Retail | How to

If you’ve landed on this post, chances are you’re looking to increase sales in your store. Maybe you’re experiencing a sales slump. Or perhaps things are going great and you want to keep the momentum. 

Whatever the case, we know how important sales are to brick-and-mortar retailers, so we recently turned to the LinkedIn community and asked various retail pros to weigh in with their top retail sales tips.

We compiled some of the best answers in this post, along with additional commentary, tips.

1. Make customers feel safe in your store

In the age of COVID-19, one of the best things you can do to drive traffic and sales is to instill confidence in your customers. Because of the pandemic, many of your customers are worried about their health and safety. 

To win them over, start by clearly communicating your health and safety measures. Explain all that you’re doing to keep people safe in your location, then use multiple channels to get the word out.

Target is one example of a store that covers all of its channels when communicating COVID-19 updates.

And see to it that your in-store employees are actively implementing those measures. The last thing you want is for shoppers to call you out for now walking the talk. Hire the right people, and make sure you have a strong communication and training procedure in place so that employees know exactly what to do in-store.

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And see to it that your in-store employees are actively implementing those measures. The last thing you want is for shoppers to call you out for now walking the talk. Hire the right people, and make sure you have a strong communication and training procedure in place so that employees know exactly what to do in-store.

And see to it that your in-store employees are actively implementing those measures. The last thing you want is for shoppers to call you out for now walking the talk. Hire the right people, and make sure you have a strong communication and training procedure in place so that employees know exactly what to do in-store.

2. Ensure that your store shows up in online search results

Now more than ever, consumers are turning to Google to find stores and products. Make sure that you’re showing up whenever they conduct a search relevant to your business. If you sell baby clothes, for example, then you want nearby customers to find your business whenever they run a search for a “baby clothing store near me.”

You can do this by setting up business listings on Google, Yelp, Facebook, and other platforms. When creating your profile, add in as many details as possible. These include:

• Name, address, and phone number (Important: Ensure that these details          are identical to what’s listed on your site and any other listings.)
• Accurate business hours
• Lots of reviews
• Lots of visual content including recent photos, and if possible, a virtual tour of your store. It takes a bit of extra time, but doing this will make your listing more attractive and, as a result, drive more traffic to your location and website.

3. Be smart about your sales targets

One of the keys to boosting your retail revenue is setting sales targets. For starters, you want to make sure that you’re establishing the right sales goals — i.e., those that are challenging but achievable.

As retail expert Kevin Graff puts it:

“Goals should be achieved at least 70% of the time. If not, they’re too high and risk de-motivating your staff,” he wrote. “By the same token, if goals are achieved 90% or more of the time they’re too low and aren’t pushing your staff.”

4.Have strong in-store visuals

Allow us to state the obvious: people won’t buy unappealing products, which is why having strong in-store visuals is key. Here’s are some general guidelines to follow:

• Make your displays multidimensional by varying their visual elements. Add height, color, or depth whenever possible.
• Have a focal point so people know which items or details to focus on. Displays that are too busy or distracting will just overwhelm your customers.
• Make them useful or interactive. Help people see your products in action. Create displays that show your products in use or allow shoppers to try them out.
• Keep things neat and tidy. An organized space doesn’t just look good, it also allows customers to find what they need faster, thus aiding the buying experience.
• Display your best products front and center. As Piero Ferrari, a customer service representative at Premise LED Inc., says, it’s ideas to “always have a display of your best products at the store entrance, regardless of price.” According to him, doing so “communicates what you are capable of and it’s a great conversation starter for the staff.”

5.Have a simple loyalty program

“To implement a loyalty program that’s customized to your audience that can track and incentivize customer lifetime value and higher ROI from your top 20% of customers,” advises Michael Spencer, a content manager, and futurist.

If you haven’t done so yet, establish a program that rewards your best customers. It doesn’t have to be too complicated. 

6. Recognize that retail success doesn’t just come down to just one thing

Last but not least, remember that an increase in sales is typically a result of the combination of various retail practices done right. You can’t just take one tip and expect it to transform your business. Recognize that increasing sales requires a solid strategy and an integrated approach.

As Simon Webster, a sales executive at Oudoria puts it: 

We are heading into such an exciting time for independent retail. I believe there are five key pillars to successful independent retail:

• Store attention
• Managing Inventory
• Passionate staff who ask the right questions and want to sell
• Genuine customer care
• Shopping experience

Get all those 5 pillars right, and you’re bound to see positive results — in sales and your business overall.

Opensource.