The “Must Haves” To Work In Retail

Like any other field of work, there are people who are cut out for the work involved in Retail Sales, and there are those who THINK they can do the job. In fact, I’m always intrigued with the number of people who assume getting a job in Retail will be easy until they find the job they really want.

First off, you have to be comfortable initiating contact with potential customers. As people walk by your store or make that first few steps inside, it’s critically important you visually acknowledge their presence and move to welcome them. This doesn’t mean you jump on them – for most of us don’t appreciate Salespeople who aggressively move to pounce.

Yes, welcoming customers to your store, asking if you can help them in locating any particular item or advising them of specials etc. would seem to be a basic must-have in the field. Yet think of your own trips to the mall and you’ll probably recall walking into certain stores where the staff huddle together in the rear of the store and only seem interested if you approach them items in hand ready to pay.  Maybe you’ve even entered and store, walked around unapproached entirely or acknowledged, and then walked out in 5 minutes with no contact whatsoever.

If you’re an introvert, you can still work successfully in Retail; just view each interaction as a short interaction where you’ll be fortunate in that the conversations will be relatively similar, focused on goods and products, prices and sales. When one conversation ends, you repeat this with others. No long, drawn out conversations where you have to work hard to keep the words flowing and stress about what to say.

Now some basic math skills are a need too. Oh sure the electronic cash registers will compute the correct change to give people, but you will need your math skills just the same. Customers might ask questions of you when you’re 40 feet from the register such as, “How much would this be with tax?” “So these are buy 3 and get one free? If I use my loyalty card and get 15% off how much would I save?” Well, maybe you could walk around with your slim Ipod or cell phone and call up your calculator, but you might not have pockets in your outfit. Oh and what would happen if Interac is out, all sales are cash only and then the power to the register is zapped, meaning you have to figure everything out in your head and make change?

That smile; it’s something that comes so naturally to some and drives others crazy to whom it doesn’t come easy. Smiling faces are approachable and welcoming. Unfortunately, there are some who have a rather serious resting face; the look might be overly serious or even brooding when in fact they’re quite content – even happy. A smiling employee will attract people to them and these faces can actually produce a smile in return on the face of the customers and potential customers with whom they interact. A rather serious face with furrowed brows could be interpreted as you’ll be harder to deal with, so customers may approach you initially anticipating a fight or a challenging interaction.

Now the Labourers will chuckle at this one, but the job is physically demanding. Just beneath that tile you’re standing on in the store is a pad of hard concrete – an oxymoron if there ever was one; ever stood on soft concrete? As you’ll be standing on it hour upon hour, day after day, you’ll need a really good pair of shoes and the stamina to survive your 7 or 8 hour shift. There’s reaching high and bending low, carrying goods from the backroom and hanging them on the sales floor. There’s bending again to tie shoes, dust the lower and upper shelves etc. Oh its physical, make no mistake.

Notice the dusting I threw in the last paragraph? When it’s quiet and there’s an opportunity, find things to do and show initiative. Whether it’s dusting, checking items for price tags, doing your inventory paperwork, tidying up a changing room, removing empty hangers, re-positioning customer handled merchandise, you’ll be wise to take initiative and look for things to do and then DO THEM! Few things will get you fired faster than standing idle throughout your day, leaning on the counter for physical support and … just … waiting …

The last must-have to work in Retail I want to share with you is that you must know what your products will do to improve the lives of those considering purchasing them. Don’t pass this one over as obvious. Don’t think, “I sell shoes! Shoes make walking nicer! Duh!” If this were all you need to know, anyone – so you’re not very vital – could sell shoes. Which shoes are best for walking? Which ones support high arches better than others? Which shoes can accommodate orthotics? Which running shoes are best for running vs. jogging or a workout at the gym? Nope, not all the same!

No matter your products, if you want to work in Retail AND be successful, it takes skills; just as in any other profession if you want to really stand out and excel. Of course you might just, ‘want a job’ and figure ANYONE can work in a store. Well, go ahead and try it and see how long you last. No wait don’t, you might be the next Salesperson I meet.

2 Stores, 2 Salespeople, 2 Experiences

Last evening my wife and I were out for dinner and decided on impulse to head on over to our local mall. We had nothing immediate in mind other than a walk around prior to heading home for the evening. Now I can tell you honestly there was hardly any traffic in the mall, and that set the stage for very different encounters with sales staff in different stores.

Given it was a Thursday evening the first thing I noticed was that many of the stores only had a single Salesperson on the schedule. As the night was light in terms of traffic, it was interesting to note as we entered each store how the activity the person in the store was engaged in and their behaviour changed or not.

One store in the mall is a primary destination for the two of us; it has unique items ranging from swords and fire pots to glass dragon eggs and wind chimes. Every time I go in the store, I’m immediately greeted with a, “Hello how are you today?” which I can only assume is in the training manual. I like that they acknowledge me upon entry, and the subsequent question is whether or not they can be of assistance in finding anything. Last night was no exception. We were greeted cheerfully and engaged in discussion – but only because I’m the talkative type. I had the feeling the Salesperson was happy for someone to both talk and interact with.

As it so happens, they didn’t have an item we were looking for, and so we browsed. The Salesperson moved in synchronization with us around the merchandise; close enough to hear and respond to any inquiry we might make, but just far enough away that she wasn’t a reason to leave. She smiled; she laughed and was the right mixture of attentive and respectful.

Now I contrast this experience with the lone Salesperson in a second store we entered. It was a women’s clothing store; a well-known brand name chain. Here the signs proclaimed up to 80% off and that the entire inventory must go. To me, it was obvious the winter stock needs clearing and the Spring line is the reason.  Upon entering, the person was occupied with a broom and dustpan, sweeping the floors. The word industrious would best describe her; efficient, focused on cleaning and keeping herself busy.

Now being a fashion store for women exclusively, I would have thought she’d attend to my wife; offer to help her and I’d be left to wander. She did something different however. She stood and talked to me about the lack of activity in the mall; told me that if she herself needed something she’d be in a nearby city because they have more stores and more selection. She went on about how the two or three large stores coming to the mall wouldn’t in her opinion; make much of a difference in terms of bringing customers to the mall over the long-term. She was intense, almost bitter, and I just wanted to exit the conversation.

Oddly enough, my wife was ignored throughout her monologue, and was creatively using one garment to lower another garment she was unable to reach directly behind the Salesperson. “Ah my wife could use a hand” I said. Turning she said, “Oh did you want to try that on?” and I was free. While my wife tried on the clothes, I wander to the perimeter of the store and the Salesperson again cleaned. She was thorough and dressed in black looked like a storm cloud moving about on her hands and knees dusting everything that she could find in a meticulous order.

The two Salespeople were very different, and I have to say I would not want to return to the latter one for fear I’d be again trapped into a conversation I didn’t want to engage in with a person holding a negative attitude. While she was an excellent cleaner and no one could find fault with her ability to keep herself busy when no customers were present, she didn’t encourage people to stick around when they did come in.

The first Salesperson on the other hand did have me leaving the store with a good feeling. I felt that I was in control of how much or little we engaged in conversation; and I’d certainly walk in again. Were the two people’s employers able to watch how they interacted with us and hear what they said to us, I wondered if they would be pleased and approve.

There was actually a third experience with another Salesperson; and my wife and I were drawn to her immediately upon entering the store and into an immediate conversation. In fact, my wife would have allowed me to shell out just under $800 on the spot for an item in the store we hadn’t planned on buying. Oh sorry, I failed to mention the Salesperson was holding a miniature poodle puppy in her arms. That’s a real attraction for many people and you can’t help but smile and go, “Awww” as you greet the Salesperson. I resisted any urge to produce my wallet and we exited shortly after before reality completely disappeared.

Wherever you’re employed, never lose sight of the customer; acknowledge their presence, offer your assistance and do it all with a smile. These things get noticed.