Meeting in a box- rough draft

Bullet pointed items may be reproduced as the basis of the Essential Skills for
New Hires. I have emailed Sally and David regarding the new Sales Skill Builders,
and their possible inclusion in the Essential Skills

How many people do you think enter our store on any given day? How many of
them make a purchase? The truth is that if we have a customer count of 295 at
the end of the day, we had close to 1,200 visitors in the store. That’s over 900
people that walked through our doors and didn’t buy anything!

The average sale during the year is $14.51; the average conversion from visitor
to customer is 24%. What would happen to our results if we increased that
number by just one per hour? It would come to $159.61 per day, or an increase
in the average store of $1117.27.

Pretty impressive, isn’t it? More sales mean more hours available for the staff.
Those hours can be better scheduled to take advantage of the traffic flow, and
can lead to even more and bigger sales.

The NRTI (National Retail Traffic Indicator) is a group that compiles data based
on the number of visitors to Malls across the Nation. A representative group of
our own stores uses the Shoppertrak system. It records the number of visitors
over 4’ to our stores and compares it to the number who make a purchase each
day. Some definite trends and opportunities have emerged.

• People who are greeted when they enter a store are 50% more likely to
make a purchase than those who are not.
• The greatest number of visitors occurs during the hours of 1:00 and 3:00 in
the afternoon during the week. This is the time when many stores have a
shift change, take lunch breaks and do the banking.
• Saturday is typically the highest day for conversion from visitor to customer.
Our lowest conversion days are on Sunday, Monday and Friday, with Friday
as the day offering the most opportunity to impact sales.
• We typically schedule to meet the needs of our staff, and not necessarily to
best maximize sales based on visitors to our stores.
• We are showing steady improvement in our target metrics of increasing the
size of the customer purchase and also selling them a PR card, but are slow
in increasing the number of purchases made in our stores in relation to the
increase in visitors.
It will take the combined actions of everyone on our staff to take advantage of
these opportunities.
Each one will need to commit to greet every customer as they enter the store. It
must be a commitment to offering more than a “compliance greeting” to pass
the CSR, and instead offer a “sales greeting” that will help the customer come to
a buying decision.
Each one can focus on reapproaching customers who are browsing, and bringing
great titles, specials and sales to their attention.
Each one can demonstrate flexibility in little things, like bumping lunch break
ahead a half hour; working an 11:30 to 8:00 shift instead of a 1:30 to 10:00; or
opening alone for the first hour so that we have good lunch coverage.
Each one can show ownership by tracking our customer sales during the day,
and concentrating on meeting that “one more customer per hour” goal.

Each and every one is important. Each and every one has the potential to make
a positive difference. Each and every one of these actions, especially when
combined is powerful.

We will cover some of the positive actions we can do to bring this Power of One
into our store. We may make some schedule changes to best give excellent
customer service to our visitors, and turn them into customers. We want to hear
from every one today.

ACTIVITY

The skills that we will need to increase our number of customers/transactions are
covered in our PBI Toolkit. In the UPT Tools section we have some tips on
breaking the ice with the customer. (UPT Tools, page 5)
The way we greet the customer can set the tone for the whole store visit. How
many times have you asked a customer “What can I help you find today?” and
had them answer “No”? You only have a few moments to deliver your greeting.
It should be personal and catch their attention.

Too often, the customer is prepared for the standard, “Can I help you?” which is
why they say “No”. Is “Can I help you?” an open or closed question? Why
should you ask open-ended questions?

We’ll go around the group here today, and each of you will have 5 seconds (SSM
times this) to deliver an open ended, sales oriented, personal greeting. If you
can’t think of a new one, or deliver a closed-ended greeting, you will have
another 5 seconds to correct it, or you are out. The last one left will win this
round.
We can multiply the power of the initial greeting by reapproaching the customer
as they browse. There have been many times that a customer has answered my
“What can I help you find?” with “I’ve already been asked”, or “I told the other
person I was just browsing”. So, this reapproach should be personal, too. We’ll
try another round of “Hot Potato” by giving some reapproach suggestions for a
customer browsing the New Arrivals wall (or Kid’s section, or Bargain, etc). Same
rules apply, you have 5 seconds. Last one left is the winner of this round.

If one greeting is good, and 2 are better, how about 3? Not just when a
customer comes in to the store, or when they are browsing, but we have another
chance to get a sale and reinforce the tome of their visit when they are leaving
the store. What are some things that you can say to a customer leaving after
making a purchase to complete their shopping experience?
What can you say to a visitor leaving empty-handed? Let’s play round 3 of Hot
Potato, and find the winner of this round. The last one in the group with a sales
oriented exit interceptor line will be our winner of this round.
(All winners get a certificate, or prize of SSM’s choice.)

Essential Skills (Bullet Pointed items could be reproduced as POW Flash cards?)

Our greeting and the way that we interact with the customer are an essential
skill that we can practice and improve. What other skills do we have that impact
the number and size of the sales in our store? What tool do we have that
measures the effectiveness of our selling skills (CSR, but UPT, A$T, A$I
reporting, and PR reporting are also good answers here.) What are some of the
actions and sales opportunities that are measured on the CSR? (greeting, take to
section, hand book, suggest another, reserve/SPO, PR, etc.)

Up selling, suggestive selling, or adding on all increase the size of the basket for
the customer. We can influence their buying decision by our recommendations.
Again, we want to make our recommendations personal, and relate them to the
customer’s interests. Everyone is interested in getting the most for their money,
so what is an obvious item that all customers should know about? (PR!) Like the
PR card, there are other great choices to bring to the customer’s attention.

Activity
On the paper in your folder (back of your folder, clipboard, etc), write down what
current items and offers you would suggest to the customer purchasing this
book. (Book should be one of the Bestsellers, or a Top 5 item for that store as
determined on the Top 50 report.) If it is for sale in the store, it is eligible, but it
must be in stock, and either relate to the item, or be an obvious value based
suggestion. The person with the most add-ons will be the winner. You have 3
minutes.
Did you find it difficult to think of items for your list? Being aware of the product
and promotions in the store can be a challenge, especially when you are new to
the job! Here are some other ways to increase your product knowledge from our
PBI Toolkit (UPT Tools, page 8)
• Spend the first 5 minutes of your shift checking the FOS for the top titles and
new releases.
• Review the current GWP/PWP quick reference card.
• Check the Sales Broadcast and Priority Planner at the beginning of each shift
to stay on top of current promotions and sales.
• Check out the Walden Recommends titles in the sections.
• Take note of the great value in our manager’s Special. Touch it when you
show it to the customer to draw their attention to it!
• Take a moment to access the store Top 50 Report for WTD bestsellers in our
location. Make sure you know where they are in the store, so that you can
guide our customers to the hot titles they want!
• What other ways can we work together to increase our product knowledge?

When you are helping a customer build a transaction, keep in mind that not all
add-ons are created equal! A 5-item basket with a mass market and 4 Lindor
Balls isn’t as profitable as one with a mass market, Mighty Brite, spare bulbs,
batteries, and Bookthong! It’s not just that you suggest items, but what you
suggest that can make the difference.

Some great ideas from our PBI Toolkit ( A$I Tools, page 1) are:

• When a customer asks where the Bestsellers are, show them to the
Hardcover Bestseller a-frame, not the Mass Market Plexi.
• When showing a customer to a requested section, place a hardcover book in
their hand. Check out the Waldenbooks Recommends shelftalkers for ideas.
• When a customer asks for a specific title hand them the hardcover or trade
version instead of the mass market, where available.
• When upselling so that the customer is eligible for a GWP /PWP, suggest a
title that will give them a comfortable cushion, not a Bargain book that will
just make them squeak by!
• Practice the benefits of buying a hardcover or trade title instead of a mass-
market book. What are some of the benefits that you can think of now?
(durability, print size, sturdy binding, luxury endpapers, possible built in
bookmark, dustcover to protect investment, lays flat when open, trades often
have discussion guides, original cover art, etc.)
Not just what you say to a customer makes an impact on the sale, but the way
that you say it is important, too. What do we have that gives feedback on our
sales techniques? (MESR) What verbal and physical techniques do we evaluate?

• Speaking with enthusiasm and excitement

• Appropriate pace
• Positive word choice
• Open ended questions
• Eye contact
• Ability to vary approaches to suit the customer
• Coordinating ringing with customer interaction.

The ability to demonstrate these behaviors means the difference between being
a clerk and a salesperson, and making the shopping experience a great one for
the customer. These same skills are just as important when you are interacting
at our seasonal businesses such as Day by Day, Christmas on the Mall, Books on
the Mall, or any of our other ventures. How can you use the same MESR
techniques there to give the customer a great experience?

• Comment on the purchase, and suggest a complementary item.

• Explain the bounceback coupon; don’t just bag stuff it.
• Make eye contact with the customer.
• Circulate the kiosk, making sure that all customers are greeted.
• Use the Top 10 Bestsellers when making a recommendation.
• Offer a higher dollar item first when a customer asks for a particular themed
item.
• Don’t just gesture to the product; place it in their hand. Suggest an additional
item, too!
• Approach, reapproach, and intercept the customer.
• Speak clearly and as loudly as needed to be heard over the Mall traffic.
• Extend an invitation to return.

Summary-

Regardless of where we are working, either in the main store, a seasonal

business, at the Cash Wrap or on the sales floor, we all have the Power of One:
ourselves. It’s up to us to show that we are bringing a positive power, and
adding to the store, and not a negative power, taking away from our efforts and
not contributing to our goals. As a Team, let’s make the commitment to use our
Power of One together, and make this the best Holiday Season we have ever
had. Our Founding Fathers had the Declaration of Independance, and each
signature represented the resolve of an individual to accomplish their goal. We
have our own Declaration of Power, and each of our signatures are needed to
show our resolve to work together to achieve our goal: beating Comp Sales,
beating Comp transactions, beating Comp A$T, and making sure that all of our
visitors get the customer service they deserve to make a positive buying
decision.
(each person signs the store Declaration of Power, see below. A copy can be
sent to the DSM, and one displayed in the PBI quadrant. New hires to sign after
review of Essential Skills.)
 Declaration of Power
We, the undersigned of store , do hereby declare and assert, that we
will truly demonstrate our Personal Power of One, and do further assert our
intentions to unite our individual Positive Personal Power of One to best serve
our Common goals.

Those goals being:

 Assuring that all customers are approached, reapproached and intercepted
in a personalized manner, best suited to achieiving a positive buying decision.
 All customers are fully apprised of current promotions, offers, GWPs/PWPs,
coupons and titles, that they might receive the best value and selection.
 The Preferred Reader Program will be fully explained and offered to each
person on the salesfloor and at the cashwrap, so that our valued customers
may experience its benefits.
 No customer shall experience the sting of inferior or cursory service whilst
within our walls or upon contact with any of our employees. Neither in
Seasonal Business, nor Bookstore shall they experience such service but that
which shall cause them to return again and again.

So we do declare.