IN-STORE PROMOTER TRAINING, EFFICIENCY & EFFECTIVENESS

INTRODUCTION:

A sale is the exchange of goods, commodities or services between two parties. It can be called as an agreement between the buyer and the seller on the price of some security. A sale can be called as the backbone of the business. Better the sales, the better the profitability of the business. So it is essential to have an In store Promoters Training.

To enhance the productivity of a business, one needs to increase the efficiency of its sales team.

The term applied for the same is called, ‘Sales Promotions.’

WHAT IS SALES PROMOTION?

Sales Promotion is a type of marketing, which is aimed at target customers or distributors in the market.

Sales promotion is the key to boost sales in the short term for a little while to introduce a new product in the market or to clear the stock left, or to attract traffic for the business.

Promotion is mainly done for the marketing of products and not that much for services, as products are tangible assets whereas services are intangible.

Incentives may come your way through different routes, like the reduced cost for ownership of a product, or some extra value-added material, provided at the same price.

The concept of sales promotions came into existence because of the fierce competition in the market.

Sellers are working very hard with different innovative techniques to attract customer attention.

Simpler was the older times, where promotion was as easy as holding up livestock, or shouting or even joking with the customers to gain their attention and sell their products, but now with such complexities in the society, the market has grown to be difficult, not just for the business owners but sellers and customers as well.

One of the popular techniques of sales promotion is “In Store Promotion.”

IN-STORE PROMOTION- MEANING

In-store promotion is an alternative term for Store Marketing.

This type of marketing or promotion exists to increase the conversion of walk-in customers.

This concept helps in making the customers aware of a new product launched in the store or promoting a particular product which is on sale at that specific time.

The store manager teaches the sellers about the various points to attract customer attention, making them aware of the product and communicating its value to them.

All of this is collectively known as in store promotions.

In-store promotions function by relying on impulse buying decisions made by the customers when they visit the stores personally.

Manufacturers already do it in their ways, like offering discounts on products, or specific value-added schemes, etc.

But store owners do it too on their level to attract more and more customers.

The shopkeepers act smart by displaying good products on the store window so that it catches the eye of people.

Location and product display is another important tactic used by in-store promoters.

WHO IS AN IN-STORE PROMOTER?

An in-store promoter is a person who demonstrates the products to the walk-in customers and tells them about the features of the product in detail, with an intention to persuade the customer to buy that product.

 He lets the customers touch and feel the quality of the product before they decide to buy it.

The in store promoter mainly focuses on explaining the FAB, i.e. (Features, Advantages & Benefits) of the products.

Their job also includes answering queries of the customers.

The job of being an in store promoter implies capabilities such as communication skills and persuasive skills.

The promoter should also be an influencer for people.

Communication skills may be written or verbal, but it has to be good because an in-store promoter is the first person anyone will meet as a face to the company.

It goes by the saying, “First Impression is always the last impression!”

An in-store promoter is assigned the duty to demonstrate the sample of the product to the customers, describe certain advantages of buying that product, and somehow talk his way to influence their buying decision.

EXAMPLE: Kellogg’s is a company that makes breakfast cereals all across the globe, with many different flavors and tastes available. Now, this company has appointed an in-store promoter who is also known as the ‘Breakfast Ambassador.’ This promoter’s only job is to skilfully make customers taste different flavors of Kellogg’s cornflakes, making them choose the perfect match for their taste buds. This technique attracts a whole lot of customers to the stores.

IN STORE PROMOTER: ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• The in store promoter has to maintain a decent outlook at the store always. A good display will attract customers.

• The sales target is the source of motivation for the promoters. He should work hard enough to achieve the target numbers or even overdo it.

• Sales reporting and disciplined attendance of all the employees working in the store should be mandatory to create a proper work environment.

• The promoters should always be prepared with a thorough study of the products. Any questions or queries asked by customers should be handled confidently, and with grace, this will positively affect the impulse decision of the customer to buy the product or not.

SALES TRAINING: DEFINITION

Sales training involves the creation of skills and techniques on a personal and professional platform which is related to developing and exploring new sales opportunities and also closing sales for any organisation or business.

The sales training for in-store promoters is a must because the proper training of the employees will boost their performance and skills.

This knowledge they achieve after their training by professionals when applied to the workstation, gives positive results and creates business opportunities and finally end up in greater values of profitability.

IN-STORE PROMOTER TRAINING

Sales are the oxygen for any business; thus, proper professional guiding plays a crucial role in their development of skills and techniques for in-store promoters training.

1. Communication skills play a significant part in the in-store promoters training. The communicating technique is the key to target the customers and persuade them to buy the products. A person should have that skill even to ask a customer to sit over coffee and explain to him the functions and features of the product they are willing to buy. Thus, professional training teaches the promoter some excellent and practical skills to lure customers in.

2. Human Understanding also plays a vital part in the growth of the business.  Every customer has a different level of understanding and has its own set of emotional values. The sales training will teach the customers to describe those characteristics and features of the product which will be valued the most by the customer. Every customer is different; thus every attribute may also be different each time.

3. Sales Team of any business is valued the most because their inputs and efforts will affect the whole organization and its business. Sales are the backbone for any business to function. Thus, the training will teach the promoters to promote the value of their products as much as possible with different techniques and styles; otherwise, the lack of awareness may shut your business gradually.

4. Dealing with rejections is something that will come between a sales person’s ways all the time. As a sales promoter, a person should know how to deal with rejections and move on with the same level of enthusiasm to the next customer. The sales training will teach the promoters to come in terms with the customer’s rejection and how to overcome that rejection. In-store promotion training will also teach the promoters to keep their point of view and convince the customer to invest in their business.

5. Building a relationship with the customer is something that has always proved to be fruitful when it comes to sales. The training teaches the promoters, how to build that connection with their customers and more importantly how to maintain that connection. A long-lasting, sustainable relationship will bring good business to the company, and the result is the profitability of the business.

These were some points that explained the requirement of professional sales training to the in-store promoters, to enhance the effectiveness of their work and bring success to the business.

HOW TO IMPROVE EFFECTIVENESS?

Employees with better time management skills and who can stay focused on their tasks ought to bring better value to the organization.

The sales training teaches them, how to be at their highest level of efficiency and maintain that level of performance.

This practice boosts the performance of sales and promotions even on average workdays.

Effectiveness can be improved in the following ways as discussed:

• Invest in professional training:

  Marketers spend a lot of resources trying to interact with the customers and persuade them to invest in their business.

  About 90% of the time, when the customers have any queries about the product, or they tend to seek advice to buy some product; they will end up speaking to the salesperson.

  So the better the salesperson, the better the interaction with the customers will be, and more profitability the business will gain.

  Thus, if there are people in the sales team with some potential and hard-work, introducing them to proper sales training, will develop their skills even more, and make them effective and efficient in the best possible way.

• Appearance is everything:

  It is believed that if a salesperson does not care enough about his appearance, how will he take care of the customer?

  It is rightly said so. These people, the salesperson or promoters represent the brand. They are the first person from the brand to which the customer will interact.

  The promoters need to give a good impression before they even start talking about the product, and the best way looks.

  A sales boy or a girl wearing neatly ironed and cleaned uniforms as provided by the company with branding on it will make an impact.

  Properly set hairstyles, trimmed nails, polished shoes are essentials that every employee of the company should follow.

  Good looks to ensure decent standards set by the brand, which sets the first impression before the salesperson even starts selling his products.

• Maintaining dynamic nature:

  It is always better to have a deeper understanding of the sales, company, and product before interacting with the customer.

  A deeper understanding of operations at a basic level can help make better decisions, concerning in-store promotions.

  A fact-based and analytical approach will help give direction to the business towards success and profitability.

  There should be regular modifications made in the conduct and operations of the business to maintain the business’s individuality, which sets it apart in the market from other rival companies.

CONCLUSION:

I would certainly like to repeat my earlier comment, productive selling in the market environment by a well-trained, well-groomed sales promoter, who knows what he, is doing and how to personally handle each customer with their respective emotional understandings of production values is a great way to increase the effective sales of the company.

The sales promotion training programs, help salespersons and promoters to develop unique traits and skills to trust me better. I have my personal experience in trying to convince the customer to buy my product, but poof!!

Rejection!

It is a very skillful task, and it takes some serious skills to persuade the customer to buy the product. Maintaining a personal relationship with each customer is a tedious task, but for the sake of sales for the future, it is essential.

The training program targets different promoters and salespeople in a different aspect; each individual has its own set of skills, strengths, and weaknesses. It is beneficial that each employee is trained the individual to gain his/her full potential.

Lastly, a significant benefit of these training programs is that the skills learned, is not for some specific time, it is there with the person throughout his life and career.

It is an investment for the company’s overall growth and helps in reaching the fullest potential with every change that the organization faces.

We are here for you, and we are wearing our thinking caps