Introduction to retail sales management

- Retail is continuously evolving. If we want to succeed, we need to provide immense value to our customers. I've written books on customer loyalty and worked with some of the biggest brands in the world. I recognized that loyal customers are the beating heart of a great business. We need to cultivate and nurture those customer relationships. In retail, it's becoming more challenging than ever to keep customers engaged and excited about doing business with us. To be an effective retail sales manager there are a few key tips that you need to keep in mind all the time. First, have a pulse on your customer base. Is your customer base changing? Is it growing? Or is it decreasing? This is where you can proactively take efforts to make sure your business is growing the way you want it to. Why is it growing or changing? Is an online retail offering a different or new experience? Are new competitors showing up? These are the types of things that you need to be aware of. Second, remember that customer service is everything. Customer service actions can include the things you do to make a customer feel happy, or to surprise and delight a customer, or to deal with a specific situation that a customer might be having. In today's world, many businesses have found that by giving their employees more power and the ability to make decisions it has dramatically improved their customer service. It's important to give your people the discretion or at least some leeway to do what they think is necessary and within reason to please the customer. Third, you can't get comfortable when things are good. Too many businesses have thought that they can outlast changes in the marketplace, but for the majority of them, this hasn't worked out as planned. I tell my clients that they need to be continuously trying to disrupt themselves. Look for ways to change your experience for your customers and your employees and always be looking for ways to reduce friction in the experience. I refer to friction as the thing that makes the experience difficult or time-consuming, or confusing. Think of your customer traveling down a slide. The goal is to make the experience as smooth and as efficient as possible. Utilize these retail strategies and you'll be well on your way to achieving great success. If you can keep these on your mind all the time, you'll be performing at a level above and beyond many of your competitors.