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Basecamp Retail · Facilitator Guide

A spread from the keystone deliverable.

The full guide is 28 pages, spiral-bound, designed to be used on the sales floor. This is a representative two-page spread covering one of the four conversation moves — plus the pocket job aid it connects to.

Chapter 03 · The four-part conversation

The Fit Check

p. 14

The fit check is the move most associates skip. It's the bridge between "I think I know what you want" and "let me make sure I got that right before we commit the next thirty minutes."

Purpose

Confirm you understood the customer's needs before recommending a specific SKU. Catches misreads, invites correction, and earns the right to recommend.

Scripted opening

"Before I show you the specific bikes — let me check that I've got this right. You ride mostly on paved paths with some light gravel, you want to cover about 15 miles a day, and you want something that'll still be comfortable a year from now. Did I hear that correctly?"

Why this wording

  • "Before I show you" — signals you're slowing down on purpose
  • Three specifics — enough to show you listened, short enough to stay in memory
  • "A year from now" — reframes from purchase to relationship
  • "Did I hear that correctly?" — open-ended, invites correction

Chapter 03 · The four-part conversation

Role-play setup

p. 15

Run the drill (15 min)

  1. Pair associates. One is the associate, one is the customer.
  2. Deal one Customer Card to the customer (face down to the associate).
  3. Associate runs the first three moves (Open, Story, Needs). At the fit-check moment, they pause and deliver the scripted opening above.
  4. Customer confirms or corrects. Associate adjusts.
  5. Swap roles. Deal a new card.

Debrief questions

  • What did you change between what you thought they wanted and what they actually wanted?
  • What body language shifted when they corrected you?
  • How did starting with a fit check change the rest of the conversation?

Watch for

Associates who breeze past the fit check because they "got it right." Push them to see the check as a reps move — it works even when the summary is correct, because the customer experiences being heard.

Basecamp · The Four-Part Conversation v2.3 · For facilitator use

Pocket job aid · double-sided · laminated

The Four-Part Conversation

01

Open

Within 15 seconds. Ask something that requires more than a yes.

"What's the bike going to do for you?"

02

Story

Listen for the use case. Don't interrupt to correct specs.

"Tell me about the last ride that felt great."

03

Fit check

Summarize in three specifics. Invite correction before recommending.

"Did I hear that correctly?"

04

Recommend + follow-up

Two options, not five. Ask permission to follow up in a week.

"Can I check in Thursday?"

Representative excerpt — typography and layout reflect the print production. Full guide + job aid + observation rubric were produced as a single bound package for 200+ stores.