Transcript
Sellingtips For more profitable sales In this Issue:
focus on Holiday Selling 2 Questions and Answers 3 Selling Store Sales 4 Successful Selling Tips
Winter 2009
Holiday Survival Kit
Taking the Grinch out of the 2010 Selling Season For most retailers and consumers the economy has been a mean one. It’s been as cuddly as a cactus, as charming as an eel. Simply put, the economy has become one bad banana with a greasy black peel. Despite all of its “Grinch-like” characteristics and negative statistics, the 2010 Holiday Season can prove to be profitable if you work it in the right way. This issue of Selling Tips will be focused on innovative ways to keep the economic Grinch away from your profits and success. By looking at niches, gift cards and promoting store sales, we hope to give you a few tips to take back to your store and help increase your holiday sales.
of first-time homeowners who may be adding holiday décor to their new homes. Make it easy for these customers and establish an area of your store devoted to holiday decorum. Keep the area clean and stocked with related items that customers may forget. For example, if you have a shelf stocked with tree stands, try placing tree skirts, buckets, storage bins and tie-downs near the stands to help with the add-on sale. Light Up Your Electrical Department Sales This time of year brings big lighting sales. That means stocking up items like power cords in a wide variety of lengths and colors, outlet adapters, surge protectors and power strips to make sure you have what the customer needs. You may even display easily overlooked items like cable ties, dimmers, safety covers for outlets and heavy-duty staples to secure strings of outdoor lighting. Being well prepared will solidify your store’s electrical supply reputation for the rest of the year.
Holiday Niches Choose a core category and dominate it. Many retailers have been able to base their success on being known as the “go to” place for a certain category. Pet Products For many, pets are a member of the Gift Cards family and trends show that people continue to spend more and more money on them. With 55.2 percent Look to your pet distributor for unique of consumers toys or gourmet treats that you can offer wanting to receive to the pet fanatic. Also, wild bird supplies a gift card this can really pick up in the winter season. Birdwatchers often have local clubs and organizations. Take advantage of this popular hobby and establish a bird food club at your store. Just remember, the key to selling niche categories is to look at your local market and pick out the opportunity that best fits your store and customers. Holiday Décor Though many current homeowners may use older holiday decorations to deck the halls of their homes, there is a market
holiday season, it makes sense to amp up promotions around this popular holiday item. If you have this option for your customers, be sure to get the word out and give it prominent space by the register. Some retailers even have gift cards to other, nonsimilar stores, such as restaurants and clothing stores available for their customers.
be ready with the answer
Be Prepared to answer some questions that might come up as customers get ready for the winter season.
QA &
Heating Q: Which is better: a metal or a cast iron stove? A: Both conduct heat identically well. As a general rule, though, the thicker the metal, the longer the stove will last.
Q: Can I burn coal in my wood stove? A: Stoves designed for wood should be used for wood only. Coal burning requires a special grate designed for that purpose. Some kinds of coal produce heat much more intense than wood and can damage a standard grate and even the inside of the firebox.
questions & answers
This type generally doesn’t need much cleaning. A non-catalytic combustor stove (a recirculating stove) uses a heavily insulated firebox that keeps the heat in and creates a more complete combustion. This type also has a secondary combustion chamber that burns off more gasses and soot.
Q: What is a pellet stove and how is it different from other stoves? A: A pellet stove burns a processed wood pellet fed electronically into the stove’s combustion chamber. The advantage of this type of stove is it has a steady and controlled fuel source. The disadvantage is the electronic controls will not operate if the power is out.
Q: How can I improve the heat efficiency of my wood stove? A: There are a variety of accessories available, such as heat extractors, heat exchangers and glass enclosures.
Q: How big of a stove do I need? A: A bigger stove is not always better. Check the tag for the BTU rating. A question you may want to ask the customer is whether they need the stove for the whole house, or just one room.
Q: How much space should there be between the stove and surrounding objects. A: There should be a 36"-inch clearance on all sides of the stove to prevent scorching or possible fire. Q: What is the difference between a stove with a catalytic combustor and a non-catalytic combustor? A: A catalytic combustor stove lowers the temperature required to burn wood efficiently. The stove burns fuel slowly and also burns off smoke that would otherwise leave the chimney as wasted fuel.
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Q: What is a an airtight wood stove and what are its features? A: An airtight wood stove has a sealed firebox and a tight-fitting door. An air intake damper allows air to circulate around the firebox and controls the rate of fuel consumed. It can be manually or thermostatically controlled. It provides slow-burning heat for a long period of time with little attention. Airtight wood stoves are prone to heavy creosote buildup in the chimney and pipes because it is slow burning.
Q: When would I need stove paint? A: You would need stove paint to touch up, or completely refinish a stove. This special type of paint is specifically designed for wood- or coalburning stoves and can withstand temperatures up to 1,200°F. For more heating tips and facts check out the NRHA Basic Training—Hardware Retailing course at www.nrha.org!
Selling Store Sales This year, retailers across the nation are about to discover an increase in consumers that fall under the serious bargain hunter category. According to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) 2009 Holiday Consumer Intentions and Actions survey, consumers plan to spend an average of $682.74 on holiday-related shopping, a 3.2 percent drop from last year’s $701.01, with many shoppers saying that sales and price discounts will be the most important factor when deciding where to shop. According to the survey, more than half of holiday shoppers say that sales and price discounts (43.3 percent), or everyday low prices (12.7 percent) will be the most important factor when deciding where to shop. Factors like selection (21.0 percent), quality (11.8 percent), convenience (4.9 percent) and customer service (4.4 percent) declined from last year. The key to nab the serious bargain hunter this year is promotion, promotion, promotion! Let them know that you have the items they want at the prices they can afford. Many retailers are turning towards social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to announce the latest in their holiday sales and promotions. They are also
revving up their online store offerings, with a few doing web site overhauls that will make it easier for customers to search their online store and give them the option to add customer ratings and reviews. Largely due to the convenience of the web, more than one-fourth of online shoppers (26.7 percent) said they plan to spend a larger portion of their holiday budget online this year. And in a year where every penny counts, many consumers will start their holiday shopping online to find deals, search reviews to select products and get gift ideas. As always, print media and newspaper advertisements that include store coupons and sales announcements are still key in getting the word out. Some retailers find that pairing an in-store event with a holiday sale is a perfect solution to promoting store sales. A special event could include free food, giveaways, discounts prices or extended hours. During a time when every store in the neighborhood is trying to promote their big holiday sale, an in-store event could be the perfect solution to get the customer into your store and not the “other guys.”
Winter 2009
Promote Your stores sales through unique and creative holiday events.
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successful selling
tips “I Know What I Want.”
Product Location—These customers will probably ask you the aisle where the product they are looking for is located. Remember that it is always best to go with the customer to where the product is located to make sure they find the product and answer any questions. Help Carrying Large Items—If this customer has several items or bulky items, they will expect you to help them carry them to the register and maybe even to their car. Product Recommendations—The customer may have decided on a particular product and will want your input on whether or not it is the best fit for his needs. By telling the customer that a particular tool is great for small jobs around the house, but isn’t the best choice for a deck project, you may be able to prevent the customer from making a buying mistake.
“I’m Just Looking.”
“I’m Not Really Sure.”
This customer will want to be left alone to look at the products, read labels or try to figure something out. However, if they have a question, they expect you to be available with an answer. You can best serve this customer by asking, “Is there something in particular you’re looking for?” or let them know about current sales and promotions in the store.
This customer will expect you to come up with ideas and make product recommendations. The best way to help this customer is to ask questions and listen carefully to their responses. Some good questions to ask are, “Have you used this product or done this project before?”, “Have you looked at other products like this?”, and “What did you like or dislike about the other products?”.
ENGAGING THE CUSTOMER Give the customer a great experience in your store. Good selling requires effectively communicating with customers. Remember, before you can provide the answers your customers are looking for, you need to first ask plenty of questions.
For More Information Want to learn more? Check with the North American Retail Hardware Association. We have product knowledge, project knowledge and sales training courses that will help you do your job better. Published quarterly by:
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1-800-772-4424 www.nrha.org
