KnowYour Customer

By Ghlp Wood*

You have heard it said many times that to get orders you must "know your customer."

You have heard that phrase many times, but have you ever thought what that phrase means?

You must know what your customer buys.

The moss merchandiser does not buy the same thing that the contract yord buys. A small retail yard has interests different from the small cabinet shop. The pallet manufacturer will buy items that a contractor has no use for.

Consider the cabinet shop. He will talk about face frames, case ends, backs. drawer sides and bottoms. He will be interested in shop plywood, hardwood plywood, hardboard, particleboard, particleboard shelving, pine shelving and other items.

So, know your customer. Know what your customer buys.

Know his buying habits. Know how much he buys; know when he buys.

One customer I know tries to buy all his needs at the beginning of each month. Another customer I can think of likes to buy particleboard at the rate of 12 T&T at a time. A certain mass merchandiser likes to have his material arrive on Friday, just in time for the week-end. So, know when your customer buys and how much he buys.

In the meantime, keep offering him the items he uses or stocks.

Finally, know the signs that your customer uses to say '? want to buy now. " Your customer will send subtle signs when he is ready to buy. One customer that I know will never haggle about price until he is ready to buy. As soon as he starts to argue about the price, I know he is ready to buy. And I close the sale.

Key Points

(1) Know what your customer uses or stocks.

(2) Know how much he buys.

(3) Know when he buys.

(4) Know the signs that say, "I want to buy now."

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