How can I assist a gift shopper?
Q. How can I best assist the customer who is shopping for a gift, especially when the customer is not familiar with my specialty? For example, when a father comes to a dance shop to buy a gift for his daughter, what’d the best way to help him find a suitable gift?
A. First of all, most good retailers know not to say “Can I help you?” the minute a customer sets foot through the door. It almost always elicits a “no” response. The first exchange of conversation should always be a “good morning” or “welcome” or some other general, friendly comment.
“Let me know if I can help you find something” is a better way to invite the customer to let you help, advises Tom Ungrodt, who owns three Michigan gift shops and is CEO of Ideation, a gift catalog company in Ann Arbor.
If a customer is unsure where to start, as in the case of the father described above, he may come to you for help, but gentle questions from a salesperson can also help reveal this fact. Discovering the customer’s needs and situation is the all-important first step.
One successful way to present suggestions to a customer, says Ungrodt, is to relate your suggestion back to someone you personally know and describe a feature and a benefit of the product that you are recommending.
“For example, you might say, ‘You mentioned that your daughter is 10 years old. My niece is, too, and she really loves these Littlemissmatched™ socks. They are colorful, collectible and keep her feet warm at recitals!’” he explained.
Ungrodt also advises giving staff the product knowledge they need. Teach them about the lines that you carry and give them background information about vendors or product sources.
If you carry items “made in the USA,” or if a line is handmade or a toy is suitable for toddlers—informed salespeople can use these attributes to help a customer find the right gift.
Most importantly, teach your sales staff to become good listeners and be able to ask gentle probing questions and then adjust their recommendations accordingly.
