To establish consistent daily service, agree with sales staff on a consultation routine: attentive engagement, questions about the customer’s needs, checking the product and its availability, agreeing on the next step, and completing the purchase. Describe what the employee should do at each stage.
Managers should observe specific conversations, note examples, and discuss with the salesperson what they can do next to improve their work. Do not judge the entire consultation solely by whether it ended in a sale.
Prepare sales staff to answer product questions
Before they work independently, introduce sales staff to the range, services, and store policies. Explain where they should check product specifications, availability, and price, and whom to ask if they cannot find an answer.
Choose several products from the range for training. Ask the employee to explain their features and show where they get the information. Separately, practise answering an unfamiliar question: “I’ll check this feature in the product description.” After checking, the salesperson should return to the customer with an answer.
Understand the customer’s needs before making a recommendation
Pair a greeting with an open-ended question—one the customer can answer in more detail than “yes” or “no.” For example: “Good afternoon. What will you be using the backpack for?” Then clarify the requirements that affect the choice: size, intended use, required features, and budget.
Let the customer finish answering. Then briefly sum up what you heard: “You need a backpack for a laptop and documents, within the amount you mentioned. Is that right?” If the customer corrects or adds to the answer, take that into account before selecting a product.
Recommend products based on the stated requirements. Instead of a general assessment such as “this is a good model,” point out a specific feature relevant to the request. If the customer wants to look at the product on their own, agree on how they can ask for help.
Check availability, size, and price in Torgsoft
During a consultation, the salesperson needs to find out whether the requested product is available and which option to offer. In Torgsoft, the “Стан складу” (Stock Status) form lets them check the availability and quantity of a specific product. It also shows sizes and selling prices.
Use this information before answering the customer: check the required size, quantity, and price. If the product needs to be brought from the stockroom, agree on this with the customer. Check descriptions of materials, compatibility, and other features separately against the product information.
Checking stock levels does not replace inspecting the specific item. Before handing it to the customer, make sure it matches the selected option. The owner can include this check in the consultation routine. For more on checking quantities, see “How to see how many items are in stock and their total value?”.
Agree on the next step and complete the purchase
At the end of each stage, briefly explain what will happen next: “I’ll check the stock and bring this colour” or “I’ll show you the compartment dimensions in the description.” This clarifies what the salesperson will do and what the customer can expect.
For completing a purchase, set out the cashier’s sequence of actions: state the total before payment, arrange for the receipt to be issued, and hand over the product. If further contact has been agreed, repeat who will contact the customer and about what. Practise this routine as part of the consultation.
Illustrative training dialogue
The product, sizes, and stock quantity shown here are hypothetical. This is an author-created example for training sales staff.
Customer: “I need a backpack for work.”
Salesperson: “Good afternoon. What are you planning to carry in it?”
Customer: “A 15.6-inch laptop, a charger, and documents.”
Salesperson: “So you need a laptop compartment and space for documents. What’s your budget?”
Customer: “Up to 2,000 hryvnias.”
Salesperson: “I’ll check the compartment dimensions and whether this model is in stock. Which colour would you like to see?”
Customer: “Grey.”
Salesperson after checking: “There’s one grey one. Here are the compartment dimensions in the product description. Would you like me to bring it over for you to look at?”
Customer: “Yes.”
During training, continue the dialogue through the customer’s decision and payment. Also practise what to do if the product is not suitable: the salesperson asks which specific requirement has not been met.
Observe actions and give specific feedback
Use the checklist below as a working guide for managers. Record specific words and actions during an individual consultation.
| Stage | What to observe |
|---|---|
| Approach | The salesperson greeted the customer and offered help. |
| Understanding the need | They asked a question, listened to the answer, and clarified the requirements. |
| Product selection | They linked the recommendation to the request and checked the features and availability. |
| Next step | They explained and agreed on what would happen next. |
| Completion | They arranged payment, the receipt, and any agreed follow-up contact. |
After observing, discuss one specific moment: “I heard the customer mention the laptop size. I suggest asking about its dimensions before selecting a backpack.” Give the salesperson advice they can apply in their next consultation.
Write down the example, the agreement, and the action to check during the next observation. At the next discussion, revisit the agreement and review how the employee applied it.
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