Emma Powell Physiotherapist
It's very easy to recommend Archies to all business owners - they just walk off the shelf!
How to recommend the Flip Flops
The good news is that when the flip flops are well displayed in a prominent location, they more or less sell themselves. However, if you believe in the flip flops as a product and want more people to experience the them, then here are some suggestions.
Enthusiasm is the key!
I may be stating the obvious when I say that being super enthusiastic and positive is one of the absolute keys to selling / recommending anything and recommending flip flops is no different. Think about the last time you tried to convince one of your friends to do something that you wanted to do. If you tried to convince the person by speaking in a dull monotone voice with no feeling or excitement, then it is not likely your friend would be too interested in doing what you want them to. The same words said, with enthusiasm, excitement and confidence and the person will probably feel like they are missing out if they do not go with your suggestion!
Enthusiasm for the product is one of the key features that separates the highest Archies Flip Flops sellers and the rest. Many of the leading Archies Flip Flops sales people often ‘sell’ the flip flops purely on enthusiasm and excitement about the product and its exceptional comfort. This is often a great talking point for you to then lead the conversation with some sound education about what the problems are with normal flip flops and what Archies Flip Flops have done to address this as well as relating this back to their clinical presentation if relevant.
When and how to recommend:
It's important to remember, irrespective of your patient’s foot structure and movement patterns displayed at the feet, there are issues with the design of typical flat flip flops which in our opinion make Archies Flip Flops a more suitable option to wearing typical flat flip flops of any kind. When viewed in this light, I do not believe that the flip flops have to be ‘clinically indicated’ for you to ‘ethically’ recommend the flip flops.
In fact, the majority of people that purchase the flip flops do not wear orthotics nor do they suffer from any musculoskeletal injuries where the flip flops may be ‘clinically indicated’. Most people simply purchase the flip flops for the comfort and the positive effect the have on promoting a more natural gait cycle.
The following assumes that you do believe that Archies Flip Flops offer some benefit over typical flip flops:
How you go about recommending the flip flops will depend on your own personality style and what you feel comfortable with. I believe the strength of your recommendation should simply come down to whether the flip flops are ‘clinically indicated’ or not. If they are clinically indicated, then I believe there is a need to be somewhat more direct, as after all you are the health professional providing health advice to the customer. However, if the flip flops are not ‘clinically indicated’, then I don’t think it’s appropriate to be ‘stern’ in your recommendation, in this case you should enthusiastically let the patient or customer know that the flip flops exist, educate them about the issues with the design of typical flip flops and what Archies Flip Flops have done to address this. Once the customer has been educated, it is then up them to make the final decision whether or not to buy, you’re not ‘selling’, forcing or pressuring the person into doing anything.
| GOLD TIP | When it comes to getting a patient or customer to try the flip flops on, we find it is better to use the wording, ‘Would you like to see what they feel like?’ rather than. ‘Would you like to try the flip flops on’. Using this wording implies that it is an experience to see what these amazing flip flops feel like and results in a very high uptake of your suggestion. We find that the wording of ‘Would you like to try them on?’ to be less successful as it implies there is some pressure or expectation to buy. |
Relevant quote: Don’t laugh...“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Michael Jordan. The same is true for flip flop sales. Haha! Of course, it's all about a number game, the more people that you educate and recommend the flip flops to or get them to try them on to ‘see what they feel like’, the more you will sell. Most of the time when someone tries the flip flops on they end up purchasing them, so the goal should be always to at least educate your customers and get them to, ‘See what they feel like.’ We have several retail customers that sell in excess of 1000 flip flops per year by following this approach. They sell these huge number of flip flops, NOT because they are massive practices / stores or pushy sales people, in fact, they are the very opposite and have even denied that they are even good sales people. These sales superstars are simply super enthusiastic about educating their customers and recommending the flip flops as part of their holistic approach to treatment as they truly believe in the product and want more people to experience the benefits.
Some actual examples of things to say in particular circumstances:
A patient that comes into the clinic wearing shoes and the flip flops are not clinically indicated:
If you are a Health Professional, then obviously your first and foremost goal is to assist with the person’s musculoskeletal presentation. We are not for a second suggesting that flip flops should be a focus of the treatment session in any way shape or form, however, treatment sessions can sometimes be long with a bit of ‘down time’ to chat and once the person’s issue has been well attended to, in lieu of small talk, this is a perfect time to express your enthusiasm for Archies Flip Flops and provide the customer with some sound education regarding why typical flip flops are not the ideal choice of footwear and how the Archies Flip Flops design addresses this.
All we recommend in this case that with each patient, that the therapist simply says something along the lines of:
'Did you see the Archies Flip Flops out there on the display stand? They are the most comfortable flip flops I have ever worn in my life and they are much better for you than flat flip flops. Do you wear flip flops at all?'.
If the patient says yes (almost always of course), then you should go on to educate your patient about the problems with normal flip flops and what Archies Flip Flops have done to address these issues.
E.g. ‘The problem is with normal flip flops is obviously there is no support which means there is an uneven distribution of load and pressure across the foot. However, an even bigger problem is that they normally have loose straps which means that the toes have to grip / scrunch down to keep the flip flops on the feet. Normally when you walk your toes are supposed to bend upwards which activates the arch of the foot which provides protection and support to the vital structures of the feet. However, when the toes claw / scrunch down rather than bending up, the arch does not activate correctly and as a result your foot is susceptible to increased stress and strain which can lead to damage of some of the vital structures of the feet such as the plantar fascia.
The Archies Flip Flops we designed by a young physio who was sick and tired of telling his patients to stop wearing flat flip flops and they have the same amount of support as an off the shelf orthotic which helps keep the foot supported and they also have a much tighter strap than normal flip flops to stop the toes from gripping which enables you to walk with a more natural gait cycle. If you have the time, you should see what they feel like before you leave, once you get used to them you will never want to take them off your feet! Mary at reception will be able to help fit you out if you do decide you want to try them on’.
If your patient says that they do not wear flip flops, then you should ALWAYS ask:
‘Why don’t you wear flip flops?’ Very often you will find that Archies Flip Flops solves many of the common problems why people do not wear flip flops and your patients will thank you for pointing out how Archies solves many of these problems and they will be often excited to give flip flops a try again!
The most common reasons people do not wear flip flops:
- "The thing that goes between your toes irritates me."
- "They have no support."
- "I get sore when I wear flip flops."
- "I just don’t wear flip flops."
Any patient or customer that comes into the clinic / store wearing flip flops:
It is considered an Archies ‘Sales Sin’ (haha!) to have a customer come in wearing flat flip flops for you not to educate them about the issues with the design of normal flip flops and what Archies Flip Flops have done to address this! You might say something along the lines of;
‘Brett, what are you doing in those flip flops? They are terrible / not the best for your feet. Did you know what the issues are with flip flops like this are?
Again, rather than filling the session with small talk about the weekends sport or current affairs, you can further your comprehensive treatment session by educating your patient or customer about the issues with the design of normal flip flops and what Archies Flip Flops have done to address this. Even if they do not buy the flip flops, your customer will probably be happy that they have learnt something extra for the day!
| GOLD TIP |
If a patient comes in wearing typical flat flip flops, one of the best things you can do to instantly ‘convert’ the customer is to get the customer to go for a 5 meter walk in Archies and then immediately do the same walk in their old flip flops. Most of the time the difference is astounding and the customer will be an instant ‘convert!’ However, again, if you sense any apprehension in the customer either verbally or via their body language, then it is always good to say; “They can take a bit to get used to, just like wearing orthotics or other supportive footwear, however, after a couple of days of wear, they will mould to your feet and become much more comfortable you will not want to take them off. |
A customer that wears orthotics:
Obviously, your patients cannot wear their shoes with orthotics all day every day, as such, many podiatrists are finding that at $35.00, Archies Flip Flops are the perfect complimentary device to your patient’s orthotics to wear in and around the house as a slipper.
‘What do you wear around the house when you are not wearing your orthotics? Did you see the Archies Flip Flops on display in the reception? They are the most comfortable flip flops I have ever worn in my life and they are much better for you than flat flip flops. They have same amount of support as a typical off the shelf orthotic and they will be perfect to wear in and around the house when you are not wearing your orthotics which will still enable you to get some great support but also give your feet some much needed fresh air. The soft foam material is great to help relieve some of the stress on the joints from being on hard tiles and floor boards. The flip flops also have a much tighter strap than normal flip flops which reduces toe clawing and allows the arch to activate correctly thereby promoting a more natural walking pattern. If you have the time, you should see what they feel like before you leave, once you get used to them you will never want to take them off your feet! Mary at reception will be able to help fit you out if you do decide you want to try them on’.
If the patient is pronator and you have identified this as a contributing factor to their injury, then especially if they wear flip flops, then I think you need a little bit more direct in your recommendation.
‘Brett, I have identified that pronation may be a contributing factor to your X problem. When the foot rolls in so too does the lower limb/leg, causing a disruption to the body’s natural alignment (I find it beneficial to demonstrate this on your own leg). Increased pronation alters the way that stress and strain are absorbed through the body and this may be contributing to your injury. In addition to referring you to a podiatrist, if you are serious about getting this problem under control then I strongly suggest that you try on the Archies Flip Flops that are in the clinic waiting room. They are the most comfortable flip flops I have ever worn in my life and they are much better for you than flat flip flops. They have same amount of support as a typical off the shelf orthotic and they will be perfect to wear when you are not wearing your runners and definitely a lot better than wearing your flat flip flops! If you have the time, you should see what they feel like before you leave, once you get used to them you will never want to take them off your feet! Mary at reception will be able to help fit you out if you do decide you want to try them on’.
A customer that has a high arched / pes cavus foot:
'Did you see the Archies Flip Flops out there on the display stand? They are the most comfortable flip flops I have ever worn in my life and they are much better for you than flat flip flops. Do you wear flip flops at all?'.
The problem is with normal flip flops is obviously there is no support, this can be a problem in people such as you who have high arches as it means that the outside portion of the foot takes most of the load, having some arch support helps to 'share the load' and more evenly distribute the load and pressure across the foot so that some parts of the foot are not taking the majority of the load and pressure. However, an even bigger problem with typical flip flops is that they normally have loose straps which means that the toes have to grip / scrunch down to keep the flip flops on the feet. Normally when you walk, your toes are supposed to bend upwards which activates the arch of the foot which provides protection and support to the vital structures of the feet. However, when the toes claw / scrunch down rather than bending up, the arch does not activate correctly and as a result your foot is susceptible to increased stress and strain which can lead to damage of some of the vital structures of the feet such as the plantar fascia. If you have the time, you should see what they feel like before you leave, once you get used to them you will never want to take them off your feet! Mary at reception will be able to help fit you out if you do decide you want to try them on’.
| GOLD TIP | Are you aware of your own body language and the body language of your patients / customers when interacting with your patients / customer? If you’re not, you should be! When you exhibit closed body language such as crossed arms the research has shown that people will subconsciously interpret you as being negative, they will develop a less favourable impression of you and they will be less open and receptive to what you are saying. You should always speak with open body language, with your arms apart and your palms facing forward. You should also be particularly aware of your customer’s body language, as if their arms are crossed or reinforced, it indicates that they are feeling nervous, apprehensive and are not open and receptive to what you are saying. In this case, you need to find out what the cause of their apprehension is and solve it for them. If you do not have a good awareness and understanding of body language, then you will be relying on what your customer verbally conveys to you, however, it is important to note, the research has shown that non-verbal communication is far more accurate and truthful than what they verbally convey. If you do not have an understanding of body language then you are blundering through life only half awake! |
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