I love when someone gets up and tries to stump the chump by asking some aggressive questions. Sometimes they ask nasty-sounding ones, but it’s always fun!

I want to share with you two places where Stump the Chump can happen in your store. It’s never easy as a speaker when this happens because then it becomes to kill the leader and people lose interest completely.

I can tell when a customer has done their research before coming in because they are so knowledgeable about one specific product. It’s usually something like appliances, housewares, sports equipment, or jewelry.

“Tell me about this product,” they say innocently to a salesperson, and the colleague, who probably has some fundamental knowledge but not a lot of it, does a good job of answering the queries.

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In a lot of cases, shoppers want to put the sales associate in their place and make themselves look better. They may not be aware that they are motivated by this deep-seated need.

The problem is that the associate gives up on a shopper because they feel like it’s too hard to build trust with them. They then miss out on sales.

I’ve been on the other side of this issue before, and I have a few tips to save you from stump the chump and losing your sale:

• Maintain control over the issue and be optimistic.
• Say to yourself that it is just a game and no one is pressuring you.
• Turn the inquiry around on the person and ask, “Why are you asking about that?”
• Do you have any concerns about it?” or “Do you have any feelings about it?”
• Both of these can help you reclaim control of your life.
• Because their ego is at stake, commend their knowledge. If you’re stumped, don’t create excuses.
• “You know, I think (name of person) can help you better with that,” say to someone else if it feels too personal. Then introduce them and excuse yourself.

And some salespeople just can’t resist the temptation to put on a show and try to prove they know more than you or simply do the stump the chump. I’ve been in meetings with people who seem like they want me or someone else there, usually their boss, to feel inferior.

Again, we’re talking ego.

They may talk very fast or use personal stories to convince shoppers that they are not stupid. The danger is, customers, do not want to feel dumb.

They want to feel smart.

The trick is to balance the product knowledge of an expert with what they need to make a sale. Retail sales training can help provide them bite-sized information that will allow for this, but it’s important not just focus on one thing.

When you want to know the time, don’t ask me how a watch is built. Click To Tweet

To make sure your employees don’t get bored and start looking for other jobs, try these three tricks to encourage the to join stump the chump:

• Would you like me to look further detail for you?” always precedes more information.  This allows the customer to say no while under control.
• Divide your product pieces of training into three categories: what you’d tell a beginner, a hobbyist, and a professional, and what you’d tell a pro.
• Make sure they can compare and contrast products in a way that is understandable to a buyer.

I’ve been surveying with Oracle NetSuite, and I keep finding that retailers think their customers want one thing when in reality they want something else.

The majority of people feel stressed and confused in stores, so it’s a good idea to understand what they’re going through. If you want them to come back again or refer others then make sure that the experience is as smooth as possible.

It’s no secret that retail staff is not doing a good job at meeting customer needs. Retailers need to start investing in employee sales training because it can help address this issue, but they first have to recognize the value of making these investments.

Interestingly, it turns out that Millennials would be more likely to shop at a store if they had an increased level of service from the staff.

When you’re hiring staff, it’s important to make sure that they’re a good fit for the company. Click To Tweet

If employees are rude or unhelpful, no one will want to work with them.

And if they’ve come in contact with a salesperson that is as incompetent as me, then I can’t blame them for not looking at another one.

In conclusion, it is important to pay attention not only to the salesperson’s commission structure but also their base salary. More than simply money motivates salespeople, but it’s a lot more than that.

To Sum Up

As the store manager, you can’t stop Stump the Chumps from coming in and asking your associates questions. But if they’re not careful, your salespeople will be playing along with them!

Some of the best retailers have realized that this trend for sales is not working. They’ve learned from their mistakes and are doing something different to keep up with today’s customers.

Let’s get rid of Stump the Chump.