The Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows that retail sales nationally increased 0.5 per cent in July 2011, to about $431 million, in seasonally adjusted terms.
It is possible for retail businesses to build on this small gain. The best way to do this to enhance the shopper’s experience by treating shoppers as valued individuals.
Of course, shoppers want value for money but what many shop assistants often overlook is the "feeling dimension" of the interaction. This is key to making a sale.
Begin by creating an atmosphere in which your customer feels free to express his/her feelings. Be customer focused at all times. That is, what the customer is saying should determine what you say to the customer. Helping the customer is very much about supporting them to express his/her feelings.
Secondly, shop assistants can establish and maintain a trusting relationship with customers by consistently demonstrating empathy – appreciating the client’s feelings from his/her point of view.
Thirdly, shop assistants must demonstrate unconditional positive regard - non-judgment, respect and acceptance - for customers at all times.
In a nutshell, client focus, empathy and unconditional positive regard are the three pillars for building and maintaining an effective relationship with customers and acquiring and retaining customers. In the lead up to Christmas, a critical time for retailers, these pillars need to be recognized and applied to achieve additional growth in a highly competitive market.
See: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-09-02/20110902-retail-shows-signs-of-recovery/2868012?section=business
