Ceramic Sales: what additional services do you propose?

In the field of the pottery sale, it is evident that the historical, social and economic moment may be particularly complex for professionals.

Not only is the internet competition more evident than ever, which in fact offers the final customer the opportunity to choose and buy products directly, but also that of competitors on the territory contributes to making daily professional activities full with continuous obstacles.

For this reason, we believe it is important that the ceramic retailer does not merely offer the products at its disposal, but he should also provide each customer with a shortlist of highly personalized services so that it can effectively support the realization of the design.

While online shopping is certainly convenient, and often economically viable, it is important to emphasize how this way of finding products skips a very important aspect of the buying process - the specialized consulence. The ability to interact directly with a dedicated professional, especially in particularly complex environments such as interior design, is still today a key value that can really make the difference in the result.

The impression of "saving" on a pottery purchase, and therefore having gained an important economic advantage, is often overturned by a project that, qualitatively speaking, lacks of the consulting that only an expert can guarantee. Insufficient ceramics, poor quality materials, insufficient application and technology solutions, incorrect colour matching are just some of the most common issues that may occur in these cases.

This aspect should therefore be seen as an important advantage for the ceramic retailer who, as a competent and experienced professional, can offer the customer an invaluable benefit. This added value can be summarized in two terms: credibility and authority.

Credibility is defined as the reliability and truthfulness of the information being communicated, as well as estimation and credit. Authority, however, consists in influencing a particular subject or field, coupled with prestige and moral as well as professional authority.

Are you sure to provide this type of service daily to anyone who crosses the threshold of your ceramic showroom?

Ceramic dealers: some advice to provide advice to your customers

The current historical moment does not require simple sellers, but rather consultants;  professionals able to fully understand the needs of their end customers and therefore provide a service not only specialized but also fully dedicated, customised to the needs of the individual.

Here are some tips to provide high-level advice to your buyers:

• Know how to ask the right questions: it will help you to identify not only project specifications from a technical and practical point of view, but also to understand what your customer actually expects
• Be Empathetic: What kind of potential customer do you face? Is this a person who expects a purely technical and formal advice, or rather someone who needs to be reassured that his / her needs can actually be fulfilled?
• Offer different solutions: Do not limit yourself to a single suggestion. Offer, on the contrary, a rundown of solutions that can deliver a satisfactory output in terms of design. The solutions you have made will have to be differentiated not only from an economic point of view, but also by a stylistic and design one. This kind of approach will communicate to your customer all your expertise and experience in the industry.
• Help Dreaming: Offer to your customer all the tools to better imagine the ending result of your project, so it's more invested in it and more enthusiastic about completing it with your support. Use sensory tools: allow the customer to observe, tap and evaluate the quality of the products you are presenting with their hand.
• Do not limit yourself to the products: you will not only have to sell pottery, but rather to collaborate with your customer in realizing what he / she wants. What additional services can you provide? A preliminary lookup? A graphic layout of the project? The installation? Supervising plant engineering? After-sales support? A personalized financing? Tell each of your services in detail; help your customer to understand their value. Make him / her feel important, because he / she is!

An exclusive and unique approach is the only one that can be called “winning”: selling pottery is just part of your job. Realising dreams, implementing projects and giving your interlocutor the opportunity to live in an environment where he feels comfortable in, both from stylistic and functional point of view, is the goal that you have to pursue with perseverance every day.