Effective Sales Tools for Any Industry
Jennifer Heiner holds a bachelor of science in marketing from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where she served as treasurer for the Marketing Club and as a peer mentor for freshmen. In 2019, Jennifer Heiner joined an emerging running retail company as the retail director overseeing the company’s four branches.
Successful retail sales professionals share several characteristics. First, effective sales associates must have outstanding interpersonal skills. Because they are the first face a customer sees when they enter the store, they must be friendly and personable. Additionally, they need tact in order to field complaints and handle dissatisfied customers. Next, effective communication is essential. A sales associate must listen to a customer’s needs, then accurately describe various products to make recommendations. Especially when it comes to specialized equipment, intimate knowledge of that particular field is a huge asset. Sales associates with strong organizational skills are better equipped to keep track of what needs to be done, from conducting inventory to sending emails. Additionally, top sales pros are able to quickly learn sales software and other technology.
These traits and strengths of sales associates can be utilized in any industry, even if one is not necessarily a sales based company on its face. For example, gaining a customer, client or patient’s trust is also key in any medical setting. Prior to joining a retail team, Jennifer Heiner worked as a customer service representative at an animal hospital in New Jersey. There, she worked with clients to ensure that all of their pets’ needs were being met — this included explaining the benefits of various treatments, medications, and prescription diet foods. Sales is a factor in this scenario as well —clients need to understand the benefits of the products, and be convinced that they are an essential part of their pet’s health. Of course only the necessary food and medication were dispensed by the veterinarians on staff, but it is the customer service representative's role to make the customer’s aware of the value of their purchase.
