4 reasons not to make the sale

In retail employees are always encouraged to make the sale but here are 4 reasons not to pedal your product.

1. You know the customer can’t afford it. I was showing a customer a pricey package that was a good deal and she definitely wanted it but when I heard her thinking aloud that she would just pay her rent late and get groceries the next week red flags went up. Despite my commission I couldn’t, in good conscious persuade her to put off her bills in order to buy my product. Instead of pressuring her to go for it I showed her something comparable in a lower price range and assured her she would be able to upgrade later, which she did after she came back and thanked me for not making a touch decision any harder.




2. It is inappropriate for the customer. While it’s not my job as a salesperson to judge you or how you use my product there are some cases, especially when age is involved, that common sense is called for. I worked for an independent music store in the advent of parental warning labels. In certain circumstances I knew particular CDs contained questionable materials and I refused to sell them to young teens without their parents’ ok.




3. It’s damaged but not labeled as such. While it may seem like a blessing that someone wants to purchase your defective merchandise, if you’re not completely upfront with the condition of the product, it can come back to bite you by damaging your reputation. Word of mouth spreads quickly and if consumers lose faith in what you have to offer your clientele will soon be lost too.




4. The fit is so poor it’s bad for the brand. Your customer might technically fit into a size 6 but you know good and well she should be wearing a 12. It’s a thin and dangerous line you walk trying to spare the store’s reputation by doing the disservice to the garment of letting someone stretch it to the maximum seam capacity. Maybe you could tell her it’s damaged.

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By Heather Fairchild - Heather is a multimedia developer, business owner, and work-from-home mom.