How Sales Associates Use Their Digital Independence to Drive Sales

When the pandemic forced brick-and-mortar stores to close last year, it accelerated retailers' push to equip associates with clienteling platforms—digital marketing tools that enable them to proactively connect with established customers, curate personalized virtual storefronts and guide online customers through purchasing decisions. While it’s been well-documented that shopping habits evolved during the pandemic—non-in-store sales were 25.4% in 2020, up from 19.5% in 2019, according to the National Retail Federation —the need for skilled salespeople remains. And this transformation from in-store shopping to ecommerce is changing what it means to be a retail sales associate. “There was no way in the past we would trust associates to represent brands in the digital world," Rob Garf, Salesforce’s vp and gm, retail, told Adweek. “But we should, because they’re the biggest brand ambassadors. Why not unleash them into the social world and trust them?” Many retailers have. When Bloomingdale's introduced Salesfloor's clienteling platform to small clusters of associates about four years ago, it was to address scenarios like inclement weather that prevented in-store shopping. It was also a way to connect online customers with a sales associate to answer questions. “What the pandemic did was rush forward what was evolving anyway,” Gloria Craighead, Bloomingdale's vp and head of customer experience, selling strategy and technology, told Adweek. “It turned it from an evolution into a revolution, because suddenly people couldn't shop the way they were accustomed to shopping.” From physical book to digital book Associates use clienteling platforms in big and small ways. Ben Rodier, co-founder of Salesfloor, points to a Kiehl’s associate who wears an ID lanyard with a QR code on the back. After he’s helped a client in the store, he encourages the customer to scan the code with their phone and follow up through that portal with questions. It also gives clients access to his personalized storefront on the Kiehl's website, where he recommends products, announces sales and promotes new items. “Because of the pandemic, in-store visits are fewer, so this is a way for customers to still have access to expertise,” Rodier told Adweek. Salespeople used to keep a physical book of business with their best customers’ brand preferences, sizes and contact information. These marketing tools take customer outreach to the next level. They provide clients’ purchase history that lets the associate know when a new color or size of a previously purchased item arrived. Armed with that knowledge, the associate can send a personalized message telling the customer about the new color of their favorite pants. Associates can include the link directly to the item though their personal, virtual storefront and get the commission if the client clicks purchase. At Bloomingdale's, Craighead said associates' virtual storefronts are the core of building customer loyalty. Some associates have taken it a step further, sending clients a weekly email of favorite products, trending items and ideas on how to build a look. One personal shopper in California calls her weekly email The Monday Must-Have. A recent edition recommended products for dry lips, an issue she noticed as mask-wearing mandates loosened. “It was completely written in her voice,” Craighead said. “You build credibility with your customers, and then your customers want to hear what you have to say about things you can buy at Bloomingdale's. The most successful sellers are the ones who really know their customers. They know what matters to them and they speak that language.” The birth of digital clienteling All of this drives sales. “The more customers we get into one-to-one selling channels, the more lucrative it is for the business,” Rodier said. “The conversion rate, open rate and click rate on all interactions we measure are significantly higher than when compared to traditional metrics.” For instance, he said, visitors to ecommerce sites convert to sales 1-2% of the time. When a visitor comes to the website through an associate’s QR code or opens an email or text from an associate they know, the conversion rate to a sale jumps to double digits. The Canadian department store Hudson’s Bay has also seen impressive metrics. Clienteling was introduced four years ago so store associates could answer client’s questions online via a live, digital chat tool. “It has since evolved to, ‘How do you build a relationship with that customer?’” Adam Powell, Hudson’s Bay svp of omni customer experience, told Adweek. “Now, with the pandemic, it’s moving from a world of awaiting customer requests and foot traffic to connecting outbound with a customer proactively.” Sales connected to the clienteling tool have increased more than 84% from last year, Powell said. Post-pandemic shopping Bloomingdale's introduced a digital-only salesforce in the fall so associates don’t have to toggle between assisting in-person customers and the growing ecommerce business. As Covid-19 restrictions loosen and the public increasingly returns to in-person routines, digital and in-store experience will drive traffic to each other in a loop. “Retailers are trying to figure out how to monetize shoppers when they leave the store,” said Trevor Sumner, CEO of Perch Interactive, an agency that helps retail merge digital and physical presences. At Hudson’s Bay, Powell’s team is testing QR codes that in-person customers can scan and order from to access a wider range of merchandise. He points to stand mixers as an example. Instead of stocking dozens of colors in stores where physical space is at a premium, they’re able to direct shoppers to more options online. As Bloomingdale's Craighead said, “This unlocked a tremendous opportunity that is not going away.”