1. Attractive Display
Don’t scare away customers. You need to balance your seller’s persona between passive and aggressive. If you are too loud and pushy in your sales techniques, you could drive customers away. If someone seems interested in an item but starts to walk away, there is no harm in trying to save the sale. If you have room in the price, maybe you can get them back by offering them a better price.
3. Be Nice
You want your customers to like you. This seems like a simple and easy task, but one that many traders ignore. Be friendly; engage customers in conversations on subjects that have nothing to do with your merchandise. It is often that the customer ends up buying the merchandise simply because they liked the vendor and felt awkward leaving without making a purchase. IF YOU GET A NASTY CUSTOMER, AVOID ARGUMENTS.
The same display is a boring display, so change it up a little. Customers who are used to seeing the same merchandise in the same space are now viewing the items from a different perspective, as if they have never seen it before. This lesson can be used for your normal display; move things around, change things up. Customers will discover merchandise that you always have had out if you rotate the location, placing different items at floor level, eye level etc. This is one of the common elements to a successful trader.
5. Change your Merchandise
Consistently give your customer something different to purchase. It is amazing how many first-time traders who come to the market have incredible days. Their second and third day are pretty good too, but by the fourth day their sales slowdown. Traders often tell us how good the market used to be, but now it’s not so good. When stock of good merchandise is gone, try restoring the base merchandise but also constantly try new offerings.
6.Know What Your Customers Want
Many successful traders know what their customers want. Many collective traders know what their regular traders collect. If they are out purchasing their merchandise, they keep this in mind and pick up items that they can sell to these customers.
7. Price Reasonably
Don’t try and be greedy. It is much better to sell 500 items at R10 profit, than 100 items at R20 profit. This rule would apply to merchandise that you can easily replenish. In general, more successful traders have more attractive prices and are constantly replenishing their stock. If an item isn’t moving, lower the price even if you are going to take a loss. It doesn’t make sense to keep it around taking up valuable sales space.
8. Watch Other Successful Traders
It’s easy to spot a successful trader. They are always the ones with customers in and around their Shops. Take the time to watch them. There is no better place to learn successful techniques.
9. Find a Good Product and Become an Expert
Know your stuff. You could be the best salesperson in the world, but if you are selling a product that is not desirable, you won’t do well. Know your product. Become an expert. If you can convince the customer of the benefits of your merchandise, you will sell more.
10. Social Media
Join the social media band wagon. The East Rand Traders Square is involved in social media. So to make full use of the Facebook, Twitter and other relevant sites, speak to the ladies in Management to arrange to offer your own discounts, coupons and also to promote your merchandise on the social media sites. What’s best about this is that your posts and interactions are free advertising for you and for our market! East Rand Traders Square has over 5000 regular customers who follow our social media sites.
11. Advertising Your Shop/Product
There are many different ways of advertising your Shop and product to encourage customers to visit your Shop. Arrange with the DJ over weekends and public holidays to announce any special offers and prices you have available for your customers, or advertise in the newspaper to expand your reach of customers.
12. Dress Code/Clothing
Dress appropriately for work, in a decent and professional manner. Showing a lot of skin/cleavage, and/or wearing slippers and worn clothing to work creates a negative image. If you dress appropriately and well for work, it will encourage customers to support you and buy your merchandise, as it creates a positive impression of your sales skills and quality of your products.
THE
KEY TO ANY SUCCESSFUL TRADER IS NOT
TO FOCUS ON YOUR COMPETITORS OR OTHER TRADERS, RATHER FOCUS ON YOUR OWN BUSINESS AND WAYS TO MAKE IT EVEN MORE
SUCCESSFUL