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11 Ways How to Improve Sales Performance in Retail

If you’re like most retail store owners, you’re always looking for ways how to improve sales performance in retail. After all, happy customers are the key to a successful business! So what can you do to make sure your sales team is performing at its best? Read on for 11 essential tips.

11 Ways How to Improve Sales Performance in Retail

It’s every business owner’s goal to encourage potential customers to venture into their store or restaurant for a closer look at what they have to offer. But, unfortunately, it isn’t always that easy. How many times has someone approached your business and turned around?

Or perhaps you were able to get them into your store but how do you prevent them from just looking around and then leaving?

Here, we list 11 ways how to improve sales performance in retail and generate more revenue.

1. Upsell a New Product

Remember the time you tried a scoop of the limited-time-only flavor at your local ice cream shop? Before you knew it, you had finished the entire tub of ice cream.

Giving your customers the chance to try your product before they buy is a fantastic way to increase your sales.

Offer free samples to customers when they walk in the door. This will instantly improve their mood and give you some goodwill.

The feeling of getting a good deal can lead some customers to feel obligated to purchase something or leave a review.

If you’re selling ice cream, juices, candies, or specialty sauces, consider giving free samples. This will give customers a chance to taste your products before they buy them, and it could convince some to buy.

2. Watch How They Move

Your store should be designed in a way that grabs the attention of your customers.

Once they are in the store, watch how they move through space. By tracking their movements, you can make necessary changes to ensure an optimal experience.

If customers can’t find what they’re looking for, they won’t be able to make a purchase.

Asking your customers for feedback on your shop and the way you display your items is a great way to improve your customer service.

Adding decals or posters with arrows pointing in the right direction is a great way to make your shop’s layout clearer for customers. This will help them know where to go and make it easier to find what they’re looking for.

3. Create an Engaging Mood

Your store should be designed to put your customers at ease. You can do this by using certain scents, playing music, or dimming the lights. This can also trigger customers’ desires, resulting in more impulse purchases.

If you’re looking to increase foot traffic in your physical storefront, consider incorporating a signature smell into your store. A consistent aroma can subconsciously connect with customers and increase their spending by 32%.

By building this connection, you’ll help your customers to better recall your business and associate it with a positive experience.

4. Encourage Referrals

A great way to widen your audience as a small business is to offer referral incentives to your existing customers. This will help you bring in new customers and grow your business.

Referral programs are becoming increasingly popular, and work especially well when both the customer and the person who they referred get something out of it.

As a small business owner, you should create a customer loyalty program that gives customers incentives to make repeat visits, as well as rewards for referrals.

You can encourage customers to refer their friends to you by printing a referral offer on the back of your business card and postcards.

5. Keep Bestsellers in Stock

Even if your shop doesn’t carry multiple sizes or colors of an item, it’s important to have the most popular items in stock and to clearly display that there are other options available.

Simply mention to shoppers that there are other options in the stockroom.

If a customer is looking for something that isn’t in stock, ask them for their email address and phone number. Then, you can notify them when the item is back, or offer a discount on the item if they pay for it now and you ship it when it’s available.

Instead of waiting for the item to arrive, give them a discount for paying for it now.

6. Show Off Your Expertise

If you offer products that aren’t unique to your company, think about your retail space as a showroom. As consumers, we’re used to going to a physical store to get a feel for the product before looking it up online for the best price.

If you’re an e-commerce business, you have a great opportunity to set yourself apart as an expert in your field.

If you only deal with niche products, then the people who come to your shop are probably pretty knowledgeable. You can offer them your expert advice and be a great resource for them.

Showing off your knowledge is one of the best ways to build confidence with consumers. They love it when you know more about your products than they do, so show off your expertise!

Buying something online is a bit different. You don’t get the opportunity to try the product out before you buy it.

If you can provide expert advice and assistance to people while they are in your store, you are more likely to convert them into customers. This is something that your online competitors cannot offer, and it is a valuable service that you can provide.

If you’re looking to create a more welcoming and comfortable environment in your store, try adding some soft seating. This will help customers feel more open and willing to chat with sales associates and ask for advice.

7. Maximize Your Countertop

What would be a good product to offer as an impulsive purchase at your retail store? Cookies to-go, trendy accessories, or cleaning kits for shoes are just a few ideas.

If you can convince just 20% of your customers to buy an additional item, it will have a significant impact on your bottom line. Choose products that go well with your top sellers and solve customer problems.

Keep the prices low on these items so customers will be more likely to add them to their purchases.

8. Promote Your Business Online

If you want your business to be successful, you need to make sure it’s easy for customers to find you online. Whether you have a brick-and-mortar store or an online shop, being visible on the internet is key to attracting new business.

It’s important to keep your company’s business info up-to-date such as business hours, contact details, and return policy. Don’t forget to optimize for search engines. You can do this by including relevant, targeted keyword phrases in your website content.

This can help your site rank higher in search engine results. You can incorporate these into your ‘About’ or ‘Contact’ pages.

And in addition to your own site, make sure you’re active on Google+ so your business appears in local searches.

9. Share Your Brand Story

Your brand story is what makes you stand out from other businesses. It gives customers a better understanding of you and your work.

By telling your customers about your company, they will feel more connected to your business and will be more inclined to purchase from you.

Tell people about your business on your ‘About’ page, or through marketing materials such as business cards, pamphlets, and fliers.

10. Host an Event

Holding a special event is a great way to attract new customers. Whether it’s hosting a workshop or having a storewide discount, events are a great way to get people excited about your business.

Give your customers a reason to come to your event by rewarding them with free goodies. For example, you could give each customer a raffle ticket for each product they buy.

Promote your upcoming event on social media! You can host a Facebook event that customers can register to attend, create a video on Tik Tok to get people interested in attending, or post a teaser photo on Instagram.

Don’t forget to take lots of pictures at the event so you can post them afterward to build anticipation for the next one.

If you want your guests to stick around and spend a little extra, consider playing some lesser-known tunes at your next event. People tend to linger longer when they hear music they’re not familiar with. So go ahead and add those deep cuts to your playlist!

11. Get Feedback

You can increase sales in the future by asking customers for feedback.

You could collect opinions through physical cards or surveys sent through email. This would show customers that you care enough to ask what they feel about your product and that their opinions matter.

Conclusion

How to improve sales performance in retail? To truly increase sales in retail, you have to know how to build rapport with customers and transform yourself into a product knowledge specialist. Only then can you grow your sales without panicking about what will get them to buy more.