 Sales Associate"I look at each day in sales as a blank page to write on - every day is filled with new faces and personalities. Each customer enters my area with a different agenda and each one of them is interesting to me."
 | Describe the contribution you make to your store and to Macy's East. |
I have been at Macy's for about 23 years and because of the length of time I have been here, I try to be a role model for my co-workers. I encourage others to make our working environment the best it can be. I keep a positive attitude. I am a selling specialist and responsible for my area's sales and merchandising. I encourage my co-workers to enjoy what they do. I feel responsible for welcoming new associates and making them feel as though they are part of the group. A team environment is very important to me and I strive to build that team in my area because that approach provides the best service for the customer and produces the best results. I encourage people to come back and shop with us by telling the customer how much we appreciate their business.
| You were recently recognized for your exceptional sales performance. Why do you enjoy selling and what makes it particularly rewarding on a daily basis? |
I consider a sale a result of connecting or relating to my customer. I look at each day as a blank page to write on - every day is a new day filled with new faces and personalities. Each customer enters my area with a different agenda and each one of them is interesting to me. Customers pick up on the fact that I am genuinely interested in them and their needs. I think this connection I have with my customers is the reason I am successful in sales.
| What abilities or personal attributes make you a great salesperson? |
I truly love people and I am drawn to them by nature. I have a degree in psychology and I am always trying to get into people's minds. I love to study customers and understand why they pick one color over another or how they think about a particular style. I am interested in who my customer is. People like when you are interested in them. I try to remember key things about my repeat customers so that when they visit we can re-connect on some level. Others tell me I am very patient - if you find something in the store and it is not your size - I'll be glad to call 19 other stores to find it for you. I enjoy making the customer happy.
| What do you do to build relationships with customers and why is this important to you? |
I build relationships by paying attention to what people are saying. This career has taught me to become a very good listener and intuitive to what customers want. I try to be the kind of salesperson I would like to meet when I shop. I try to remember things about my customers and I think that's important to them. People today are busy and sometimes distracted - so when they come in I try to focus them on why they are in the store and what they are looking for and they appreciate that. They come in and ask for me by name - it's very rewarding.
| Providing consistent customer service is an ongoing challenge. How does your personal contribution and passion for the customer make your store the best it can be every day? |
A customer to me is everything. When I am with a customer, everything else is secondary. The customer is the most important part of the store and I try to make the store friendly and inviting. I try to keep the customer happy in whatever way I can. It is very satisfying to me personally if I can help someone with a problem or a question. This isn't just a job to me - it's a vocation.
| What are your trade secrets? Are there any "techniques" you use to help initiate and/or close a sale? |
For me, how I handle a sale really depends on the person. People are very savvy and they can pick up on a lot of things. I read their body language or pick up on what they are really looking for by listening closely to what they are telling me. I encourage the sale and I help the customer focus. It doesn't make me feel good to sell a customer something they don't want. I also make sure the customer knows that they can return the merchandise if they change their mind.
| What is your most memorable sale? |
Recently, an older, well-dressed gentleman came into the department to purchase some outfits for his wife. He spent about $1,500 on merchandise. I asked him if it was for his wife's birthday. I always like to ask because it usually puts the customer at ease, and he replied to me, "After 60 years of marriage you don't need a reason to buy someone a present." About a minute later, a nurse came in holding a petite woman by the hand. The woman walked through the department and admired all of the colors and fabrics she touched in our department. Apparently, this was his wife and she had Alzheimer's. He stood there telling me they have an apartment in the city and he, along with the nurse, care for his wife because she has been such a good wife and companion. He said he's just crazy about her and he wants her to look beautiful all the time. I was so touched by the sentiment I was crying by the time he left. That's the kind of customer that makes me a better person.
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