Retail Contrarian

Expert, Clerk, or Somewhere In-Between?

A couple of weeks ago I rented a tuxedo jacket for one of my holiday speeches.  I must admit, a tailcoat paired with a Hawaiian shirt is an interesting look. But I digress.

After trying on the jacket I told the woman working at the store that it was perfect.  She insisted that it wasn't and that she needed to hem the sleeves.  I responded that I was in a hurry and since it was really just a costume for a speech it didn't matter.  She told me that it did matter and if I didn't adjust the sleeve length it wouldn't look right when I raised my arm.

She was clearly an expert so I agreed to wait for her to hem the sleeves.  I'm glad I did.  I even thanked her for the great service and for being an expert.

Compare that to another recent shopping excursion.  The salesperson let me into the dressing room and when I came out she was nowhere in sight.  I eventually found her on the other side of the store talking to another employee.

Since I wanted an expert opinion I went up to her and asked what she thought of this shirt.  She replied, "Any of our shirts will look good."

She was clearly a clerk, not an expert, so I left without making a purchase.  I didn't say anything because she was too busy chatting with her colleague.

There's a huge difference in performance between an expert and a clerk.

1. Experts take the time to know their customers before matching them with products. Clerks don't.

2. Experts recommend products and service specifically for their customers. Clerks show products.

3. Experts share opinions with their customers to help them make the best possible purchase. Clerks give their personal opinion for no reason.

4. Experts help customers buy additional products that will enhance what they are buying or will enhance the customer's life.  Clerks do add-ons because they're told to.

5. Experts have no problem telling a customer not to buy something if it isn't the right product for them.  Clerks probably wouldn't know if it isn't the right product.

6. Experts proudly sell. Clerks are afraid of being a salesperson.

7. Experts ask questions. Clerks only answer them.

8. Experts create sales.  Clerks make them.

9. Experts are an asset to the company.  Clerks are on the payroll.

10. Experts have my admiration. Clerks have my appreciation.

So let me ask, are you an expert, clerk, or somewhere in-between?

Doug and Brian

Dealing With Mr. or Ms. Cranky

A friend of mine once said that retail would be so much easier if it wasn't for the people and the products. Sometimes he would add, "And the product part isn't that difficult."  Of course he was joking.  Okay, maybe there were days when he was only half joking.
 
In my years of managing a retail staff I've had the privilege of working with some wonderful people.  These are people that I thoroughly enjoyed working with.  I'm still friendly with a number of former colleagues today.  Of course these aren't the people to whom my friend was referring.
 
He was talking about people like James. (Name changed to protect the guilty.) James was a full-timer who constantly went back and forth between being the nicest guy in the mall and the crankiest.  What made James really difficult to work with is that he could switch back and forth faster than you or I could wipe down a cashwrap.  James was a great salesperson but, to say the least, a challenging teammate.
 
Got any cranky people on your staff?
 
 I do - and since I usually work alone we know who the cranky one is!
 
We're all human.  We all have up days and down days, but when an employee has too many down days or too many moody days it becomes a problem that impacts the entire team.  And when that happens it impacts the quality of the customer experience and ultimately sales. Not good!
 
Here are few tips to deal with Mr. or Ms Cranky:
 
1. Don't make excuses for them. We all have things going on in our lives.  Some people from time to time have a lot to deal with outside and sometimes inside the store, but that still doesn't give anyone the permission to act in a way that negatively impacts the rest of the team. That doesn't mean we're not empathetic, but it does mean that we can't allow anyone to constantly display behaviors that impact the store in a negative manner.
 
2. Address the cranky (or worse) behavior as soon as it becomes a problem.  Most of us can have some (sometimes justifiable) cranky moments from time to time but the moment passes and we move on.  But when Mr. or Ms. Cranky can't seem to stop sharing the bad attitude and dark cloud you need to take action.
 
3. Help Mr. or Ms Cranky turn it around.  Let them know what behaviors you are seeing, the negative impact it is having on the team, your expectations for the behaviors to stop, and your confidence that the individual can snap out of it.
 
You can't say, "Whoa, someone got up on the wrong side of bed" and expect things to get better.  Instead you might say, "I notice that when talking with so and so you were extremely short with them and were very dismissive. (behavior)  Because of that everyone is avoiding you and it's impacting how we work together today. (impact)  I need you to be more respectful with your teammates (expectations) and I'm sure that won't be a problem for you. (stated confidence)"
 
Chances are Mr. or Ms. Cranky doesn't even realize they're acting this way because they're in such a cranky mood, and they'll be even a bit embarrassed that you've had to address it. The really cranky employees sometimes get even crankier as a result of your talk.  You may need to move forward with a more formal corrective action approach with these folks.
 
Here's the bottom line.  If Mr. or Ms. Cranky's behavior is disruptive to the store, then it doesn't matter how good they are or what position they're in. They're hurting the team, and as a leader you can't allow that to happen.  More important, you have to be positive that you're not Mr. or Ms. Cranky. 
 
So let me ask, are you addressing any cranky employees and helping them turn it around?

Doug 

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Book Doug for Your Upcoming Holiday Meeting

Doug is again offering his annual retail rallies for those organizations that are holding an upcoming holiday meeting.  This year's are titled Soaring To Holiday 2009 Success andLeading with Holiday POPS. 

Here are what some participants said after attending these keynotes last week:

• "I was blown away. Thanks for your time and effort to make retail a better place to work." - Jim
• "Your seminars were amazing. I took tons of notes and have already planned a management meeting, met with my team, and we are implementing the POPS as a team." - Roxanne
• "This meeting was just what I needed to get me going. Thank you." - Lori
• "Your insights in retailing were very motivating to me.  I'm back and ready to execute what I learned."  - Jane

Call Brian at 866-535-6331 to book your meeting now.  Learn more about Doug's programs at www.dougfleener.com.

After "I'll Take It."

One of the differences between Superstar retail associates and all the others is what happens after the customer says, "I'll take it." The successful associate knows there are still plenty of opportunities to both enhance the customer's shopping experience and maximize the sale.

These are a few of the attitudes they have and/or the actions they take:

1. Whether you call it enhancing the sale, or adding-on to the sale, successful retail associates know that they just made the first sale, not the sale. We're doing customers a disservice if we don't suggest additional products that are appropriate with the product they are purchasing or otherwise meet their needs.  As you've read here before, think of it as an all-you-can-eat buffet and don't stop until the customer tells you he's full.

2. Reinforce the customer's purchase. So often a customer's first thought after announcing that she'll buy something is to start doubting her decision. She'll begin to tell herself that maybe she shouldn't be buying it now or that should shop around a little more. Your role is to put the customer at ease by complimenting her purchase and congratulating her. This is easy to do if you've done due diligence in identifying what it is your customer needs.

3. Offer the appropriate services and needed accessories. I'm always amazed how many retailers have nice added services like free gift-wrapping in place but their employees never offer it to customers. Even worse is when associates act put-upon when a customer requests it. We can easily disappoint a customer once they return home when they realize that we failed to gift-wrap their purchase or remind them to purchase needed products like batteries, cables, etc.  It's our job to ask the customer, not the other way around.

4. Remain focused on the customer until he/she has left the store. If you're checking the customer out it is important that you not let other employees and customers distract you. The other day I was making a purchase and the cashier was actually reading a text message on his phone. I thought about asking him his phone number so I could send him a text message to put down the phone and do his job.

5. Smile and thank the customer. It should go without saying but all too often it goes unsmiled and unsaid.

So let me ask, are you a Superstar retail associate or in the middle of the pack?

Your True Incremental Value

Part of delivering an exceptional customer experience is delivering incremental value along with the products and services you sell.  Some of you may charge for incremental value such as design services but most of you use it to differentiate your store, increase average sale, and create more loyal customers and advocates.

But what is the incremental value you offer really worth, and is it something the customer sees as adding to their experience?

Consider this.  What if your store was empty?  What if you not only quit selling products, but also took everything out of store except for your counter and some chairs?  Would your customer still visit?  Would your store be the first place your customer turns to for advice and an opinion?

I think these are fascinating questions since they define the true incremental value you and your team delivers.

I can think of a few stores I would still visit.  One obvious choice is the Apple store.  Even if the place were devoid of products I would still go there to ask questions, and probably hang out and shoot the breeze.

I know I would also go to Jordan's Furniture store.  It's is the only store in town that not only contains a trapeze school and an IMAX theatre but also boasts a replica of the Massachusetts State House made out of jellybeans.

I would also stop in and visit Kathy Fields at The Crafty Yankee, a wonderful store not too far from my home.  I know that if I asked Kathy or a member of her staff for advice on gift buying they would have some fabulous suggestions.

These stores deliver incremental value besides the products they sell.

There are many more stores I would never go in again.  The only reason to go to these stores is because they sell something I want or need.   Because of that I have no loyalty to them.  Given any reasonable alternative I have no reason to ever go back.  These stores have little, if any, incremental value.

Maybe some of these stores have incremental value than I've ever seen but because they didn't deliver it proactively when I was there to make a purchase I wouldn't think to go back now that they don't have any product.

Here's an exercise for you and your team.  List five to ten ways your store offers incremental value.  Maybe you teach people how to pack, or share with your customer the latest fashions.  The value is dependent on what you say. . . or maybe I should say what you used to say with what you use to sell.

Now ask yourselves what percentage of the customer's experience consists of that incremental value? Are you proactively delivering that value?

So let me ask, would you still have customers if you were no longer selling products?

A Flawless Experience Resulting in a Sale

"Nobody rises to low expectations."  - Calvin Lloyd

The expectations we set for our employees ultimately define our customer experience.  I recently talked with a regional retailer who, for one reason or another, has over time lowered his expectations of his employees to the point where they can't deliver a quality customer experience that creates a sale.  All they can to is to help customers who are making a purchase.

I don't believe this is the case for most of you.  I don't think you can read the The Retail Contrarian on a regular basis and deliver a poor or even mediocre experience.  As a matter of fact, I believe that most of you deliver an above average -if not outstanding - customer experience.

But that doesn't mean that there still isn't an opportunity for you to do even better. And when there are opportunities, there can be more sales, more loyal customers, and more advocates.  And that creates even more sales. It's a beautiful thing.

Imagine if every customer who walked in the door was delivered a flawless experience resulting in a sale.  Can you imagine?  Every customer is WOW'd and every customer makes a purchase. A close rate of 100%!  I'm all verklempt. Talk among yourselves. (If that doesn't make sense, ask an older colleague.)

So do it. Imagine it and then execute it.

What would you have to do TODAY to deliver a flawless experience?

Everyone focused on the floor? Check.

Not ask experience-killer questions like "May I help you?"  Check.

Quickly build a strong personal rapport with every customer?  I know they all don't want that, but that's okay because a flawless experience is based on the customer's perceptions and not ours, right?  Check.

So what will it take for your store to get there?

Now imagine every customer making a purchase.  That's a little harder isn't it?  It is, but if you don't strive for a high goal you'll never come close.  I don't think it's impossible.

What would you have to do TODAY to make a sale to every customer?

Treat every customer as though he/she is in the store to make a purchase?  Check.

Get past those "just looking" comments?  That's a tough one because we have to do it while delivering a flawless experience.  Nobody said being an outstanding retailer is easy!  Check.

Recommend products with energy and passion?  Check

So what will it take for your store to get there?

Are you and your team up for the challenge? Are you willing to do what it takes today to deliver a flawless experience to every customer so it results in a sale?  Even better, are you up for the challenge to do this through the WEEKEND? Here in the states it's a three-day holiday weekend. Imagine the opportunities!

Remember, the expectations we set for ourselves ultimately determine our customer's experience AND our success.

I think you'll be amazed at what you and your team can do. 

Doug and Brian