The Three-Dimensional Leader: Negotiating Your Mission, Resources and Context provides an interview of Bill Dake, the architect of the Stewart’s convenience store chain that achieves $1 billion in annual sales. Dake emphasizes the relational aspects of selling through what he calls the “GREAT” sale strategy. GREAT stands for greet, read, evaluate, associate and try. He trains store partners (sales staff) that selling is achieved by striving to meet customers’ needs by doing the following:
- Greet the customer by acknowledging them with eye contact, a nod, and a smile Greetings include speaking with the customer about the weather, a local, regional, or national event, etc...
- Read the customer to determine if he or she is a “rusher,” a “shopper,” or a “regular.” Do not detain a rusher, but engage shoppers and regulars.
- Evaluate effectiveness by determining the ROI on sales from your efforts, such as the gross profit (GP) from products. Evaluate if marketing and discounts achieve multipliers (increased sales of non-discounted items), and if a “tail,” or residual increased sales continue after items no longer are discounted.
- Associate selling achieves up-selling by reminding customers of products they may have forgotten that go well together with their primary purchases. So recommend milk or orange juice to a customer buying eggs, a hard roll to one who requests chili, and suggest dry gas to a gas buyer.
- Try Again is a requirement for anyone experiencing frequent rejections. So for each successive customer keep asking questions, offering samples and making suggestions.
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