Smartphone training is key to improving shoppers’ perceptions of sales staff, finds Liz Morrell

Commission-hungry salespeople who chomp at the bit to secure a sale at any cost. That is the traditional - and often misconstrued -image of electricals and mobile phone shopfloor staff and these retailers have faced an uphill struggle to try to reverse this stereotype.

But things are improving. The necessity to ensure customers leave their stores with products that not only match their requirements but also know how to use them may be changing perceptions for good.

Many retailers such as Carphone Warehouse now have a ‘walk out working’ policy and the communications giant last month completed Smartphone training with 1,000 of its store managers to ensure they could set up such technology ready for customers to use.

Staff were encouraged to use the capabilities of the phones for themselves during the training day with tasks and sites set up for them to access. “That helped equip them with the sales stories and knowledge without us having to stand there with a pen and flipchart and give them a list of benefits and comparisons,” says Marcus Dacombe, marketing director at training provider Verridian.

Of course, some would argue that such training is a sales tactic in itself but it is also about customer service. “In the past couple of years devices have become more complex but also the customer is becoming more savvy, so it’s beholden on the more successful retailers to understand what the consumer wants and then sell appropriately. If you give good service then the knock-on effects are huge,” says Dacombe. “If you are only using 10% of the phone’s capabilities then you will feel hard done by and that reflects on the retailer interaction,” he says.

Such training increases the likelihood of add-on sales. “If you trust the person that sold you it and made it work for you then you will go back for accessories,” says Dacombe.

Carphone Warehouse retail learning and development manager Richard Priddle adds: “It’s key for us that customers can rely on our team to set up and install all the services and features they want on their Smartphones, and can advise them on any issues or products.”

A similar tactic is in use at DSGi, whose sales training - called Fives - is also about understanding customer needs and matching them to the right technology. DSGi head of customer strategy Karen Gray says: “Where we feel we can make a dramatic difference is in listening to the customer and understanding their needs and their lifestyle. This helps us narrow down the huge choice to the products and accessories that are exactly right for them.”

Technology Training

The Carphone Warehouse’s Smartphone training, provided by Verridian, for 1,000 store managers included:

  • The creation of a special website that gave background information on and benefits of the phones
  • Provision of Samsung mobile phones to test the capabilities of the technology
  • Creation of specific Facebook and Twitter accounts that the team could access during the training day, which encouraged staff to constantly use the devices