Retail is different today than it was five or ten years ago.
Competition is fierce, many businesses handle the same merchandise, Internet sales sites are growing and stealing more business, and today's consumers are much better educated.
They know they have a variety of options when they must decide where to spend their hard-earned dollars.
What really makes the difference between your business and your competition is you.
It is you who can make your business a special place to buy. You can make your store a place that customers will always want to return to and will recommend to others, when they are in need of the type of product you sell.
Your customer service and communication skills are key.
There are a variety of ways you can enhance your reputation as a professional salesperson and make customers want to shop at your business, rather than at the store next door.
Here are just a few…
1- Satisfy each and every one of your clients
- You must make sure that every customer who enters your business is satisfied. Keep in mind that customers are the only reason we open the doors of the business every day. There is nothing more important than a customer. Warehouse tasks, the new window, administrative tasks… everyone can wait, a customer should not wait. For this reason, a client should never be seen as an interruption.
2 -Leave your personal life at home
- We all have days when we feel great, and days when we want to hide under the rug. You should not allow your own personal humor to affect the way you treat a customer. Everyone expects to be served promptly and courteously. The customer entering your business has no idea that you had a flat tire on your way to work, and then proceeded to leave the keys in the locked trunk. Similarly, you have no idea that you have just been honored with the best seller of the month award. The point is that the customer should not be able to tell what the difference is for the service they receive. As the saying goes, "It's always show time in the sales room."
("It's always SHOWTIME on the sales floor") You must always give each and every one of your clients their best performance.
3- Do not congregate in the sales room
- It is easy to get involved in conversations with other vendors when there is little movement on the premises. But even when the conversation is about work, it should end immediately when a customer comes in. It is often intimidating for a customer to see a group of salespeople gathered in the business. Additionally, this gives the client the impression that he himself is secondary to the conversation. Instead of interrupting, they feel frustrated, ignored, and even angry, and simply decide to go shopping somewhere else.
4- Greet each client
- Regardless of whether the business is full or there is little movement, every client who enters
must be received with at least a simple "Hello". Even if it is not just a simple greeting to your client, you will be achieving two things. The first and more importantly, it is letting you know that there is someone out there who can assist you. It is letting you know that you are happy that you have entered your business.
Greeting the customer is also a safeguard against theft. People are less inclined to attempt to steal merchandise if they know that someone is attentive to their presence.
5- Never rate your clients for their appearance
- Simply by thinking that the customer does not look like being able to buy in your business, do not make the mistake of believing it. Have you never had to go buy an important gift right after washing your car? All possibilities suggest that he was treated differently than if he had continued to wear his suit. You will never be able to judge what the customer could buy or what he will buy based on his appearance.
6- Let the client have his space
- We all have a certain measure of "personal space" that we need in order to feel comfortable. Some clients will be very friendly and open from the start, while others will feel uncomfortable if you try to get too close. While it is appropriate to offer your name during your presentation ("By the way, my name is Maria"), you will not ask the customer for yours. It may seem like pressure. If he gives you his name, use it to talk to him during the conversation. On this same line, avoid calling your customers "gentleman." This word makes young or middle-aged people tend to feel older.
7- Do not interrupt
- You should not interrupt the client while speaking. Many times a salesperson will stop a customer in the middle of a sentence, to say something that they feel is important. Regardless of how eager you are you to expose that aspect that knows that the customer will simply adore, wait until you've finished hablar.Recuerde, when the customer is talking, the customer is buying.
8- Dance to the rhythm of the music
- Adapt your style to the client. A more relaxed, simpler tone may be appropriate for some customers, while others will respond better to a more formal one. A great salesperson doesn't just have one style. He knows how to dance both a waltz and the chick dance.
9- Look professional - dress appropriately
- As soon as you enter your store, your client begins to form an impression about you and your business. There are many factors that influence your opinions, such as your own personal humor or mental structures, that you cannot control. For this reason, it is especially crucial that you are in the best way in what you can control… your own appearance as well as that of the local. Let your image convey what you are selling. It is extremely important that your look matches the style appropriate to what you are selling.
10- Show all merchandise
- Have you ever had a product in the business that you would never have taken home, even if it was free? Well, just because you don't like it doesn't mean that someone else doesn't like it. You should always keep in mind that what matters it is what customers want, not what you like or think is best. Your level of taste or quality may differ from that of your customers. Keep to yourself your personal opinions about a certain item. Listen to your customer and help them choose the item that best suits their needs, not yours.
There are many ways to make your shopping experience more enjoyable for your customer.
What is important to remember is that you can make a difference.
