4 Ways to Stand Apart from Other Retail Salespeople (& Have Fun Doing It!)

If you’re never worked retail during the holiday season in the Western world, the best way to describe it is to liken it to a roller coaster. As we move toward Thanksgiving here in the United States, the roller coaster is just beginning to inch forward. It’ll take its first dramatic drop the day after that, on Black Friday.

From there until New Year’s Day it’ll be a series of fast drops interspaced with slow periods as it chugs up the next cliff.

If you’re new to retail sales, or if you want to be more successful this season than last, here are four tips that will make a difference.

1. Attitude IS everything. Plaster a smile on your face that would put The Joker to shame. If you can’t be positive, fake it. Seriously.

As Dale Carnegie once said, “Act enthusiastic and you’ll be enthusiastic!” Your shift won’t end any sooner if you have a negative attitude, but being negative will make the day or night seem much longer. Decide you’re going to enjoy yourself, and constantly remind yourself of that, no matter how stressed you get or how badly customers treat you.

2. Know your inventory. Each day, as soon as you check in, ask or look around to see what’s been added so that you can best direct customers. Otherwise, you’ll lose sales and you risk looking uninformed -- or worse, silly.

3. Stay busy and show initiative. Everyone talks about how busy December is, but there are long periods of boredom for most retailers. Your shift will seem slower than, well Christmas if you just stand around looking out the window. Straighten the merchandise, restock, clean the fingerprints off the cases, write thank you notes, etc. You know what needs to be done. Don’t wait for your manager to tell you to do it.

4. ALWAYS put the customer first. If you’re restocking the merchandise, stop and offer to assist the customer. Don’t make them come to you. And don’t socialize with your co-workers when there are customers in your department. First, you might lose a sale, and second, they might be trying to rip you off if they think you’re not paying attention.

Let me re-emphasize this: No task is more important than waiting on the customer. I know your boss told you to finish the display by noon, but you’re here to serve the customer and sell merchandise, not build displays.

Attitude. Inventory. Initiative. Customer. Those are your keywords.

Have a great holiday season.

Regards,

Glenn

Use your initiative and follow me on Twitter. I’m @txglennross.