Hello ! Please make yourself at home.
Good day ! Let me know if I can help you.
Hello ! Do you need any help ?
Good morning ! Can I help you find anything ?
Good afternoon ! What can I help you with today ? ...

There are some specific things to do and not to do whenever a customer enters your place of business. And like a good stand up comedian, timing is everything.

How many times have you entered a store, walked through the store and then left the store without ever being spoken to or acknowledged in any way ? You certainly leave with an empty feeling about the store and its employees. The lack of any greeting crosses the line into outright rudeness and loss of business.

How many times have you entered a store and the clerk or owner was on the telephone while completely ignoring you ? Why would anyone in their right mind own or operate a store in this manner ? This is a major No No. Do not ever do this. If you happen to be on the phone whenever a customer enters, you need to hang it up within 5 - 10 seconds. The quicker - the better. After greeting the customer it is fine to proceed with normal telephone conversation. This brings up another situation. Never enter a place of business while talking on a cell phone. Common courtesy demands that you be free to greet and to be greeted. Afterwards it is fine to proceed with cell phone usage ONLY IF YOU THROTTLE YOUR VOICE SO THAT EVERYONE AROUND IS NOT FORCED TO SHARE YOUR CONVERSATION.

"Good Manners" is the key phrase here. Basically, "Good manners is behavior that shows respect for and recognizes the rights of others. It eases the stress of social and physical contact with each other. Now that we have laid the ground work, let's get specific about customer greetings.

1st - When someone first enters your store pretend that a timer starts. You have ONLY 15 SECONDS to acknowledge the customer and greet them in a respectful and friendly manner. I strongly suggest some form of the greetings listed at the beginning of this article.

2nd - Back off and let the customer make the next move. If help is needed, you have opened the door to that step and the customer can proceed. If not, make yourself scarce but quickly. Very few shoppers want someone following them around the store making conversation. This will only interfere and compete with the products you are trying to sell. Obviously, old friends and closer acquaintances are exceptions but even in these cases you risk competing with your product. Use good judgment to determine if your customer comes in to socialize or to shop or sometimes both. If they come in to shop - disappear quickly and graciously.

3rd - Do we simply wait for the customer to make the next move ? NO ! The next step is very critical and can make or break a sale. Follow up with your customer after 5 minutes but no longer than 10 minutes to let them know you are readily available. Simply approach the general area where your customer is shopping (not a close face to face) and restate that you are there if needed. Often if the customer has any questions, they will begin to bubble up at this point. This is an excellent time for you to answer questions as well as overcome possible objections regarding whether the product will be appropriate. It is also the perfect time to sell positive features of your product.

Do not push ! Just remember the familiar shout common in many of our beautiful Cajun and southwestern songs "I E E !!!"

I E E : Inform - Educate - Explain

Experience and timing is key in determining your next steps. Sometimes it will make sense to simply ask your customer "Can I get that for you ?" The customer will lead you from here.

- Jim Hoyle