Author: deasterson

The research is in, and it shows that women are an underappreciated resource on the sales team. One survey found that while women make up 40% of the top sales reps in the country, they’re only 15% of the appliance and furniture retail sales force. Here are some reasons to take a closer look at the gender breakdown on your team. 

1. 1. Active listening. Generally, women spend 80% of their customer conversation time listening and 20% talking. That matters, because another report shows that 74% of people are more likely to buy if they feel heard.
   2. Understanding customer needs. Typically, men are action oriented and women excel in the soft skills that translate to empathy. Focusing on the emotional side of the conversation helps female salespeople connect with their customers, and that leads to completed sales.
   3.  Multitasking. Women tend to be more adept at the nuances of appliance and furniture sales. They can change gears easily, nurture a customer and close the deal more often.  
   4. Loyalty. There’s no research on this one, but female employees have been very loyal to employers during the pandemic and their emotional intelligence tends to create strong loyalty overall. Having dedicated staff helps productivity, boosts morale and decreases turnover. Women are consensus-builders. 
   5. Intuition. Women listen to their instincts. Appliance and furniture sales usually involve a husband-and-wife decision, and we know that both women and men like to buy from women. Women also convey a less threatening style and personality to help close the deal — using a gentle nudge from time to time to move things along.  

Putting more women on your sales team is likely to increase the camaraderie and productivity of the staff and probably up sales numbers as well. And BrandSource is here to help you identify and hire the very best people for your business, no matter what your unique circumstances are. For the best guidance, technology, programs and platforms in the business, turn to the largest member-owned buying group for independent home goods dealers. We have what you need.

BrandSource, the largest member-owned buying group for independent home goods dealers, is here to help with a full calendar of exclusive retail bonus events.

Outshine your competitors (and more than cover the cost of membership) with a schedule of BrandSource-only promotions that’ll soup up the holidays. Whether it’s our “buy more, save more” customer rebates, no-interest consumer financing for six, 12 or 18 months or bottom line-boosting margin enhancements, our exclusive events are proven to drive traffic and sales.

And, when coupled with vendor promos or your own in-store events, these BrandSource bonus opportunities generate added urgency and shop-local support, with little to no investment.

So don’t share the limelight — and the same sales promotions — with your competition. Let BrandSource chart your holiday roadmap and make your sell-through sizzle!

Is your delivery/install department profitable? More specifically, are you coming out ahead on delivery and installation charges? Many independent retailers hesitate to charge competitive prices for those services; meanwhile, the national competition pulls ahead. It’s never easy to implement a price hike, but as prices for everything go up it’s important to stay competitive. Your customers won’t raise an eyebrow in this age of increases and surcharges, and in the case of delivery and install prices, they’re getting something tangible for their money.

A recent AVB audit revealed that independents are seriously undercharging for delivery and installation compared to big box stores. For example,  box stores charge an average of $525 to deliver and install a four-piece kitchen package (excluding full-price accessories) and haul away the old appliances. Independent retailers, in contrast, charge an average of 45% less to perform the same task, representing a significant price gap with the box chains. Especially when you take into consideration the superior customer service independents can offer, it’s a problem that must be solved. 

Let BrandSource do a gap analysis and help you set a fair price for delivery and installation that serves your needs and maintains your great relationship with customers. As a BrandSource member, you’ll have all the assistance you need to maximize your bottom line.