What I learn from being an intern for Bose as a promoter in Sharaf DG.
Last winter break I received an email from the college requesting for students who are currently spending their winter holidays in Dubai and are interested for an internship with Bose. Without any hesitation I applied for it and went for their interview, it went well and I was offered the position. I was requested to be at the Bose store in Dubai Mall to have an onsite experience and at the HQ to learn some theory and understand their product's value proposition. I was then transferred to Sharaf DG Ibn Battuta and then to Sharaf DG Dubai Mall before terminating my contract to continue my studies. Summarizing my experience, this is what I learn.
1. There is 80% chance of purchase when a customer arrive at a Bose store as compared to 15% chance of purchase when you engage with the customer at a retail store.
2. Retail customers depends on the location (Dubai Mall customers is different from Ibn Battuta Mall customers) and also the availability of other retailers in the area so you have to learn to adapt to customers concerns because some just like to play around.
3. Only 5% of the customers that I encountered actually wants to know more about the technology behind the product while mostly compare prices and sound quality.
4. Retail customers goes to retail store to find the best value to performance product, economy products will always win but convincing them to invest in a better product will be the winner. Find a value proposition of the product other than sound quality and price, play the game of practicality in real life situation, and tell them something that is not in the internet.
5. Sales target is more stressful than a customer deciding not to buy your product right after you spend 20 minutes of explaining, because you are paid to explain the product to the customer and building customer relationship with the brand and not achieving sales target because without customers there will be no target. This results in a situation where a salesman are just chasing customers that is carrying products just to make sure that their code is placed in so that they are able to achieve their sales target, well it looks like they are actually paid to do that?
"When a flower doesn't bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows not the flower" - Alexander Den Heijer
6.Telling your promoter to sell more will never work, you can't ask for more people to be born the day after. Tell them to increase customer engagements, the fashion industry want customers to just look at the product and only buy it when it is on sales, they develop on the craving of owning the products and the joy of getting it fulfilled.
7. At around 90% of the time the salesman in the retail store will already know whether you will make a purchase or not, this is because they have 9 hours a day, 6 days a week to carry out a market research to prove it to you. Just like an interview, impression is important.
8.80% of the sales for Bose in a retail store is from a customer that already knows the product and just wants to make a purchase, so the task on hand here is more of educating the customer about the product.
9. Theory and practical works hand in hand, but most of the time it doesn't. Constantly learns new things and improve your own ways and style to communicate with the customers because you are actually paid to do that. You are paid to learn to talk to the customer but keep in mind the theory so that you know where to improve.
10. Most of the retail customers already know about your product and what to buy, convince them buy telling a story and building personal relationship, make them feel guilty of not buying your product.
11. Don't talk about price when you engage with a customer because Souq and Amazon will always have a better deal. Attract their attention to buy your product no matter what's the platform is. I once asked a customer to make a purchase here in the store instead of the Bose store just to make sure that I meet my sales target.
12. Being a salesman is not just an opportunity to learn how to sell but to meet people and create connections. I have received life advice from a working couple, business advises, small talks about travelling (mostly in Dubai Mall) from travelers and also meet some Malaysian people in Dubai.
13. The job market for Salesman is really competitive (I was able to get in because of my student visa), there was a stack of CV maybe around 30 pieces waiting to be viewed and most of them have 3-5 years of experience.
14. Demonstrate your product early because they will only give you less than a minute of their time.
15. Always be democratic and honest when you are selling your brand. I put honesty as one of my values and telling them about other brands will not hurt because the internet will expose all the lies.
16. In retail small brands don't win because big brands sell own their own, you don't go into a retail store looking for eKlasse. Having a only a demo stand will not work because a lemonade stand will not sell on it's own but having a big one with a promoter will, Observe how Apple have a big section in retail stores.
17. Putting the product on the customer hands increase the chance of them making a purchase.
18. My prediction, retail supermarket will not survive, everything they want to know about is in the internet. 5 big supermarket retailers can't compete with 1 small Bose store, customers not just look for the product but also the purchasing experience. You will have a Bose bag when you buy at a Bose store.
I believe that my experience is incomparable with the people that is already in the industry for more than 7 years. I have high respect to the people to the people that is able to last for so many years as a salesman as I feel the lack of growth demotivates me. I have my highest gratitude to team at Bose to be able to help me learn and has given me the opportunity to develop my communication skills and selling skill. It have a good experience for me and I appreciate the time and confidence that they have given to me to make sure that I am able to do my best for the company. For now back to my studies but with more knowledge of customer journey and experience.