Persistence paysChristine Knott, MD of retail training consultancy Beyond The Box, advises how to apply persistence to secure sales.Published: 09 August, 2010If a customer comes into your store or contacts you they have expressed an interest in your products. They may choose not to purchase from you but a bit of persistence gives you a greater chance to get this sale. Persistence is often interpreted as ‘hounding’ a customer, however it is about being focused on helping the customer and being creative in your approach.
Developing your peopleDid you know that the best way to approach male customers is face to face, standing directly opposite them? However, this would intimidate most of your female customers who prefer to stand at a 45% angle to the salesperson. If you or your staff are not aware of these facts you would benefit from the sales skills training conducted by retra and delivered by George Morton. Anna Ryland reports.Published: 20 January, 2010The most important asset of any business are its employees. It is also the one most difficult to manage and retain. Their loyalty (‘longevity’) to a great extent depends on their professional satisfaction – their ability to do their job well. In retail, this is mostly down to their sales skills which, although they can be mastered through years of practice, can also be taught and learnt – as with any other discipline.
Staff trainingPublished: 16 October, 2009In-store training
All staff needs to feel comfortable answering customer questions and queries, however unusual they may be. New products, additional colour schemes, new product positioning or layout of the store could be confusing for the staff, so it's a good idea to make sure they're comfortable with all of the products in the store at all times. The best way to ensure this is to offer them monthly in-store training sessions, in which administrative and part time or Saturday staff are included. If you struggle to find the time to host them, ask your sales representative to help. Kenwood sales support staff will schedule such training sessions at the time convenient for a store personnel and will help with running them.
The power of wordsA widely known theory states that 7% of communication is conveyed via language. Christine Knott, a retail communication training expert, challenges this view, arguing that words play a much greater role in communicating with and relating to customers.Published: 23 September, 2009A popular theory, frequently quoted at various training courses, says that there are three main aspects to communications:
- 7% of the message is transferred by words
- 38% by the way the words are spoken and
- 55% by body language.
In-store opportunitiesPublished: 23 September, 2009Simple layout - matching products
It is unlikely that the customer will know the range of additional products and attachments which manufacturers offer to enhance the performance of their core products although they may be very grateful if a salesman recommends them and their benefits. It is essential therefore to stock and display product ranges and attachments together as this creates an opportunity to up-sell. If kitchen machines, such as the Kenwood Chef or kMix range, have additional attachments available, display them in one place so consumers can see the versatility of the products.
What is you main concern at present?
