Did you know? A financing offer is a highly effective sales gas pedal.
It facilitates transactions and, in many cases, increases their value, thus boosting sales. These are objective, verifiable facts.
And yet, many sellers are still reluctant to offer the services of a partner credit organization.
Preconceived ideas and real customer expectations, erroneous preconceptions and winning strategies... Here's an overview to follow closely, in your own best interest.
Fact or fiction?
- You think "customers have a precise idea of their budget". You're right ... 75% of them do, because 3 out of 4 of them have estimated their expenditure beforehand.
- You're thinking "In France, we don't like to talk about money. They'll never tell me how much they want to spend." Well, 3 out of 4 consumers are ready to reveal, when asked, the financial envelope they think they can devote to their purchase.
- You're assuming that, without a doubt, "the financing method has been decided". Not true. 25% of customers are even waiting for a credit offer.
- You think "people don't like consumer credit". According to the Observatoire de la Consommation, 50.70% of households, including executives and senior managers, have already used this type of financing.
- Of these, only 3.80% feel that repayment charges are too high. On the other hand, 64% say that the monthly payment was a determining factor in their decision to buy.
Customer expectations are high!
Is the offer up to scratch?
To find out, we calculate T.R.C., Taux de Recours au Crédit, the percentage of sales including consumer credit in relation to total sales. The R.R.C. of the most successful salespeople is between 15% and 50%, and even higher in direct sales.
A financially attractive and professionally rewarding added service.
For your customer, consumer credit is an interesting and relevant financial solution, which at least deserves to be mentioned, especially when rates are, as they are today, very advantageous. By offering a financing package, you avoid having to face the dreaded "I'll think about it..." line from every salesperson. In an age of "everything, right away", you preserve the initial impulse, cultivate a fragile and volatile state of grace, and increase desire by making it immediately accessible. Your customer no longer has to approach his banker, change his habits or mobilize his savings... What's more, with consumer credit, you're no longer talking price but monthly instalments. It's a sales strategy long since adopted and developed by many of the world's leading brands. Stimulating and motivating, mastery of this service is developed with qualified professionals. You'll be trained, informed and supported by our partner credit organization's advisors. Your field of expertise expands and, as an added benefit, your collaboration is regularly rewarded.
A triple win.
A winning option on all fronts simultaneously, the financing offer is rich in advantages for everyone: the customer, the brand, the store and the salesperson.
For the customer, it's :
- the best dream/budget ratio,
- more affordable top-of-the-range products,
- a 100% pleasure purchase, with nothing to pay on the day,
- a more affordable price in monthly instalments,
- payment tailored to monthly capacity.
For the brand and the store, this means :
- a higher average shopping basket,
- an optimized conversion rate.
For the salesperson, it means :
- higher remuneration thanks to increased sales,
- a sales gas pedal for closing,
- additional customer service.
When and how?
Gone, then, are the preconceived ideas, false taboos and mistaken assumptions.
The financing offer is a natural part of the sales process, acting as a booster. It's an appreciated additional service, and in a quarter of cases, explicitly expected. It should be formulated and offered systematically at the end of the "discovery" phase, before the question of price arises. Listening, being flexible and adaptable, it's all about suggesting, proposing without imposing : "What budget did you have in mind? In what form? Did you know that...?
By formulating a financing proposal at this point, you offer a global solution that's optimal for everyone.