# High pressure vs low pressure sales



## mojapitt (Dec 31, 2011)

I generally don't go rushing up to everyone who walks into my booth. I position myself in the center and greet everyone who comes in. Depending on how they are going through, I offer information about the wood and the way I produce the items. I generally never give them the speech about how I think they really need any item.

Does my approach seem too passive? Do others have better luck being more aggressive with the sales pitch? Just curious.

Thanks for reading.


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## DocSavage45 (Aug 14, 2010)

Monte,

Sounds assertive to me. Your work speaks to a certain group. Others will be curious but even though you have a great product I might just be window shopping? I'm sue you ask if they have any questions? Hiigh pressure might drive people away?

Are things going slower than expected?


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## Disneytodd (Aug 17, 2014)

I've heard open ended questions are a good tool used in sales. I find some of my best experiences shopping have been when the saes person is genuine and sincere after that everything else just falls into place.i think your spot on fr not pushing the sales.


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## DIYaholic (Jan 28, 2011)

No experience in booth sales, so maybe I'm way off base….

I would rather deal with a potential "friend", as opposed to a "salesman"....
I would strike up a conversation…. try to "get to know" them.
Your items should sell themselves…. Make your customer want to buy from you.

Hard to put into a few words, what I mean….


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

I hate salesmen. I don't mind someone trying to find out if I want/need their item, but I don't like pushy.

Somehow I really can't imagine you being that type of dude.


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## longgone (May 5, 2009)

I always like to get a friendly conversation started with everyone possible but I *never* steer it in a high pressure sales talk….That might work with sales of an intangible…but not with the work we create…
I have never met a potential client who enjoys a high pressure sales pitch. It will drive them away… I always believe that we should let our work do the talking.


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## lightcs1776 (Nov 14, 2013)

Nope, not at all. In fact, I walk right out of places where folks are high pressure. It could be just me, but I am a lot more likely to purchase something from someone who is personable and allows me to look around. If I have a questions, I'll ask, but I don't want to be chased down.


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## hoss12992 (Mar 20, 2013)

Def being a bit pushy turns most folks off. I always greet and be polite, and friendly, but some folks are more blessed with the "Gift of gab" than others, so I can chat more with these folks. I always try to keep the mood lite hearted, and that seems to go a long ways. Just being able to know who is more receptive to a bit of conversation and who is not, is key in my opinion. This has served us very well in our sales department. Im a firm believer in letting my work speak for it's self. If somebody is on the fence over a piece, then if they are inclined to be friendly and blessed with the gift of gab, then usually they buy from us.


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## OldWrangler (Jan 13, 2014)

I agree with all who have replied. Definitely a low keyed approach is appreciate by most people. One thing that I think would add some real interest to your booth would be a video going from collecting the tree to milling and on to the finished product. Most people don't know the process and would be interested. I really draws people into a booth (I tried it on a Powerpoint show), you can show other projects than what you bring to the show (what you can do on consignment), it's an ice breaker that starts conversations and it is only a laptop and a cd so not a lot more stuff to carry. Just a thought.


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## mudflap4869 (May 28, 2014)

Leave a photo album open for the people to look through showng your other works. They might not be interested in what you have in the booth, but the items in the album might bring in a lot more sales. Don't try to hard to make a sale, let the customer buy.


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## j1212t (Dec 7, 2013)

Definitely a video of a product from felling the tree, to milling to the end production. We probably don't have any idea of how many people actually have no idea about how a wooden project is made.

The 2-3 minute clip will bring a lot of people in to your booth to as more questions, it will also make your work more personal.

As far as high pressure goes - no way, I have been in sales for the last 7 years and I have seen it not work. I have actually made many more sales by saying "I really don't mind if you buy from me or not, it does not make a big difference to me" than by trying to pressure someone into buying.

people like to buy, they don't like to be sold.


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## ellen35 (Jan 1, 2009)

I kind of sit in the booth behind a table with my work on it. If I think someone is even remotely interested, I'll encourage them to pick up anything or touch the wood… the tactile sense sometimes sells the product. I just try to be friendly and answer any questions ("did you make these" - my snarky answer is "no, I bought them in China" - but I always answer politely that I both designed and made them). I always thank them for looking.


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## clieb91 (Aug 17, 2007)

Ellen- i sometimes think about the same answer.

Monte- sounds like you are on the right track. I tend do do the same thing and also encourage people to pick up our games and play with them a bit. Course when they ask me how to solve I tell them it comes with the solution 

Hope the week is going good for you, we are looking forward to a 12 hour jazz festival next weekend.

CtL


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## HillbillyShooter (Feb 15, 2012)

Low pressure is far more effective than any high pressure tactic-at least for me, my family and friends. You want to be friendly, conversational and there to help, but never pushy. Of course, the best way is to get to know your customer and direct him to items he likes or you think he might like, without appearing to do so. Good luck.


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## Mahdeew (Jul 24, 2013)

A likable sales person always makes the most sales.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

You'll notice that companies like Ethan Allen send
out rich catalogs that convey a rather idealized
portrayal of the manufacturing process, making
it seem more humanized than it may be.

Since you mill your own lumber you might have
somebody take pictures of your process from
tree to finished goods and make up a book 
or display for people to examine. It can be 
a conversation starter.

High pressure often involves a price-increase
threat. The "price is going up monday" close
is the best close and easiest close to use I have
ever seen. You do have to back up the
threat though and if you're constantly putting
the price down for special sales nobody will
buy at "regular" price.

If prospects are showing buying signals a good thing
to do is have some bonus item to throw in,
a 3 for the price of 2 deal you can tell them 
about and so forth. Make it something you 
express verbally so once the conversation about
your work is opened, you can say well, "I have
a bit of extra inventory right now I want to
close out and I saw you were intrigued by
X, and I'd like to make you a special offer…"

That's one way to use a more pressurized selling
approach without coming off as desperate or
obnoxious.


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## Grumpymike (Jan 23, 2012)

Some real "meaty" ad vise here (pun)... I always like to find the common ground, like the dog she is carrying in her arms, "That thing is not trained to kill is it?" ... The ice is broken and the questions will come out easier.
Like Monte said the most important thing is to greet the people, acknowledge their presents with a smile … No one likes to be ignored.


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## handsawgeek (Jul 31, 2014)

A lot of good responses above.

From my past experience working in retail sales, I learned that an approach to customers always involves a question that they are required to give a specific answer:

What not to say:

"Can I help you?" Usual Response: "No" or "No, thank you." End of conversation.

Better Approach:

"How can I help you today?" or "What can I help you find?" This requires a response that opens up more dialogue, and usually leads to a sale.

In the craft show booth, greetings to potential customers can be tailored specifically toward getting them interested in the items you are offering, and the process it took to make them. Your own style and mannerisms come into play here. Good luck!!


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## Hammerthumb (Dec 28, 2012)

Monte - I think that some people make good high pressure sales people as it more fits their personality. I have had a few sales people work for me, and they had different styles. I think the biggest advantage a sales person has is when they realize they should sell the way it fits their personality. As I only know you from your postings and conversations on LJs, I feel that high pressure sales would not really be your schtick. You have a very likeable personality. Spend some time with the customer and the sales will follow.


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## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

High pressure sales tactics just annoy me. The last thing I want is someone who thinks they have enough sales savvy to convince me to buy something I don't want or can't afford. When we're at a craft show, more often than not it's just something we've chosen to do for cheap entertainment to get out of the house….if we're just scanning the booths and seeing what's there, a high pressure sales approach just makes me want to leave. You can tell a lot about the customers just by watching for a while. It's fine to acknowledge folks and offer to answer any questions they might have. If it's a really unusual item, with some interesting tidbits of info associated with it, I usually don't mind hearing about those if I've shown some interest in the item. On rare occasions we might buy something we like and want, but it's not because of a whiz-bang sales pitch.


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## intelligen (Dec 28, 2009)

I can't stand high-pressure salespeople. The most memorable one was a guy from Home Depot who was selling water filtration systems. I was willing to listen to his spiel but he spent 45 minutes trying to convince me that buying his system would save me hundreds of dollars a year on SOAP so the system would pay for itself after 5 years. When I itemized our annual expenses for dish soap, laundry detergent, hand soap, shampoo, etc., and came up with less than $50, he remained polite as he packed up his stuff, but you could tell he was absolutely furious because he kept cutting off his assistant who was suggesting a different demo. Interestingly, the demo he was suggesting was something I had asked about early on in the conversation but the first guy said no.

The best salespeople ask the right questions to qualify a potential customer so they don't end up wasting time on people who are just window shopping. Like a couple others said, try to engage them and get to know them rather than just asking questions they can easily dismiss. To be honest, I think the "How can I help you?" and other generic questions are too cliche, and if that's the first question I get, I almost always dismiss it with, "I'm just looking," because usually I haven't had a chance to look at anything yet. That pretty much shuts down laid-pack salespeople and reveals high-pressure salespeople, from whom I pretty much never buy anything.

Grumpymike has the right idea about finding a good icebreaker. If you can't think of anything witty, a decent fallback is, "Let me know if you have any questions about anything." It doesn't give your visitor a chance to shut you down, it's a better greeting than simply, "Hi, how are you today?" and it leaves room for you to follow up later without seeming like a pest. You can also use it if you're already engaged with someone else.

After they've looked a little at your stuff, you can ask if they have any interesting pieces already, and if so, follow up with more questions about those pieces to find out what they like. Ask if they can show you some pictures of a few things they like. If they seem to be looking at something in particular in your booth or portfolio, ask what drew their eye to it and what they like best about it.

There are also a lot guides to types of customers and how to sell to each one, such as this one, which might be helpful: http://www.businessknowhow.com/marketing/personalities.htm . These might or might not fit your sales style, but may still be helpful in qualifying potential sales.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

I like people who start by just being conversational. I don't mind a sales pitch and actually get put off a little if the person doesn't have nice things to say about their products. Really if I'm looking to buy and I'm at "your" booth then I'm looking for a reason to buy from "you". If you don't give me one then the next guy might. The thing about sales is that you have to do some selling and not just be a friendly guy with wares.


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## Finn (May 26, 2010)

I sell from my booth about 25-30 times a year and all I do is greet the shoppers. I sometimes point out a special feature of my stuff but that is as far as I go to "sell" an item. I have small crosses to be worn around the neck as a necklace and I often give one of them to small children (Under eight). This often produces a purchase by the parent.


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

We have fired drug companies because their rep tried the high pressure approach.

I do think a conversation about BKP would appeal to a lot of people. They seem to appreciate that live trees were not killed to create your furniture. I agree some pics of the logs being milled should catch their attention.


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## freddy1962 (Feb 27, 2014)

Monte, I wouldn't rush anyone but just make sure you greet everyone and let them know you are there if they have any questions. Relax and be yourself. Your work should sell itself. If it doesn't, you'll have to make adjustments. Maybe the price or you're not covering the whole market. If you're selling chests, have three different options in quality. Have your basic chest and then have a mid-priced chest with the cedar lining and a little more features. Adjust the price accordingly. Then have a chest with all the bells and whistles. Dovetail joinery, fancy this and that, Super quality finish, ect. Cover the whole market. I loved your mugs, they were way cool. Maybe put the year under Sturgis, especially next year. People remember Sturgis probably by the year they went. I liked your poker table as well. Get RED velvet next time. LOL Maybe have one table unfinished on top and have different color velvet swatches displayed as an option to cover the whole market. The video running in your booth is an excellent idea. Showing your process from felling , milling, assembly to finish. People will feel uncomfortable going through a photo album. People will gather around to watch a video. It's interesting, tells your story and is a good ice-breaker to get people interested and talking. Put up some signage explaining beetle kill pine and how you're doing a good thing by using it, ect. Be prepared. Have brochures with your product line, contact info, order forms, shipping rates and process. Have a woman fancy your booth up with fancy women stuff, whatever that may be. Women spend money, get their attention. Regarding sales technique…treat people as you would want to be treated.


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## scoobydooo9r (Jan 24, 2008)

Well, I personally can't stand pressure sales, but the more you push, the more you sell. Having said that, I think that the best thing to do is what you are doing. Greet and be nice, and be as helpful as possible. Again, it may pay off better in the long run by doing it that way. I would guess that hard selling will increase your sales conversions the day of the event, but I'd be willing to bet that there are fewer sales in the long run as compared to the soft sell.


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## robscastle (May 13, 2012)

Continue on the way you are going.
If I was a customer, I would appreciate being recognised and welcomed, then if I showed a particular interest in a product shown some more attention and then continue appropriately as the situation dictates.


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## huff (May 28, 2009)

Monte,

My favorite line when working a show was; Sorry, I,m not the salesman, I'm just the guy that builds it….......but
I'll be glad to answer any questions you may have.

Or; I'm sorry, the salesman just stepped out and I'm watching the booth while he's gone. I'm just the guy that builds the stuff, but I'll be glad to answer any questions you have.

It was amazing how quick people relaxed when they thought they didn't have to talk to a salesman and they would almost hurry to start a conversation before that "darn" salesman got back.

I hate most salesman (especially aggressive or pushy ones) and I've been in sales for over 40 years. The quicker I could get a prospective customer to relax and feel comfortable, the quicker they would open up and let me understand what they were looking for. (Known as qualifying your customer). Where they just lookers, where they clueless about custom made furniture, where they just another woodworker that wanted to stand around and talk shop, or was it someone I could educated about my product, get excited about it and want to buy from me?

That's why most woodworkers don't like to sell face to face, because a prospective customer is then buying your product as much because of "you" as your woodworking and if your not comfortable in that position, a customer will sense it and not feel comfortable spending their money with you.

Monte, you seem to have the perfect blend of personality and quality products, so pressure selling should never be part of your formula. In our line of work,you just have to learn to be patient and shuffle through a hundred "no's" to find that one "YES" !

BTW; how did you make out with your last show?


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## oldnovice (Mar 7, 2009)

My son has worked for one of the countries biggest electronic stores as a digital camera specialist for over 11 years and has gone through different types of "customer engagement" training. From his perspective, not one form suits all customers. The "get to know them" doesn't work with customers who consider this prying into their lives. The "leave them alone" doesn't work with customers who are too "shy" to approach a sales person. And then you have the "know it all" who thinks that they know more about the products than the sales person.

His approach is a measured one that is apperently working. He engages the customers based on what he believes the customers appear to require!


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## Puzzleman (May 4, 2010)

I always greet people who enter my booth. Sometimes it is just a nod of the head, or eye contact but most times, I ask people how they are doing. When they respond and ask me how I am, I tell them that I am puzzled. (I do this so much that my booth neighbors start rolling their eyes at me halfway through the first day.)

Other times I will tell people that I am the wooden puzzle expert and if they have questions, just ask. I do have quite a few signs out with pricing and product attributes and benefits for each product that I carry. I notice that many people read them. I read in a store marketing magazine that when you put a sign with a product that explains, they customer perceives that it is more important than just a sign with the price. This raises the value in the customers mind.

When someone replies that they are "Just looking", I tell them that are welcome to look as much as they want as looking is the first step to buying.

Soft sell is definitely better. After a while you can see when someone is looking for more info and that is when I try to step in and assist. Notice I didn't say sell, but rather I help them to make a decision. The decision might be in my favor or not but I make sure that no one leaves without one of my sales flyers. Not a business card but a flyer with pics of products and my phone numbers and website in big lettering.


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## Grumpymike (Jan 23, 2012)

*You can always tell when a salesman is lying* ... Yep, his mouth is moving.
Huff said "Sorry, I,m not the salesman, I'm just the guy that builds it……...." " I'm sorry, the salesman just stepped out and I'm watching the booth while he's gone….. " 
I have a problem with folks that use those lines because the first words out of their mouth is a lie.
You are indeed the salesman representing that product and trying to sell it, that makes you the salesman.

Honesty and integrity have always been proven to be the best tools in your shop.

How can you trust a merchant that lied to you in the first sentence of your acquaintance???
I use Huff as an example here, there have been others that use the same dishonest approach, but he is just above this post so he got used as the goat … Sorry Huff.


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## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

> ...How can you trust a merchant that lied to you in the first sentence of your acquaintance???....
> - Grumpymike


Because he's obviously just kidding around to break the ice. That's a far crime from lying and being dishonest in my book.


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## huff (May 28, 2009)

Grumpymike,

No problem; but I've worked a lot of shows over the past 30 years and I've spent a lot of time observing how the typical attendant reacts to "salesman", (especially aggressive ones) , so you may think I'm being dishonest simply because I tell them I'm not the salesman at that moment, but the guy that builds the stuff so they may feel more comfortable talking to me or asking questions, but I really do spend a lot more time answering questions and showing a customer what I do and I let my furniture do the "selling".

I personally doubt that you could find one customer of mine that ever felt I lied to them, but than again, none of them go by Grumpymike. LOL.

All I'm saying is; I get a lot better response from a crowd at a show if I lighten up and don't act like some stiff collar that's only interested in a sale or trying to force something down their throat.

I agree with what oldnovice said about his son's approach, but unless that customer opens their mouth, than you only have their appearance to base how you should approach them and that's like judging a book by it's cover.

Qualifying your customer is one of the first things you learn in sales, and each salesman will have their own approach on how they go about that. For me, I do better with a more casual approach, but if hard selling works better for you, than I would suggest staying with that.

I've always critiqued myself after every sale I've made and every sale I didn't get. Very seldom do I blame the customer, the show, the weather, the competition or the economic times, but look very closely at how I represented myself, my company and my product.


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## changeoffocus (Dec 21, 2013)

This was an interesting topic, I've read a lot of your posts and you read as an interesting person to meet. 
I did think those who suggested you prepare pictures of your "process" gave you excellent advice. I've particularly enjoyed your posts on milling your own lumber and the BK lumber you use, so the pictures would broach those subjects. We have always used past products and process to demonstrate our products and many customers are surprised at the amount of detail that goes into a fabrication. 
I've taken far more orders than having to sell and quality products make that happen. 
If you just "be yourself" the sales just seem to happen. 
To be upfront on this I've not sold woodworking or craft products just all manner of fabricated products made of metal.


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## isotope (Dec 14, 2013)

I am by no means experienced with sales, but I think in addition to being friendly and creating a comfortable atmosphere, there would be a lot of value in providing potential customers with information about your products. Things that make them special and give them some personality. Maybe not wait until they ask a question, but make sure that you mention a couple things about the products. I wouldn't necessarily consider this high pressure sales. You're just making sure they know what they are looking at.


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## hotncold (Mar 4, 2014)

I have never met you Monte, but I've looked at every project you've posted. You talent speaks for itself but I agree with those folks who've suggested sharing "the process" with your customers. 
People are drawn to videos and I believe that have a laptop running a "loop" showing you at work will encourage people to ask questions. At the very least, it should slow them down long enough to take a look. Not suggesting that you video every detail but rather an overview of your shop, processes and your offerings.
There are no "right" answers that will address every customer. I would try video, picture albums, anything that encourages questions and getting them to "touch"...
IMO


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## Momcanfixit (Sep 19, 2012)

Great question. I also prefer the soft sell, however…

it irks me when I go to someone's booth and the seller sizes me up and then goes back to reading his magazine.

I like the idea of a video loop and I also love vendors who have a small demo or something to learn. Even having a block of wood and some different grits of sandpaper would be a draw.


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## DanielP (Mar 21, 2013)

Looking at your photo, which is all I have to go on, if I was a potential customer my fist reaction might be to throw up my defenses. At first glance I would track you as a type A personality who might have a tendency to get in my face. Some people would say they like dealing with that type of person, and some, like myself, would not.

I don't know where you stand in 3D human interaction abilities, but you have a lot of ways you can play it.

You're obviously quite intelligent, so for you, I think seeing it as the game it is and trying out different techniques will take you where you need to be. Like, I think if you put a cross bandage high up on your forehead it would soften your image and raise peoples curiousity level.

Doing that, the thing with the bandage on your head, would be a little white lie, but the truth is being lied to turns people on. And if your task is anything it is to excite your clients.

The bandage thing is just an example to make a point, and by the way, your website looks great!


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## Kentuk55 (Sep 21, 2010)

I delivered newspapers when I was young, (my first job actually), and I wasn't a good salesman then, and I don't try to be a salesman now. Your work will speak for itself. That's my 2-cents.


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