Adam Hankinson, Managing Director at Furniture Sales Solutions, explores some scenarios where AI takes over as the salesperson.
AI is everywhere and every news outlet seems to think that this means our jobs are under threat. I thought I’d put this to the test by posing some common scenarios to ChatGPT and seeing how it would choose to tackle them. I asked ChatGPT to imagine it’s a salesperson in a furniture store and that it should try to deal with each of the scenarios in the best way possible.
Prompt 1
“A couple walk into your store and you greet them with a friendly welcome, but the man reacts with a blunt “We’re just looking thanks!”. How do you respond?”
ChatGPT: “I’ll respond with a friendly smile and say, “Of course, feel free to browse at your own pace! If you have any questions or need assistance, I’ll be right here to help. We have some beautiful new collections you might like, and we’re also running a promotion on our dining furniture this month. Enjoy your visit, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything!”
AI is off to a good start here! Acknowledging the customer’s decision instantly takes the heat out of the situation. I also like the helpful pieces of information that will inform the customer’s buying journey.
However, our robot salesperson could instead say “We’ve got a few promotions running at the moment, what is it you’re looking for today? And I’ll tell you about our current offers”.
Also, asking the customer to “reach out if you need anything” shuts down the conversation. Instead, you should leave yourself an opening to re-approach them by saying “I’ll let you have a look around and I’ll catch up with you again in a few minutes to see how you’re getting on.
Prompt 2
“You do a fantastic job building rapport with a couple, asking great questions, and finding the perfect sofa for them. But, just when you think the customer is ready to pull the trigger and buy, they insist that they need to go away and think about it. How do you deal with this?”
ChatGPT: “That’s completely understandable! Choosing the right sofa is a big decision, and you want to be sure it’s the perfect fit for your home. Just to let you know, we currently have a special promotion where this sofa comes with free delivery and a discount if purchased by the end of the month. I’d be happy to hold the sofa for you for a few days if that helps. Here’s my card, and if you have any questions or decide you’re ready to proceed, feel free to reach out at any time. We’re here to help whenever you’re ready!”
This is a less promising response. Jumping straight to discounting and again closing off the conversation leaves us nowhere else to go. Instead, we should follow up on our initial reaction “That’s completely understandable…”, which relieves the pressure from the situation, with “…if you don’t mind me asking, what is it exactly that’s causing you to hesitate?”.
There’s always the chance that the customer will still insist on leaving to think about it, but often when given the chance to pause and think about it they’ll realise that they’re actually happy to proceed with their purchase.
Prompt 3
“You’ve completed the sale with your customer, they’ve made the payment, they thank you and they’re ready to leave the store. What’s the best way to complete this interaction?”
ChatGPT: “Thank you so much for choosing [Store Name] today! We really appreciate your business and are thrilled you found the perfect piece for your home. You’ve made a fantastic choice with the [Product Name]—it’s known for its comfort and style, and I’m sure it will look wonderful in your space. If you have any questions or need assistance with delivery or assembly, feel free to reach out. We hope to see you again soon!”
Our robot salesperson is missing out on some key opportunities at the close of the sale here:
- Provide them with 2 business cards; 1 for themselves for any future furniture purchases and 1 for a close friend or family member who would appreciate our service.
- Ask “Where are you off to next?”. The customer might be going to another store for a different piece of furniture, which you might sell as well!
- Walk every customer back to the entrance and complete the interaction with a friendly handshake and goodbye. This works as a great opening if you come across another customer on their way inside.
The future of sales?
There’s a lot that impressed me about ChatGPT’s responses, it seemed to have a good grasp of the basics and it avoided some of the classic errors that I was expecting. However, there were also some big opportunities that it missed out on, which would leave a lot of money on the table and potentially affect the customer’s experience.
AI is an amazing new technology, but I for one think it’s got a long way to go before it outperforms our fantastic delegates.
