In Making Money Is Not Illegal, Immoral, or Fattening, Art Freedman and I praise open-ended questions. An open-ended question is one that asks for more than a yes, a no, or a choice from limited alternatives. "What may I help you find in the store today?" is an open-ended question. "May I help you?" is a closed-ended question.
Continually coach your salespeople to ask open-ended questions when welcoming a customer. The question might be, "What project are you working on today?," "Which aisle may I take you to?," or "What did your husband think of those earrings you bought last time you were in?"
If you ask a customer, "May I help you today?," chances are they'll instantly say, "No," and that gets in the way of you serving the customer. People coming into your store are there for a reason. When that reason is to consider making a purchase, the open-ended question lets the sales staff discover how to complete the sale most effectively and efficiently.
Of course, there are many other reasons the customer might have walked into your store, aside from wanting to make a purchase. An open-ended question like "What may I help you find in the store today?" is also useful then. The customer's answer could be, "Show me where the men's room is" or even "Sure. Point me to a place to sit while my family is spending my money."
In answering those questions for the customer, you've opened up a service relationship, and those kinds of relationships build store profitability in the long run. When your staff ask open-ended questions, it shows a recognition of the customer which is more than just in passing.
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