In the age of online retail, it is more important than ever to have a reliable customer base. When you have the same consumers repeatedly return to your store for expert advice and products that they can only receive from you and your staff, this creates a bond of respect, trust, and cash flow for your business. The goal is to be continually assisting and educating the customer on their journey with their pet. In terms of pet health, there is always something to be focusing on that you (the local pet expert) have solutions for.
Why do employees neglect to make recommendations? There tends to be three main reasons: Lack of time, inadequate education of the products, and a communication disconnect between them and the customer. The most basic way to overcome these hazards would be training. The more comfortable the staff feels on a topic, the more likely they are going to be able to consult your customers confidently and correctly.
Developing a program to train your employees will ensure that they all have a similar skills and knowledge to pass down to your customers. Customers don't want to feel like they are being "sold to", they are searching for trusted guidance by someone who believes in a product and knows what they are doing. Your floor staff feels the same. If they are told they need to sell something just to make an add on, they may not be overly enthusiastic. If they believe in the product, have used it, seen its good end result on another pet, then they bring a new energy into the sales conversation with your customer. That confidence in the product (and themselves) will be seen in your stores sales.
Did you know that employees who are engaged in their work actually receive 2.5x more revenue than employees who are not? Properly training your staff to sell, and giving them goals to strive for not only helps your business, but gives them a purpose and an avenue to be successful.
Once you have decided on a store focus, have a meeting with employees rolling out the new program. Start by picking monthly goals to focus on. Then you just need to create a way to track your goals and every month and verify the results. It could be as easy as sales dollars, brand growth, category growth, or an increase in repeat customer purchases. As the months go on create new goals and track those results.
There are so many topics to choose from in this area, and you may not be sure where to begin. Below are a few example topics you can implement in your store including weight management, flea and tick treatment, and dental health. With these ideas you can help build customer loyalty and boost your sales.
Studies show that over 50 percent of cats and dogs in the US are overweight. Just like humans, obesity has various adverse effects on a pet’s life. Many pet parents do not realize their pets are overweight, or understand the dangers associated with it. Educating your customers how to help their pet lose weight or how to maintain an ideal weight is a very important basic first step.
Developing proper feeding habits from when your pet is a puppy and into adulthood can keep pets from becoming overweight. Through recommendations made by your employees, you can help set pet parents up to better manage their pets' weight and ensure that they keep coming to your store for the products necessary. Here are a few ideas to help focus your staff on weight management.
This is a great example of a body condition chart you can hang in your store for your staff and customers to easily reference as they shop.
Many people believe that fleas and ticks are only a seasonal concern for their pets but this is a very common misconception. Even if your pet is an indoor pet or if you live somewhere with cold winter months your pet is still susceptible to flea infestations year-round.
As a retailer it can be difficult to sell 12 months of flea and tick preventative to customers due to this myth. Setting a goal to ensure that every customer coming in for flea and tick preventative leaves with 12 months’ worth is great way to ensure that you won’t lose sales to someone else and that pets in your community will be protected year round. There are a few things you can do to help keep the focus on flea and tick prevention.
Help keep your customers informed about the cost of year round pest treatment for their pet with this free infographic. Hang up in your store today!
The interactive map allows you to select the state and even county you live in to see the number of cases of various flea and tick diseases for that year. You can even print the map, as seen above to display in your store.
Just like humans our pets need their teeth brushed and cleaned often. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), 80% of dogs and 70% of cats will develop some form of oral disease by age three. Dental health is a great topic to focus on in your store to make sure that pet parents are taking consistent care of their pet's teeth.
These are just a few basic topics you can focus on in your store, but there are so many more you could choose from. Think about what questions customers repeatedly request or the most common issue you see and find a way to highlight the solution monthly in your store. Doing research with vendors and training your staff to be ready to educate pet parents are the best ways you can guarantee a solid relationship with your customers and keep them coming back while ensuring future sales.
What topic would you focus on in your store? Comment below!
.svg){kind=icon}
