What It Means to Sell Out (From Selling to Being Sold)

I have been involved in sales work for a long time.
In the beginning, there was something I often told my staff.
I would say, "It's no good just selling products that sell themselves," "'Selling' just means ringing up a product the customer already wanted," and "True sales ability is only proven when you sell products that are difficult to sell."
However, there was a depth to customer service hidden there, and my words were a bit lacking. It is not about forcing a sale of products that are hard to sell, but rather taking products that no one picked up or looked at, and making it so that customers take the initiative to buy them, saying, "This is exactly what I was looking for" or "This is what I wanted."
I have come to realize that making things "sellable" is the ultimate form of customer service.
We stock many products, some of which sell well and others that are unpopular. Let's think about what we can do to sell out all of those products. Let's consider how to ensure that customers don't feel like they were "forced to buy" after the fact, but rather that they feel glad they found something good themselves.

<The Difference Between Selling and Being Sold>

"Selling" and "being sold" are both translated as "sell" in English, but if we look at the difference, "Selling" is the act of a sales staff approaching a customer, explaining the product, and encouraging them to purchase it. The seller appeals to the customer through sales talk, promotional campaigns, advertisements, and the like.
On the other hand, "being sold" means that products attractive to the customer are purchased naturally. Word of mouth spreads, and customers bring in new customers. Repeat purchases will also increase. The approach from the seller is minimal, while the effect is maximized.
In other words, "making things sellable" is not a short-term business of selling a product and being done with it, but a long-term strategy of building trust that leads to future business.

<Selling Out by Making Things Sellable>

So, what should you do to move from simply "selling" to aiming for "being sold" and being able to "sell out" with ease?

In a previous article, "Customer Service Mindset," I pointed out 3 basic points (1. Gain trust, 2. Have passion, 3. Polish yourself), and in "Customer Service Tips," I pointed out 7 practical points (1. Before entering the store, 2. Upon entering, 3. Approach, 4. Product explanation, 5. Closing, 6. Checkout, 7. Seeing off).
Please take a look at those as well if you like.

For this article, I will list 3 points on how to "make things sellable" in order to "sell out."

(1. Grasping needs)

The first is to grasp the customer's needs.
If you don't know what the customer is looking for or what the deciding factor for their purchase is, you will end up saying things that are off the mark, leading to them saying, "That's enough, I understand," or "This store forces unwanted products on people."
If the product you recommended is different from what they are looking for, explore where the gap is, what they are dissatisfied with, and what they want to resolve; then, you will see what kind of product you should recommend.

(2. Product appeal)

Once you understand the customer's needs and decide on the product to recommend, you must convey how perfectly that product meets their needs and ensure they understand it.
Appeal to them by explaining why this product is better than others, comparing them, explaining unique features, or showing them sales performance and reviews.
Explaining how to use it after purchase, arrangement methods, and maintenance methods is also effective.
To do this, you must keep a wealth of product knowledge in your head for all items.
This is because you need to change how you appeal to the customer even for the same product, depending on their needs.
Generic product knowledge is not enough. You must know that even a single product has many facets.

(3. Removing anxiety)

Even if they like the product, customers sometimes have various anxieties and hesitations, such as "Should I buy it now?", "Should I think about it a little more?", "Should I buy it here?", "Maybe another store is cheaper," or "Maybe there is something better," and they often don't reach a final decision.
To get them to purchase, you need to find and resolve those anxieties and hesitations one by one.
By using talk and proposals tailored to the customer, such as "It's a popular item, so it might sell out," "It might not be handled at other stores," "We are currently running a campaign and will give you a special gift," "We are having a special store-only sale, so you can get it at a great price now," or "We also have a delivery service," you can get them to say, "Well, I'll take it here now."

<Summary>

As described, to sell out products, you must first know the products well, listen carefully to the customer to choose a product tailored to them, appeal why that product is a perfect fit, and have them buy it with conviction that "buying it now is the right choice."
When things don't go well, it's because one of these is not being done.
If the product is different from what the customer has in mind, if the product's appeal isn't conveyed, or if you make the customer anxious, the probability of success decreases.
You must ensure that the customer can say "I'm glad I bought it" and "Thank you" at the end.
If you can do this, you will surely be able to "sell" with ease and be able to "sell out" your products.

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