Retail Associate Training is one of the most important aspects to running a successful store. This training covers everything from how inventory works, what customers are looking for and even customer service skills.

Is the ability to be a great retail salesperson something that you’re born with and can’t learn?

If you’re an average person, then these retail selling skills tips will help you become a great salesperson.

Retail Associate Training Can Improve Selling Skills with these 11 Ways:

1. How To Smile When Greeting A Customer While Wearing A Mask

You know how to greet customers with a smile, but you might not have realized that it’s difficult when wearing a mask. Here are some helpful tips for making your customer interactions more pleasant.

The next time you want to smile, try flexing the muscles on either side of your mouth. It’s called Duchenne smiling and it makes a world of difference.

You can be nice to a customer whether you’re wearing a mask or not. The key is for your eyes to show that you really enjoy meeting someone new.

That welcoming smile you put on for your customers is a great way to break down the customer’s defenses and make them more open to what you have to say.

2. How to establish a relationship with customers

Building rapport can seem very technical and impersonal, but it is actually the heart of any successful human interaction. Finding something in common with a customer that has nothing to do with what you’re selling is how one builds trust.

I call it opening a Window of Contact which requires salespeople to be observant and notice the type of jewelry, clothing or even what kind of smartphone someone is using.

So, the salesperson asks about an item and shares something personal with them.

You can’t do it by the book, you have to be smart about your approach. And that’s why a lot of people succeed.

It is now clear that each person has different needs and wants. Salespeople need to be able to respond with the right service, which means understanding what motivates their customers.

3. How to make people buy from you

The “She could sell snow to an Eskimo” comment may be intended as a compliment of someone’s selling ability, but in truth, it highlights what a salesperson shouldn’t do.

Making a salesperson talk about their company is a terrible idea. Click To Tweet

It makes them sound like they are just fast-talking people who will say anything to make the sale, which really means that you should never hire those kinds of people.

Some people are even afraid to say they’re salespeople because of the stigma that’s associated with it.

When it comes to retail sales, you have to make sure that the products or services are genuinely useful and enjoyable. Otherwise your customer will feel cheated after they buy them.

You’ll be seen as a fake, and customers will see right through you. Even worse, your sales strategy of selling based on discounts to get around the fact that they don’t trust you will come back to bite them.

Persuading customers to buy merchandise they will regret buying is bad for business. These customers are likely not only going to be unsatisfied with their purchase, but also tell everyone about it on social media and the like.

The best salespeople are not only aware of this, but they use it to their advantage when selling. They show the uniqueness that an item has for a customer.

For example, “This measuring tape has an erasable writing surface on the side, so you can write your measurement on it and not forget.” Retail sales staff all need to be able to sell the good, better, and best solution for the customer’s needs. 

4. In order to help customers understand how your product is different from the competition, you should try challenging their perceptions. The more they think about it, the easier a sale will be.

If a guy tells you he is looking to buy a cheap 50’ garden hose because “every damn one of them breaks after a few months so I don’t want to put a lot of money in it,” it is up to the salesperson to challenge their perceptions.

In order to sell the $40 hose, I had to learn how to pitch it as a value-added item. People don’t just buy anything.

“You know the water in a hose that is out in the summer heat can boil? That makes the lining susceptible to tearing and shredding like you’re experiencing now. This hose has a triple reinforced and insulated lining preventing that and staying flexible even when it freezes.”

I asked my customers what they wanted and all of them said that their hose had broken. I saw a need in those types for premium hoses, so we started making some.

5. It’s not enough to just sell, you need to do it with integrity.

Customers are savvy enough to know when they’re being given the truth, and it makes them more likely to buy. If customers feel like you can be trusted with their purchase decisions, then there’s a good chance that they’ll make one.

I’m not one to overstate the value of a product or service, but I also don’t want customers walking out without buying anything. Honesty is always best.

So if you don’t know the answer, just say so and find out from someone who does.

6. Upselling and cross-selling are essential to getting customers the products they need.

A great salesperson knows that in order to close the sale, they need to keep adding value. For example, if someone is buying a bed sheet set but not sure which one – offer them an extra pillowcase or two.

Salespeople should never feel guilty about upselling. Click To Tweet

That’s their job, as long as they are honest and don’t use any kind of pressure tactics to sell an item that is not a good fit for the customer.

You can often upsell or cross-sell by identifying the customer’s fears. If you know what they’re worried about, then show them how your product is able to solve their problem.

Let’s say you are selling all-leather shoes and a customer complains about how much they got caught in the rain. Instead of trying to push them into buying another pair, give that person some discount on your rainproof spray.

Sometimes customers are not even aware of what they want, so you have to do the work for them.

7. How to Benefit from Your Sales Successes and Mistakes

Becoming a salesperson is not just about the retail associate training—it’s an ongoing process.

I couldn’t figure out why, but the best salespeople are constantly studying and reading about their target market. They’re always trying to find new ways of understanding what makes people tick.

Customers are looking for more than just a transaction, they want to know why their sale was successful or not. They also want tips on how the process could have been improved.

Great salespeople always make sure to do their best by never settling for mediocrity. They also constantly look for ways they can improve and change the way things are done.

8. How to Incorporate Perseverance Into Your Selling Process

Selling is like anything else—you need to be persistent. You don’t want to come off as pushy, but you also need follow-up with potential customers and even existing ones if necessary.

When it comes to customer service, you can’t afford not to care. There are so many other retailers out there who don’t and they’re going down because of that.

All sales are a courtship, and that means it’s totally appropriate to woo your customers if you’re honest about what they can expect. There is nothing wrong with this as long as you don’t take advantage of the person.

9. The psychology of selling is complex and we need to understand the subtleties in order to be successful.

When it comes to selling, great retail associates know that they need to have a variety of techniques for different personality types that they can learn on retail associate training. For example, introverts may require more time before feeling comfortable in the conversation while extroverts are energized by interacting with others.

It’s important to learn how people react differently, and adjust your sales approach accordingly. That’s why retail associate training is important.

If you want to know what is going on in the customer’s mind, then think about it this way: they’re not telling us their thoughts. So we need to understand why.

I learned that I needed to take a step back and really understand my customers. Now, when people ask me questions like:

• Will this be enough?
• Can I put my trust in him?
• I’m curious about their return policy.
• What exactly did he just say?

The more you can recognize body language, the better your chances of reading people.

10. How to Sell Using Your Body Posture

Beyond the smize, there are many other ways to greet customers with confidence. This includes making sure your shoulders are back and chest is lifted at the sternum while also maintaining good posture so you feel in control of where you’re going.

When customers see that we are well-prepared, they feel confident and comfortable with our product.

Your personal selling power is diminished when you slump and round your shoulders, plant your feet on the ground, and breathe shallowly.

Here are 9 ways to improve your body language skills, so you can get people on board with what you’re saying without them even realizing it.

11. Acting Desperately Isn’t Necessary

I always thought that the customer would be excited to buy something if I was looking at them with dollar signs in my eyes. But now, no matter how much you want a sale or need one, don’t approach someone who is shopping and show your desire for money.

Remember that you’re trying to sell something that will make their lives better, and your attitude should reflect this. You want them to feel like they are being helped by you – not the other way around!

You can measure and improve your retail associate training by holding staff accountable for the correct ways to make a shopper’s day.  It is important that they are trained in not only how to help customers, but also on what you want them doing at all times.

In this article, we will explore a few tips on how to approach customers in the best way possible.

There are numerous things retail associates can do to improve their selling skills.

These are not the only tips for you to become a great retail associate or even ways your whole team can improve sales, but if you want to be successful and maintain that success it’s important to always look out for new strategies.

If you want to be rich, make sure your team practices these tips. Your friends who are afraid of selling will never get anywhere.

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When you are selling to retail customers, make sure that your presentation is peppered with reassurances. The more insecure the customer feels about their purchase, the less likely they will be to buy.

In the age of e-commerce, it’s important to make sure that your employees know how to handle a customer in person. A good retail associate training program will help them succeed.

The secret to motivating yourself is recognizing that you are your own best motivator. Click To Tweet

The key to increasing retail sales when it’s slow? Motivation.

Businesses often don’t know how to provide the best customer service. Luckily, we’ve compiled a list of tips that will help you identify your customers and improve their shopping experience.

In order to be successful in retail, you need a few things. But there are ten commandments that should always apply.

One of the many ways that Nordstrom is successful in customer service is by encouraging employees to be kind and helpful.

A great way to make your business successful is by providing thorough retail associate training. When it comes to a successful business, sales associates are at the forefront. They make or break the company in many ways.