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Assisted selling can help associates increase sales
June 29, 2004
Retailers can improve sales and gain competitive advantage by providing in-depth and relevant information at the point of decision. Unfortunately, having a team of perfectly informed sales associates is not always a viable option. The reality is, stores can't afford an endless stream of educated sales associates who support customers by providing knowledgeable product information and expert advice. Assisted selling strategies are one solution to this dilemma. But what do they entail? Scott Hallihan, worldwide kiosk solutions manager for IBM, used an automotive parts store scenario to illustrate the advantage of assisted selling with kiosks. "A customer goes into the store to find a part for their car," Hallihan said. "After searching for several minutes they find a sales associate who directs them to a catalog with every known part for the car. But the catalog might have a page missing or it could be outdated. Also, the customer may not find what they want or there may be a product that has more profit built into the price."
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Instead of giving the customer the runaround, assisted selling devices deliver product details, make appropriate product suggestions and step them through an educated sales cycle that increases the likelihood they will make a purchase. "You can also integrate the kiosk or selling device with other sales systems for consistent information," said Hallihan. Promoting high-ticket sales When selling complex or high-ticket products, the sales associate must be able to project in-depth knowledge about the product features and about the accessories that support them. According to Joseph Gagnon, a partner in IBM's retail business consulting services, high turnover in the sector means retailers constantly struggle to retain knowledgeable sales associates. Since product knowledge is especially important when selling complex or high-ticket products, losing this struggle could mean retailers lose sales. According to Gagnon, assisted selling offers a solution by building an operating model around the high turnover of sales associates. "How do you do that? You unburden the associate processes," he said. Assisted selling devices help associates answer customer questions, especially about high-ticket items. "The more complex product or the more expensive product drives the need to support the associate with some type of technology," Gagnon said. "It could be a kiosk, a handheld device or some other type of POS information." The most successful model combines qualified sales associates with assisted selling devices to provide information when the customer needs it. The real benefit of assisted selling, said Gagnon, is that "you are putting the information into the hands of the customer when they need it to make a decision, and when you do that they feel satisfied."
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