The Key to Success at Retail: Your Sales Team

Brick-And-Mortar stores aren’t going away. No matter how much you may read about the impending doom of the retail environment, the truth is that 80% of purchases are still made in a store. That’s huge! While overall, online sales as a portion of retail sales have grown year over year, it still only accounts for a small percentage of total sales. The shift to online only shopping is happening much, much slower than previously atticipated.

Why? No matter how convenient online shopping can be, customers still want to shop for most products in a store. They want to see a product in person, try something on, purchase something quickly, and get advice from experts. The in-store experience offers a level of personal service that simply can’t be found online.

Tons of traditional online companies are evolving to accommodate in-store shopping. Here in NYC, we have Casper, Warby Parker, Everlane, Glossier, Birchbox… just to name a few. In fact, recent research estimates that online-only retailers are expected to open 850 stores within the next five years in the US. These brands are realizing the importance of connecting with consumers in person. This gives companies the opportunity to position themselves as an authority in their industry. The key to this positioning? Expert salespeople.

Customers Want Experiences

What has changed the most in retail, is what customers expect of their in-store shopping experience. It’s becoming more and more important to customize shopping and create one-on-one interaction. Customers want a sales experience that’s tailored to them without all of the noise, and impersonalization, of the previous big box stores. If they come into your store expecting to learn from your salespeople, then your salespeople better be there to deliver. It’s time to reset the bar on what is provided to your customers when they walk in the door.

To succeed in this new retail environment, companies need to adapt to these new shopper behaviours. Retail isn’t dead but its transformation is causing brands to rethink how they engage with customers. Making sure that you have knowledgable, trained sales associates representing your brand on a daily basis will become the key to who succeeds at the retail game.

AllWork has a full suite of Workforce Productivity Tools to help you train and manage your remote salesforce. Our mobile app for talent gives managers full transparency on talent performance including sales numbers, photos, notes and more.

For more information, or to see a full demo of the AllWork platform, contact us at info@allworknow.com or schedule a demo here.