Regardless of where you get your news from, there are more and more reports these days that indicate the economy is recovering. As a retailer, you’ve almost made it to the end of the tunnel, or so we all hope, but as always you need to remain diligent in your efforts to maximize your close ratio when your traffic is minimal. More than ever, you need to convert the tire kickers to become bona-fide buyers. After all, every customer counts! Here are four tips to keep in mind when looking at increasing retail sales.
Tip One – You can’t sell what they can’t see.
Everyone has heard one credible expert or another announce how sales increase when products are placed in front of the customer, giving them the opportunity to hold that product in their hands. Do you know why you hear that message all of the time? Because it is true! Sales increase in double digit percentages when customers have the ability to hold a product and explore its features. So boost your sales by displaying your products for all of the world to see, feel, touch and explore!
Tip Two – Cleanliness is next to…a better customer experience!
Admit it to yourself. You’ve been meaning to get the carpet cleaners in to your store for weeks now, but you just haven’t found the time. Well, the time is now, my friend. Think about it. Do you want to spend time hanging around in some dingy retail store? Of course not and neither do your customers. Studies show that customers who spend more time in a store are apt to spend more money on purchases – and likely on unintentional spends. So keep a clean shop, make the setting more appealing to your customers and they will be encouraged to stick around longer…and buy something from you!
Tip Three – It’s called “shopping” not “guessing”.
Why do we shop? Because we need to take possession of something that satisfies our needs – like one of those chocolate, chocolate chip cookies from that little place near the food court and a tall latte to wash it down with. Seriously, when we enter our shopping mode, we have an agenda. Of course it could be a loose agenda, but we have one. Included on that agenda is locating the item we are searching for and finding out how much it costs. So why should your customers be any different? They enter your store, see what they want and then they want to know what it costs. That simple piece of product information is pretty powerful, to say the least. But without it, it is even more powerful…a powerful source of frustration. Take the guess work out of shopping and make sure that prices are clearly marked on your products.
Tip Four – Think of them as diplomats, geniuses and ambassadors all rolled-up into one
When was the last time your staff underwent some product training? Are they up to speed on all of the latest products and their respective features? Do they know the current customer promotions? Well, it’s high time you found out just how sharp they are. Your sales staff is the face of your organization. They are the front line, the source of truth and the slayers of dragons. Make sure your staff is on top of their game and wholly knowledgeable. An informed sales staff will know how to close sales while making the customer confident in their purchase decisions..and will make them want to come back again and again.
We hope these tips were helpful and you’ll be in your way to increasing retail sales.
