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Unit Two: Sales and Merchandising
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| Communication – Communication is an extremely important factor in dealing with customers on a day-to-day basis. You can be the most knowledgeable person on cosmetics, but unless you learn how to listen to the customer, you will not be successful. This chapter focuses on the different modes of communication and gives helpful tips on how to overcome the problems of communication. – How well we communicate and listen to customers is an important influence on how well we will satisfy their needs. |
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| Customer Service – From communication comes customer service. How many times have you walked into a business and received bad customer service? It is a well-known fact that people are more likely to tell someone about the bad service they received than about the good. This section examines what constitutes good and bad customer service. – Customers have certain expectations of you. It is important that you understand these expectations in order to satisfy all of their needs. |
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| Selling – Becoming a good salesperson is based upon being able to satisfy your customers’ needs. In this chapter you learn the steps of a sale from the approach to the close while maintaining customer satisfaction. – There are many types of sales approaches you can use. Those that work have a common denominator: identifying and satisfying your customers’ needs. |
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| Visual Merchandising and Display – How can you encourage customers to want to buy a product? Chapter Four explains the many types of store fixtures, various types of store set-ups, different kind of displays and how to utilize them to your advantage. – How you set up your department plays an important role in whether or not your customers will purchase products. |
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| Inventory Management – To be a successful salesperson, you should have control over your inventory. It is important to be knowledgeable in the ‘numbers’ side of the industry as well as the ‘beauty’ side. This section gives readers information on sales reports and quotas, inventory levels, stock turnover and security methods. – If a customer wants a product that’s not in stock, chances are you will lose a sale. Inventory management is crucial in the successful functioning of a cosmetics area. |
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Special Events
– Working in cosmetic retail sales, you need to be able to take advantage of opportunities – or create your own!
-Think of your department/cosmetic counter as your own small business, and use this chapter as a guide to producing interest and possibilities for generating future sales and customer relationships.