Your Sales Floor Is An Information Treasure Trove. Use It.

The best retailers know that what’s happening on the sales
floor isn’t just a reflection of brand identity programs and store housekeeping
policies. It’s a rich source of information. But you have to be out there to
hear it.

J. Crew’s CEO Mickey Drexler’s is famous for his store
visits around the country. He scours the floor for details, tries to meet new people
and sucks in details, including the big stuff (stock and display issues) and
the small (a broken water cooler).  Samantha
Critchell, AP Fashion Writer, reports that Drexler is also listening
closely to the news about what’s selling, what’s not and what customers are
looking for. (AP photo by Seth Wenig)

One of our current Yaffe clients has their own system for mining data from the sales floor.  Their widely dispersed chain of roughly 15 stores
and warehouses is visited frequently by regional VPs. The results of those visits
are distilled down and shared at weekly executive meetings, where notes are
compared, trends are sniffed out and operating policies are evaluated. From
housekeeping to hot sellers, this retail chain knows what its customers want and is constantly tweaking how they give it to them.

We respect the fact that you’re working a crushing
schedule.  But as our best clients prove,
this is activity that is too valuable to ignore. Whether you have 3, 30 or 300 stores,
you have to know what’s happening where it counts. On the sales floor. If you absolutely can’t go
yourself, get someone to go for you. But be certain they’re willing to give it
to you straight, no matter what.  

Don’t let this backfire into a demotivator by
reacting only to negative information. Prove to your staff in the stores that this
is a chance to shine as you use the positive info.  Follow up with an associate who mentioned a
trend she’d spotted. Send donuts to a team meeting in thanks for important
insights they gave you. Call a buyer with congratulations on a hot seller. 

With your knowledge of the floor, you’ll grow your
staff’s respect and give your business a better chance to stay sharp and
relevant.  Because you are. 

Michael Morin, Always curious about customer interactions