The Retail Doctor's Blog

I train a lot of retail stores how to sell using a fairly detailed process. You can’t just wing it. If you're wondering how to get more out of your store, a movie analogy is a good way to understand the sales process.

A lot has been written about the gamification of employee training.  The idea is the short-wins you get from a game keep you hooked on moving through the process.

Buying less is a concept that seemed out of style for consumers beginning with the go-go 80’s until about three years ago.  

 If I go outside and point up to the sky, what will passersby do?

Look up in the air.

When they do and they don’t see anything, they will feel stupid.

The same happens in retail sales when you are stuck selling features - the facts about a product- and just vomit fact after fact.

It happens when you are selling premium coffees and you say, “it’s fresh roasted.” Or you're selling a luxury watch and say it has a "ceramic bezel."

Those are just features...

Features are the facts of a product but benefits are the reasons that an individual customer should buy.

Some of the most popular questions people have for me after they join my newsletter are:

How do I get more customers in my store?

How do I increase my sales? 

How can I sell more?

I get it.  Traffic to stores and malls are down, and while you might be tempted to haul out that old losers limp They’re all buying online, don’t.

The fact is 85% of the shopping that is to be done for the foreseeable future according to McKinsey will be in brick and mortar stores. 

According to TimeTrade, as much as mobile shopping is hyped, the reality is mobile purchasing is slow to grow; only 13% of respondents have previously made a purchase using a mobile device. 

So if the endless aisles of online aren’t the culprit to lower store sales, what is?

"How can I sell more to customers?" is a frequent question from retailers of all sizes.

And it's the smart question.

That's because many companies are trying all kinds of marketing to get their name out there. The trouble is, what happens when all that hard work brings the customer through your doors and they don't open their wallets?

Or worse, they open their smartphones and buy from a competitor. While inside your shop.

The question "How to Sell More" is best answered by a 4 step approach:

1. Understand the major differences that drive millenials, boomers, and gen-xers
2. Learn what each generation needs before they will buy (and no, it's not checking Amazon).
3. Deliver excellent customer service
4. Listen, acknowledge, solve, and think to get to the hear of their complaint and give them a solution.