Mark Bridge writes:

As Christmas approaches, I thought I’d offer a few tips for anyone who’s working in mobile retailing and wants to get a little more out of their job. If you’re new to the mobile industry - or to selling mobile phones - they’ll provide a useful starting point.

Use the right language. Some customers will insist on knowing all the technical details; megabytes, megapixels and megahertz. Others don’t want jargon and would much rather be told what a device can actually do. Make sure your customers are neither baffled nor patronised when you explain phones and tariffs.

Get personal. Find out what each individual customer wants and then offer a product or service that’s specific to their needs. Reinforce the ‘personal’ aspect of your advice by referring back to their original request. “This phone will be perfect for your daughter because...” “When you’re on holiday in France, you’ll need to...”

Never give up. If someone asks a question that you can’t answer, find a colleague who can help. Make a phone call. Look it up in a brochure. Don’t just say you don’t know - and don’t guess, either!

Emphasise the value. Point out the specific benefits of the product or service you’re recommending. Explain how it’s different. Don’t make your own judgements about the actual price; that’s for the customer to decide.

Solve problems. People don’t want to buy a mobile phone. They want to stay in touch. They want to use Facebook on the move. They want to look good. Find out why they want a mobile phone, then supply the answer.

Know your products. It’s well worth keeping some of the most asked-for tariff and phone details in your head. There’s also value in keeping up-to-date with the latest mobile industry news in case a customer asks about something they’ve ‘heard from a friend’ or seen in the press. Listening to The Fonecast every week is a great place to start, I reckon.

Remember to close the sale. One of the biggest complaints from ‘mystery shopping’ researchers is that sales people often make no attempt to sell a product. Whilst a pushy salesperson isn’t appreciated, there’s nothing wrong in asking something like “How does that sound?” to see if a customer actually want to buy. They have, after all, walked into a shop!