I see retailers today divided into two categories: 1.) Retailers for whom the customer comes first and 2.) Retailers for whom the tasks and all other needs come first. Unfortunately, the second group is more significant. Most retailers talk about how necessary excellent customer service is, but they don’t invest in the proper training for store associates and, as a result, lose sales. They focus more on opening stores and how technology will improve their business, but they fail to see the opportunities they have when customers are in their stores. Bob makes excellent points in the article. It’s true that because of the internet more customers are informed about what they are buying. But a well-trained, knowledgeable store associate still has an opportunity to influence the customer’s decision by making the right recommendations and, when achieving the customer’s trust, can often add on to the sale. It’s not just the price but the whole experience that can lead the customer to purchase the item. And the associate who has mastered this enjoys their job… Read more »

Sales is a tough job that takes quite a bit of finesse, style and some good core capabilities. Yes price is a factor that gets sales down. But you need a sales team that knows how to handle it (resilience), has the optimism to keep trying and testing new techniques and approaches, and which continually learns. It’s a process. Store managers are key to driving this experimentation and team learning.

At the end of the day, Bob is right. You train, discuss, motivate, experiment, test, drop what does not work and do more of what does. If this still does not work, after your reasonable time-frame, you also have to be prepared to make the hard calls.

Knowing the price on the way in is table stakes for most shoppers. Many are seeking empathy and dialogue with an associate to verify the reason to buy. The skill set for associates today needs to include an understanding of how to quickly form a common thread that converts to the “trust” of a recommendation they’d find online. Shoppers want to feel that the associate “gets them” and can be trusted. This is not easy, but associates can be trained and the results are powerful on the sales floor.

Price is the demon that takes the focus off of value. Consumer are basically value-focused, and price is but one element of value. Arming the sales associate with information about features and benefits enables them to bring their value to the customer discussion.

No I don’t think shoppers are wearing down sales associates because of price. I think sales associates need to be much more hand-picked for their jobs. I understand these jobs don’t pay great but there are applicants. You must pick the ones with personality, energy and ADHD! They are the ones who will greet, help and know your merch inside out. They will make the sales, bring you socks to match your shoes and the shirt that looks amazing with it. It’s mostly about who is doing your hiring. I suggest you clean house and start over.

I believe having the ability to be a sales person is a personality trait! It’s a gift! Hire the gifted ones and they will make your store shine!Then give them a stake in the game, a percentage for their sales. Everyone wants an incentive. Celebrate your sales together, it’s all about being a team player!

Shoppers are more educated on pricing than in the past so modeling customer-centric values is key for all leaders. Minimizing tasks to allow associates time for customer interactions drives the message that customers are more important than the tasks. Building processes for continuous training, communication and associate feedback will create a positive environment for the associates and ultimately the customer. Celebrating sales stories and goal achievement keeps teams focused on the importance of service during all phases of the sales cycle.

Price has always been a factor; this though is principally one for head office to address to knowingly put the stores in the game with appropriate pricing. It’s for head office to strip out all those unnecessary tasks that have built up over time for the store teams. Then train the store teams continually, then let the stores teams do what they originally wanted to do; provide great customer services and sales assistance.

So store staff is tired of shopper obsession over price today? Does anyone remember a 1947 movie called “Miracle on 34th Street”? Shoppers were being directed where to find the best prices by the store staff, even if it was sold at the competitors’ stores. This is nothing new, and we all as a society have to toughen up just a bit and try to wean off the comfort llamas.

If staff needs motivation, lead by example. Store management should walk the sales floor 95+ percent of the time and proactively interact with shoppers. Staff turnover has always been an aspect of most retail, and maybe that’s not always a bad thing. It does keep your average hourly wage rate down. 😉 (I can’t wait to hear the replies to THIS one!)

Bob is holding his age well, he doesn’t look 150. But seriously, his description of career people making sales one at a time seems, if not exactly quaint, then at least dated. Even before I, and imagine he, was born, the rise of discounters and changing tastes had begun the destruction of the full service model.

But back on topic, one of the things that seems to be missing here (before one tries to “improve” anything) is measuring the performance in the first place. Particularly with declining comp sales now common, better metrics for measuring aptitude are more important than ever.

I’m sure it is wearing down store associates, but the solution lies with retailers to empower store associates and see them as a critical part of the store experience. When I say empower — yes pay them, incentivize them and educate/equip them on how to be a crucial part of the store experience. Best Buy is a good example and learned a lot from the 2008 shake up — part of why they are here and Circuit City is just making a comeback.

Excellent discussion on the core of physical store retail woes: the lack of expemplary sales professionals to interact with the consumers who choose to enter the retail space. My experience and obeservation is that even with proper wages and training for sales staff, service excellence is challenged by the gereral approach that pushes staff to use some variation of the “5 steps of service”: greet, determine needs, present product, overcome objectives, close the sale. This is outdated and worthless. What is necessary is to develop leaders and staff that have high emotional and cultural intelligence, as well as the story and inspiration behind the product. This allows the staff to utilize service from the heart, flexing their communication style to the individual customer, and effectively communicating their passion about the product. This can only be done if the staff is led by similarly emotionally and culturally intelligent leaders who tailor their approach to the individual staff member, flexing their style to what works best for that individual to inspire them to excellence. This very human… Read more »

Cash and celebrities … Those are the two proven ways to improve a jaded sales team. If you compensate them, they will sell. However, sometimes they do it too well and that can backfire with returns. If there is a way to attach a celebrity or internet personality to a brand or trend, it’s a surefire way to give your sales team a talking point when approaching any new customers.