Each product category in your store has a best seller. This is not necessarily the cheapest or lowest gross profit product, it is the favourite product in the category purchased by your customers.
You can use this to your advantage if you introduce some simple management concepts.
1. Identify the Best Sellers in Each Category
Make sure you know the best seller in each category. For some products, for example, beer, the product will stay the same throughout the year. For other products, for example fruit in a greengrocers, the product will change with the seasons and you will need to analyse your sales results on a monthly basis.
2. Educate Your Team
Make sure every team member knows the best sellers in each category. I believe every team member should know as they all have the opportunity to sell a ‘best seller’. This means that a team member in a specific department should know the best sellers in another department.
3. Educate your Customers
As consumers we like buying best sellers. If we do not know the product category very well, we find comfort in purchasing best sellers as we all like to conform when we are unsure.
Therefore, use shelf talkers or general point of purchase signage to highlight best sellers.
This signage could say:-
“Our best selling ‘x’ this month is ……..”
“Our best seller”
“The top selling ‘x’ in our store”
“Our customers favourite ‘x’”
The important thing is that you are honest with your customer.
4. Position Your Best Sellers Strategically in the Category Layout
Do not use the prime location in the category layout for best sellers. They will sell anyway. Put your best sellers in what would normally be a lower selling position in the layout. They will help you increase sales in the overall category.
Customers need to see your best sellers, and shelf talkers will help you achieve this. Use your prime selling positions for impulse sales.
5. Train the Team to Sell Best Sellers
If customers are unsure about what product to select within a category, ensure your team promote best sellers as one of their selling options.
“Our best seller is ………”
can be a great selling opener. It will give the customer confidence in the salesperson as it shows they have knowledge of their products. The result of this is they start to trust your team member and will then readily accept their advice.
In most situations customers will purchase the best seller or allow your team member to sell up to a more profitable line.
6. Best Seller Checklists
In large stores with many categories have a checklist of best sellers that is available to all team members. This will provide them with opportunities to sell in other categories apart from their own and give them extra confidence.
7. Match Promotions With Fact
When introducing a best selling strategy do make sure your advertising, internal promotions and sales team are giving the same message to the customer.
Management Memo
Best selling strategies work brilliantly in some retail sectors and are
under-used in others.
The book and record industries have used this technique for many years with merchandising strategies that show the top 10.
I recently worked with a retail client where we introduced the best selling strategy for the first time.
Prior to my visit they were unaware of which were their best sellers. Once we introduced the strategy and used shelf talkers, their sales of best sellers increased four fold. What was even more interesting was that the overall sales within the category also increased. I believe this was due to the consumer gaining more confidence and trust in the retailer.
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