Are You Assuming or Selling?

"Can I help you find something?" the salesperson asked me soon after I walked through the door of my favorite store.

"Yes, actually," I said. "I'm looking for a nonstick skillet with a lid."

"Great, I have just the thing," she said, leading me toward a nearby display. "These are on sale for $15."

I took a look at it. While it was a nonstick skillet with a lid, it wasn't what I had in mind. "Well, this doesn't really seem deep enough," I said.

"Oh, okay," she said, picking up another nearby option. "This one is 14 inches." As I was reaching for it, she added, "And, it's on sale for $25."

I felt it in my hand. "It doesn't really seem sturdy enough," I said. "I'd really like something with a little more weight."

She went on to show me two or three more skillets. But, each had a problem: not dishwasher safe, not oven safe, no lid, in a set with other items I didn't need. It went on like that until, finally, she picked up the perfect skillet. "Here's one that is dishwasher safe, oven safe, has a lid, and it's part of a brand new product line we're just introducing."

I bought it. A half-hour after she first asked me if she could help. And, for nearly five times the price of the first skillet she showed me.

Was I picky shopper? Perhaps. But, the real problem here wasn't my narrow need; it was her lack of initiative to figure out exactly what I wanted and then offer me the perfect skillet first.

She assumed a couple things:

1. I wanted a good deal.
2. I didn't care about the quality of the skillet. (Or, at least, I cared about price more.)

Now, don't me get wrong: I like a good deal. In fact, the skillet I ended up buying was on sale for 50 percent off, so I still feel like I got a good deal. But, I didn't really care as much about price as I did the quality of my purchase. She assumed things about me and my future purchase without qualifying these assumptions.

She would have been much better off asking me what I wanted. We could've skipped to the chase and I could've been out of there in five minutes and she could've moved on to the next sale.

What if instead of just showing me every skillet in the store she started off by asking:

• What size skillet are you looking for?

• What are you planning to cook in it?

• Will you ever need to put in the oven?

• Do you plan on putting it in the dishwasher?

• Do you have a price point you're looking at?

Moral of the story: To make the sale, you have to know what your customer wants.

And, this isn't just true when you're selling skillets. You should get to know what your customer really wants (not just what you think she wants) whether you're selling paper or selling your next vacation to your spouse.

So, I ask: Are you assuming or selling?