I just read this article http://www.retaildoc.com/blog/how-to-avoid-hearing-a-retail-selling-customers-no-im-just-looking-again and was thinking about ways we could make this work in a 10 x 10 booth. The suggestion of waiting 10 seconds before greeting the customer is easy, moving through the booth without crossing someone’s path is a little trickier. 

What suggestions do you have for avoiding hearing “I’m just looking”?

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  • Maybe we need to think of it as a learning experience for potential customers...even if they're not buying that day, they may be learning something about art and expanding their horizons a little bit which will help all of us down the road.  Let's try to educate them and perhaps it will turn into a sale, if not today, then maybe next time.  Even the fact that they've chosen to attend an art fair is a sign that there's interest there, we just need to develop it into sales.

  • I don't think you can avoid the lookers or the "bebacks".

    People go into a store like Walmart or Best Buy because they need something. And as we all know, people do not come to our events for that reason. Just the opposite. Nobody needs what we're selling. Our job is to convince them they must have this impulse purchase.

    We're not a store. We're not employees. We're putting our passion out there on display. So our job is to relay that passion into sales. Thankfully, everybody has a different way of doing that. Some have a series of questions in their mind that always get a "yes" answer. Some will just greet the customer and go to the back corner and wait for a sale. I've seen photographers tell the story behind a particular shot. "It was 20 below zero and I was waiting for just the right moment...". 2D artists telling about what inspired them for that particular work.

    But sometimes the customers don't like the pictures, or don't understand the 2D work, or have no use for the craft in your booth. So they're just looking.

  • I have to honestly say that I haven't heard the "I'm just looking" since we moved from Minnesota in 2009!!I have NOT missed those words either...omg. Oh, yes, & "Where are you going to be next?"  cop out in MN. Sometimes, they really DO want to know where you will be next especially if I am in a different State.

    Probably my biggest complaint is when 2 ladies are speaking perfect ENGLISH, & when they come into my booth~trying on rings in all my displays, totally ignoring me & start speaking another language, it drives me in sane!! To me, it becomes personal when they are all over my product & I am right there listening to this chattering...Are there ANY other jewelers out there that go thru this?? To me, they want me to leave them alone, but when they are trying everything on, I AWAYS start talking to them whether they answer me or not, & SOON....... they LEAVE!

  • You just gotta be yourself and greet every person with a sincere smile and like a good friend. You don't need to come across any other way.

  • I have used something like this but was not sure it was the right approach. I have greeted customers with a statement such as .... "Good morning/afternoon (or just "hello"), come on in.  Make yourself at home.  Let us know if you have any questions."

    I say the above as a way to acknowledge the customer without putting pressure on them when saying something like "How can I help you today?"  When they are strictly looking I suppose this question is big assumption ... that because they are in your booth (or store) they are there to buy.

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