We have announced details of our first POS software user meeting to our POS software user community.
Hosted on the Zoom platform, any of our customers will have access to this session live, as well as after the event via a shared video link.
The session will preview the latest software update and a couple of surprise announcements about updates to follow.
We will also discuss some requests made by our POS software customers as well as opening the meeting to discuss any topic.
Like all of the user meetings we have hosted in the past, this meeting in the next few days will be open, transparent and as valuable for us as it is for our customers. we will have the right people in the room including help desk colleagues, representatives from software development as well as our leadership group.
back in the day, in the 1980s and 1990s, user meetings like these were hosted by all software companies, in all capital cities and some regional centres. Ofer time, however, they have faded. Not here at Tower Systems. They continue to provide terrific value to us and, we think, to our customers. we say that based on the good engagement with the meetings.
Toop many POS software companies today put tech ology and other barriers between themselves and their customers. We think that is a mistake – especially when it comes to developing POS software for retailers.
Retail is personal after all.
There is tremendous value to be found in face top face free-flowing discussion. That’s what we find at least. We can work on a topic, explore it, consider various sides and make progress in one of these live meetings more so than the cold and faceless approach to connection that some software companies demand today.
yes, our approach to software user meetings is old school. It works we find. Our customers like it. we can point to good value achieved from the sessions we have hosted over the years.
The only difference today is the use of Zoom. This works for us and our customers as we cal all participate without as much in travel costs and time.
We are proud to offer our first POS software user meeting for 2023. Let’s get started!
Good software keeps changing, evolving, needing emerging needs and embracing new opportunities.
The Tower Systems POS software continues to evolve. What we offered a few months ago is not what we offer today.
In good engaged software companies, change is normal. This matters because needs change, opportunities change. Evolving POS software is all about local businesses keeping up.
The latest POS software update from the Tower Systems development team delivers access to:
Allotrac integration.
SmartPay integration.
CentrePay integration.
International barcode search integration.
Image background removal integration.
New security bridge integration for better and more capable security camera integration.
An enhanced, faster and more insightful end of shift process.
A customer servility sensitive data cleanup tool that helps your business better protect against unwanted data leakage.
These are just some of what is delivered in the latest POS software update from Tower Systems.
We are grateful to the customers who suggested some of these enhancements and to the customers who engaged in testing them as part of our comprehensive beta release program.
For this first update of 2023 it is considerable. Especially once you add the many other changes / enhancements not included in the list above. This update is the result of hundreds of man-hours of development investment. And, while our customers are embracing this update, we are advanced in our work on the next update, which we are excited for.
Engaged software developers are always working on their software products. That is our commitment here at Tower Systems – continual improvement based on continually evolving tech, market conditions and other factors.
We invest on behalf of our customers son that they can be sure that their Tower Systems POS software does evolve and can embrace opportunities of value and usefulness in the local small business retail settings in which we serve.
Included with this latest POS software update is advice for our retailer customers about data security. This refreshed advice is in the light of hacks in the last months of 2022. We have explained steps local retailers could consider taking to better protect data they are entrusted with. We have backed our advice with software tools to equip retailers with useful tech for better data protection.
Tower Systems was created many years ago to serve small business retailers and we happily remain focused on that mission today.
We love small business retail for the people, their passion and the contributions they make to the communities in which they are situated.
Indeed, it is the contribution that local businesses make to their local communities that matters to us. We see it in many ways from supporting local community groups to local education, offering locally products unavailable elsewhere and offering places for local, makers to sell their wares.
While our Point of Sale software can be used by retail businesses of any size, it is in the small business retailer community where we are most comfortable.
So, why do we like small business retailers?
This is a question we confronted recently in an interview about our history.
Small business retailers play a vital economic role, often punching above their weight in terms of economic contribution.
Small business retailers play an important social role locally, holding, sharing and even adding to the narrative of communities around the world as well as providing practical support for community based endeavours.
Small business retailers help local shoppers with a level of personal service which leads to better buying decisions.
We like these points, especially that small businesses and small business retailers in particular are more like to uphold and carry forward local customs, beliefs and stories. Small businesses support the local voice. This is why small businesses are important in countries like Australia and New Zealand.
So, yes, we enjoy serving small businesses and remaining modest in size ourselves. This is where we think we can actively contribute and do the most good.
The value of a business is not only about financial performance. Its contribution to community is, in our view, equally if, not more, important.
Local small retail businesses rock! We are grateful to serve so many 0of them.
We were helping a retailer turn their business around last year and one of the first things we looked at was dead stock. In their type of business, anything that has not sold for 6 months or more is dead. They had $32,000 worth of dead stock.
Their initial reaction was common, disbelief. We worked out a plan and soon enough quit that stock and used the freed cash to purchase more of what was selling.
The first way to resolve a dead stock issue is to understand the cost. Good POS software reports on it easily. Our Tower Systems POS software does. Our software also offers tools for m opting the stock, and tracking that to see the value of this.
We’re not your usual POS software company. Sure, we show how to use the software. But, we also offer advice from a business management perspective – how to use the software to drive value for the business and its owners. We do this from the position of being retailers ourselves. We can speak to our experiences in our shops.
That’s what we do in this dead stock situation. Plus, we draw on decades of practical help to other retailers.
Our advice is to look at dead stock / the age of stock every 3 months. You soon learn the value of buying based on data evidence in the business and being cautious when exploring new product lines.
Your software can guide you to make decisions more likely to work, and less likely to result in dead stock.
We have been working with retailers for many years and continue to be surprised at the disinterest of many retailers in the extent and cost of dead stock in their businesses.
When we bought a retail business a few years back we had written into the contract a cascading discounts for existing stock based on its age beyond 6 months. In that business, more than half the stock had been there for 6 months.
Dead stock costs the business today, and when you come to sell.
In our POS software and thanks to our personal training we help retailers reduce the cost of dead stock in their businesses.
Our advice for local small business retail gift shop owners in the form of questions to ask when considering new POS software for their gift shop, and, indeed, every business decision:
Will it make money for the business?
Will it save time?
Will it make the business more valuable?
Will it make you happier?
Here at Tower Systems we make software for Aussie local gift shops, software that helps you make more money, save time, make the business worth more and make you happier.
Rent our Aussie made gift shop software for $159.00 a month (inc. GST).
This $159.00 a month cost includes the software, support (Melbourne based), half a day of training, access to training videos and a knowledge base of advice.
You can cancel the rental at any time.
There is no lock-in contract, no requirement for you to pay up front for a year.
And, that $159.00 costs is for as many computers as you use in the business.
There is no requirement that you use a particular EFTPOS service. We mention this as some POS software companies lock you in on a service with a high price.
Find out more at www.towersystems.com.au/gift.
Watch a demonstration: https://youtu.be/0kArDkAKE4E
We are grateful to already serve more than 3,000 local retailers. We’d love to serve you. Call us on 1300 662 957 or email sales@towersystems.com.au.
From sales to special orders to pre-orders, from Xero integration to digital receipt integration, from loyalty that works to easy shopper postcode tracking, from smart ways to pitch shop local to featuring locally made products … our gift shop software is made for gift retailers, made to help you thrive.
For EFTPOS, link to Tyro, the major banks as well as SmartPay.
For selling online, link to Shopify, BigCommerce, Magento and Woo.
Our software does smart things, too, like making it fast and easy to remove the background of photos you take of products.
We have loyalty tools that can set you apart, and make shopping with you more appealing.
Our insights dashboard serves data insights about the business that retailers tell us they L O V E.
Call us to see if our software is right for you.
We won’t pressure you.
Call 1300 662 957 or email sales@towersystems.com.au.
Beyond the money, theft in local small business retail is a mental health challenge.
There is the situation of the person stealing, the customer, the supplier, the co-owner or the employee. Often there can be mental health challenges associated with or leading up to their actions.
Then, there is the mental health challenge for the business owner(s) following the theft.
In our work with local small business retailers dealing with theft from their business, we have seen mental health affected.
we have seen retailers so affected that they quickly sell their business, opting for a lifestyle change as a result.
Theft is personal. We get that there are plenty of ‘experts’ who say theft is not personal. But in our experience, it is. Your business is like your home. Theft is a violation of your home. This why it hits hard, why it hurst so much.
When we discover theft in a retail business we are helping we suggest the owners reach out to professional services for mental health support. Advice we have found useful includes:
Be sure of the facts. How much was stolen and how it was stolen. These specific details can help you draw a line under the situation.
Do something. Take an action, or actions, to protect against a recurrence. Acting on the situation can provide confidence and strength.
Be open with others. Sharing what happened and what it has meant to you can, of itself, nurture support.
Cleanse. The theft situation may have left you with an employee or two you no longer want in the business, a supplier to drop, a customer ti disallow. Take action to shut the door.
Exercise. Plenty off mental health professionals advocate active walking outdoors as a good step for calming and clearing your mind. Find the exercise that works best for you, walking, running, swimming, and engage in that exercise. From what we read and have been told, doing this away from you’re business regularly is key.
Try to not obsess. We have seen retailers become obsessed about theft following an incident. That can be debilitating and take joy from the running of the business. Find a balance that works for you where you can be vigilant, but not obsessed.
While dealing with the practicalities of theft is important in any local small business retail setting, dealing with your own mental health is important too. Work on it. be aware. Take care of yourself. And, be in control, rather than the crime controlling you.
We stumbled across Reddy while looking at innovative retail businesses in Soho, New York last week. Reddy looked a bit like a pet shop, but more fashion. Inside we found a fascinating, fun and committed business. Inspiring really. We are so glad we got to see it and learn. Very surprised to discover who is behind it. Here’s a short video:
We love getting to see innovative retail, retail playing outside what is traditional. Whalebone in New York is one such store, and we got to visit a few days ago.
We are grateful here at Tower Systems to work with many different retailers in many different settings. Over the years, our experience has evolved. Add two this our own experience running our own shops for more than 26 years and we are resourced and able to offer insights and advice on local retail business management.
I hate going into work. As a friend of ours said these words we knew they had far more weight than if they had been said by an employee. Our friend owned the retail store to which they were referring. He hated going into his own retail business. They had fallen out of love with what they had created and the bitterness they felt towards their business had soured to hatred.
Why do some retailers hate going to work? It is an interesting question which needs exploration before we look at strategies for countering this.
There is usually a trigger – tough economic conditions, personal challenges away from the business, a partner dispute, tiredness… there could be any combination of reasons. Sometimes, I have seen a reason quite a distance from the business itself.
If you own a retail store and you have reached the point where you hate going into work each day it is important to take time away from the business for an honest assessment as to why you hate the business. Until you can answer the question – why do you hate going into work? – you cannot begin to work on resolution.
Once you know the reasons you hate going to work, think about a series of small and achievable steps you could take to turn the situation around.
No matter how challenging the situation, there are always steps you could take. Focus on these, start work on them and in some instances that alone will be enough to move you through the fog of anger and ill-feeling toward the business.
Breaking a big problem down into small steps makes it feel manageable.
If finding small steps to take does not work, get together with a trusted friend and tell them how you feel toward the business. Ask them to talk with you about the business. Reminisce about why you started or purchased the business. Remember your dreams and hopes. Use the conversation to explore your emotion at the moment you decided to open or purchase the retail business.
If you have the funds, substitute your friend with a psychologist or professionally qualified counsellor to explore your feelings for the business.
We are not suggesting a business coach or mentor here because the ill-feeling toward the business is more often personal and is better dealt with by those with skills on working with feelings.
Understanding your hatred for your retail business is the first step. This will usually, of itself, reveal the first steps you can take to turn the hatred around. Be open to that. Take small steps and see where they lead. The change in feeling toward the business may not be immediate so do not expect too much too soon.
Some retailers we have worked with have felt ashamed of their hatred for their business. The best and toughest analogy we heard was that it was like hating your own child.
A retail store, especially one you created on your own, is like a child. There is no shame to be had in this feeling. So many factors can come into play to get one to this point.
By getting help to understand your feelings and using the understanding which flows from this to develop a strategy you can expect to start to feel better – even if the strategy involves you exiting that business.
If you do nothing, the hatred will be more and more reflected in the business and in your own person. Neither benefits from this.
Banks, and small business lenders, are vitally important for any retail business from day to day trading through to long term funding. A healthy relationship with your bank or lender will be vitally important to keeping the retail business healthy.
Maintaining a good banking relationship can be a challenge for retailers. It takes attention to detail and hard work. Retailers can be often sidetracked in their business days and not remember to take of the banking relationship.
Here are 7 tips which can lead to a better banking / lender relationship and thereby provide the business with protection against damage to the relationship.
Be on time, every time. With trading figures, annual accounts and any other regular reports that you bank requires you to provide. Being on time will win a tick from them and ensure that you are not on their businesses to watch and be concerned about radar.
Send them your newsletter. If you have a customer newsletter, put your bank manager on the list. Treat them like a customer and through this help drive a better connection between their business and yours. Newsletters go on your file and give local branch employees something to show off if they are talking to more senior people in the bank about businesses they like.
Ask for regular meetings. You set the agenda for briefing sessions where you let the bank know how business is going and how you are leveraging your relationship with them. Even informal meetings are reflected in internal banking reports and these can strengthen your position with the bank.
Recommend the bank. If the bank is serving you well and you are happy, recommend them to others. Be honest in your recommendation, let your friends know why you like this bank and what they have done for you. Let the bank know when you do this as it helps them see you and your business in a broader light.
Invite bank employees in. If you are holding a sales or some other event, invite bank employees to participate. They could be good customers. They will also appreciate seeing the business first hand.
Be regular. Banks appreciate regularity – with deposits and with payments. Try and maintain a regular pattern in your business transactions.
Write, update and follow a business plan. This should be point #1. A well thought out and up to date business plan demonstrates how serious you are about your business. Having this for bank review meetings will encourage them to treat you more seriously than retail businesses without a plan.
Treat the banking relationship as personal and one which needs to be nurtured each week. The better your communication the better the relationship. Be sure to set time aside for this in your work schedule and to include the bank wherever possible and practical.
The business outcome is flexibility when you need it and access for free advice at times of important business decisions.
Good banks appreciate good relationships with their retailer customers. You will find that they invest more time in businesses which invest time in them.
Here at Tower Systems while we are a POS software company, our advice and help for local small business retailers often reaches beyond what is traditional.
When it comes to checkout, people really hate having to wait. Spending just one minute standing in line can feel like five. And heaven forbid you have to use a self-checkout system that everyone hates.
For a small business, you can’t afford to waste your customer’s time. Once they have what they need, they want to pay and get on with their day. A good portion of their wait comes down to the small business POS software you use.
Choosing a good POS software is easier said than done. The market is replete with dozens of competing options. There are dedicated cash registers, tablet systems, and hybrids that are somewhere between.
Keep reading as we discuss seven important tips for choosing your POS system.
1. Find Small Business POS Software That Makes Checkout Fast and Painless
You guessed it, the most important thing to look for in a POS is ease of use. If you’ve ever used an old cash register at just about any retail store, you know why this is so important.
Many cash registers still look like they’ve never left the ’90s. They have unintuitive features that make it near impossible for an associate to guess how to do something beyond a typical checkout.
It’s not just about pleasing impatient customers, such as if you cater to the retiree community. It’s about making training easier and avoiding costly mistakes. Employees won’t hate the register, either, when they have to count the drawer at night.
2. Get the Right Types of Software
Every POS system can ring up a customer for a product out of the box. But they might not be able to sign up a customer for a new in-store credit card.
Much of the additional functionality for a POS system comes in the form of apps that you download on the side. These apps may be crucial to some of the core functionality your business provides.
For example, many employers use the register as an employee time clock, too. They enable loyalty programs, and the ability to issue and redeem company gift cards. Sales reporting may be essential to determine which employees are performing best.
Further, choose a system that can adapt further down the line. If your business needs to change, you want to know if your register can as well.
3. Make Sure It Is Secure and Receives Regular Updates
There’s one thing that tech experts are telling others all the time: update your devices! Software updates don’t just provide new features and increase system stability. They also close off a lot of potential vulnerabilities.
In our internet-enabled world, hackers are getting more clever than ever. They can find sneaky ways to mess with or gain access to your system, even with devices that aren’t connected to any network.
Make sure your POS has stable software that gets updated as necessary. Further, get a POS that keeps all digital and card transactions secure.
In addition to this, ensure the physical assets are secure as well. A good cash drawer should lock easily and feel robust.
4. Make Sure it Supports All Needed Peripherals
Every business has different needs when it comes to peripherals. An ice cream shop might not have any need for a handheld scanner, but a clothes shop certainly does.
Troubleshooting non-functional peripherals can be a nightmare, especially if they stop working halfway through the day. Most of this comes down to conflicts in software compatibility.
Ensure with your supplier beforehand that the POS they’re selling you will work with the tools you need.
5. Get POS Software That Integrates with Inventory Management
Most POS business software options include some means of deducting inventory as you ring it up. This is invaluable for keeping track of all your SKUs when doing counts at the end of the day.
However, don’t spend too much on a POS that has more features than you’ll use. A POS with advanced inventory options may be overkill for a small shop.
6. Consider a POS That Allows for Remote Management
With a physical cash register, you often feel the need to remain onsite. You either have employees you don’t trust or new employees that are still learning the ropes. With modern POS systems, you can often keep track of things while you’re away from your business.
Software options vary, but some may even allow you to do so with a simple phone app. This will be crucial when you’re on the road for important business dealings. You can keep close track of sales, employee clock-ins, and other valuable data.
7. Find One that Fits into Your Budget
If you can afford it, you can certainly find a top-of-the-line POS with all the bells and whistles. Premium devices that look, feel, and work very well. But if money is tight, a tablet and card reader will always be an option for you.
As far as POS systems go, companies tend to spend less overall on this particular part of their business. As you can imagine, going cheap might not be worth it in the end. You get what you pay for, so buying the lowest-shelf POS system you can find create more problems than it’s worth.
Make sure the POS fits your business type, and choose a subscription type that is in the Goldilocks zone of value vs. needs.
Find the Right POS Today
Small business POS software is only a small part of your business, but often the most important. It’s a multi-purpose device for ringing up purchases, clocking in employees, and so much more. Choose a quality POS with the above criteria in mind to ensure your lines run as smoothly as possible.
At Tower Systems, we specialize in both the hardware and the software side of POS. You can try out the software yourself with a free personal demonstration. Book a demo today and see what you’re missing out on!
The retiree (or seniors) marketplace can be lucrative for many different types of retail stores. They tend to be loyal and engaged in word of mouth marketing about good retail experiences. They can also be flexible about when they shop and this is where a retail business can really leverage the opportunity. They also network, leading to valuable word of mouth
Before you can market any retiree service or benefit you need to develop a plan for handling the opportunity. What products will be offered and at what special prices? The most common approach is to offer a flat discount to retirees, or seniors as they are called in some marketplaces. This discount is usually between 5% and 10%.
Price is important to the seniors marketplace since they either have a fixed income or are living off finite savings. They like businesses which help them save money.
You will also need to decide when the discount or other offer is available. Some businesses make the offer available only on certain days, usually the quietest days of the week. Others offer access to the benefits all the time. Think carefully about the needs of the business before deciding when you will provide access to the benefits – focus on the business outcome you want to achieve.
In terms of accessing the benefit, it is common and fair to ask for some form of proof of eligibility. This could be in the form of a drivers license or a seniors card as is available in some locations. This is a card usually issues by local government. Sometimes, it is issued by residences.
An alternative is to create your own retiree / seniors card for use in promoting the business. These should be professionally designed and produced. Ensure that such a card is respectful and something these customers would proudly carry. Design the card so that it promotes the benefits you offer – so that it is an extension of your marketing program.
Whatever method you use to identify your retiree customers, it has to be simple to use at the counter for processing the appropriate discount.
To market a business to retirees consider these options:
Train employees to offer the discount or other benefits to someone who looks eligible. While this could cause embarrassment, it could also extend the word of mouth around the offer.
Promote to retirement villages in the local area.
Advise local government authorities that you offer a benefit to retirees.
Contact local clubs and organisations likely to connect with retirees.
Promote the benefits in-store and in your business newsletter. You want to spread your offer as far and wide as possible, so that retirees beat a path to your door.
Visit local retirement residences and offer assistance.
Advertise in trailer parks.
Look up clubs the Internet – there are plenty of groups, clubs and forums for older folks travelling around. They share tips about places they like.
The value of the retiree market to your retail store will depend on the value of the offer available to them and how widely you promote this. While some retailers see retirees as a chore others see a business opportunity.
Winners are grinners as they say. Shoppers who win from a retail store are happy and they tell their friends. Whether it is a large or small prize, the value to the business of making winners of customers can be considerable.
The best competitions are those where a customer of the retail store is guaranteed to win. That is, there the competition is store specific. While participating in larger national and state wide competitions around products brands and even franchise brands can be good for business, it is the local competitions which provide the best opportunity for local promotion.
Here are some tips on how to use competitions effectively to promote your retail store:
Every competition needs a focus. Promote a specific product or product category or a certain level of spending. Competitions open to anyone without a tactical focus are likely to be less successful.
Make entering easy for everyone. Ensure that the mechanics of the competition – how to enter – are easy and understood. You don’t want to slow down the sales counter or have customers reject entering the competition because of complexity.
Promote well. Promote the competition well in the business from the front window throughout the store.
Encourage participation. Get all employees actively promoting the competition. Offer a reward for the employee who achieves the most entries per hour worked.
Drive impulse purchases. A good competition is one used to drive impulse purchases at the counter. They key here is that the item being sold, the trigger for a competition entry, must be easily understood.
Show off the prize. If possible, show the prize of offer for the competition. This can drive people to engage in the behaviour you are promoting as they more easily understand the opportunity.
Show off entries. If entry in the competition requires shopper activity like drawing or coloring, show off the entries as this will drive more traffic to the store.
Promote winners. Take photos of competition winners, with their permission, and use these in newsletters and on a winners board in-store. This is how you can promote the store as a place where winners shop.
Host and event around the prize draw. Make the drawing of the winner a special event with its own retail hooks to drive sales.
Create a competition calendar. This can provide focus to the competition program throughout the year and ensure that they are a consistent part of the marketing mix.
Engage with suppliers. Call of key suppliers to support the business with prizes for your competitions. This is more easily achieved if the competition connects with specific brands.
Promote externally. Use the competition to promote the business externals in advertising and promotional flyers.
Competitions, regardless of size, can drive excellent results for a retail store. Professional execution is the key from the planning stand right through to the drawing of the winner. Ensure that everyone involved including customers have fun with each competition you run.
Shopping ought to be enjoyable and, preferably, fun. Often, it is the experience itself which separates one retail store from another. This is why every retail business needs to devote management and front line attention to delivering a memorable and enjoyable experience.
One way to provide a memorable shopping experience is to have authentic and in the moment fun – among the sales team and with customers. Here are seven tips for having fun in any retail store:
Theme days. Embrace an era which with interest your customers. For example, the 1970s. Dress the store and employees in keeping with the 1970s. Have a couple of items on sale at 1970s prices – to connect the theme with a commercial outcome. Get some stories from the 1970s related to products you sell and place these on display boards in the window. Consider a competition for the customer in the best 1970s costume.
Other theme days include: school days, foreign country days where you wear traditional dress from a foreign country, crazy hair day and, of course, more theme days around key decades.
Local sports competition. Fully embrace any major local sporting event, choose a team, dress in their colours and dress the store in their colours. Be unashamedly parochial and show your customers your local support.
In-store buskers. Find some local musicians you enjoy and who have a repertoire which would connect with your customers and invite them in to play live for your customers. This would bring a vibrancy to the store and provide welcome entertainment for your customers as they shop. The local performers get to reach a new audience and you get to change up the feel of your business.
Repurposing day. Host an event where customers compete for a prize for the most innovative repurposing of a product you sell. The idea would be that they take something you sell and demonstrate a use for it in a way which is completely different to what the manufacturer expected. There would need to be a rule that the new use is genuinely useful.
The cutest baby. Invite your customers to bring in a photo of whey they were a baby, the older the better. Stick the photos on a wall and take votes on the best. You could change this up with two photos: as a baby and today and get customers to connect the two. Family members will come in to look at the photos and vote. A local store could get a real buzz with a promotion like this. While there is no obvious direct sales imperative, the traffic and word of mouth should drive good business.
Stand up comedy in store. Invite local comedians to try out their stand up routines with your customers. While you would need to be careful about content, such an event would show the store supporting local artists and it could bring some fun to quiet retail times.
Crazy tie day. While this has been done before plenty of times, you could kick it up with an amazing tie display – collect these from local Goodwill stores, invite customers to donate. As with the theme days idea, interact with customers and offer a prize for the best / worst.
These seven ideas are the tip of the iceberg for in-store promotions. They are designed to kick start your own thinking, to pursue what its right for your specific type of retail business.
The key here is to give everyone who works in the shop permission to have fun, and nurture fun.
Retail is very much about the shopping experience. While good customer service and a friendly shopping experience are vital, sometimes it is the wonderful unexpected experience which can get people talking about a business.
Selling is the lifeblood of retail, especially local small business retail.
It takes skill, stamina and creativity yet it is often treated as one of the lowest roles in an organization. Smart retailers help their sales staff improve their skills to better serve the business and its customers.
Some salespeople are naturals while others work hard to learn the skills. Everyone, no matter how experienced can improve. Take a moment to consider these five steps to better selling.
Be in the moment. Focus on the customer in front of you, listen and respond to their needs. Genuinely care, don’t just act like you care. The personal connection they feel from and with you is more likely to bring them back into the store than almost anything else including product and price. If you are not comfortable with developing such a personal connection then maybe retail is not for you.
Understand what you sell. Knowledge is king, even more so in retail. By knowing everything there is to know about the products you sell you make yourself more valuable to the business and to its customers. Good employees spend personal time learning about the products and how they are of value to their customers.
Enjoy yourself. Smiles and laughter are infectious. If you are happy your customers are more likely to be happy. Happy customers are more relaxed about spending money. But don’t fake it as fakes can be spotted. Know what makes you happy about your job and embrace this. Never be afraid to bring i bit of your personal self to the shop floor or the sales counter.
Know when to be quiet. Some shoppers like to be told what to buy but most prefer to make their own choices. It is important to spot the difference and know when to leave a shopper to make their own decision. Provide the information important to the decision but leave them space to make the decision for themselves.
Selling is a service. Too often, especially in busy retail environments, selling is seen as production line work. If this is how it is treated then the experience will be less personal and memorable for the shopper. If you treat it as a service and understand that service does matter, you focus on the service as the point of difference. This change in mindset alone can lead to considerable change in a retail business.
So how to these steps increase retail sales? It all comes down to the service delivered being better than elsewhere: more personal, friendlier, more knowledgeable and genuine. Combined, these attributes make for a unique shopping experience in today’s cookie-cutter obsessed retail world.
Retail employees who see retail as a career will do well for their businesses and for their careers by embracing these steps.
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