Heart-Touching Lessons from a Legendary Salesperson

"There is one thing I always ask customers at the end of every interaction.
'How was my service? I will study more before we meet again, so please feel free to tell me anything.'"

Legendary salesperson O taught me this.
O is a famous salesperson within the company who consistently topped the charts in sales and customer numbers.
She doesn't have a flashy vibe; she is quiet, reserved, and doesn't really have the typical 'salesperson' aura.
She was a popular salesperson loved by customers so much that lines would form just to be served by her.

Such a person would ask customers for feedback on her service after every interaction. There were two reasons she asked for feedback.
・Because what the customer in front of you feels is everything in service.
・Because she wanted to build a relationship deep enough to receive direct feedback after every interaction.

I still remember the shock I felt when I heard this story.
There is no end to customer service; today better than yesterday, tomorrow better than today, the day after better than tomorrow,
I deeply realized that continuing to grow every day is the reason one can remain at the top.

In the 15 years since I joined the apparel industry, I have met various salespeople across the country. There are salespeople who sell well, and there are those whose sales struggle to grow.
Just as every customer is different, every salesperson is completely different. Personalities, appearances, and service styles vary from person to person, butthere is a common thread in the mindset of successful salespeople.

That is,
Service is 'Ichigo Ichie' (once-in-a-lifetime encounter).
They deeply understand this and cherish it.

You might think, 'That's obvious!'
It really is obvious.
But as we salespeople serve many customers every day, we tend to start feeling like the customer in front of us is just one of many.
'A customer looking for outerwear,' 'a middle-aged customer,' 'customers shopping together,'
we unconsciously categorize customers and, instead of facing the feelings of each individual, we end up thinking, 'This type of service for this type of customer.'

Customers are not looking for that kind of service.
They don't want to be one of many; they want you to face them as 'an individual.'

Understanding that and facing what the customer in front of you is thinking and feeling is more important than anything else as a salesperson.

And the relationship between a customer and a salesperson is not guaranteed to involve multiple meetings. You only have one chance. If they think 'something feels off' during that one interaction, you may never get a chance to make up for it.
That is precisely why it is important to stand on the sales floor without forgetting that service is a once-in-a-lifetime encounter.

Legendary salesperson O is the same. I believe she was able to continue making the effort to face customers in every interaction precisely because she deeply understood that service is a once-in-a-lifetime encounter.
Maintaining this mindset is far, far more important than any superficial technique.

Even if it's just occasionally, please try to remember the teachings of legendary salesperson O.
The feeling you have when facing each customer will definitely be conveyed to the customer in front of you.
Surely, your presence will become something special to the customer—not just one of many salespeople, but 'that person.'

May you have wonderful encounters with customers today as well.