Christmas Tips For Retailers

Practice dealing with Christmas negativity

It’s started already, the negative comments about anything to do with Christmas. 

‘Christmas is far too commercial’, ‘I’ll be glad when Christmas is over’, ‘I hate shopping at Christmas’. 

Have you taken the time to explain to your team that negative customer comments are OK?  They are a normal part of life in retailing... especially in the lead up to Christmas.

Be prepared to handle these comments positively.  Get it right and your customer will feel better, you will feel better and the tills will be jingling with lots of extra Christmas cash.

You and your team need to be prepared.  You need to practice acknowledging without getting caught up in the negativity and come up with some positive responses; responses that will help re-frame their thinking in a more positive light.

For example, tell them about the elderly lady who mentioned she is going to see her grandchildren for the first time or the man who said that he and his two brothers would be getting together for the first time in 15 years.  Remind them that if it wasn’t for Christmas these things might not be happening.
You don’t have to make up examples, I’m sure that you and your team can come up with your own. 

Click here for a FREE worksheet to help you to do this.

Sharpen Selling Skills NOW!

The level of service you’ve provided during the ‘slow periods’ determines to a great degree if a customer will shop with you during December. Many customers think, “If you couldn’t take care of me when it was quiet, how will you possibly take care of me when you’re ‘mobbed’?”

Positive customer relationships are built when floor traffic is manageable.  The opportunity to determine needs, trade up and create large multiple sales is greater when there is quality time to ask lots of questions and determine needs.

Salespeople must have the ability to handle multiple sales during the busy season to capture and maximise sales.  This ability must be developed long before the onslaught of holiday shoppers hits your doors.

This is an excerpt from Melbourne retail consultant Debra Templar’s great little e-book ‘Jingle Bells Christmas Sells’.  Its only $12.00 (in Aussie $$$s) and compliments rather than duplicates my own $9.95 ‘52 Terrific Tips for Christmas’ e-book.  The two e-books take a completely different approach and between them give you lots of ammunition to fire up your Christmas sales.  Click on the titles to find out more about each book or to place your order.