People Counting Systems Help You Hear What Your Sales Aren’t Telling You Part 2

 

People Counting Systems – 3                                                                     WC Blog 811
Door Counting Sensor – 3
People Counting Systems Help You Hear What Your Sales Aren’t Telling You Part 2
     People counting systems can be a new type of hearing aid for store owners. In Part 1 I began the discussion of how a system can interpret for you what some of your potential customers may be saying through their lack of purchases. That is right, without your knowledge more shoppers than you may realize could be leaving without ever making a purchase. Obviously sales data is not going to identify what is not taking place through the register. Determining why people are not making purchases is your task. The problem you face is how many people you are missing. Is it a mere two or three shoppers lost or are you losing tens or hundreds and you never see it.  You can install a door counting sensor and learn how many people are walking in and out without buying by comparing the information with total sales transactions. 
     While people counting systems do identify the problem, in this case lost customers, I don’t believe in identifying a problem without offering solutions. Yes, each store is different some sell groceries, some electronics, others are combinations of various merchandise but ultimately the objective is to sell products and/or services. What is it that caused those shoppers who leave without a purchase to decide not to buy and what can you do about it?
• The first customer I want to mention is the browser. This person likes to come in and just look. They aren’t seeking anything in particular and just enjoy browsing. This may be the hardest customer to sell to. They are not coming in to make any purchase. My recommendation is to greet this customer, ask if there is anything in particular you can help them find and when they say no, let them know you are available if they need any assistance. Don’t pressure this customer but do be sure to check on them every so often. Also know the signs that allow you to be certain this person is not a shoplifter. If you would like manager training to stop shoplifting it is available from Loss Prevention Systems, Inc.
• A door counting sensor won’t tell you what the intentions of a customer are but as you engage them you can get a sense from how they act and talk. If the customer gives short, replies and says they know where they are going in the store. This person is single-purposed and knows what they want. You can make some efforts at suggestive selling but don’t appear pushy. You can turn this person off.
• Then there is the chatty customer. This person wants someone to spend time with them, show them merchandise, listen to them and they are open to suggestions. The potential for missing sales with this person is great when there are not enough employees available to assist this patron. 
• Don’t overlook the unsure shopper. This person will be the one who has never shopped in your store before or they are unfamiliar with what you sell or where merchandise is located. Your employees need to know how to offer assistance and listen for what this shopper is trying to do. Are they shopping for a gift? Are they getting ready for a new job? Ask the wrong questions or don’t ask at all and you may lose that sale. 
• Impatient customers. These are the ones who do not want to wait. They won’t wait for an associate to come to open a display case and they won’t wait in lines at the register that look too long.
A door counting sensor can show you how many people are entering your store and even the times of day so you can plan your staffing to have the people available to help each of these types of customers.
     Register receipt tapes speak volumes to the amount of money your store is taking in. You can even get an average dollar per transaction from your registers. What you can’t get are the number of people who are walking out without a purchase. People counting systems give you the tools to capture the sales you have been missing. That means you can change the story your register tape has been telling you to a happier ending.
Need more information on a door counting sensor? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
     

People counting systems can be a new type of hearing aid for store owners. In Part 1 I began the discussion of how a system can interpret for you what some of your potential customers may be saying through their lack of purchases. That is right, without your knowledge more shoppers than you may realize could be leaving without ever making a purchase. Obviously sales data is not going to identify what is not taking place through the register. Determining why people are not making purchases is your task. The problem you face is how many people you are missing. Is it a mere two or three shoppers lost or are you losing tens or hundreds and you never see it.  You can install a door counting sensor and learn how many people are walking in and out without buying by comparing the information with total sales transactions. 

While people counting systems do identify the problem, in this case lost customers, I don’t believe in identifying a problem without offering solutions. Yes, each store is different some sell groceries, some electronics, others are combinations of various merchandise but ultimately the objective is to sell products and/or services. What is it that caused those shoppers who leave without a purchase to decide not to buy and what can you do about it?

• The first customer I want to mention is the browser. This person likes to come in and just look. They aren’t seeking anything in particular and just enjoy browsing. This may be the hardest customer to sell to. They are not coming in to make any purchase. My recommendation is to greet this customer, ask if there is anything in particular you can help them find and when they say no, let them know you are available if they need any assistance. Don’t pressure this customer but do be sure to check on them every so often. Also know the signs that allow you to be certain this person is not a shoplifter. If you would like manager training to stop shoplifting it is available from Loss Prevention Systems, Inc.

• A door counting sensor won’t tell you what the intentions of a customer are but as you engage them you can get a sense from how they act and talk. If the customer gives short, replies and says they know where they are going in the store. This person is single-purposed and knows what they want. You can make some efforts at suggestive selling but don’t appear pushy. You can turn this person off.

• Then there is the chatty customer. This person wants someone to spend time with them, show them merchandise, listen to them and they are open to suggestions. The potential for missing sales with this person is great when there are not enough employees available to assist this patron. 

• Don’t overlook the unsure shopper. This person will be the one who has never shopped in your store before or they are unfamiliar with what you sell or where merchandise is located. Your employees need to know how to offer assistance and listen for what this shopper is trying to do. Are they shopping for a gift? Are they getting ready for a new job? Ask the wrong questions or don’t ask at all and you may lose that sale. 

• Impatient customers. These are the ones who do not want to wait. They won’t wait for an associate to come to open a display case and they won’t wait in lines at the register that look too long.

A door counting sensor can show you how many people are entering your store and even the times of day so you can plan your staffing to have the people available to help each of these types of customers.

Register receipt tapes speak volumes to the amount of money your store is taking in. You can even get an average dollar per transaction from your registers. What you can’t get are the number of people who are walking out without a purchase. People counting systems give you the tools to capture the sales you have been missing. That means you can change the story your register tape has been telling you to a happier ending.

 

Need more information on a door counting sensor? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.