The role of your sales associates in attracting and retaining customers cannot be overlooked. A study conducted by Salesfloor* reveals that 87 percent of respondents indicated that sales associates in the retail environment had an impact on their buying decisions.¹

Almost 60 percent of these individuals felt that online shopping venues failed to deliver the same level of service as brick-and-mortar stores in their local area.

Ensuring your sales team is well-trained on the products they sell and how to create amazing customer experiences will create great success for your stores, your employees, and your customers.

Read on to find out how to best impact the buying decisions of your customers.

Interactions Impact Opinions and Results

The Salesfloor* study indicates that personal interactions with retail sales associates had a considerable impact on the overall impression customers had of the store and its products and services.

Some other notable impactful results include:

• Of those surveyed, 77 percent indicated they were more likely to buy from a sales associate that had helped them during a previous visit.
   
• Sales staff members who remember customers from one visit to the next can have a major impact on repeat sales; 73 percent of study participants indicated that they were more likely to feel loyalty to retailers that employed these sales associates.
   
• In the brick-and-mortar retail environment, roughly 84 percent of all customers asked for help from a sales associate during an average visit.

For retailers interested in achieving high customer satisfaction ratings and ensuring a healthy amount of repeat business, focusing on sales associates and their interactions with customers is a solid investment in increased profitability and enhanced public reputation.

Offering Value-Added Services for Customers

The convenience and accessibility of online sales venues is virtually unparalleled. To compete effectively with these online companies, brick-and-mortar stores must distinguish themselves from their internet competitors.

Personal service and attention to customer care are two of the key ingredients necessary to build customer loyalty and to ensure the best possible impression on newcomers to your retail stores.

By working with your sales associates to create a customer-centric approach to marketing, you can ensure the best possible experience for new customers and existing customers alike.

Since well over half of all respondents in the Salesfloor* study bemoaned the lack of customer service in the online environment, making this a focal point of your sales strategy can potentially provide significant rewards for you and your staff over the long run.

Training that Impacts Customer Decisions

The Intel® Retail Edge Program offers innovative and effective training for your sales associates about the latest devices and technologies powered by Intel® processors.

The benefits to your store includes:

• Increased device and technology knowledge for your sales associates
• Enhanced motivation to connect with customers and to enhance sales skills
• Greater rapport between sales associates and shoppers
• Solidified reputation as an authoritative source for information on top tech trends and PC devices
• Improved morale among participants

By encouraging your staff members to invest time in the Intel® Retail Edge Program, you will reap the benefits of a more confident and informed sales team that can better ensure a superior customer experience for those who shop in your stores.

This article originally appeared here on LinkedIn*. It has been updated for accuracy and freshness.

References:

*Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

©Intel Corporation 2018. Intel, the Intel logo, Intel Retail Edge Program, and Intel Retail Edge Live are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and/or other countries.

1Salesfloor*: From Clicks to Bricks: Omnichannel Customers Expect More from Stores