’Tis the Season for Experienced Retail Sales Associates

For retailers, the message is clear: Making sure your sales associates have the proper expertise is good business. As a result, eXperticity outlined the following recommendations:

• Invest in the right people. There are people out there who love and use your and your competitor’s products every day.
• Train the people who love your stuff. Retail employees often get trained in things like how to improve service. That has a place, but if they don’t know the products inside and out, they won’t be able to provide the proper guidance.
• Reward expertise. If your employees are in love with the stuff you sell and know everything about it, than they probably want to be rewarded with your stuff — e.g., discount merchandise, tickets to related events, etc.
• Evangelize the value of helpful expertise. We're all consumers and fundamentally can speak to how a great buying experience impacts your satisfaction. Leading people to the lowest price on your shelf doesn’t build relationships. Ask consumers what they want and why they want it.

How do you go about training your salespeople? I would love to hear from you on this topic. Offer your comments below! And be sure to check out eXperticity's infographic to learn more.