Christmas sales: put your faith in good humour!

Lulled by the spirit of Christmas, whoever has never deviated slightly from his or her shopping list to fall for a beautiful product should throw me the first snowball!

As much as the product, it is the warm and positive atmosphere associated with the holidays that you buy, so it is important to recreate these feelings in your shop.

This is not always easy when your teams are surrounded by gloomy indicators such as the drop in tourism, security risks or potentially tighter holiday budgets… Therefore your role is not to deny this context, butrather to reflect with your sales staff to create a welcoming, festive and relaxed atmosphere that is conducive to purchases. You must be convinced by the approach yourself, because if you approach this period negatively, you will not succeed in making your employees Christmas ambassadors.

The key word is “optimism”!

Once you have decided on the Christmas spirit you want to create in your shop, get your sales force together. This is the time to explain to them how to convey a sense of joy to your customers. And here is a suggested methodology for doing so.

Share your own tips and opinions in the comments at the end of this article.

Step 1: survey your employees

Take an interest in your employees by asking them about their relationship with Christmas: are they optimistic? Are they excited about the upcoming festive period?

Once they have all spoken, explain to them the importance of a positive attitude. Explain that the way in which you address difficulties makes all the difference. Don’t hesitate to use sporting analogies. And remind them that a sportsman or woman will always approach a competition with a conquering and positive spirit, because this is one of the keys to success.

Step 2: Play it collaborative to anticipate irritants

Next, ask your salespeople to list all the problems that could occur during the holidays. Each one will find at least one: customers in a hurry and in a bad mood, transport difficulties or bad weather. Ask them also about all the little annoyances that could affect their good mood. Together, find ways to respond to each of these problems and create a good mood.

Step 3: Enhance the quality of the welcome

With Christmas, your clientele will change. You will certainly be welcoming different buyers than your usual customers. Make sure that all your salespeople have an impeccable attitude. Emphasise that all buyers should be welcomed with respect, regardless of the way they dress, their attitude or their budget.

Step 4: Support your managers/team leaders

Finally, pay special attention to your managers. They are the coaches of your teams when you are not there. Teach them to open the shop by visualising a perfect day: a smooth, problem-free day, lots of shoppers and sales targets exceeded! Their ability to project themselves will improve their motivation and keep them on track throughout the Christmas season.

Step 5: Participate in the generosity of the community!

Finally, get involved! Show your employees that you are not only interested in the Christmas period because it generates a large turnover. Give a part of your sales to an association. This will show that you too understand and share the spirit of the holidays.