The retail process is quite a complicated one, which involves the development of value propositions, looking for customer preferences, the establishment of retail networks and supply chains, getting the customers for buying merchandise, setting up stores, and filling it up with merchandise. While doing all these, you are required to deliver excellent performance and a joyful shopping experience to the consumers.
For the retail selling process, the salesperson is the major element who needs to participate in multiple activities to make this process a success. All these activities are called as selling cycle. And each salesperson is an inseparable part of this selling cycle. He should be knowledgeable enough to carry out all these processes efficiently. Following are some of the activities which a salesperson must carry out diligently:
- Studying the customer: The salesperson needs to be highly observant about the behavior and mannerisms of the customer. He needs to listen to the customer carefully in order to match up with the quality, price, color that the customer wants. The salesman needs to take an interest in the requirements of customers. He has to ask questions so that he can offer maximum comfort and pleasure to the customer.
- Acquiring merchandise/ product knowledge: The most valued asset of a salesperson is his knowledge regarding the merchandise he is dealing in. Accurate product knowledge makes things easier for the salesperson. He can convince the customers all the more conveniently.
- Approaching the customer: The approach of the salesperson determines the level of interest which a customer shows in the products or services. He should be available to help the customer out. He cannot ignore any customer and remain busy in any other work. As soon as a customer enters a store, a salesperson should approach him/her and offer him quality assistance. This makes sure that the customer spends more time in the store and increases the chances of his making any purchase.
- Overcoming any hurdle/resistance: First of all, it is necessary to be able to clarify the difference between excuses and objections made by customers. A customer may make an excuse when the salesperson offers him/her some product which the customer has not asked for in the first place. Objections indicate the hint of desire on the part of the customer. The salesman needs to understand that objections are genuine. He should be able to understand the objection of the customer and try to his maximum potential to counter that objection.
- Presenting the products: A salesperson, first of all, needs to differentiate between the features and advantages of merchandise. Once he is clear about this difference, he should know when is the right time to describe the benefits and features to the clients. A salesperson should be able to emphasize enough on the features and benefits separately so as to convince the customer completely.
Also Read: Factors Choosing Retail Location
Retail selling strategies:
There are some sure shot, tried, and tested strategies, which work wonders in case of the retail selling process. Since the salesman is the key element in the entire process, he needs to learn and adopt certain skills to outshine his competitors, as well as boost retail selling.
- The warm greeting: When a customer approaches the store, the salesperson needs to greet him or her with a warm, friendly attitude. Also, he should not rush out to greet the customers. Let them enter, and then use apt timing to greet them.
- Ask meaningful but limited questions: The sales representative must ask a few meaningful questions, which give him a clear insight into the needs and requirements of the consumer. The salesperson cannot behave like a vending machine. There should be an element of human touch and customization of needs.
- Windows of contact: A salesperson needs to discover a topic swiftly about which he can discuss with the customer. This helps in building up the rapport as well as customer tends to trust the salesman.
- Features and advantages: The salesperson should first explain the features and then go on to explain the advantages of the product. He should be able to relate the product to the needs and requirements of the customer.
- Add-on: A skilled salesperson will always paint a clear picture in which the customer will visualize the benefits of an extra product in addition to what he has come to purchase.
Thus, we can see that the retailing process involves many activities, out of which you can see that a salesperson plays the key role. If he is capable enough, then the retailing process will run smoothly and without any hassle.