After a long day of meetings on Wednesday, I decided to stop in at Nordstroms to see what the buzz was all about. The media always mentions Nordstrom as the type of store other retailers should aspire to. Hmmm…I’m not quite getting this.
Yes, the shoe department is impressive. So much so that I wanted to take a few minutes to soak it all in. Instead, I quickly ran out of there after being approached by four sales people in less than five minutes. Now, I used to work in a large retail store where this type of action was the norm for the commissioned sales people on the floor. But, I expected more from a place like Nordstrom.
I have to say, I was a bit taken back by how empty the store was, even though the mall parking lot was full. But now I understand. Aggressive sales people can quickly chase customers away.
We are experiencing a slowdown in the economy. How are your employees reacting to this change in the environment? Are they becoming overly aggressive, as customers pull in their purse strings? Or are they staying the course and continuing to build relationships?
For many of your younger employees, this is the first time they are experiencing a downturn in the economy. Take the time to reassure them and provide guidance on how to safely navigate through these choppy waters, before your customers float away.
