In retail today, the customer engagement process is even more critical to helping the customer make the right buying decision. Did you know that 70 percent of shoppers are interested in interacting with a store sales associate? According to a 2016 Mindtree study, 92 percent of shoppers who said the service they received was “very helpful” made an in-store purchase and 97 percent wound up spending as much or more than they planned as a result.
Customers may be looking at reviews and product recommendations online, but it’s still the help from a retail sales associate that ultimately makes the sale by serving as brand ambassadors. They can offer helpful feedback about different models within the brand that will appeal most too each customer. That’s why personalized sales solutions have become crucial to growing your bottom line.
With that in mind, here are four ways that you can build a better sales team, while growing your bottom line:
- Provide quarterly sales training programs. The way that customers look at the shopping experience is forever changing and you should make updated training a priority every year. Even if you don’t have the training program built, you can hire experts to custom train your sales associates on the latest products and trends.
- Look at regional marketing. A gigabit router may be a great product, but if you’re selling in an area that is still behind on internet and cable offerings, it may be too advanced for the services being provided to customers. It’s important to know your customer, know your market, and adjust your marketing to maximum effectiveness by speaking to the customer’s needs.
- Utilize field marketing, not just regular store employees. MarketSource’s field marketing teams are trained to make a brand stand out and they know how to build trust with customers in one-on-one interactions. Not only are they a cost effective way to have more boots on the ground to serve customers, they’re also engaging in a direct sales strategy.
- Create in-store demos that pop. As a part of experiential retail, you can offer fully interactive product demonstrations or even hold special events to kick-off new product launches. Brick and mortar stores remain the best opportunity for retailers to connect directly with customers and showcase the wow-factor of products, while building brand loyalty.
Want to know more about how personalized sales solutions can help your brand? Check out our retail capabilities.