10 Days in the Shoes of a salesman!!

This article should not be titled as 2 hours actually because I have spent 10 days in a shoe of a salesman!! Yes guys we were put in shoppers stop and were on the floor for 10 hours daily.

Before I start on jotting down my experience let me tell you guys that the guy/girl who’s wearing that uniform and standing at the store smiling at you and asking you “mam may I help you?” is doing a TASK. I mean seriously it’s NOT a joke to stand there for 10 hours, be insulted by a few, fired by the boss if you answer back, irritated by a few customers just because a brand doesn’t have a good collection, have those tensions in the back of your mind about your personal life, fold a garment for like 100 times in a day and still SMILE and say “mam may I help you?”.

I was not asked to do sales there but what do u do when a customer comes up to you and says” can you help me with the size?”

Or "do you have some other pattern?”

I dint knew what to do at such moments of truth neither did I knew how to react. But then I started observing the salesman around me and started learning from them. And let me tell you guys they have far better selling skills and knowledge than anyone of us could have.

Few golden learning from my experience would be:

1.       The magic of “just being there “ and “offering to be there”

When you jst stand next to the customer in the store there are chances that he might not need your help while buying. But at the same time when you take the pain to actually walk up to the customer and offer him your help he will always accept your suggestions and help with a smile.

2.       ALWAYS GREET YOUR CUSTOMER WITH A ‘SMILE’

3.       Try and KNOW about your customer. While you are accompanying him in the store try and talk to him and know him better because that really helps you to sell MORE.

4.       Be a FRIEND and not a salesman.

You know there were situations when the customers asked me if it’s looking good on them and I couldn’t help but tell the truth ignoring the fact that my truth might cancel the sale of that product. But later on I realized that the more truthful I was with the customers more comfortable they became with me.

5.       CUSTOMER IS THE KING.

You should never make your customer feel as if he’s a fool even if he’s making the worst choices in front of you all you are supposed to do is help him make MORE of them :p

These were a few understandings I have taken back and I hope it helps you all to understand the salesman in the store more.

 Submitted by:

Juhi Pandey