How Can We Boost Apparel Store Sales with Creative Customer Service Ideas?

I would like to request your valuable suggestions on sale-boosting activities in an apparel retail store. We are currently implementing the following strategies:

- Basket size competition
- Customer service
- Appreciation cards

Request for Innovative Ideas

Please provide innovative ideas or suggest contests to enhance sales through exceptional customer service. I invite experts from the retail sector, including fashion, FMCG, and value formats, to contribute their insights.

Thank you,

Kanika Kapoor

The basic problem with the retail executive is the lack of product knowledge. They are just unable to explain why one product is superior to another or what materials the products are made of, and so on. This lack of knowledge leads to a lack of confidence, which is reflected in their body language.

Many soft skills trainers start concentrating only on body language, but they do not understand where this body language originates from. It originates from one's knowledge or expertise in any subject.

Recommendation for Improving Product Knowledge

I recommend conducting a written exam on product knowledge for them every month. Start giving prizes to those who score the highest marks.

Teaching the FAB Concept

Another thing you can teach your staff is the FAB Concept in retail sales. You can find more information on this concept at FAB Concept.

Regards,
Dinesh V Divekar

You have received good suggestions from our honorable members. As Mr. Dinesh said, product training provides good knowledge and boosts confidence, definitely. I would like to slightly differ with him in that the soft skills trainers put more emphasis on 'attitude management' than on body language, though body language plays a vital role. It is the attitude that influences the performance of an individual more than anything else. I suggest you offer the shop salesmen an internal sales competition after you train them in merchandising skills and also soft skills for motivation.

Training on "attitude" without "product knowledge" carries no meaning. If retail staff were to have the right attitude, they would learn or gain product knowledge on their own, and no training would be required. After all, the acquisition of product knowledge is not rocket science.

Secondly, once you start conducting tests on products, the learning attitude of a candidate will be reflected in the marks the employee scores. Candidates who score well will require further training on subjects like cross-selling, add-on selling, understanding customer psychology, business etiquette, etc., and nothing else.

Another challenge for the retail sector is acquiring the right people. They do not necessarily find individuals with above-average IQs. For those with lower IQs, any training, whether on product knowledge or soft skills, would fail. Therefore, checking the "trainability" of the staff is also important.

Thanks,

Dinesh V Divekar

Hi Kanika, you have received good suggestions from our honorable members. As Mr. Dinesh mentioned, product training provides good knowledge and boosts confidence, definitely. I slightly differ with him in that soft skills trainers emphasize more on 'attitude management' than on body language, although body language plays a vital role. It is the attitude that influences the performance of an individual more than anything else. I suggest offering the shop salesmen an internal sales competition after training them in merchandising skills and soft skills for motivation.