Lesson 27: Sales and Customer Service

Sales
A person who works in sales can be called a salesperson,
salesman/saleswoman, or sales representative (sales rep for short).

Their job is to interact directly with potential customers, showcase the

products (display them in a positive way), overcome objections (provide
answers to the prospect’s hesitations or reasons for not buying), and try to
close the sale – that means successfully convince the customer to make a
purchase.

The salesperson’s presentation can be called a sales pitch. The word “pitch”
can also be used as a verb, for example, “She’s pitching a new line of organic
cosmetics.” Salespeople are often highly motivated because they may receive
commissions on each sale – meaning they receive a percentage of the profit
as a bonus.

To start the sales conversation, a salesperson might say:

• Would you be interested in…?

• Have you heard about…?
• Would you like…
o to have a closer look at this product?
o me to show you how it works?
o a free sample?

When showing a product to a prospective customer, the salesperson tries to

highlight (emphasize) the positive aspects of the product, and how it will help
the customer:

• As you can see, it's...

As you can see, it’s beautiful as well as functional.

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 • It has… / There are…
It has a high-definition screen that’s perfect for watching movies.
There are convenient handles on the sides, making it easy to move.
• It's made of...
It’s made of the finest cotton, which will feel great against your skin.
• You can use it to… / You’ll be able to…
You can use it to make smoothies, milkshakes, and much more.
With this software, you’ll be able to edit photos in a fraction of the time.
• The great thing about this product is...
The great thing about this product is that it’s environmentally friendly.

What should you do if the prospective customer doesn’t seem very interested
in that product? Offer something else, of course!

• Perhaps you’d like to see something (comparative).

Perhaps you’d like to see something a little smaller.
Perhaps you’d like to see something that’s more user-friendly.
• If you’re looking for something different, then let me show you…
If you’re looking for something different, then let me show you our newer
models.

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A good sales representative tries to match each customer with the best
product to meet his or her needs. Here are some questions to find out more
about the individual customer:

• What type of thing are you looking for?

• Could you tell me a little more about what you need?

To make the sales pitch especially convincing, the salesperson might offer a
free trial of the product. A guarantee or warranty can also help someone
make the decision to buy. A guarantee is a promise that the customer will be
satisfied or the product will work as advertised (and if not, the customer can
get their money back). A warranty means that if the product breaks or
malfunctions, the company will fix it for free within a certain time period.

The salesperson might also mention what great value the product is:

• The price is unbeatable. / You won’t find a better deal anywhere

else.
= This is the best price possible anywhere for this product
• It’s on sale for 20% off. / If you buy two, you get one free.
These phrases are used for discounts and promotions.
• You can pay in installments. / We offer financing.
This means the customer can divide a large payment into smaller parts.

Sometimes a customer might be uncertain or need more time to decide. If this

happens, the salesperson can say:

• Let me give you my card in case you change your mind.

• OK, take some time to think it over, then let me know.
• I’ll follow up with you in a few days.
“follow up” means to check something to see its progress

If a customer decides to buy, he or she often says, “I’ll take it!”

The salesperson can say:

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 • Great! Here you go.
Say “here you go” when giving something to someone.
• Wonderful! I’ll draw up the paperwork.
= I’ll prepare the documents needed to finalize the sale.
• All right! I’ll get you signed up for the service and send you an
invoice. An invoice is a request for payment.

Sometimes salespeople try to convince customers to add more products, for

example, by saying “We also have… (another product) that you might like.”

Customer Service: Handling Problems

Customer service representatives are
responsible for helping customers resolve any
issues or problems with products. The most
common way to start the conversation is by
asking, “How can I help you?”

The customer might use one of these phrases to

express the problem or complaint:

• I ordered __________, but I received

__________.
ex) I ordered four bottles of perfume, but I
received three.
• I placed my order __________ ago, but I
still haven't received it.
ex) I placed my order three weeks ago, but I still haven't received it.
• When the product arrived, it was damaged / defective.
• The product I received is the wrong size / color / model.
• _________ isn’t working.
ex) The flash on the camera isn’t working.
ex) I’m trying to log in, but my password isn’t working.

It’s good to show empathy to the customer by acknowledging their feelings:

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 • I’m sorry to hear that.
• I can understand why you’re disappointed.
• I realize this must be frustrating.

You might need to ask for more information in order to investigate the
problem. Use these phrases for clarifying and checking:

• Could you give me your order number?

• Could you tell me exactly what happened / what the problem is?
• Just to clarify, you’re saying that… (then re-state your understanding
of the issue)
ex) Just to clarify, you’re saying that your debit card was working
yesterday, but was blocked this morning?
• Let me check on that. / I’ll take a look.
• Bear with me for a moment.
(this is asking the customer to be patient if it will take a little bit of time to
investigate the problem)

Once you’ve identified the problem, you can use these phrases to
communicate the reason for it:

• It looks like… / Apparently…

ex) It looks like the camera’s battery is dead.
ex) Apparently there was an error in our database.
• I’m afraid… (use this to deliver bad news)
ex) I’m afraid your payment never came through.

To offer solutions, you can say:

• We're very sorry about that.

• Would you like to exchange it, or would you prefer a refund?
• We'll send you a replacement immediately.
A "replacement" is a new product to substitute the defective product.
• I’m happy to take care of this for you.
Say this if the problem is something you can resolve for the customer.

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• I’ll have to look into it further and get back to you later. What’s the
best way to reach you? Say this if you need more time to investigate, and
will contact the customer later.
• Thanks for your patience.
• Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
• Is there anything else I can help you with today?
This is a common question to ask at the end of the conversation, to check if
the customer has any additional problems or complaints.

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Quiz: Lesson 27
1) If the customer has ____________, make sure to listen to their concerns - don't
ignore them.

A. commissions
B. objections
C. obstructions

2) Have you _________ about our cordless power tools?

A. heard
B. interested
C. listened

3) As you can _________, this product is safe for children under 5.

A. make
B. see
C. use

4) We have the lowest prices. You won't find a better _________ anywhere else.

A. deal
B. trial
C. warranty

5) Take some time to think it ____________ and let me know if you have any
questions.

A. about
B. over
C. up

6) I ____________ a white sweatshirt, but you sent me a gray one.

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 A. arrived
B. ordered
C. took

7) I'm sorry about the problem; I __________ it must be frustrating.

A. clarify
B. disappoint
C. realize

8) One moment please - let me _________ our system.

A. bear
B. check
C. look

9) I'll ship a new product right away - it'll arrive in about 3 days. Thanks for
your ____________.

A. patience
B. preference
C. replacement

10) Is there anything __________ I can help you with?

A. around
B. else
C. ever

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Quiz Answers: Lesson 27

1.B, 2.A, 3.B, 4.A, 5.B, 6.B, 7.C, 8.B, 9.A, 10.B

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