When I watch outfitters work with customers, their focus often strays from the ideal. They get the customer squared away with whatever they came in for (shoes, usually), but a lot is left on the table — insoles, maybe, or some hydration or nutrition. The customer happily leaves with their shoebox in hand, but they’re bereft of the gamut of other things they didn’t even know to ask about.
Whether it’s a product, information or resources, a litany of possible solutions goes unaddressed because the fitter didn’t take time to make the relevant connections. Listening more intently to customers is the lowest hanging fruit in your store and it’s ripe to take your store to the next level.
Instead of listening, I commonly witness fitters focus on other things. Specifically, the store’s fitting technology, fanciful shoe components or the stress-inducing, serpentine line of waiting customers that’s inspiring a quickly-churned waitlist. Sure, these details are important — the tech we use to fit folks these days is laudable, knowledge of modern shoe mechanics is imperative and a long queue of anxious clients is, quite frankly, a darn good problem to have.
But prioritizing these sorts of details over a concentrated focus on the customer’s story is a miss.
Listen, Then Sell
Steadily listening to the customer’s narrative is how we win holistically as specialty retailers. First, there’s the human win: The customer leaves the store feeling seen and heard, educated and informed. All their known and unknown questions were aptly answered during an interaction that made them feel extra special. And make no mistake, it’s this feeling that inspires them to sing your praises. It’s what brings them back, too.
Second, there’s the business win. The outfitter’s keen attention and thoroughness at the fit stool inevitably translates to stronger metrics. The natural outcome of better listening is higher UPTs, more dollars per sale, quicker inventory turns and more business ideals. Good listening translates to a super healthy business.
When fitters are locked in with the customer sitting across from them, when they’re giving an undistracted ear and truly hear what customers have to say, the chances of selling more products increases exponentially. And hey, if you think this sort of “selling” takes too long or feels pushy, you’re simply making excuses. You’re probably just afraid of change. Of stirring up your status quo. But take heed, because it’s precisely these sorts of excuses that will delay your thriving.
When fitters approach each unique fit with a goal to more effectively listen, efficiency is a natural outcome. Why? Because they show up with a plan. It stands to reason that people who are good at listening are also good at paying attention to time. Such folks know how much the smallest details matter.
As for being salesy — if your fitters spend all day making relevant connections between products and specific details of the customer’s story, they’re educating far more than they are selling. Fitters who think too much about selling stuff are incorrectly framing their moment with a customer. They’ll benefit from a reminder that we aspire, more than anything else, to care. Caring more inevitably leads to bigger tickets.
Two Ears, One Mouth
Additionally, I’m compelled to pass along the words of my late Grandma Dorothy. “Tommy,” she’d say to a younger me, “You have two ears and one mouth…make sure you use them accordingly.” Basically Gram was telling me to listen twice as much as I talked.
I can’t claim to have consistently adhered to her request, but here I am, some 50 years later, sharing her poignant words with you. Her advice about the value of listening obviously made a strong impression on me.
Chances are, you and your team members self-identify as good listeners. And okay, maybe you are. But the store’s average UPT likely proves there’s ample room for improvement.
Whatever your current average UPT is, I challenge you and your team to activate a more stellar level of listening to add two units to that number. How to do this is easy — tune more deeply into the customer’s story, pluck out a key detail, then make a direct connection between a product and that detail of their story. You’re already doing this with shoes, so it’s just a matter of holding yourself accountable to doing it with accessories and other essentials.
If you’re paying attention to the customer’s words, you’ll be readily able to use them in everyone’s favor. Simply say, “You told me this, so I’d like to show you this.” Listen and connect, all day long.
Customers will always be far more interested in a thing that makes immediate sense in their world. The only way you can do this effectively and efficiently is to build a plan committed to more active listening. Do this, and your listening strategy will lead to more regular conversations the customer didn’t see coming — ones they are wildly excited to have with you.
And there’s a good chance you will sell more than just a pair of shoes while you are at it.
