All of your store's customers either are or were first-time shoppers at some point in time. Congratulate yourself on your return customers but ask yourself if you and your sales staff are doing enough to convert first-time visitors to repeat customers. Are sales associates trying to identify new customers? Do they work at making a warm, lasting impression that inspire customers to return? Do they know what questions to ask to uncover customer needs?

There’s an old saying, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”  In the competitive tech retail market, it’s crucial to make an impressive first impression. Not doing so can impact sales.

What’s in a Name?

Eighty years ago, Dale Carnegie based an entire book on the principle that people are driven by the desire for a feeling of importance. Your brand and tech products are far less effective at instilling that feeling than your sales associates who are able to nurture that feeling by building a positive, personal, face-to-face connection with customers.

Some retailers prime that connection with a prominent photo board at the store entrance with sales staff photos and names. Name tags further reinforce recognition and increase customers' level of social comfort. This is especially true for repeat customers who have forgotten the name of an employee who remembers their name.

Do associates introduce themselves by name when approaching customers? When doing so, shoppers tend to feel more at ease. 

Customers shopping for tech devices often feel overwhelmed by the choices and how to find the right product for their needs. When sales associates offer their names when meeting the customer, it’s almost as if they’ve also offered a helping hand. 

Ask the Right Questions and Listen to the Answers

Sales associates should avoid questions answerable with a yes or no. Open-ended questions, such as "What type of device or product are you looking for today?" or "What device functionality or capability do you need?" allow customers to tell their story. 

Encourage your sales team to be avid listeners. Top associates tend to listen closely, ask follow-up questions, and reflect the concerns and priorities of their customers. Customers who feel their problems are understood are customers who feel important. 

Of course, your sales staff's product knowledge and training must be up-to-date to ensure they provide relevant solutions. If sales associates don’t have the product knowledge needed, no matter how important they make the customer feel, recommending the right devices and closing sales will be hard to do.

Turn Online Image into In-Store Sales

Most retailers have an online presence. Many use social media to impart personality and share tips, news, discounts, buyer reviews, and photos or videos of happy customers alongside the smiling sales associates who assisted them. Potential first-time visitors naturally project themselves into such situations and want to experience that feeling, which increases their desire to visit the store.

It’s important for sales associates to be in tune with any discounts, points, rewards, etc. begin offered online. First-time customers often use these types of incentives to make their initial visits to the store.  Sales associates up-to-date on product knowledge and their brand’s online sales efforts can present a cohesive experience for both first-time shoppers and retuning customers. 

With an email address, promotions can be delivered directly that include the customer name and offers tailored to the customer's personal preferences, buying habits, or the market segment they represent. Naturally, customers who respond provide additional data and the opportunity to deepen customer engagement.

Managers are now leveraging these types of online analytics into their in-store marketing and sales efforts to create a more cohesive customer experience. 

Your store's customer base was built from first-time visitors, so make them feel important. With the proper training and guidance, your sales associates can win them over, influence their decisions to buy, and convert them into repeat customers. 

The Intel® Retail Edge Program will keep you and your sales associates knowledgeable about Intel® products and technologies and the devices they power. Take advantage of this robust and engaging online community to make great impressions on first-time shoppers and close more sales. 

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