When a customer is considering a high-priced mixer seen on a celebrity show, what is the best first step for a salesperson?

• A. Show the customer other new appliances and cookware from that celebrity chef line.
• B. Ask the customer how she is planning to use the mixer.
• C. Show the customer the item, point out the features, and state the price.
• D. Determine what features are most attractive to the customer, and point out other mixers with those features.

Answer: (B)

Understanding how a customer plans to use a high-priced item is essential before showing features or pricing. The best first step is to ask about the customer’s intended use because it quickly reveals the must-have capabilities, such as required power, capacity, attachment types, and how often they’ll run the mixer. This discovery builds relevance and helps you tailor your demonstration to what really matters to her, making the conversation more consultative and trustworthy rather than pressuring with price or celebrity-brand perks.

If you know she’ll be baking large batches, you can highlight motor strength, bowl size, and durability; if she’s a casual user, you can focus on ease of use and clean-up. This approach also helps justify the investment by tying features directly to her planned tasks, rather than steering toward the celebrity line or the sticker price upfront.

Jumping to showing other items from a celebrity line or pointing out the price first can feel pushy or misaligned with her actual needs, since it doesn’t address what she intends to do with the mixer. By starting with usage, you set the stage for a focused, relevant pitch and a better buying decision.