Suggestive selling is as important for retailers as it is for restaurants. At pcAmerica, we believe that in order to sell suggestively, merchants and their employees should:

1. Display genuine interest in customers’ interests and purchases.  For example, video store employees might ask customers who appear not to have a particular movie or game title in mind about their favorite genres or even to name a few of their previous most-enjoyed picks.
2. Get personal. Wherever possible, tell a personal story about an item a customer is considering, or one that would go with it. For instance, if a shopper has a necklace in her hand, the salesperson might mention that she has a similar one at home that she always wears with a certain outfit. Going one step further, point out similar necklaces that might be on sale, or perhaps the matching necklace and bracelet.
3. Don’t give “no” for an answer. Many consumers who stop patronizing a particular store after being informed that it does not carry a particular brand or item, would have stayed with it had a store associate simply showed them a similar brand or item. While this technique does not always apply—after all, a bookstore with a small selection of DVDs isn’t going to be able to carry every title—it often does.
4. Avoid “piling on”. Customers are much more likely to accept retailers’ suggestions when they don’t appear to be randomly given simply for the sake of adding to the tab. A store associate who pulls together a well-fit, attractively coordinated outfit for a shopper that is perhaps is not the most expensive one in the store, but fits  perfectly and suits the individual’s tastes and day-to-day needs, will experience more success than one who proposes pricier pieces that do not.

Remember also that to practice effective suggestive selling, you need to know what’s selling. That’s where a computerized point-of-sale solution, such as Cash Register Express, comes in. For more information on Cash Register Express and other offerings from pcAmerica, visit www.pcAmerica.com.