| In today’s market, most of us are focusing on how | | | | staff know who I am, they always smile when talking |
| to stay in business and increase profits without having | | | | to me, they engage in conversation during the |
| to spend a lot of money in the process. Doing this can | | | | transaction and seem to be genuinely interested in |
| be a real challenge and at times, really frustrating. So, I | | | | how I’m doing when I come in. They have my |
| like to look at this process like playing a strategic board | | | | customer loyalty because the customer interaction is |
| game. It takes some real “think out of the box” | | | | real, I’m not just another Joe coming in for a cup of |
| along with some good team players and some | | | | Joe! They care. |
| creative ideas, all mixed together to reach the end of | | | | Your staff should be responsible for having good |
| the game and win the prize as inexpensively as | | | | manners with the customers, smiling at them, engaging |
| possible. | | | | in conversation, treating the customer with respect and |
| Having weathered 3 economic slumps, I found a very | | | | ensuring they’ve actually helped the customer find |
| key and free way to immediately increase sales | | | | what they need. |
| without spending a dime. | | | | Your role, as the owner or manager is to spot the right |
| While every sale can be broken down into any | | | | staff to be out interacting with the customers and the |
| number of pieces, there are really only two essential | | | | ones who are better placed in lower customer traffic |
| parts that encompass the sale from start to finish. The | | | | zones. This is the part that is like playing a board game. |
| first is the business part, which would be all aspects of | | | | Using strategy and capitalizing on the strengths and |
| making the sale; marketing, inventory, point of sale | | | | weaknesses of your team to better offset loss of |
| system, etc. Then there’s the human part. The | | | | potential sales, will give you an immediate return on |
| interaction between your staff and the customers, | | | | investment. If you have an employee who is very |
| how the customers are greeted, helped, etc. The | | | | social and enjoys talking to people, put that person on |
| human part is the finesse or essence, if you will, of the | | | | your front lines to greet new customers and help |
| harder business side of retail. | | | | those customers find what they’re looking for. If |
| As I’m sure you’ve seen, some customers | | | | you have another person who shows leadership type |
| want a lot of interaction from the sales person, | | | | initiative, put them out to run your floor and team, not in |
| showing them where things are in the store, telling | | | | the back sweeping the floors. |
| them about current sales going on, etc. There are | | | | This brings me to the point of sale system. A store is |
| some who don’t want to be bothered by anyone | | | | crippled without a good point of sale system and |
| at all. They want to be completely left alone, find what | | | | people who know how to use it. The reporting |
| they are looking for, pay and leave. Having a good | | | | analytics alone make a good POS worth its weight in |
| staff, who can see which customers need a little hand | | | | gold. The point of sale can also help increase customer |
| holding and which do not, can make the shopping | | | | sales by alerting the sales person about related items |
| experience more enjoyable for the customer and the | | | | to the ones being purchased by the customer or |
| staff as well. Proper care of how a customer wants | | | | additional warranties available on certain products. |
| to be treated will be a key reason to come back to | | | | Bringing this to the attention of the customer with a |
| your store. Customers remember that kind of thing. | | | | smile and helpful tips can really make the sales |
| So when we talk about improving the shopping | | | | experience much better all the way around. And… It |
| experience, thus improving sales, we need to think | | | | doesn’t cost a dime to have a conversation with |
| about building customer loyalty, not just the customer | | | | someone and thus add more to the existing sale. |
| service end of things. I can’t stress enough how | | | | The number one thing that makes customers come |
| important customer loyalty is for staying power in the | | | | back to your store is the experience while shopping. |
| retail business. | | | | Your staff, who know how to interact with customers |
| Here’s an interesting story. There’s a corner | | | | and know how to get the most out of the point of sale |
| coffee shop I have been going to for about four years | | | | will increase your sales the very same day. Simple, but |
| now. The coffee is pretty good and it’s marginally | | | | very true. Here’s to more profitability! |
| priced, but I keep going back because the owner and | | | | |