Even though many consider sales roles to be simple entry-level jobs, sales associates are highly vital to any retail business. As Kavan Choksi says, sales associates can quickly become the face of the store. They not only close sales and drive profit, but also play a huge role in building valuable relationships with the customers. To be successful in their role, however, there are a few important skills retail sales associates must have.
Kavan Choksi UAE lists certain skills important for retail sales associates
Skills necessary for retail sales associates can broadly be divided into two categories, hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills imply to the technical abilities related to the job. These skills can be learnt, practised and measured. Soft skills, on the other hand, imply to interpersonal or people-centred skills. They involve a variety of personal attributes and personality traits that impact how a person interacts with others.
Here are some of the important soft and hard skills that retail sales associates must have:
- Communication skills: Good communication capabilities are extremely important for retail sales associates. They not only have to efficiently interact with customers, but also with their managers and colleagues. Sales associates need to make sure that the needs of the customers are understood, and their questions are properly responded to. Effective communication helps improve shopping experience, and also fosters customer loyalty.
- Adaptability: Retail is a fairly dynamic industry, with ever changing customer needs and market trends. Hence, retail sales associates should have the ability to seamlessly adapt to new situations and modify their approach under varying circumstances.
- Teamwork: The role of retail sales associates is generally not a standalone one. These professionals need to seamlessly work with a team. Teamwork is needed to effectively assist colleagues, help management achieve store goals, cooperate for store cleaning and so on.
- Emotional intelligence: Understanding and managing emotions, as well as interpreting emotions of other people is considered to be a vital skill in retail. Sales associates with high emotional intelligence are better at handling customers and resolving conflicts with empathy and grace.
- Customer service: It is widely known that customer is a king in the retail business. Hence, sales associates must be able to cater to their needs in an efficient manner. Making the shopping experience pleasant for a customer can help drive sales and ensure improved store success.
- Product knowledge: One must have a good knowledge of the product they are selling in order to be a successful retail sales associate. Good product knowledge allows sales associates to address customer inquiries with efficiency, and also make timely, relevant product recommendations. The product knowledge of the associates may impress the customers and make them loyal to the store.
- POS system operation: A large number of retailers use Point of Sale (POS) systems for transactions. Retail sales associates must learn to navigate these systems in order to make checkouts smoother and faster, and lower the customer waiting times.
As Kavan Choksi mentions, the skills and competencies mentioned above play a valuable role in enabling retail sales associates to educate customers, deliver a good shopping experience and improve sales at a store.
