The environment is important in many life situations, for example, if you want to conquer a person, the most logical thing is that you want to be alone with them, in a place where they are not disturbed, where they can talk,… well, okay what you are looking for with that person you will want a special environment. In the sale, besides the people the environment influences and our potential client is that person whom we want to conquer.
Even if you have the best seller in the world in an organization, if you don't create the environment necessary to make the sale, you will very likely become one more seller. And it is that the environment can become a very powerful sales catalyst, but it can also be decisive in not closing deals. It will have happened to you that you see a garment in a showcase and you love it, but when you enter the store you find that it is not what you expected, the premises are dirty, the clerks do not serve you well, anyway, like it you will not buy it there, maybe in another place you will find it… but the opposite is also the case, you saw a garment on the sideboard that barely caught your attention but when you entered the premises, you were fascinated by the attention of the vendors, the image of the site and you dared to buy it… as you see,the environment hurts or helps the sale.
THE FOUR ELEMENTS OF THE ENVIRONMENT
The environment basically has four elements:
1. THE COMPETITIVE CONTEXT
In the competitive context we place all competitors, both direct and complementary. For example, for a restaurant located in a shopping center, its direct competition is the other restaurants located within the shopping center or in the downtown area of influence; We also locate our and our competitors' product and service catalogs, our suppliers, new technology, and government regulations. This context can present us with great opportunities, but also new threats, in general, it is out of our reach and affects us from the outside.
2. THE IMAGE
The business image is a reflection of what the organization is, as the personal image, creates the first impression on the client and we all know what a good first impression means, it is more, very likely, before entering one of our premises, the client will have already formed an image of us from what third parties have told him or the advertising he has seen (if any). The image creates the bait and the baits attract or repel, according to that first impression the customer forms an expectation of quality, if they like our image they will probably associate it with good quality and vice versa. The image, as a component of the environment, enhances or hinders the sale, depending on how positive or negative it is for the potential consumer.
3. THE FACILITIES
This component is totally linked to the previous one, since it has to do with two fundamental aspects:
- The physical appearance of the facilities, which include factors such as lighting, temperature, cleanliness and order, in addition to the possible merchandising work that is deployed, and the professional atmosphere in which aspects such as attention and treatment of customer, the organization of the jobs, efficiency, the degree of collaboration of all people, both between employees and between employees and managers.
The ultimate purpose is not only to create the impression of organization and efficiency but to be organized and efficient.
4. THE EMPLOYEES
The aspects that the client evaluates are:
- The appearance: it is the personal image that we want to project, the impression that we want the client to take in relation to who we are. The attitude: it is the basis of a good relationship with our clients, they always expect excellent care, good disposition, kindness, dynamism and enthusiasm. Values: these are the aspects that guarantee the client that he is in a solid entity. Honesty, credibility and trust are the critical factors.
With an appropriate environment we extend an invitation to the client to stay and do business with us
