By GMDC
It's a week before Christmas and the greatest chance to sell the next wave of items for the Christmas holiday. How are retailers going to capture the sale within their store? Will it be based on the products they offer? Yes, and these have been chosen and stocked long ago. What other variable can retailers perfect during this critical week to maximize their sales ring?
A variable retailers still have influence over this week are their employees. What can they do to motivate, further train, and even inspire their sales staff to help customers buy in their store? Hopefully the sales staff, including all help hired on a temporary basis, is in-place, already trained, and has been getting their feet wet during this busy holiday season since Thanksgiving or before. But what else can be done on the part of retailers and each individual employee to help the customer in their store and to be the one to get the sale in the next seven days?
Knowing that the holiday shopper is busy, probably rushed, and has many tasks to complete in the next week, how can a store and its help make the shopping experience as easy and as pleasant as possible for shoppers? Every store manager from grocery to superstore, clothing, electronic store and beyond must be contemplating the same thing.
A quick search of the internet reveals multiple web sites helping consumers pick gifts for the people in their lives. One groups them in categories based on who the gift is for, like "man," "woman," "child," or "pet," or based on price point from "unique gifts" and "gadgets" to "inexpensive" and "discount," on www.christmas-gift-idea -finder.com for example. Have stores organized their products in this way?
Even if they haven't, their employees will want to get a map in their mind of where items in these various categories live within their store, to help the customer get there most efficiently. A few tips from the booklet, Terrific Tips for Christmas, by Jurek Leon, a sales trainer and consultant, such as: "make every customer feel special," "use your customer's ideas," "give your customer ideas," and "make it fun" - can only help in capturing a consumer sale.
What questions will the sales staff be asking shoppers to help them find what they want and to inspire them to consider items beyond their immediate focus? Carefully crafted questions like, "Is there anything I can help you get a look at?" instead of a questions which allow for the response of "No, I'm just looking" can only increase the possibility that a purchase will be made in that store, according to Sean McPheat, Managing Director of MTD Sales Training, a global sales training firm.
While many consumers may be focusing on larger ticket items during the holiday season, what can stores serving "everyday" shopping needs do to attract consumer attention as well? Special merchandising, of course, comes to mind, and hopefully all is already in place for this in these last seven days before Christmas.
Discussion Questions: What else can retail staff do to help consumers shop for everyday needs so they have a pleasant experience, find what they need, and leave the store happy to return there the next time? How can retailers selling general merchandise and health beauty wellness products keep relevant to the harried Christmas shopper in the next week?