COURSE CONTENT

Lesson 1: Presentation, Personality and Communication in Selling

• Personality, Self-Awareness and Attitude
• Types of Shoppers
• Communication, Active Listening and Conversation Selling
• Communicating Confidence
• Trends in Ethical Shopping

Lesson 2: Helping the Product Sell Itself

• Merchandising and Displays
• Signs
• How Customers Pay
• Case Study: Garden Centre Products & Services

Lesson 3: Product Knowledge

• What is Product Knowledge?
• Knowing your competition
• Marketing for Sales Outlets and Retail Businesses

Lesson 4: Selling Made Simple

• Introduction - The selling process
• Steps in Sales
• Using Language to Promote Sales
• Creating Logical Sentences
• Reduce Confusion in Your Sales Approach

Lesson 5: ‘The Opening’ (Gaining the Customer ’s Attention)

• Introduction
• Timing and Opening a Sale

Lesson 6: ‘Closing a Sale’ (COS)

• Add-On Sales/Upselling

Lesson 7: The Law and Selling

• Ethics and Selling
• Ethics in Sales
• Guidelines for Ethical Marketing and Selling

Lesson 8: Gaining and Keeping Customers

• Customer Satisfaction
• Promotions
• Measuring Success

SALES SKILLS MAKE OR BREAK BUSINESS

All businesses are faced with competition. Getting leads (connections with potential customers) is the first step to beating the competition; but without an effective approach to selling, those leads can be wasted.

•  Supermarkets often sell goods that a small retailer may sell
•  Large hardware stores often sell goods from different industries e.g. the sale of plants and garden supplies competes with garden centres and nurseries
•  There are other businesses offering the same goods or services
•  Some goods may be available through local markets
•  Fairs and trade shows may take away trade
•  Some wholesalers may sell to the public at low prices 
•  There may be a range of other business that attracts the leisure dollar
  
  

What then can set a business apart from its competition?

• Provide an ‘experience’ e.g. stunning displays, workshops for customers, café
• Demonstrate strong product knowledge
• Be pleasant and enthusiastic when engaging with customers
• Know how to sell and use that knowledge

Not all bricks and mortar retail businesses have to provide a café or the broader ‘experience’ but beautiful, eye catching displays, quality goods and most importantly great sales staff are common to all retail outlets in assuring a brisk trade and a successful business. 

Not everyone knows instinctively ‘how to sell’ but most people, given drive and a passion for the product, can learn how to be a better sales person.

This course focusses on customer service and turning retail staff into great sales assistants.