So Who’s Minding the Store?

…about a recent article from McKinsey & Company discusses the need for old school salesmanship.  Despite all of the digital marketing technologies the art of selling can not be forgotten.  There is a great deal of money being thrown at digital whether it is banner ads, video, or email, or even social media for that matter.  With all of this technology, consumers have the ability to perform all sorts of research prior to buying. And despite all of the technology, many (40 percent according to the article) still need that extra push when deciding on that final purchase.

And that is where the salesperson comes into play.  And apparently it is something that retailers are neglecting.  How many times have you entered a store looking for a little bit of guidance?  Just a little bit of information? Just a little bit of additional detail? You go out and make the effort to purchase and got nothing in return. And as a result, walked out with nothing?

And apparently, there are compelling business cases out there supporting the need for a knowledgeable sales staff.  Again, more neglect.  Certainly there is an upfront cost for hiring and training sales people. And certainly, the labors costs cut into profit margins. But think of the return of closing the sale and the potential loyal customer you can earn by providing a comfortable and informative shopping experience.

Selling is not about atom-splitting but it certainly is an art. It all comes down to starting a dialogue, understand the customer’s wants, show what is available, and get them to the register.  Some say it can’t be taught.  Some say salespeople are just naturally born – genetically wired to sell.  So finding the right artist to sell your wares can be a trying experience. Finding extroverted and confident people who are passionate about their product can be costly. But a dollar spent on the front end So sure, invest in digital marketing tools and advertisements.  After all, you first need to be found before someone can find you (think about that one) and buy your product. Use things like FourSquare and Gowalla; Facebook and Twitter; and go blog the night away.

When considering online shopping, aren’t great landing pages, great content, and enticing offers incredibly important?  A lot of time is spent in an effort to convince the customer to make the purchase.  But if they are actually coming to see YOU, wouldn’t those same principles apply?   Isn’t having a great store front and store layout in reality the same as a landing page in cyberspace?  Isn’t having great product the same as great content?  So now you have a great brick and mortar space.  Who’s doing the convincing?  Who’s closing the deal?!  Oh yeah, the salesperson, dummy.