Selling retail has changed and it is due to the internet, but it is not what you think. The commodity items, such as a book or a phone, are an easy item to purchase online. Punch in a model number or SKU and there it is complete with pricing and availability. When it comes to lighting, it is true you can do the same thing. But unlike the true commodity there are many variables; color, texture, size, and of course the expert advice that is available from a great store team.
Let’s face it people go online for knowledge and to price compare. As long as the retailer and the internet re-seller have the same price, the field of competition is level.
Now the consumer must base their purchasing decision on the shopping experience versus convenience of the click. Odds still favor the brick and mortar if they offer a true experience.
The average customer will visit 10.4 websites to gather information on the purchase they wish to make before going to a showroom to verify. This is known as webrooming.
In many cases the customer may know more details about a specific product or category than the sales team does. This is a big change from the past when the store was the only place to get information and the sales person the only resource for the customer to reach out to. The sales teams of today must develop their soft skills in order to be the adviser or concierge the 21st century customer requires. Fast talking and hard closing has gone the way of the incandescent light bulb.
So what keeps this savvy buyer from clicking through to a shopping cart? It is the desire to experience the product, to see it, touch it and view the quality first hand. But when that’s done they can go home to buy that item on-line. With a well-trained and skilled sales team you know every effort has been made to sell the customer now. If the customer is still leaving, it is imperative that the customer has been extended the service they need, the sales person built the proper relationship and absolutely made the request that if the customer wants to buy on-line they do it through your own on-line channel.
The retailer of the 21st century succeeds when they create a WOW shopping experience that helps to keep that customer in the store and buying from the store. The status quo will not suffice.
Showrooming is often the result of a poor shopping experience, it is a lost sale. Creating the WOW shopping experience is many things to many people. In order to create WOW you must first define WOW for you. Begin with the mindset of a new strategy.
- There is no replacement for personal attention and high quality service. While this is not a new thought it must now be the first plank in your strategy platform. A warm greeting and smile combined with superb empathetic skills will go miles beyond a pop up chat window. Now add into this the knowledge that a professional salesperson has and you’re on your way.
- The shopping environment is the birthplace that ideas spring forth from. Less is more. If your displays are crowded or worse dirty, the customer has a difficult time envisioning how her perspective purchase will look in her home and it will be hard to make a decision to buy. WOW them with displays that are congruent yet a bit on the edge. Have some of the latest colors and styles available. Remember it is the fashion industry, the home fashion industry.
- Retail stores can provide instant gratification. Once the customer has seen the product and it meets their requirements, they can take it home. No waiting for shipping from some far away distribution center only to discover breakage or missing parts. Part of a WOW experience is to open an item with the customer to assure everything is ok. The customer has the item they want and it is complete and unbroken. Proactive service.
The WOW experience is a combination of; personal services from someone that is enthusiastic and knowledgeable, your products are displayed in a setting that helps the customer visualize the design ideas, the products can be touched before being bought, and the customer can take it home now, no waiting. Blend all this with a superior follow up system and you can build relationships that last a lifetime.
Retailing dead, I think not, in fact to be successful you must be more alive than ever!
Need help building the experience? Contact me now!