A recent retail experience and a healthy dose of reflection have led me to realise that there’s probably never been a more challenging time to work in sales.
My wife and her best friend have a shared birthday – I suppose that's one of life’s happy little coincidences.
Following the conventions of a sitcom husband, I found myself and a friend (her husband) at a shopping centre on the hunt for last-minute gifts.
As we stepped into the shopping centre, my friend unveiled a pair of headphones.
He's deeply engrossed by murder mysteries, especially when dissected through podcasts.
People are fascinated by morbidity for many reasons. For him, it’s akin to solving a puzzle – he enjoys the logic behind the investigations, and an unsolved case can leave you thinking for weeks.
We went our separate ways for about an hour, meeting up at the car later, gifts in hand, ready for the day ahead.
He was bemused. I asked him how he went, and he told me an interesting story.
In the first jewellery store, he browsed for a short while before feeling a gentle tap on his shoulder from behind.
Spinning around, he was greeted by a young woman addressing him, but his headphones muffled her words.
Removing the headphones, he asked her to repeat the question. She introduced herself and offered assistance in locating any specific jewellery.
Politely declining, he mentioned he was merely looking, and she excused herself.
Resuming his podcast, he repositioned the headphones, rewinding to catch up on whatever gory detail he had missed.
Leaving that store, he ventured to another nearby. This time, he explored a bit longer before a man emerged from behind the counter, extending a greeting. Once again, my friend halted his podcast.
The man inquired if there was a specific occasion for this shopping trip. After a second polite decline, the man offered his assistance if necessary.
My friend returned to his podcast, growing frustrated at losing his place in the story once more.
He left that store and headed to another, where he finally found what he was looking for — peace!
He browsed for around 15 minutes, found the ideal pair of earrings, and headed to the counter to pay.
His only interaction with the staff at this store was when he was asked if he was paying with cash or a card.
During the drive home, my friend expressed frustration at repeatedly losing his place in the podcast because the sales staff ‘interrupted’ his shopping.
I analysed this experience with him like you might unwind a murder mystery and helped him realise that this was a classic case of 'mistaken identity'. He was the villain after all.
Indeed, according to traditional sales conventions, the employees at the first two stores adhered to proper etiquette.
They were courteous, introduced themselves, offered assistance, and gracefully accepted rejection.
Despite their commendable efforts, however, my friend did not opt to make a purchase from either store.
He seemed inconvenienced by them doing their jobs - offering assistance!
Surprisingly, it was the store where the staff seemingly overlooked his presence that secured the sale.
This outcome defies traditional sales wisdom, challenging the idea that attentive service always leads to success.
It also underscores the evolving unpredictability of consumer behaviour and highlights the many factors that can influence purchasing patterns - and not all of them are logical or fair.
I suppose it could be said that this is another example of the increasing preference for personalisation among consumers.
While his behaviour was clearly ‘anti-social’, sales staff must tailor their actions to respect preferences in pursuit of a sale.
With that said, it’s essential to acknowledge the challenges these new ‘battlegrounds’ pose for sales staff.
The inability to engage with customers crushes their ability to communicate the significance and value of products.
After all, my friend was a stranger in a store where they worked.
What consumer is correct in saying the employees are wrong for introducing themselves – even if it was a good podcast?
Heaven forbid they ask him if he would like any help finding a gift for his wife.
Striking a balance between respecting consumers' wishes and plying the trade of a salesperson is incredibly difficult.
These new conventions rob staff of the opportunity to do what they do best - or to at least try.
The good news is that my friend is very open-minded, and it didn’t take much convincing to see the error in his ways.
In the future, I don’t think he’ll listen to murder mysteries while he browses jewellery stores.
He’ll save himself the interruptions to a fascinating story and spare the need for sales staff to repeat themselves when making a simple introduction.
The bad news is that it was my position at Jeweller that prompted him to self-reflect on his behaviour.
Unfortunately, I can’t be friends with every other unwitting husband walking the floors and strolling the aisles of Australia’s shopping centres in search of a last-minute birthday present for a loved one.
For that reason, thousands of other distraction-addicted consumers will not see any reason to change.
Indeed, this behaviour will only become more common if recent trends are anything to go by.
And so, for that reason, spare a thought for sales staff – many modern consumers are a pain in the ass.
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