Pawn Shop Performer Blog

Open Ended

Today I returned to the office after three high-powered days of coaching in Phoenix. Talk about getting your battery charged - wow, what a weekend. There was tons of useful information shared at this meeting but today I would like to mention to you something that any pawn shop workers should realize, but few actually utilize.

The thing that reminded me of this is the fact that I brought it up at the meeting. It's called the open ended question. You should consider using this when speaking to your customers, your coworkers, your manager or boss, and even in general conversation for that matter. Let me start at the end here. What you are attempting to do is ask questions that require an answer other than yes or no.

Let me give you an example.

Let's say you are dealing with a prospective pawn loan customer. You have assessed the value of the pledge and have told the customer how much they can borrow on their item. They seem hesitant. At this point, most pawnbrokers would say something like "Can I write it up?" This is not the best question to ask the customer. You're putting them on the spot.

A much better question to ask them would be "Well, what do you think?" This way, if they do have an objection, they are much more likely to tell you what it would take to do business with them. Even if they say "I don't think so" in reply to your what do you think comment, you can then go on to ask them what it would take to do business with them.

What does this mean to the pawn shop you work at? Closing more deals. What does it mean to you? Becoming more valuable to your employer.

This type of open-ended question can be applied to loans, sales, purchases, or even asking your boss for a raise. Have you ever done that? If you have, you have probably asked for a raise in a manner that requires a yes or no answer from the boss. Not a very good strategy. You would put yourself and the boss in a much better position by asking what you could do to earn more.

See the difference?

I hope so. Because if you choose to implement open ended questions in your dealings at the pawn shop, I guarantee you will find yourself to be a much more effective pawnbroker and an easier person to do business with. Open-ended questions even apply to greeting customers who walk through the door. What's the worst thing to ask them? The typical "Can I help you?"

Better than no greeting at all - but barely. In the Pawn Shop Performer(tm) coaching program http://www.pawnshopperformer.com/ I give you hundreds of open-ended questions you can use on your customers, your coworkers, and even on yourself for that matter. Because the Pawn Shop Performer(tm) is all about making you the best and most successful pawnbroker you can be. Many pawn shop employees are reaping the rewards of having me as a coach. And I guarantee that you will also benefit greatly from the information in the program. So let me ask you an open-ended question. What do you think?

In Commitment to your Success,
Stephen Krupnik

P.S. For a limited time, pawnbrokers becoming a client of mine with the Pawn Shop Advisor(tm) http://www.pawnshopadvisor.com/main.cfm also have the opportunity to get the Pawn Shop Performer(tm) coaching program at a very special deal. You might want to check it out if you're interested, but don't wait too long. This unadvertised deal won't last forever.

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**The contents of this blog post are not to be considered as business advice.
Always consult your employer before beginning or changing any procedures in your career.**

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