From 'Just Looking' to 'I'll Take It': My Best Tips

Retail is a game of being brilliant on the basics. You can add all the technology you want, but high sales come from an engaged frontline in a store.

Everything begins with an associate or manager feeling part of an organization. If they all feel like part-timers with little expected and little rewarded, start with that first.

Next, you have to train them what to do. And I mean train them, not "Read this," and call it a day.

The following tips come from my retail sales presentation program SalesRX. Using interactive video in bite-size lessons, 83% of users report a double-digit increase within six months. Many renew year after year to maintain their edge against online and their down the block competitors.

So let's get to it.

1. Master the Art of First Impressions: The Power of the Smize

A warm and authentic greeting sets the tone for a positive shopping experience and reflects a customer-centric approach, essential for building lasting relationships. It takes practice to lift the corners of your mouth until wrinkles appear around your eyes, but it is the best way to make a good impression when a shopper first encounters you.

2. Serve First to Sell More

Knights of the Round Table used to kneel as an act of servitude to their master or other royalty. Don't confuse this with being enslaved. The act of serving another goes back to is mentioned throughout literature as one of the greatest gifts to humanity. In retail, we often have sales staff acting as lords or ladies of the manor and doing the customer a favor. This is wrong.

In the age of omnichannel retail, providing exceptional service is your key to differentiating in-store experiences from online shopping, adding value through personalized assistance and expertise.

3. Cultivate a Success Mindset

Before you clock in or step on the sales floor, stop yourself and do an expectation check. What are you concentrating on? Will customers be hostile, mean, lookie-loos, or will it be a fun day helping people buy from you? This goes for managers and associates alike. One of the old sales pros used to say, "Garbage in, garbage out," so take care what you listen to or watch before coming to work as it might trap you into a negative world-view.

And for gosh sakes, don't say to your crew, as you unlock the doors, "I hate Christmas music."

4. Present a Professional Image

An associate's appearance can significantly reinforce brand values and ethos, enhancing the overall brand experience for customers. I am seeing more and more employees look as if they rolled out of bed and came to work. As Piperlime's pop-up store in SOHO stated: "It's time to give up lazy dressing altogether because it's time to look fabulous again. Let's show each other and ourselves a little more respect. Let's put Saturday night effort into Sunday afternoon. Let's remember you get what you dress for, so let's get dressed."

5. Find Something to Like About Every Customer

Effective retail sales techniques require liking people before they like you. In a world of swiping left and right, I know this is hard, but you can't judge a book by its cover or a customer by their clothes. When we do that to try to decide who is worth our efforts, we're oftentimes wrong and settle for crumbs when we can have the whole banquet.

6. Master Premium Product Sales

Learn how to sell more expensive items without discounting. "It's 30% off and has free financing for 3 years" isn't a sales pitch - it's a deal pitch. Increasing your product knowledge and retail sales training techniques will also increase sales. Focusing on value-based selling and storytelling can enhance the perceived value of premium products, aligning with the trend of experiential luxury retail.

7. Embrace the Sales Journey

Making a sale is very fluid; sometimes, you get lucky or don't, and other times, you make it happen. The goal is to sell everyone, but it isn't life or death. Be able to look at a sale afterward and say, "I could have done this better." Take stock and then move on because you have another opportunity to shine walking in the door.

Using a proven selling system means engaging any stranger, building rapport before giving the product features and benefits of the merchandise, and getting the customer to buy from you that day - at full price.

Bob Phibbs, the Retail Doctor?, has helped hundreds of small and medium-sized businesses in every major category, including hospitality, manufacturing, service, and restaurant. He is a nationally recognized expert on business strategy, customer service, persuasion, and marketing. With over thirty years of experience, beginning in the trenches and extending to senior management positions, he has been a corporate officer, franchisor, and entrepreneur.