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UNIT E
SELLING
FASHION
5.01 Explain selling in the
retail environment.

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Selling as a marketing
function
Personal selling: A function of marketing
that involves personalized, two-way
communication between the salesperson
and the customer in the process of
exchanging merchandise for money or
credit.

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Customer-oriented selling: An approach to

selling that involves meeting and exceeding
customer expectations while making
customers feel important, identifying their
needs, and finding solutions to best fulfill
those needs.
Stores using customer-oriented selling are
applying the marketing concept instead of using
sales-oriented, high pressure selling.
Stores distinguish themselves from each other by
the quality and quantity of personal services they
offer the customer.

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Roles of Salespeople
Sales clerk: An Order-taker who may
stand behind the counter to ring up a
sale and who is usually employed by
stores that sell lower-priced
merchandise.

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Roles of Salespeople (cont.)

Sales associate: A
skillful retail employee
who uses creative
selling skills to
influence customers
purchasing decisions
and who usually works
in high-service retail
department and
specialty stores.

Roles of Salespeople

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(cont.)

Personal shopper: An employee who

assists customers with a level of
individualized attention and service
beyond what a retail sales associate
would offer.
May help customers pull together an
entire seasons wardrobe
Usually provides service by appointment

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The Importance
of Salespeople
Successful salespeople develop professional
relationships with customers.
Salespeople are the only store contact for most
customers.
Successful salespeople create higher sales, thus
more profit, while helping customers solve
problems.
Successful salespeople create happy customers
who become repeat customers and whose
word-of-mouth endorsements gain the business
of new customers.

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Methods Used To
Motivate Salespeople
Organizational climate: The feeling that
employees have about their opportunities,
value, and rewards for good performance
within the business.
High esteem results in low employee turnover
which increases company profits because less time
and money are spent on training new employees.
Low esteem results in high employee turnover and
reduces company profits due to the high cost of
training new employees.

Methods Used To
Motivate Salespeople

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(cont.)
Compensation: Payment and benefits for
work accomplished.
Wage: Payment based on a set rate per hour for
the number of hours worked.
Salary: Payment based on a fixed dollar amount
for a specified period.
Commission: Payment based on a percentage of
the dollar amount of sales made by a
salesperson.
Hourly wage or salary plus a commission

Methods Used To
Motivate Salespeople

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(cont.)
Sales quota: The projected volume of sales (units
or dollars) assigned to a department or person for
a time period.
Compensation is often tied to meeting the
sales quota.
Incentives: Contests, prizes, rewards, honors,
merchandise and cash bonus awards, days off,
trips, and profit-sharing opportunities used to
motivate salespeople.

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Non-Selling Duties and

Responsibilities of the Salesperson
Basic stockkeeping
duties/tasks
Stockkeeping
Receiving merchandise
Preparing merchandise for
sale

Maintaining product
information

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Stockkeeping: Receiving, preparing,

and protecting merchandise against
damage or theft, and participating in
maintaining store or department
inventory.

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Receiving merchandise: The

actual exchange of goods between
the vendors transporting agent
and the retailer.

Receiving Merchandise

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Inspect for damage.

Verify that merchandise received is as
ordered.
Record goods on the receiving record.
Process necessary returns to vendors.
Returns to Vendors: Goods that are
shipped back to a supplier by a store.
May be necessary because of
mistakes in filling the order,
unacceptable substitutions, late
delivery, or defective merchandise

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Preparing merchandise
for sale

Sort and arrange merchandise by color,

size, and/or classification.
Ticket and price merchandise if
necessary.
Transfer merchandise between store
branches.
Set up and clean merchandise fixtures.

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Preparing merchandise
for sale (cont.)
Use appropriate hangers or shelf
arrangements for displays.
Put out goods to maintain stock levels.
Straighten merchandise during slow traffic
periods.

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Maintaining product
information
Product knowledge allows the
salesperson to tailor the sales
message to meet the specific needs of
each customer.
Types of information needed
Product use
Product care

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Sources Of
Product Information

Personal use/experience
Promotional circulars and flyers
Consumer publications
Trade publications
Sales representatives and store buyers
Manufacturers literature
Labels
Hangtags
Packaging

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Labels: Small pieces of ribbon or cloth

that are permanently attached to the
insides of garments to provide product
information.
May be any color or style as long as they
do not ravel
May be printed on front and back if the
label is attached so that
both sides can be seen
May include information
such as brand name,
special finishes, size, etc.

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Labels (cont.)
Must include information
required by law
Generic name of all fibers
used in garment and percentage
of each fiber used
Identification of the producer or
distributor
Identification of the items country of
origin
Care requirements

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Hangtags: Removable cardboard or

heavy paper signs that are attached
to the outsides of garments with strings,
plastic bands, pins, staples, or
adhesives.

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Hangtags (cont.)
Hang from buttons, buttonholes, zippers, belt
loops, etc.
Information may include

Brand name/trademark
Size
Suggested retail price
Style number
Special features such as fabric
finishes, reversibility, etc.
Symbols and logos to identify designers,
manufacturers, or sellers
A certification or seal of approval
Guarantees

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Packaging: The covering, wrapper,

or container in which some items
are placed.
If information that is required by
law on labels cannot be seen
through packaging, it must be
repeated on the package.