The Retail Sector

6 IMPORTANT SKILLS LEARNED FROM RETAIL

Commercial awareness – Working in retail, you’ll come to have a clear understanding of the interdependent balance between customer service and sales, as this will come to be part of the fabric of your job. That’s why working in a customer orientated role that’s driven entirely around sales and customer service will give you a sense of commercial awareness that will serve you well in today’s job market

Customer service – This is a skill you’ll put to use on a constant basis in the field of retail. The great thing about it is that it’s a transferable skill, coveted by many employers in today’s job market. For that reason, having a background in customer service looks good on any C.V

The ability to work under pressure – This is an ability you’ll learn to master when times get busy and customers need your assistance. Retail is an area where things can quickly pick-up unexpectedly. There aren’t enough staff on hand to cover your side of the shop floor and your run-off your feet. Or you’ve been called over as they need another person to help out on the register. These are the sorts of times where your ability to work under pressure will be put to the test!

Experience of sales systems and cash registers – The opportunity to gain experience with in-house sales systems (such as the one stores might use for gift cards or promotional offers) and the chance to gain experience on a cash register is a very good one indeed. Cash register experience, and in particular cash handling experience, is a valuable skill. Having such experience shows an interviewer that your competent and can be relied upon to perform important duties in your job role

Cultural awareness – Due to the sheer volume of people you’ll come into contact with each day, coupled with the level of interaction you’ll have with them, this is a skill (some might consider it a personal quality) that you’ll soon learn to master. As such, it is something that will not only enhance your character, but also your employability within today’s modern job market

Teamwork – This without question is one of the most important things you’ll use when working in retail. Everybody needs it in their workplace. Employers all expect it from their employees. Busy days, lots of customers requiring everyone’s attention, and only a limited number of staff to go around…Teamwork is one of the most relevant and sought-after abilities in today’s job market, and working in retail, you’ll use plenty of it

KNOWING THE FIELD OF RETAIL SALES AND SERVICE

• Never judge your customers.
  Try not to make assumptions about customers based on how they look. In this industry you should never judge a book by its cover, nor a customer by their clothes or their appearance
  

• In retail, it’s important to have a good working knowledge about the products you sell
  
  
• Be enthusiastic about your products
  
  
• Pay close attention to your customer’s body language when approaching them.
  (Closed body positions like crossed arms and legs signal mistrust. Open body positions indicate the opposite)
  
  
• Also be aware of your own body language. It will also send out subconscious signals to your customers too
  
  
• Good retail service means treating customers with a helpful, welcoming attitude

SELLING IN THE FIELD OF RETAIL

What is a close ratio?…A close ratio is a person’s sales averaged by their number of sales leads

If you feel you need to push yourself to improve your sales, here is something you can do that might help. Start keeping of count each customer that is personally assisted by you, versus those ones you actually make a sale to. Divide the larger figure (which would be those you merely greet and assist), by the smaller figure (those you actually make a sale to), and you will have your close ratio! At first you may find it hard to keep count, but with practice you’ll soon have a clear idea of the ratio of people you’ve sold to at any particular point in the day. Taking the extra effort to go through such a mental excursion has the potential to turn you into a more seasoned salesperson, and it will also increase your hunger for a better sales performance, on top of being an effective way to boost your confidence and motivation

4 ESSENTIAL RETAIL SALES PRACTICES

Get your customer talking
If your customer is talking to you, they’re more relaxed, and their overall experience is more enjoyable, which means they’re more likely to buy something while their in your store

This is the mark of a good salesperson. If you’re able to engage with the customer and build rapport with them, you can use that influence not only to suggest products to them, but to also help them make informed decisions about which products to purchase

Always use open-ended questions (if possible)
Try to avoid questions that prompt a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer. One of your goals is to keep the dialogue flowing with the customer and to try and build rapport with them. Yes and no answers make for a quick way to end the conversation, and also makes continuing the dialogue with them more difficult

Suggest products to the customer that they might need
Your job, or at least part of it, is to sell. An effective way to do that is by using the rapport you’ve built with the customer as a means of persuasion from which to suggest the sorts of products in which you think they might be interested in. The information you get from your dialogue with the customer can tell you things like:
• What sort of products they’re looking for
• Why their interested in those products
• How much their willing to spend

Walk your customers to the checkout
Although different stores will have different policies on what they want their staff to do, this is usually a good practice. Not only is it regarded as great customer service, but it makes your customer feel more valued, and it turns their shopping trip into a more personalised experience for them. They’ll remember your store – and they’ll remember you with great positivity. Try doing this whenever you spend any amount of time assisting a customer when it culminates in a sale. It’s also a great way to give that personal touch that will have both first time and repeat customers coming back again and again…