EMPOWERED ASSOCIATES = IMPROVED EXPERIENCES

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1 EMPOWERED ASSOCIATES = IMPROVED EXPERIENCES Giving sales staff the resources they need to succeed in retail A RETAIL DIVE PLAYBOOK

2 The role of the store associate in today s retail landscape is in flux. As many retailers adopt new technology to give consumers the shopping experience they desire online and in store, the store associate is often at a loss as to how they can aid in the process. Compound that with many customers entering a store believing they are more knowledgeable than the associate, and you have a clutch of employees who are unsure of their role in the store and the company overall. Despite this, most consumers still want and rely on store associates to help them through the shopping experience. Being able to provide consumers with the experience that meets their known and unknown needs is something that store associates can provide, given they have the necessary resources to help them. 2

3 Today s Retailer, Yesterday s Associate There is no single mold a store associate fits into in today s retail landscape. Rather, an associate s role changes and varies depending on a store s vertical. In apparel, for example, says Marty Yaskowich, vice president of retail customer development for iqmetrix, a store associate is the personification of a brand, and emblematic of what that brand experience should be. But at a retailer that sells, say, consumer electronics, sales associates are expected to be product experts, understanding and able to communicate the nuances among different brands of televisions or smartphones. Across all verticals, there is one common thread. Store associates need to be able to move the customer along in their journey, Yaskowich says. No matter at which point the customer enters the store whether he or she is there to compare, in pre-shop mode, or ready to buy an associate has to be able to identify that point and tailor the experience to each customer. The problem, however, is that retail is in flux, says Chuck Palmer, retail strategist. Some retailers are savvy enough to put resources toward enhancing the consumer experience, bringing in new technology that allows retailers to train their staff in more engaged, more cultivated selling. But many retailers today still haven t provided their associates with the right tools to create that positive, augmented experience for consumers. Even when the right technology is available, store associates are often 3

4 Looking at retail at a very c-suite level, those people don t live and breathe their stores on a daily basis. The people who work in the stores do. Chuck Palmer, Retail Strategist left untrained or unsure of how to employ it to a consumer s benefit. What seemed like a great idea in the c-suite falls flat on the sales floor. Looking at retail at a very c-suite level, those people don t live and breathe their stores on a daily basis, Palmer says. The people who work in the stores do. And they re often at a loss as to the vision of the store, or the new technology in the store. What s more, store associates are often required to keep their phones or tablets stashed away while shoppers enter stores with product knowledge in hand, and the ability to call up reviews and price comparisons with a few taps on their smartphone. Asking sales associates to leave their phones in their locker because we don t want them distracted by friends texting them or social media means taking away the tools they need, Yaskowich explains. We re tying their hands behind their back and pushing them onto the floor expecting them to be great, but we re not equipping them with the tools they need to have a fair fight with a consumer. By pairing the right technology that store associates can use with a heightened experience in the context of a brand, adds Palmer, retailers are closer to something that is successful and sustainable. As new technologies emerge, the opportunity for store associates to better engage with consumers increases. 4

5 Improvements for one, Benefits for All Palmer notes that by harnessing day-to-day services and information about products and consumers, organizations can enhance an associate s role in the store. But before the technology can be useful, Palmer adds that retailers need to train associates on the more emotional side of sales, and help them learn how consumers feel about themselves, and how the products or devices make them feel. The people who do that the best are intuitive and understand a person s body language, Palmer notes. And they can build a relationship with a consumer over time. Once store associates can better engage with consumers emotionally, using appropriate technology can help them in creating a more personalized experience. For example, creating profiles for consumers that track likes and dislikes, making future shopping excursions more productive and enjoyable. We should be able to tailor services and tailor experiences to individuals, Palmer says. The more that the human in the space can do that, the better it will be for the brand they re selling, the retailer, and the consumer. There s a big opportunity in that. The people who do that the best are intuitive and understand a person s body language. Chuck Palmer, Retail Strategist 5

6 As new technologies emerge they also give rise to increased automation in the shopping process. A July 2016 McKinsey article 1 estimates that 53% of retail activities are automatable, depending on the sector. While automation may take over the more black-and-white transactional processes, the store associates that remain in the retail space can command a bigger part of the shopping experience. Yaskowich notes that as sales associates step away from the role of simply scanning barcodes and taking payments they step toward brand ambassadorship. They become brand storytellers, an essential part of the sales process, rather than the transaction process. Part of that process, he adds, is knowing product details and being able to compare products with consumers along their shopping journey. As both the retail environment and the role of store associate change, understanding the new landscape requires educating store associates on the technology available to them and their place in the store s ecosphere. The National Retail Federation is doing this with the launch of the RISE Up (Retail Industry Skills & Education) program, a credentialing initiative designed to help people acquire the skills they need to secure jobs and create promising careers in retail. The program will address in-store, digital, and mobile commerce, and 21 retailers, such as Brooks Brothers, BJ s Wholesale Club, Target, and Wendy s Company have pledged support for the program. 2 They become brand storytellers, an essential part of the sales process, rather than the transaction process. Marty Yaskowich, Vice President of Retail Customer Development for iqmetrix

7 Technology for a Better Future The benefits of well-employed technology in retail are obvious at a macro-level moving more products and a better bottom line for the retailer. On a more individualized basis, down to the level of store associate, they are just as favorable. Putting tablets and mobile phones back in the hands of associates can help them achieve better success. Palmer points to examples of stores experimenting with sales associates having these technologies for inventory information to directly serve customers. It s the idea of not leaving the sales floor, and having runners get the shoes and bring them to the sales people as a support mechanism, Palmer explains. You re adding in a layer of digital technology for complex information, which gives sales people confidence to go forward with a sale. 7

8 The boom of omnichannel services in retail can also add to the store associate s success. Depending on how these services are deployed can build trust that the retailer and its associates is efficient and able to fix problems when they arise, says Palmer. If you came up with a rallying cry for store associates, it would be Yes, We Have It. Chuck Palmer, Retail Strategist Some retailers are reframing their omnichannel services to better meet the needs of their consumers. It s about the selection in the privacy of your home or office, on your mobile or desktop, and then going into the store and having it ready for you, Palmer says. He likens the service to high-end retailers such as Neiman Marcus, who keep track of their clients and their clients needs, and can pull out wardrobe selections as needed with ease, building a stronger consumer-retailer relationship. Ultimately, offering omnichannel services means being able to fulfill on the immediacy of buying lest retailers lose the sale and the consumer to another retailer. To do that requires a concerted effort from the associate and the retailer, and an integrated ecosystem of technologies to do it seamlessly. If you came up with a rallying cry for store associates, it would be Yes, We Have It, he says. Store associates should never have to say no to a customer. 8

9 The logistics of getting that product which is where retail falls down in most cases today whether the consumer walks out with it in hand, or it is delivered to them in 24 hours, that is the minimum. Technology, he adds, allows for that. Technology should always be about being able to deliver a yes, Yaskowich says. For a store associate, you need to be able to deliver on that level of experience. And for the retailer you need to be able to deliver on the inventory you don t have on hand. You may have great e-commerce experience, and you may have great in-store experience, but the two aren t necessarily talking to each other, he continues. And that s what a lot of brands struggle with. Brands that invest in a technology suite that works well together are the ones that can fulfill against consumer expectations, and the promise to consumers that says, when you interact with us, you get what you want, he adds. You may have great e-commerce experience, and you may have great in-store experience, but the two aren t necessarily talking to each other. Marty Yaskowich, Vice President of Retail Customer Development for iqmetrix At every one of these stages there s an opportunity for software to pull the consumer along that journey, Yaskowich notes. That s the role for that technology. There are a lot of different spaces and places that the technology can support the desires of the consumer. And at the end of the day the consumer s expectation of the personalization of the experience is higher than it has ever been. 9

10 CONCLUSION Consumers today want it all. They want to shop when and where it is convenient for them, and they also want knowledgeable associates who can help guide their shopping journey. By blending the associate s role and empowering them with knowledge and appropriate technologies consumers needs and wants can be easily met, creating a winning situation for consumers and retailers alike. 10

11 ABOUT iqmetrix Founded by wireless retailers, iqmetrix is the leading provider of innovative software solutions for the wireless market. With platform-built, metrics-driven products from POS and full-suite retail management software, to endless aisle, drop ship, e-commerce, and digital signage, iqmetrix has taken its unique understanding of the pain points in the industry to create better experiences for wireless retailers and their customers. Currently powering over 19,000 wireless locations, iqmetrix is a software as a service (SaaS) company with offices in Canada and the U.S. LEARN MORE