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

Chapter 18. The other competitor

The Sales Ambassador is well informed. He knows what the competitors are offering, and he knows what he can make as a counteroffer. He is also aware that there is another competitor and that this other competitor is just as serious as the other brands' proposals of similar models and creations.

Take three examples: a man coming in to look at a new car, a woman shopping for a new handbag, or a couple looking at a state-of-the-art home stereo and television system.

Do they really need to buy what they are looking at? Can he keep his old car a few more months or even another year? Is a new handbag absolutely essential at this time? Can the woman continue to use one of the (many) handbags she already has? Does the couple have to change their old but still functioning stereo and television?

The answer in each of these cases is "They can wait"

The Sales Ambassador confronts a different kind of competitor than the store down the street. In all of the situations just mentioned, people could easily carry on without buying anything, at least for the moment. All three can walk out and, for the moment, have their lives remain pretty much the same.

So much can be determined by the Sales Ambassador. The first thing is to realize and recognize that not buying at all is a real option that needs to be addressed. We have talked about the importance of trying things on and trying things out. In each of these situations, the Sales Ambassador adds convincing arguments.

For ...