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Retail Stores Open Doors for Temporary Summer Sales Help
Associates Interactive reveals how consumer electronics retailers can benefit from hiring temporary sales staff
Retailers can find great temporary help and see a boost in sales if they hire and train students out of school for the summer in basic selling skills, according to Associates Interactive.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of 16 to 24-year-olds employed from April to July 2007 was 21.7 million, an increase of 2.3 million over 2006. The report showed that last year's increase continued the rise in youthful employees by 2.5 million in the previous year. (1) If the youth labor force continues this growth trend, consumer electronics retailers will need to make sure they are getting effective help out of the temporary workers they employ.
Associates Interactive, an expert in training temporary and permanent retail sales associates, offers the following tips on how retail outlets can keep customer satisfaction and profits high while providing employment to temporary workers this summer:
Provide department-specific training
Without the proper training, temporary workers may be anxious during initial conversations with consumers and may feel uncertain about making product recommendations. By training temporary sales staff as specialists in a single category or department, such as cameras or MP3 players, temporary sales associates will be able to communicate effectively with customers, sell and cross-sell the right products and confidently address customers' questions.
Determine areas of interest
Discovering what category each associate knows best coming onto the job can also assist in training temporary associates. If a candidate is already knowledgeable about digital cameras, it will take them less time to be an educated resource for the retailer's customers on the newest items, features and accessories available in that category than other new hires.
Keep training short and focused
Hiring temporary staff to support a single category or department can also maximize the impact of a limited training period. By becoming proficient in selling one category, employees will require less time to get up to speed in their area. Retailers should use more of the available training time for brief practice sessions during which summer associates can practice interacting with customers. This will leave added time for temporary associates to build customer rapport and effectively contribute to the retailer's overall sales.
Develop conversation skills
While retailers should keep training for temporary workers brief, they should be sure to provide them with more than product knowledge. Associates need to be shown how to engage customers in conversations about their needs so they can provide a consultative experience. Good conversation skills will put the customer at ease, increasing the likelihood of a sale.
Foster a sense of responsibility
Although temporary employees do not always become permanent ones, it is important to foster a sense of belonging, responsibility and commitment by making them feel like an integral part of the team. By treating all employees with the same high regard and respect, the likelihood of a temporary employee transforming into a permanent one can be greatly increased.
Consumers expect a knowledgeable and attentive sales staff. If temporary workers don't meet shoppers' expectations, the experience could have a long-term negative effect on the retailer. However, by providing temporary workers with professional sales skills as well as category-specific product knowledge, temporary retail workers will not only impact sales, but improve the customer's perception of the year-round service the retailer provides.
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Executive quote
"As consumer electronics retailers face difficult economic times, it is crucial that they leverage the full benefits of hiring a temporary summer sales staff," said Bob Richardson, President and CEO of Associates Interactive. "When temporary sales associates are trained to provide the same standard of services and pre-sales consultation as permanent employees, retail outlets benefit from an increase in customer loyalty as well as an increase in sales and profits."
About the company
About Associates Interactive
Associates Interactive develops training content, courses, exercises, tests, and certifications used to train retail sales associates. The company is addressing the market demand for effective training material that has an immediate and sustained impact on associate behavior and sales results. The independently developed training program, called RetailAI(tm), better integrates products from multiple manufacturers in the sales discussion, ultimately increasing overall sales for the retailer. More information on Associates Interactive can be found at www.associatesinteractive.com.
Contact details
Noah Dye / Melanie Wehrman
LEWIS PR for Associates Interactive
Noah: 408-573-3662
Melanie: 408-573-3665
associatesinteractive@lewispr.com
Supporting materials
1 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Employment and Unemployment among Youth - Summer 2007," August 24, 2007, www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/youth.pdf.
Technorati tags: Associates Interactive | retail sales | sales training | temporary sales staff | consumer electronics |
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