By Crystal Lengua
Although the pool and spa retail shop is bustling, accessory sales aren’t where they should be. Although the shop has an extensive inventory of good/better/best products and accessories such as steps and handrails, they don’t move. The key selling strategies that make a difference at the register are training staff to ask questions, make recommendations, upsell and cross-sell. Cross-selling allows customers to buy similar or higher-end products to the ones they want to buy. Upselling encourages customers to make a purchase.
The following five questions must be asked of store owners when selling accessories for spas and hot tubs:
- Do staff receive proper training? Are they familiar with the products and their functions, as well as how they relate to hot tubs or other accessories?
- Do sales people have incentives to sell high-profit or sale items?
- Are staff able to listen and understand the needs of customers at the time of hot tub sales without coming off as pushy?
- Is the shop able to sell accessories without any sales support?
- Do you use planograms for visual merchandising spa accessories all year round?
The following assumes that “No” is the answer to all of the above. This article will discuss each topic and show how retail store owners can increase their profit margins.
Training for staff accessory training
Although this may seem like an obvious topic, staff are trained on the most expensive items (such spas), but accessories are not discussed by managers in the sales process. Sometimes accessories are assumed to be “common knowledge.” However, it is important to take the time and educate sales staff on how each item works with other products and what aspects of customers’ hot tub lifestyle they will enhance. The more information an employee has about the item, the easier it is to recommend the upsell.
The post Strategies for staff involvement to increase spa accessories sales was first published on Pool & Spa Marketing.
