Published on the 22/10/2015 | Written by Newsdesk
Increasing sales is easier with insight into preferred products, how customers like to shop, and whether they prefer discount or loyalty cards…
That’s according to UXC Eclipse solution delivery manager Donna Taylor, who said, “It’s becoming much easier for retailers to know their customers and, more importantly, to deliver this information to sales assistants while they’re on the shop floor.”
Despite the rise of online shopping, consumers are still frequenting bricks-and mortar stores to make purchases. However, they are conducting more research before they enter the store, which means they know more about the products they are purchasing.
Taylor said retailers need to look at converting sales assistants from passive order-takers to adding real value to the sales cycle. “They can do this by ensuring sales assistants know enough about the customer to make recommendations based on what they really want, not what they think they want.”
CRM systems let retailers capture all kinds of data about customers, so they can understand what really motivates them to spend money – and Taylor pointed out that it goes far beyond ‘names and addresses’. “CRM can give retailers a 3D picture of the customer from preferences and recent purchases to online wishlists and how often they abandon their online shopping cart before checking out.
“This information can be integrated into in-store technology like mobile point of sale (POS). This means sales assistants can be armed with information they can use to delight and astonish the customer with the kind of customer service that makes more sales.”
Retailers can use handheld, mobile POS devices to identify the customer, then access their information in the CRM system. They can then offer advice and suggestions for the customer based on the section they’re browsing in and the information about their past behaviour.
It’s akin to kind of service customers expect when shopping online, Taylor said, adding that when this ability is deployed in-store, it can be the difference between a sale and a walk-out. “What’s more, that customer is more likely to come back next time they need something. That kind of loyalty is hard to come by.”
She said integrating CRM systems with mobile POS offers retailers a seamless process that can help them sell more, encourage customers to be more loyal, and reduce the cost-per-sale.
