Welcome to the New Role of a Salesperson
Technology is magnificent. It has done wonders to reduce our costs and create impeccable customer experiences. However, what it lacks is the one thing that we can so quickly provide — human interaction.
Traditionally, retailers create a product or a service and sell it through a particular channel—the ‘what’ has to be great and the ‘where’ has to be convenient.
Today, the ‘what’ and the ‘where’ are the same — product, service, and channel are all part of an equivalent experience. However, the variety of elements involved in creating that experience will put one retail company ahead of another.
There is the design element of a “cool” distribution channel, whether that be an epically architected store or an easily navigated website. Then there is the value element of providing the shopper with the best ‘bang for their buck’ economically relatable. Lastly is the aspect of a personalized experience, not necessarily in the sense of being bespoke, but in providing simple human interaction.
Look beyond the trend of using big data to create a more customized experience — we need to go back to the pre-industrial revolution era and build relationships with our customers.
I walked into a store a few weeks ago in search of a new pair of shorts. The second I stepped foot inside the door, the salesperson asked me how my day was going. So simple, yet it started a conversation. We ended up chatting about New York (I was out of town), my impression of the brand, and even her aspirations. I’ve never had such a personal interaction with someone in a store.
About 20 minutes later, I walked out with a new pair of shorts and a few shirts. Not because she sold them to me, but because I felt so comfortable in the store that I kept browsing. Most importantly, I had never shopped there before and had no idea what the brand was like, yet I walked out loving it.
The best part about it was that it felt real. I felt like I had made a friend and not been deceived by a salesperson. And in all reality, I did; we exchanged contact information, and she has since reached out to get my advice on what to do in NYC.
It’s not a way of saying you need actors as salespeople. Instead, it would be best if you had honest people who care about helping shoppers find what they’re looking for and who make them comfortable.
It made me realize something key to the retail business and the role of people as customer-facing representatives; we need them.
I’ll admit I’m not the first to realize it. We constantly talk about the trend of eCommerce brands opening up brick and mortar shops. However, we don’t talk about that they aren’t just doing it to allow the shopper to ‘feel’ and ‘see’ the brand; they are doing it because having real humans as part of that brand is essential to building lasting relationships with their shoppers.
In a simple analogy, swiping right is not a sustainable model. You may be able to shop for some things with an instantaneous mindset, but when there are so many options, a three-lined description of what you offer will not make you stand out. On the other hand, if shoppers can meet you in person and learn about what you have to offer beyond those three lines, you may have a chance of making things work.
Take the stereotypical e-commerce to brick and mortar example of Warby Parker. Of course, we all know their stores have increased the brand presence and allowed shoppers to interact with the product. But, in addition, the various humans throughout the store let shoppers joke about what glasses make them look crazy, tell that story about the time they went to an awful optometrist, or complain about their shitty insurance that doesn’t cover eye care.
Let’s compare that to the e-commerce giant Amazon. It’s the definition of convenience, the powerhouse of variety, and respected globally. However, it doesn’t attract shoppers; it attracts buyers. It’s a clear example of retail that works brilliantly from the fulfillment aspect. However, it makes it incredibly difficult to be efficiently educated in our decision-making for those who are still on the hunt. Not to mention the inability to enjoy the activity of shopping itself.
We both know that a fancy app could answer any questions we might have about a product or quite possibly soon tell us information like our prescription. However, what makes real people so crucial to retail is that they are there to illustrate the humanity within the brand.
There is a famous HBR article that discusses the importance of finding a transient advantage. How do we develop a competitive advantage that lasts in a world where almost any resources are mutually available across companies?
In today’s technology-driven age, a big part of that is going to be making that humanity evident to your shopper.
It may be through the people who represent your brand, in an opinion that you vocalize regularly, or the questions and concerns you express towards your customers to show that you want to get to know them as much as they do you.
The role of a salesperson hasn’t gone away, but it has changed. They no longer exist to push a sale but rather be the shopper’s listener, critic, and advisor.
