12/1/15
In the competitive retail landscape, staff must be prepared to assist and provide the best device recommendations to a wide range of personality types and customer demographics.
How can managers ensure members of their sales teams are prepared for any type of customer, particularly those who might need a little extra help? General selling and customer interaction skills, such as mirroring customer behaviors and asking questions that reveal information about preferences and budget, are definitely important.
However, reps also need to develop skills to gauge customer demographic cues, anticipate their needs, and speak to them on their own terms. This is particularly true of potential customers who are older adults or senior citizens.
Sales staff shouldn’t assume that their older customers are clueless about PC devices or technology in general. One 15-year study completed by Pew Research Center* and released earlier this year shows that while older adults have lagged behind younger adults in the adoption of the Internet, now 58 percent of senior citizens use it.
Compared to previous generations, today’s older adults are far more tech-savvy and knowledgeable about digital devices and trends.
While they might need a bit more guidance and explanation than younger customers, sales reps should be careful about "talking down" to older customers or accidentally calling into question their level of knowledge. Doing so might jeopardize customer loyalty and an otherwise smooth sale.
The term “older adult” is perceived differently by different people and a lot of it has to do with one’s own age. Whatever the perception of “older” is, it’s important for people on the sales floor to remember that older adults are working longer than ever, some even well into their seventies. Those shoppers will be interested in devices that can handle a variety of tasks for both work and leisure.
However, many older adults are retired or getting close to the retirement stage of life and are less interested in the bells, whistles, and clock speeds of devices. They are usually more interested in the features, functionalities, and technologies in devices that will make their lives easier and better.
Examples include:
It’s important for staff to know about the features and functionalities of products they sell and translate those into customer benefits. Doing so allows older adults to clearly understand the great impact these devices can have on their lives.
Older customers aren't just buying for themselves, they're often buying for others too. It’s important for reps to understand the customer’s wants or needs as well as which devices might best address those wants and needs.
For instance, those purchasing devices for their gaming-enthusiast grandkids might not know that processor power is critical to gaming performance. With the right training, sales reps can explain these connections in clear detail.
Reps who understand the motivations and intentions of their customers are better positioned to make relevant suggestions, close sales, and maximize the customer's buying power.
Compared to younger customers who might still be enrolled in school or working at entry-level positions, older adults tend to have more disposable income. As a result, they're more likely to seek higher-end devices as well as complementary products and accessories.
Older adult customers are also receptive to opinions about durability, longevity, and multi-functionality. Reps should harness these tendencies of this customer demographic and recommend upgrading to newly released premium devices or purchasing add-on or complimentary products.
Equipped with product knowledge and the right communication strategies, sales reps can harness the buying power of older adult customers to increase sales and create lasting customer relationships.
Selling tablets, 2-in-1s, smartphones, and other devices to older adults is a great way to tap into an underserved customer market and boost your store's sales figures.
Of course, it's a much easier task when you've got a team of knowledgeable sales reps to support your efforts. The Intel® Retail Edge Program empowers your sales team to sell to customers of all ages. Participating in online learning modules, sales tutorials, and more bolsters their knowledge and confidence on the sales floor.
Find out how you can set your sales reps up for success with every customer of any age who walks into your store.
*Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
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