Clienteling softwares used to be considered tools specific to the luxury market and aimed at catering to VIP clients. But as we enter 2025, personalized interactions and offers are now things that are largely expected by customers and a must-have for many retail categories.
At the center of the concept of clienteling lies the important relationship retailers have to create between their shoppers and the brand through human interaction. Sales associates are at the forefront of this relationship and need to be engaged as much as your customers in order to create a lasting impression. In this article, we asked ourselves: How to transform any sales associate into your best sales associate? What does it take to successfully engage them and create a virtuous cycle of growth?
Providing sales associates with clienteling tools
Equipping sales associates with the right clienteling technology will allow them to access a client’s history such as previous purchases, past basket size and average item price. It will unlock their ability to understand each customer’s preference, eliminating all the guesswork that usually comes with dealing with an in-store client.
Automating tasking
One of the key elements to scaling a reproducible clienteling method is to automate reach-out reminders between local specialists and customers. Store managers will be able to overlook the effectiveness of their conversations with clients and allow sales representatives to have a clear overview of what is coming ahead. This will also ensure that no shopper is overlooked or forgotten in the sales pipeline.
Empowering your sales associates with social selling
As of today, we have noticed a change in the way people interact with social media. We went from an era where these platforms were mainly used for catching up with friends and family to influencer-led platforms, where customers are willingly scrolling for product discovery and less about interacting with relatives. Social selling is now the most effective way to engage with the younger generations such as Gen Z and Millennials.
In this context, empowering local sales representatives to use social media as a selling tool and product discovery tool will allow them to enlarge their opportunities to sell and engage with shoppers beyond their in-store ability. Many retailers today are expanding the concept of social selling to micro influencers, because while costly and hyper followed personalities might seem like a good bet, they sometimes lack the local aspect to drive real influence and end up being costly for retailers.
At Salesfloor, we developed Storefronts, a feature that allows local sales specialists to create personalized online pages with their top product picks. These pages can be shared directly on social media, making social selling even more personal, local and ultimately effective.
Rewarding excellence
Motivation matters. We believe it is crucial for retailers to be able to track performance effectively and recognize when sales associates are responsible for making specific transactions happen. Offer incentives for top-performing associates, whether through commission, bonuses, or recognition programs. Publicly acknowledging great performance boosts morale and inspires the rest of the team to step up their game.
Key Takeaways:
- Clienteling tools give associates real-time customer insights, eliminating guesswork and improving in-store experiences.
- Automating outreach ensures no customer is forgotten, creating consistent, high-touch engagement.
- Social selling expands the reach of sales associates, allowing them to connect with customers beyond the physical store.
- Recognizing and rewarding performance fosters motivation, loyalty, and a culture of excellence.
If you are interested in learning how Salesfloor can help you with clienteling and social selling, don’t hesitate to book a free demo with one of our experts today!
