1. Holland & Barrett
Staff at Holland & Barrett undergo a rigorous training programme which qualifies them to give nutritional advice on the products they sell. This means they will be able to give customers reliable advice on the range of products on offer and in turn the customer will feel comforted knowing that they are being advised by experts.
Having staff trained on your product range is a way of being able to offer expert advice, especially if the product you sell is either a new or specialist product, such as vaping products or computer accessories.
Whilst Holland & Barrett work with Ofqual to tailor their product training assessment and qualification programme, there may be general qualifications that you or your staff can take to help.
2. Samsung
Tech giant Samsung offer fantastic in store advice. The Samsung sales advisers are all given a piece of technology to use in their personal lives, which gives them the opportunity to find out all the pros and cons of the products. They can then pass this information on to customers to assist with sales.
Whether you run an electrical appliance shop or an independent convenience store, there will always be products that your staff can try out, whether it is an ex-display model vacuum cleaner, or a new frozen food product that you want to introduce to your customers. This allows your staff to experience the products and feedback to customers to encourage sales.
For a convenience store, you could even put a few words together about some of your favourite brands in the shop and put the information around the shelves.
3. Lakeland
Lakeland is a home store, specialising in kitchenware, such as cooking and baking equipment, but also sells storage, cleaning and electrical goods. Lakeland often has in-store demonstrations for their products, where customers can see how they work and what they are like to use. Most stores offer this service but their store in Reading even points this out as a main reason to shop at their store.
Product demonstrations aren’t exactly new in the retail industry, but there may be products that you sell that may get overlooked for a demonstration or a taste test. Why not take an inventory of your stock to see if there are any units that may not sell as well as others and allow customers to try it. A US study found that a soft drink given away as a free sample led to a 38% increase in sales.
4. Apple
Tech giants Apple may have over 500 stores across the globe, but one of the things that they pride themselves on is the service that is offered in every store. Apple’s stores all have a Genius Bar, where you will be able to talk to an Apple genius, who can offer immediate support on your products.
The Apple geniuses are trained and qualified to be able to offer advice and support about any software or hardware issues and even repair products if necessary. Having this kind of free service is a great way of bringing customers into your shop. Knowing about your products, any faults they have and how to fix them can offer your customers a quick fix to any problems and should have them returning to you again and again.
