To help a customer choose a product, a sales associate needs to clarify the customer’s needs and budget, and check the product’s specifications, price, and availability. If they do not yet have an answer, they should say so directly, identify who will find it out, and agree on a realistic time for the next update.
A store manager should ensure that sales associates have product information and a clear process for handling difficult situations. Training should use specific conversations: what the customer asked, how the employee replied, and what information was missing. Effective wording can help make a conversation useful, but it does not guarantee a purchase.
Eight scenarios to review with sales associates
All the conversations below are hypothetical training examples. Adapt the responses to your product range, store policies, and employees’ capabilities. Sales associates need to understand the steps to take so they can respond appropriately in each conversation.
1. Presenting a product before finding out what the customer needs
The customer has not yet explained what they are looking for, but the sales associate is already saying, “I’ll show you our best product.” The employee is choosing the criteria on the customer’s behalf. A model may have the right specifications, but first find out what it is being bought for.
Better response: “What do you need the product for? What matters to you?” If the customer is choosing shoes, it makes sense to ask about the season, conditions of use, and size. Ask questions one at a time and give the person a chance to answer.
After they answer, briefly restate their needs in your own words: “You need shoes for daily walks in rainy weather. Have I understood correctly?” This active listening technique helps confirm that the sales associate understood the customer correctly.
2. Judging whether the customer can afford the product
Asking “Can you afford this?” makes a judgment about someone’s financial means. To help select a product, the sales associate needs to know the customer’s budget. A person’s appearance, clothing, or manner of speaking is no basis for estimating that amount.
Better response: “What budget would you like to stay within?” Asking directly how much the customer is prepared to spend is one of the ways to clarify the budget.
If the person does not want to name an amount, show suitable options with clear prices and explain the differences between them. If there is no suitable product within the stated budget, say so. You can suggest another option by explaining which of the customer’s requirements it will not meet.
3. Recommending a product without explaining its specifications
“Get this one, everyone does” does not explain whether the product meets this particular person’s needs. Customers need information they can use to compare options.
Better response: “You mentioned these requirements. Let’s check which of this product’s specifications meet them.” Name the parameters that matter to the customer and show where they can be checked: on the label, in the manufacturer’s instructions, or in the completed product record.
If a specification does not match the request, say so before the customer decides to buy. A sales associate’s personal experience can supplement the explanation when relevant, but technical properties must be confirmed using information about the specific product.
4. Guessing when a specification is unknown
“It should probably work” is not an adequate answer to a question about compatibility, material composition, or conditions of use. The customer may take a guess as a confirmed fact.
Better response: “I don’t know that specification right now. I’ll check the documentation or ask a colleague responsible for this and get back to you.” Ask for any information needed to check it, such as the exact model of the device the customer needs an accessory for.
Guidance on responding to customers recommends being upfront that you do not yet have an answer, offering to find it out, and saying how long that is likely to take. If the check is delayed, the sales associate should tell the customer proactively and agree on a new time.
5. Promising availability without checking
“We definitely have it” may be wrong if the sales associate remembers a previous stock count or checked a different size. First identify the exact product and the location where its availability needs to be checked.
Better response: “I’ll check the stock count for the size you need in our inventory records. Then I’ll confirm whether we can hand the product over to you now.” At a store that uses Torgsoft, the “Stock Status” form can be used to check quantity and size.
If the records show the product is in stock but the employee cannot find it, explain that its physical availability is still being checked. If it is the last unit or there is a known discrepancy in stock counts, ask the responsible employee to locate it before promising a sale or dispatch.
6. Quoting a price from memory
“I think it costs about this much” leaves the customer without a definite amount. The price may have changed, and similar products may have different prices.
Better response: “I’ll check the price of this exact product.” Verify the model, stock keeping unit (SKU), or another identifier that distinguishes the specific item. If the customer expects a discount, check its terms before quoting the amount due.
If the price on the shelf label differs from the price at the checkout, check that the label applies to this exact product and contact the employee responsible for pricing. If the label for this product shows a lower price, sell it at that price: failing to update the label on time does not justify charging a higher amount on the receipt. Explain to the customer how much they will pay, and the responsible employee should resolve the discrepancy. The State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection explains this procedure.
7. Promising an unconfirmed delivery date
“It’ll definitely be here tomorrow” creates a specific expectation. If the supplier has not confirmed dispatch or the store does not know the delivery time, the sales associate does not have enough information to make that promise.
Better response: “We’re still checking when it will arrive. I can update you on the result by an agreed time.” Name a time by which the employee can actually contact the person responsible for purchasing or delivery.
In this hypothetical example, the sales associate has agreed to message the customer by 4:00 p.m. They should update the customer by then, even if the supplier has not yet replied: “We don’t have confirmation yet. I can send you another update tomorrow by 12:00 p.m. Does that work for you?” The time for an update and the expected product arrival date must be given separately.
8. Pressuring the customer after they express doubt
“What’s there to think about?” does not help find out why the person is hesitating. They may need more information about the product, the price may exceed their budget, or they may not be ready to buy yet.
Better response: “What information do you need to make a decision? I can check the specifications or explain the differences between the options.” Open-ended questions help identify the reason for an objection and address it directly.
If the customer says they want to think about it or are just browsing, give them that option. You can offer to write down the model name and price. Agree with the customer on any follow-up, including the channel and time that work for them.
Checking stock, prices, and product information in Torgsoft
In “Warehouse → Stock Status,” a sales associate can view the quantity, size, and retail price of a specific product. Before responding to a customer, check the exact item and warehouse. Check the “Status as of date” filter: a quantity for a past date does not confirm current stock. If the store uses the static stock status mode and a quantity issue occurs after a stock movement, the responsible employee should use the “Recalculate quantity” button. The features of the form are described in the “Stock Status” instructions.
A product name may include a description, color, material, size, and SKU. The components of the name depend on the naming rule and product type settings. The person responsible for the product catalog should fill in these details so sales associates can use them during consultations. The conditions are described in the “Product Card” instructions.
To work with this information, the manager should decide who enters products, changes prices, and checks discrepancies. The software displays information entered into the records. Whether it matches physical stock and current product specifications depends on how the data is maintained, so questionable values should be checked before making a promise to a customer.
How managers can observe conversations and train their teams
Explain in advance what actions you will assess. When observing a consultation on the sales floor or reading work messages, note the customer’s request, the employee’s exact response, and the next action. A single phrase without context is not enough to assess the whole conversation.
After the consultation, discuss with the employee what they knew about the customer’s needs and where they checked the answer. If the sales associate did not have the information or did not know whom to ask, the manager needs to remove that obstacle. Employees who interact with customers need product knowledge and context about the customer’s inquiry.
Use situations that actually occur in your store for training. Role-play based on real examples helps staff prepare for customer conversations. You can organize an exercise as follows:
- Describe the customer’s request and the information available to the sales associate at the start of the conversation.
- Role-play the conversation: one employee asks questions, and the other provides advice.
- Check whether the sales associate clarified the customer’s needs and found evidence to support the answer.
- Discuss one specific change and repeat the conversation using it.
- During the next observation, check whether the employee applies the agreed action.
Set the frequency of these exercises according to the complexity of your product range and the recurring difficulties your team faces. Track specific changes: the sales associate checked the price, clarified the size, or provided an update at the agreed time. The fact that a purchase was made does not show whether all the answers were accurate.
Quick consultation checklist
- You have found out what the customer needs the product for and which specifications matter to them.
- You have clarified the budget if needed to select a product, without judging the person’s financial means.
- You have connected the recommendation to the customer’s needs and checked the relevant specifications.
- You have verified the exact product, price, and availability.
- You have clearly stated which details are not yet known and identified who will find them out.
- You have agreed on a realistic time for a response and provided an update or reported any delay.
- You have given the customer the opportunity to ask questions, think it over, or decide not to buy.
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