The art and science of the personalized sale

Transcription

1 The art and science of the personalized sale

2 Summary 7 5 Tips for Expert Sales Associates 9 Accelerating Sales with Cegid through omnichannel in-store services 3 The Art and Science of the Personalized Sale Leveraging Technology to Empower Your Retail Team 10 Cegid in Action: The Vilebrequin Story 5 The Expanding Role of the Modern Sales Associate 11 Captivating Customers for Higher Revenue 6 Empowering Your Sales Associates 2

3 Leveraging technology to empower your retail team When it comes to the retail world, the customer reigns supreme. Ecommerce and mobile applications have transformed the retail landscape, providing shoppers with immediate access to product information, reviews and demonstrations. These customers have also begun to expect shopping experiences that are tailored to their preferences, which means retailers must offer knowledgeable sales associates and personalized service to maximize profitability. The role of the salesperson has become more important as on and offline shopping journeys have merged. Customers have the power to purchase something as soon as they spot it on Instagram or see it as a featured product on their favorite blog. This kind of 24/7 spontaneity can spark rising sales. To provide seamless service across both digital and offline touchpoints, forward-thinking brands are transforming their stores into digitally-connected hubs that integrate all sales channels and social networks, By using data insights to expand staff knowledge and deepen the customer relationship, these retailers are turning new technologies into rising revenue. 3

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5 The expanding role of the modern sales associate In the early days of ecommerce, many stakeholders predicted brick and mortar stores would become less popular. Instead, buyers came up with their own ways of merging online convenience with in-person assistance, such as browsing on websites and then trying items in-store. Today s shopper may take advantage of online consumer reviews and YouTube product demonstrations, but most still prefer to rely on the expertise of an informed sales associate, as a recent Pew Research Center survey found. 64 percent of shoppers indicate that they prefer buying from physical stores to buying online, while 84 percent say it s important to be able to ask questions about their purchase. 1 Multiple sales channels have tasked the modern retail sales associate with acquiring an expanded skill set. At one time, a salesperson s job began when televisions, cosmetics or sneakers arrived at the store from the warehouse. The salesperson had to sell to shoppers who were essentially strangers, using persuasion and basic product knowledge. Once the purchase was complete, they moved on to the next stranger who walked in the door. Today s shoppers view a brand as one entity whether they are dealing with its website, store or social media channels. A customer may buy a product online, return it in-store, ask to buy a different out of stock item, and request shipment to their vacation home. That customer also expects to merge online offers with an in-store experience. An Accenture survey of global retail consumers found that 50 percent want to receive real-time promotions, 43 percent want to automatically credit those coupons and discounts, and 39 percent want to easily order out of stock items while shopping in store. As the survey said, Retailer capabilities that were nice to have are becoming must haves. 2 To provide good service and assist with payments, refunds, online orders and special shipping, the sales associate must be connected to the entire retailer ecosystem. In some stores, they may even be expected to demonstrate products, lead workshops or host special in-store events for loyalty club members. Expanded responsibilities can create bonds between retail staff and shoppers that replicate the sort of small town relationship customers enjoyed at a neighborhood barber shop or local cafe. These bonds can increase sales, given that 84 percent of shoppers prefer to buy from sellers they are personally familiar with. 3 And, while these relationships have seemed almost impossible in an age of international brands and big box stores, sales associates are now using technology to make personal connections to help ensure the brand never misses a sale anytime, anywhere. Sales associates can use technology to make personal connections that help ensure the brand never misses a sale no matter where and what the customer is buying. REFERENCES: 1. Online Shopping and E-Commerce, Pew Research Center, Accenture Consumer Research Survey, Online Shopping and E-Commerce, Pew Research Center,

6 Empowering your sales associate To help shoppers partner digital convenience with a human touch, your sales associate should serve both as ambassador of your brand and a personal advisor to your customer. One Wharton retail study showed that knowledgeable sales associates can increase sales by 23 percent, which is why smart organizations equip their staff with the information required to take an individualized approach to each shopper. When empowered with data, the associate can consider the customer s background: are they a first-time shopper? A brand loyalist? Someone considering switching their allegiance from a competitor? By understanding the customer s product needs, payment preferences and more, the sales associate can leave generic, hard sells behind and, instead, offer empathetic service and recommendations tailored to individual interests. In addition to providing customer insights, product information is also crucial for sales associates. Today s customers typically research products online before buying, which means your staff must be as informed as their shoppers. 4 Of course, it is much easier for a customer to research one product than it is for a sales associate to memorize your entire inventory but the right technology offers empowerment. Knowledgeable sales associates can increase sales by 23 percent. REFERENCES: 4. Want to Stop Retail Showrooming? Start Training Your Staff, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, September

7 5 tips for expert sales associates Help your Sales Associates know your customers as well as they know your brand - giving them the ability to browse customer history, preferences, loyalty, etc, in order to tailor their service and recommendations Maintain a centralized digital catalog Your sales staff should be able to see all product and inventory information through a centralized catalog that covers digital, physical, retail and ecommerce updates. In addition to providing a unified view, you can classify your products by customer segment or use case, making it quick and easy for your staff to connect each customer with the right product. Mobilize your salesforce Your customers are checking their phones in your stores, looking up reviews, price comparisons and alternate products. To ensure your sales associates have access to the right information anytime, wherever they are on the shop floor, empower them with connected mobile devices. Thanks to these, they can quickly acquire a complete view of both the customer s needs and product options, intensifying their role as the solution expert. Keep your staff brand-educated Customers expect your sales associates to know about new products and seasonal collections. Push this content out to your staff s mobile devices so they can stay one step ahead of the consumer. This fosters confidence and gives customers a reason to walk into the store to learn information they cannot find online. Pursue the purchase purpose Instead of asking customers only what they are looking for, your sales associates should ask why they are looking for it. Maybe they are moving into a new home, buying a birthday gift or going on vacation. These insights lead to meaningful conversations and often additional purchases because your staff is now empowered with additional data to make appropriate recommendations for personalized interactions and heighten customer satisfaction. Offer takeaways customers can share As omniscient as your top sales staff may seem, customers will still turn to family and friends for their opinions before buying. Make it easy by offering digital takeaways and product collateral that can showcase the product benefits, keep interest high and even intrigue some of the friends being consulted. The ability for customers to show off their pending purchase on social media, means additional visibility for your brand. While these tips will help your sales associates keep up with well-informed customers, the right technology can maximize sales even further. By taking an omnichannel approach that connects on and offline worlds, your organization can offer shoppers exceptional service no matter what channel they connect on. 7

8 Accelerating sales with Cegid through omnichannel in-store services 8

9 As a retailer, you can only provide a modern shopping experience if your staff is quickly able to access realtime customer and inventory information. Cegid s Shopping software platform makes this possible with an-instore unified commerce solution that empowers today s sales associates with the knowledge they need to increase sales and deepen customer relationships. Shopping offers full omnichannel services that cater to shoppers individual needs, including popular options such as buying items online and picking them up instore or having merchandise shipped from one store to a more convenient location. Any barriers to purchase are diminished by the number of product and shipping options available, so that sales can be closed no matter where the customer is or what they need. One of the key elements of Shopping is that it combines all the omnichannel scenarios in a single point of sale solution and transaction, said Davy Dauvergne, Product Manager, North America. Whatever the customer wants, whether it s to pick up their goods or ship their sale to another place, Shopping can do it. In addition, the Cataloging module displays the full inventory in stores, warehouses and networks in real time. Even in stores of limited floor space, sales associates can show off the store s entire product lines to shoppers, including new releases. By giving customers access to the full inventory, sales associates can drive an expanded transaction value and increase the likelihood the customer finds the product they need rather than going to a competitor. Shopping gives you the ability to classify your catalog by segments like men, women or children or by use cases, said Dauvergne. You can create a category in the morning with sales reps accessing to use with customers that day. One best practice is to have the salesperson find out what the customer is looking for and classify the product based on its category. They not only further engage that consumer, but help them find the most appropriate products. product. When I talk to luxury brands, they are often looking for what we call four hands support where both the customer and the sales associate share the screen together, Dauvergne comments. Shopping lets buyers and their sales advisors collaborate the buying experience as partners and allows shoppers to share purchase information with family and friends. Shopping s Clienteling feature makes information available across every level and location of staff, rather than keeping ecommerce, customer service and store data in silos. A complete view of the buyer s on and offline shopping journeys can include past purchases, preferences, birthdays, abandoned online shopping carts, social media interactions and more. In addition to helping leaders and marketers identify relevant trends and develop meaningful campaigns, the Clienteling feature also provides sales associates with the real-time insights they need to offer informed conversations. All data is there to enable the sales associate understand customer habits and history and personalize the relationship, Dauvergne said. By tailoring their sales approach to each customer, each associate can make customers feel understood, recommend products for their specific needs and share tips for getting the most out of their purchases. Shopping enables the seamless experience across online, in-store and all other sales channels sought by the 85 percent of retailers who are prioritizing a transition to unified commerce. 4 Instead of sales associates lacking answers to customer questions or sales missed due to certain delivery or ordering options not being available, brands can accelerate sales and drive higher levels of revenue. Shopping is also a customer-facing tool, one that allows customers to share pictures showcasing the Cegid s Shopping solution helps sales associates deliver tailored customer shopping experiences and dismantles barriers to purchase. REFERENCES: 4. Acosta, Spring

10 Cegid in action: the Vilebrequin story Luxury swimwear brand Vilebrequin sells between 500 and 600 styles of beach, travel and winter wear items, including bathing suits designed by top designers like Karl Lagerfeld. With items redistributed across 900 stores, the company wanted to maximize sales effectiveness and so leaders began using Cegid 14 years ago to bolster their sales force and solve procurement, merchandising, inventory, deliveries and billing challenges. Cegid s point of sale (POS) solution also contributed to boutique expansion across Europe and into the United States, becoming the company s top sales channel. Last year the management team noticed that more than 60 percent of visits to Vilebrequin.com were coming from a smartphone or tablet. They moved to a mobile-first website strategy and improved the ecommerce site and the flow between sales channels, doubling sales. To continue momentum, they also digitized their stores, mapping out an omnichannel buying journey. Now customers who buy an item online can choose to have it delivered or pick it up in-store. Using Cegid s Clienteling module, in-store sales associates have access to all historical customer information collected online to anticipate additional needs, which helps give leaders a 360 view of their buyers. In boutiques, associates are equipped with digital and mobile tools that run multiple Cegid modules such as Clienteling, Cataloging, Shopping and Yourcegid Retail. This allows staff to showcase the entire Vilebrequin collection to customers, as some locations have varying or limited inventory. If an item is not available in the store, the sales associate simply orders it for the customer at that moment in time. Currently Vilebrequin is adding a new option for nearimmediate delivery a valuable option for vacationers who often quickly need a new bathing suit to enjoy the beach or their hotel pool. The company will make the purchased suit available at the nearest store or deliver to the hotel within two hours. This is another example of how Cegid supports Vilebrequin in offering omnichannel services to ensure they never miss a sale. 10

11 Captivating customers for higher revenue The future holds buyers prioritizing the most vibrant shopping experience they can find. With new technologies like interactive retail kiosks and dynamic digital shelving on the way, the most successful companies will be those that adopt unified commerce strategies to transform their retail strategy. Not only will they collect the data necessary for all-encompassing customer portraits, they will craft new omnichannel pathways to offer faster convenience and more personalized service. Today s shopper is always looking for a better and newer product and knowledgeable sales associates can open the door to a more captivating customer experience to accelerate sales across channels and build brand loyalty. 11

12 Never miss a sale! Seize every opportunity to open new avenues for growth with a unified, personalized shopping experience across all channels; in-store, online, any time, anywhere. Learn how we can help retail@cegid.com Visit: Follow us on social media Carlsbad 2701 Loker Ave W, Suite 240 Carlsbad, CA New York Rockefeller Center 1270 Ave. of the Americas, Suite 807 New York, NY