the best possible trip.
If you can imagine selling designer sunglasses as being similar to travel planning, you should be able to get a pretty good idea of what we are talking about. You do not want to tell your customers what is best for them; you want to help them figure it out for themselves.
A Basic Framework for Guiding Customers
Do not let the idea of guiding customers to the right pair of sunglasses frighten you. It is not as difficult as it sounds. A basic framework starts with asking questions designed to help you better understand the customer’s needs.
Ask about UV protection and lens polarization. Ask how they use their sunglasses most often. Ask them about the features that are most important to them. As you gradually get a better understanding of their needs, so will they. That's the important part.
Once they understand their needs, you can begin to help them figure out their wants. Have them try on a pair and ask their opinion of how they think they look on them. You can try different styles until you land on something that really makes them smile. Once you have both needs and wants nailed down, the customer is but one choice away from finding the perfect pair.
No doubt some of our wholesale customers still prefer the hard sell strategy. But if you are looking for a new way to sell designer sunglasses, consider taking a new approach. Consider guiding your customers to the right pair of sunglasses rather than telling them what you think they need. Guiding them could prove a lot more fruitful.
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