TRAINING

New Year Training

Adopting a new way of working, and a new approach to your customers, could be the route to success in the season ahead, says Helena Cotter

When we look back, 2021 has been quite a year, hasn’t it? Back to work/ not back to work, strict measures, working from home (WFH), masks/no masks, and all the other issues that add to the way we are continually having to adapt to change in our personal lives and business worlds.

When we look forward to 2022, I really believe it has the potential to be an incredible year.

Here are some tips and hints to help you and your team get the most out of your business and create a win-win for both you and your customers...

1 Become a super leader

If you currently have no other employees, you are still at the coalface so to speak, and are therefore responsible for leading and guiding your business to great success. As time moves on, you will naturally grow your business. When you eventually employ any staff, it will be vital to have everything in place to be able to translate the message, your mission statement, the way you’d like things done, your systems etc. seamlessly to new people.

So what makes a super leader? ✔ Honesty ✔ Being accountable ✔ Having vision – knowing where you want your business to go – and how your team can help you all get there ✔ Integrity ✔ Demonstrating influence and being influential both in your business and in the industry ✔ A positive role model ✔ Empathy/compassion ✔ Energy/drive/motivation ✔ Working with flexibility ✔ Getting onto the shop floor. Engaging in personal, face-to-face communication with customers and your team. Being physically present is indispensable when monitoring what is happening day to day

2 What do your customers want and expect from you?

We now live in a world where first- class customer service and care is more potent, and has a larger part to play than the price of your gowns and other products you may offer.

Your customer experience, and how you deliver exceptional service and care, can be the definitive deciding factor about whether your customers will want to buy from you or not.

Each step of your customer’s journey, from the initial contact – telephone, email, or SMS – to finding them the dress of their dreams, has to be consistent throughout their remote encounters and, indeed, appointments with you.

When we think about the customer experience, it goes without saying that customers expect it to be positive from the get go. That is why a good deal of bridal boutiques now charge for appointments because customers are willing to pay good money for the best experience. If you currently do not charge, you may wish to... particularly at weekends.

During my own research, it appears that charging a fee for an appointment/booking, leads to less cancellations, and ultimately more sales as the customer already feels they have financially and emotionally committed to you.

I understand the hesitancy from some retailers. However, if everyone charges it will soon become the norm and customers won’t even question it.

3 Listening

Your customers are talking about you and your business all the time. Do you know what they are saying? How can you monitor what they say?

You might alternate between what are regarded as traditional ways of communicating – for instance by using the telephone (underused secret weapon), and/or emailing your

YOUR MESSAGE It needs to be concise, attentiongrabbing, and confirmation that you know your business, and your customers’ needs

customers.

Not forgetting – and it is crucial today – you can, of course, use social listening to find out and understand what your customers are saying about you and your business.

You may wish to conduct a survey. You could make it anonymous as customers will feel more inclined to communicate openly and honestly.

When you have this information, you can tailor your business to suit your customers, without moving away from your core values – your business model, if you like – and your goals, which are what makes you special and help you stand out from any competition.

4 Getting your unique message across

The secret is to master the art of capturing your customers with the right message at the right time, and in the right way. So, what does that mean for you in 2022?

Where can your customers be found? Online. How do you think they’d prefer to be in communication with you? Digitally.

Embrace the digital revolution in all your communications and marketing strategies.

Here are the most common and effective methods for communicating your customers: ✔ Your business website – your new shop window! Keep it up to date and relevant. Websites can often be overlooked in favour of social media ✔ Email campaign ✔ Social media promotions/ announcements/news ✔ Search engine marketing

The more you spread your message by incorporating multiple online, digital platforms, the more you will appeal to your customers because you will be speaking their modern language and can help provide a joined up, tailored, customer- friendly experience one that they will understand. carefully in what can be choppy waters. Be guided by your customer, their acceptance of you and faith in you, because long term relationship and rapport building are key.

Product knowledge training is essential. This will give your customers extra confidence in your abilities. Not knowing answers to questions can eat away at their trust in you.

They may decide to leave without buying a dress simply because they are not convinced, and do not feel positive about your presentation. It’s hard to restore that confidence and start to build rapport again once it’s lost.

Ending on a high note, never forget, you are the absolute best in Retail. I really believe that. Keep up the brilliant work and I wish you all the very best in 2022!

Helena Cotter

E: info@helenacotter.co.uk www.helenacotter.co.uk Insta: hccoaching Twitter: @HCSalesTrainer Linkedin: Helena Cotter

Experience Counts

5 Offering the easiest and best buying experience:

It is so important to ensure that you and your staff are fully trained before stepping over the threshold into the workplace. Training to sell goes without saying. The world of sales has changed dramatically over the years, and it is vital to keep up to date and stay on the customer’s wavelength. Systems and techniques you may have relied on that have worked for you over the years, probably won’t work today.

Manipulation is a no-no. High pressure and pushy selling techniques should be confined to history.

Having said that, there is a fine line between being assertive and pushy. The last thing you want to become is a pushover. So, negotiate and tread An amazing 73% of customers say their experience and how they are treated is an important factor in any purchase decision they make. A whopping 65% of customers say that for them, their remote encounters and appointment experience is more important, and a has a larger influence and bearing on their decision to buy than any advertising campaign you may choose to run.