A landscaper is at a home improvement store to purchase a riding lawnmower. He mentions to the sales associate that he has several acres of grass. What is the BEST way to proceed?

A landscaper is at a home improvement store to purchase a riding lawnmower. He mentions to the sales associate that he has several acres of grass. What is the BEST way to proceed?

• A. Ask how the customer plans to use the mower and then offer an appropriate service or accessory.
• B. Offer a grass catcher as an accessory.
• C. Tell the customer he made a great choice and ring up the sale.
• D. Explain your store's extended warranty program and offer to sign up the customer for a free trial.

Answer: (A)

Start with a needs-based approach: ask how the mower will be used. For several acres, the most important step is matching the mower’s capabilities and available options to the job—think deck size, horsepower, drive type, fuel, and any attachments or maintenance needs. By asking how the landscaper plans to use the mower and then offering an appropriate service or accessory, you tailor the recommendation to his workload and show you’re listening, which builds trust and helps him get real value from the purchase. A grass catcher is just one possible accessory and may not be right for acres of mowing, while simply ringing up the sale or pushing a warranty doesn’t address what he actually needs.

Start with a needs-based approach: ask how the mower will be used. For several acres, the most important step is matching the mower’s capabilities and available options to the job—think deck size, horsepower, drive type, fuel, and any attachments or maintenance needs. By asking how the landscaper plans to use the mower and then offering an appropriate service or accessory, you tailor the recommendation to his workload and show you’re listening, which builds trust and helps him get real value from the purchase.

A grass catcher is just one possible accessory and may not be right for acres of mowing, while simply ringing up the sale or pushing a warranty doesn’t address what he actually needs.