"The fact is everyone is in sales. Whatever area you work in, you do have clients and you do need to sell." Jay Abraham

I am a committed shopper.  In fact a shopkeepers dream customer, I make up my mind instantly, there’s no shilly shallying around, in and out as quick as a flash with the purchase under my arm. You would think then that shops would welcome me with open arms, yet there is a department store that I frequent regularly, in particular two fashion departments within the store where they should be falling over themselves to greet me. Not the case in both.

They all know me. I have been buying from them regularly for over ten years, most of the sales assistants have been there for the whole length of time, yet only one sales assistant actually knows my name and greets me with a cheery, "Hello Mrs. Owen, how are you today".

I find this quite extraordinary.  The other franchise within the store is even worse. They don’t speak or smile at all, it’s as much as they can do to wrap the garment and take payment.  I have made the decision not to shop there any more. It’s not that I want a gushing, sickly sweet, insincere grovel, as false as Jordan’s boobs. That’s even worse than being ignored. I just want a pleasant greeting and an acknowledgement that I am a valued customer.

To become a good sales assistant generally needs training, a genuine interest in customers and the knowledge of the product being sold. If you don’t like customers and think the product is rubbish, get out. It’s all down to the management at the end of the day. If the manager does not instill the discipline and knowledge and lead by example then the sales assistants will never be any good.

And so it is in flower shops, not enough emphasis goes into selling the product, just shoving an inexperienced junior into the shop to get on with it, does not lead to great sales. And in these desperate times boy do all florists need sales. It would be great to stay in the workroom all day just making up pretty designs, but without sales there are no designs to make.

The great thing about flower shops is the customer does not have to buy one of those poxy bunches with all the stems cut to the same length and a mixture that defies imagination and is often in a crude colour harmony. In a flower shop customers can choose one of this and one of that add a couple of large leaves, a few wispy grasses and buy flowers in a variety of lengths. And that’s what is great about flower shops, (or so it should be) a lovely selection to choose from.

Plus a sales assistant/florist that knows their stuff.  Can reel off the variety names of the flowers, and give instructions on how to care for them. It’s easy to make suggestions and sell a few more flowers if you have the visual impact of a flower display in front of you. Add on sales like flower food can be easy if you let the customer know the benefits.

Many years ago Jean Siviter a great and wise florist and judge would liken the flower shop to a theatre where the shop floor was the stage and the florist an actor. No matter what your personal problems they stop on the shop floor and you give a performance every time. Smiling, welcoming, knowledgeable, alert, and honest but above all listening. And of course, loving the flowers you sell.

If you are droning on and the customer cannot get a word in edgeways how can you possibly know what they want? Listening is the key to great salesmanship and perfecting the art then assimilating the information quickly and efficiently will lead to sales. Salesmanship is not about how clever you are, it’s about caring for the customer and giving them what they want and you can only do this if you listen carefully.

Half a day a month on in shop salesmanship training will reap benefits; incentives for good sales will do even better.  Master the selling skills or wilt and by the way take that dirty apron off too.

Here are my top Selling Diva tips:-

• Don’t lurk in the workroom, get out there and strut your stuff.

• Greet and meet. Chat to everyone, show new varieties, engage in conversation, listen to their problems and solve them.

• Don’t stand over customers or intimidate them – give them the space to choose on their own.

• Never talk over customers, you might like the sound of your own voice they will not. When a customers eyes glaze over you have lost the sale.

• Help make a decision by explaining the benefits of the product.

• Keep asking the right questions to understand the customers’ needs.