When we talk about omnichannel all too often the emphasis falls on all the aspects of integrating digital and physical channels for the purpose of creating a consistent customer experience, leaving out one of the most important elements for conversion purposes-the role of the salesperson.
Deloitte, within the following report, provides this definition of omnichannel:
“Omni-channel retailing means being available at any time anywhere,making it convenient for the customer”
So the question we should ask ourselves is, how can we succeed in making ourselves available by giving value to the consumer, even when the consumer is inside the store?
It is in this sense that the role of the salesperson turns out to be absolutely primary: he or she is in fact able, positively or negatively, to influence the user’s experience at what is one of the most important touchpoints available to us.
The role of the salesperson
The relationship between consumer and seller has certainly changed over time, and much of this change has come about because of the infinite amount of information a consumer can gather online during the initial phase of his or her buying process.
To summarize: if once the “power of information” was totally in the hands of the salesperson, today the situation has completely reversed and very often the potential customer arrives at the point of sale with more product know-how than the salesperson.
However, the consumer’s need to feel pampered and advised has remained unchanged.
A much more knowledgeable and demanding customer needs to receive, within a point of sale, a very high level of service and added value – undoubtedly higher than in the past. Should this not happen, it is evident that it will become easy prey for online comparisons and purchases based solely on convenience.
If indeed within the store you do not find any added value what should be the reason to keep coming back?
If you want to learn more about how consumer shopping patterns have changed, you can read this article of ours on showrooming, webrooming and mobile shoppers.
The costs of training
Coping with this new scenario therefore requires our salespeople to be better prepared than ever before.
We know, however, how the costs of training a direct sales network are a very important-but often unmeasurable-return item on a distribution company’s income statement. High turnover also makes this expense increasingly a cost and less and less an investment.
If we are serious about adopting a comprehensive omnichannel strategy, however, it is impossible to imagine one of the key links in the chain remaining weak.
What to do then? Is there a solution?
New Technologies
There are now solutions that can give concrete support to salespeople, enabling them to recognize customers and have clear support in being able to offer them the products and services that are most likely to interest them.
Thanks to a tablet or any electronic media, it is indeed possible to allow the clerk to:
- Recognizing the customer in front of you. For example, distinguishing whether it is a VIP, occasional, or single-order customer.
- To know whether you browsed our website and what products you showed most interest in
- To know if you have placed products in cart in our ecommerce site
- Know whether he has active promotions or the tier of his loyalty card
- Which of the canvasses active at that time are most likely to be of interest to them
All of this is possible today using advanced omnichannel marketing automation platforms.
In fact, thanks to artificial intelligence, the salesperson will be directly directed to the best strategy, giving concrete and proactive informational support to try to give the best service to their customer.
One example: making the most of click & collect
Marks & Spencer, mentioned in this Marketing Week article, claims that during Christmas 2016 as many as 65 percent of purchases made online were picked up directly in store. A huge opportunity that, with the right technologies, you could seize.
Imagine being able to take advantage of knowing what the user is about to pick up and then finding a way to incentivize further in-store purchase, all using artificial intelligence systems that can automatically suggest the best cross-sell for that customer.
More insights can be found in this article of ours: Fashion Retail 2017, a collection of the best insights.
Only by equipping your stores with appropriate technologies will you be able to fully seize the opportunities generated by an omnichannel approach, succeeding in giving your customers unique experiences that will keep them coming back to you…more often than you might hope!
