THE NEW FRAMEWORK FOR PROXIMITY TRADE. THE E-COMMERCE
We can say that the natural framework of action of vendors in local or retail commerce is the territory of stores, franchises of all kinds, shopping centers and we can even include supermarkets and fast food restaurants.
This framework for the professional development of sellers is being rapidly and almost exponentially transformed by the irruption of new technologies in the sale (purchase) process and which we refer to as e-commerce when we talk about the revolution which is assuming the development of electronic commerce and online sales platforms in the purchasing habits of consumers, especially of the generations most familiar with ICT
This new reality in terms of purchasing habits and the modification of current consumer behavior patterns must be addressed by professionals as an opportunity to grow and add value to their sales skills. Offering the customer an excellent comprehensive service and a satisfying and novel shopping experience must remain the leitmotiv of the good seller.
It is true that e-commerce marks an unstoppable trend to increase driven by the profile of millennial customers who demand instant and abundant information on the characteristics and attributes of products and want it in real time, while working, at home or enjoy your leisure. The current consumer buys (and rents) from home more and more frequently and more and more frequently demands instant, immediate and virtual satisfaction, in fact, e-commerce already invoices a third of the total volume of retail sales.
ICT AS TOOLS OF THE PROFESSIONAL SELLER.
Against this background, it could be thought that the profession of seller is a profession in decline or with a high probability of disappearing in the short or medium term. Nothing is further from reality. It is a profession that will transform and grow in importance in the future. The sales professional should not make the mistake of considering the evolution of e-commerce as an enemy, on the contrary, it would rather be about using the tools that ICT offer us to enhance the role of the seller. The establishment's human team is always in a position to influence the customer's purchasing decisions, empowering them, expanding them and offering an after-sales service and customer service that makes a difference with competing companies.
The truth is that more and more is bought from home, but it is no less true that the customer continues to go to the physical store in a majority way in search of interaction with the product in a pleasant and not virtual environment, also in need of on-site experiences and with the intention of touching and seeing the items that sellers show and suggest. Even 95% of sales are made in physical stores with the advice and supervision of the professionals who work there.
The development of electronic commerce and of the different ways of channeling the new social forms of consumption do not detract one iota from the classic postulates of a good traditional sales and marketing action. The importance of human resources indicates the need for the presence and performance of a professional salesperson who is capable of integrating, in addition to marketing and merchandising, technical skills based on the use of ICT tools together with the staging of skills that implement effective communication and sales techniques that maximize the customer's purchasing possibilities.
Only in this way will it be possible to achieve customer loyalty and a powerful brand image. The human element that represents the sales team, together with the implementation of ICT, will make the difference between a mediocre company and a successful company in the world of proximity or retail trade.
THE BEST OF THE TWO WORLDS: PERSONAL ATTENTION AND ICT COVERAGE.
It is an erroneous analysis to pose the question of the modernization of shopping habits in commerce as a dichotomy between e-commerce and the physical presence of the customer in the establishment. On the contrary, with the advice of the sellers and the technological coverage of the physical environment, the customer will be able (in fact, he already does) to make the online purchase of products that are not currently available in the store stock and will count with all the resources of the establishment in terms of payment and product collection. In this way, the client can enjoy the best of both worlds: a personal sale personalized with professional advice and a virtual sale with all the technological potential at your service.
ICT is not only available or customer oriented. In this proximity commerce revolution, sellers must be open and proactive to use technologies for their own benefit; in fact, sellers of certain brands already have mobile devices at their disposal to close the sale and billing of items quickly avoiding the customer, queues and delays at the POS. In short, the seller is allied with technology to enhance a positive shopping experience in the physical environment of the store.
The potential of the professional seller will be increased the moment the customer (once they enter the store) is detected * as a consumer of the brand through the corporate app * and we can have their profile and history as a customer of the brand. There is no doubt that in this way the seller will see his effectiveness increased, giving the client personalized advice and a stay in the store that invites him to return.
CONCLUSION. THE FUTURE IS THROUGH INVESTMENT IN TECHNICAL AND HUMAN MEDIA.
Investment in r & d + i will make the difference between the brands and companies in the sector. Merchandising techniques * and teams of window dressers, assemblers and technicians in general must achieve an attractive store, based on offering a pleasant shopping experience and a pleasant stay, not only for those who buy, but also for those who accompany them. This attraction of the consumer towards the physical presence in the store is achieved by promoting TACs. * by exposing touch screens, interactive mirrors, screens for sizes and measurements, in short, it is about increasing gamification * in a 360º environment within the establishment. Under these perspectives, it will be difficult for the potential customer not to choose to visit our store.
Companies and brands have to act on a second front related to human capital, developing training and retraining programs for their sales teams. These training programs should have the general objective of promoting the added value of personalized sales in a work environment increasingly supported by e-commerce and communication technologies.
The seller should not feel attacked or intimidated by the logical evolution of electronic commerce and the consequences that this implies in the retail sector or in its recycling as a sales professional. Your role as facilitator and client advisor will be increased if you know how to use ICT as work tools.
Finally, the seller of this first third of the XXI century should not in any way renounce traditional sales techniques, they should improve and update them, customer loyalty, cross-selling and achieving a powerful brand image have a lot to do with human interaction, direct communication and customer satisfaction at the point of sale.
