Angela’s Assist
“What are you buying it for?”
“Oh, that’s wonderful…”
“Let me do that for you…..”
“I think you should grab a couple more…”
“That looks beautiful on you…..”
“Oh, I don’t like that one on you so much, not conservative enough…”
“You know what would really make that look sharp…. is a belt..”
“A necklace will really tie it together and show your personality…”
“You may want to grab another blouse with the 50% off promotion and mix and match this.”
“Good luck, I know you’ll get the job”.
Yep. That’s pretty much verbatim what sales associate Angela said to my 23 year daughter 2 weeks ago as we shopped for her first real business suit as she was about to interview for a customer service role in one of the largest investment firms in the world.
It was a memorable almost “wow” service experience as her mother and I watched Angela guide her through the buying process. She wasn’t pushy; she wasn’t hovering as in fact, Angela was helping two other customers at the same time.
It was however, so smart. It started with the right question. Not just “What are you buying?” But, “What are you buying it for?”
The rest of her comments and questions make smart sense. They are honest. They are helpful. They are overtly credible and said with the tone and content that she has “totally been here before”. And it was in the end, not about the suit at all – but about the goal our daughter had in mind – landing that job.
She did land that job. [Today, in fact :)]
And while the business suit Angela helped pick out for our daughter probably wasn’t the reason she got the job, it sure didn’t hurt and better, what a great lesson in customer service Angela gave her to steal from for the interview. It works on a lot of levels.
You can steal shamelessly from Angela too. Read the comments she made and the questions she asked. Think about them. Apply accordingly.
Till next time,
Grow The Business.
Mark
PS: If you’d like to see Angela in action, head to the clothing store Ann Taylor at Pheasant Lane Mall in Nashua, NH. I’m sure she won’t mind that I sent you there. 🙂
Mark McCarthy's Blog 
Thank you so much for posting about me! I had a lot of fun working with your daughter. It meant a lot to me that you could tell that it isn’t about selling to me, it’s about service and helping people. I’ve hated every other job I’ve had, but finally I found something that I really enjoy doing and I think it’s because I really do enjoy working with people and the feeling I get when they feel like I’ve helped them. Helping people put together outfits doesn’t seem that important, but when it really makes people feel good about themselves and feel confident I feel good too. I genuinely care about the clients and their goals so it meant a lot to me that you could see that. I really appreciate the recognition. I’m practically famous at work now! Oh yeah… and my Mom was so proud. I just can’t thank you enough!
I’m so glad your daughter got the job!
Angela, so happy for you. You deserve the recognition and yes, this post has been one of the most popular in views this year…its making quite the rounds! Good for you!
congratulations !!!!! Make sure she checks out the outlet 🙂 they are super helpful and a more wallet friendly.