dialogue pour convaincre client
1 May 2024

How to Approach a Customer with a Sales Dialogue: Tips and Examples

The art of sales isn’t something you’re born knowing. Preparing a sales dialogue that can convince your target customer can be difficult. But rest assured, anyone can become a good salesperson. All it takes is knowing how to talk to customers, and that is exactly what we’re offering to show you today.

Keep reading to discover tips from our custom trade show booth team on how to craft a compelling sales dialogue. We’ve also included some examples of good sales dialogues for specific situations.

How to convince a customer

Convincing a customer to buy a product or service means getting to understand their needs, preferences and motivations, then proposing a suitable solution. Here are some strategies and tips for convincing a customer:

  1. Understand the customer’s precise needs
  2. Present the concrete benefits of your service or product
  3. Approach your customer with an appropriate greeting
  4. Ask open-ended questions
  5. Personalize your sales dialogue
  6. Learn to deal with customer objections
  7. Let the customer decide on their own

Focus your sales dialogue on the customer and their needs

In a way, customers are selfish. They only come to see you to fulfill some need of their own. This means that the sales dialogue must focus on them, not you.

Even if your company is the best in its field, don’t put the focus on praising your success. Your sales dialogue should be built on an understanding of why the customer has come to you today. It’s your job to demonstrate how your product or service meets their needs.

Example of a sales dialogue that is focused on customer needs

Don’t: “Our veterinary clinic is over 100 years old.”

Do: “Here, your pet can benefit from the most comprehensive expertise in town.”

Talk about benefits rather than features

Take the example of Contour portable exhibition booths, which boast a tubular aluminum structure that makes them easy to assemble and dismantle without tools or spare parts. This characteristic is a feature, as are the product’s dimensions and weight. Simply put, a feature is something that a product or service “is” or “does”.

During a sales dialogue, product features do not convince a customer to buy. The ways in which the feature can benefit the user are the selling point.

What is a benefit ?

A benefit is something that a product or service offers to the customer, or what the customer gets out of it when they use it. Let’s take the example of our portable trade booth. These booths offer a variety of benefits:

  • Eco-responsible and sustainable
  • Upgradeable and customizable design
  • Easy to assemble and transform
  • Available for purchase
  • Supplied in a compartmentalized wheeled carrying case
  • Ultra-compact and lightweight

During your sales dialogue, talk about the benefits of your product or service rather than its features.

Example of a sales dialogue that highlights the benefits of your product or service

Don’t: “This trade booth is the best choice for your trade show.”

Do: “This trade booth will help you attract more visitors to your trade fair thanks to its innovative design.”

How to approach a customer

Customers like to be taken care of. That’s why more are more trade shows and stores are using digital signage to better welcome customers when staff are busy.

Approach the customer first

When someone enters your booth, don’t wait for them to come to you. Approach them first. If you don’t and they walk away, you will have lost the opportunity to create a valuable customer.

Use a proper greeting

Always greet your customers appropriately. There’s no need to overdo it. A simple, warm “Hello!” will do the job.

Once you’ve broken the ice, follow up with an open-ended question. “What brings you to our booth today?” and “How can I help you?” are two examples of open-ended questions that work perfectly to get the conversation going.

Ask open-ended questions

Unlike closed questions, open-ended questions will encourage your customer to engage in conversation. The important thing is to be natural and sincere: take a genuine interest in what they have to say.

Personalize your sales dialogue

If you’re given a sales script, don’t just recite it word for word. The best thing is to practice saying the script until it becomes second nature and you can repeat it easily and naturally. The best salespeople will tell you that this is the key to communicating with confidence.

If you have the opportunity, and if the customer allows it, address them using their first name. This will help to create a more personal communication between the two of you. However, bear in mind that depending on where your trade show is being held, local customs may not permit this type of familiarity. This advice also applies when writing invitation emails for a trade show or other event.

Sample welcome dialog

Don’t: “What brings you here?” or “What are you looking for today?”

Do: “Hello and welcome! How can I help you today?”

Example of a convincing sales dialogue between a salesperson and a customer

Here’s an example of a dialogue between a salesperson and a customer. You can use it to improve your pitch from the moment you greet your customer. Remember to highlight the benefits of your product or service.

Salesman: “Hi, how are you today?”

Customer: “Hi, I’m fine, thank you.”

Salesperson: “How can I help you today?”

Customer: “I’m looking for [name of product/service] because I need it for [purpose or need].”

Salesperson: “Okay, so if I understand correctly you need to [repeat objective or need]. Let me ask you a few questions to better understand your situation and find the best solution for you.”

Customer: “Of course.”

Salesperson: “What’s most important to you in [name of product/service]? Is it quality, price or being easy to use? [Ask any other relevant questions]”

Customer: [Customer responds].

Salesperson: “Perfect, I think [name of product/service] fits your needs pretty well because [Present the relevant features and benefits of the product or service.]”

Customer: “OK, that seems to be just what I’m looking for.”

Seller: “We also offer [mention special offers, guarantees or additional services]. Would that be of interest to you?”

Customer: “Yes, it would.”

Salesman: “Great! Do you have any other questions for me?”

Customer: [Customer asks questions if any].

Salesperson: “[Answers questions.] I’m delighted that [name of product/service] is what you were looking for. So, I’ll [explain the next steps, such as finalizing the sale or scheduling delivery/service]. Does that suit you?”

Customer: “Yes, that’s fine with me.”

Seller: “Excellent! [Finalizing the sale]. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to contact me. Thank you for your confidence and I wish you an excellent day.”

Customer: “Thank you.”

This sample conversation can be used as a general guide and should be adjusted to suit the products, services and personality of each individual customer and salesperson. The goal is to create a fluid conversation geared towards understanding your customer’s needs and proposing an appropriate solution.

Control your reaction if customers object

As the sales pitch progresses, the customer may express one or more objections.

Objections are normal.

When a customer disagrees with you, don’t get defensive, even if they’re wrong. Ask them to tell you more, and listen to what they have to say. Maybe they’ll tell you something you hadn’t yet taken into consideration.

Of course, objections aren’t always well-founded. Sometimes they’re simply due to misunderstanding, context, or a lack of information. This is your chance to clarify the situation.

Example of a sales pitch involving a salesperson and a dissatisfied customer

Seller: “I understand your point of view, [Customer name]. Can you tell me exactly what you don’t like about our suggestion?”

Customer: [Customer expresses concerns or objections].

Salesperson: “Thank you for sharing your concerns with me. I understand that this is important to you. Please allow me to clarify some points to see if we can find common ground.”

Address the customer’s concerns: Address the customer’s specific concerns with focused answers. Explain the benefits of your suggestion in light of their concerns.

Salesperson: “Regarding [customer’s concern], here’s how we can address it: [propose a solution or explanation].”

Customer: [Customer reacts to salesperson’s response].

Offer alternatives: If the customer still disagrees, offer alternatives or options that might better match their expectations.

Salesperson: “I understand you have reservations. How about [offering an alternative]?”

Customer: [Customer expresses agreement or concerns].

Negotiate and compromise: Work with the customer to find a compromise that satisfies both parties.

Salesperson: “I understand your point of view. How about [proposed compromise]? This could meet your expectations while respecting our capabilities.”

Customer: [Customer accepts or proposes something else].

Salesperson: “Thank you for this discussion. We’ll work together to find a solution. How about [suggest a concrete action or next step]?”

Customer: [Customer accepts or suggests something else].

Salesperson: “Thank you for your time and openness to discussion. I am pleased that we have found a solution. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions or concerns. Have a nice day.”

Let the customer decide

If you want to convince a customer to buy your product or service, give them the power to make the decision themselves.

Towards the end of your sales pitch, you can ask them “What would you like to do next?” or “What steps would you like us to take next?“.

Of course, you can guide their decision and suggest that they choose from select available options.

For example, “Would you like to go with the red model or the blue model?” Or: “Would you like product X delivered this week or next Monday?

By asking these kinds of questions and letting the customer decide for themselves, you’re letting them know that their opinion counts. How do you convince a customer to buy your product? Simple: show them that they have a choice and that their opinion really counts.

Convince your customers with the right sales dialogue

That sums it up! Now you know how to design a sales dialogue that will convince your customers. We hope our tips come in handy, and that they’ll help you create a unique brand experience and sincere and profitable relationship with your customers.

For more tips on the world of trade shows and other events, feel free to browse our blog. Or, you can contact us directly. Our team of trade booth manufacturers is always ready to answer your questions!