The Mumbo: Everything I Need to Know, I Learned from Working at the Gap

The international focus today has reminded me of the semester I spent in France. I worked in retail at the time, and I remember being stunned at the difference in customer service. The interaction between a sales person and a customer in France was limited to "Bonjour" and "Au revoir" unless there was a sale, which would force the sales clerk to tell you the amount you owed.

Back in the states, I worked at the Gap, where we learned to follow GAP ACT: Greet, Ask Questions, Product Knowledge, Add-On, Close, Thank. The point was to get into a conversation with someone so that they could share with you their needs and you could help them by providing your expertise.

Not to date myself, but at the time no one was searching for clothing on the Internet before they stepped foot in the store. Now shoppers are much more informed. The "conversation" starts at the marketing level. Shoppers are asking questions on Google, Yelp!, Twitter, and gap.com. So the same rules apply to marketing:

1. When you hear a tentative "hello?" say "hello!" right back.
Having a website isn't enough - customers need to be able to find it. So buff up your SEO and SEM. Join the conversation on Yelp! and ApartmentRatings and encourage others to as well. After all, showing up is half the battle.

2. Define your customer's needs.
Ask questions by optimizing your search path. Whether the search path is on Google (where you need to make sure the keywords are relevant) or on your own site (where you need to make sure the search path is user-friendly), make sure you are listening to what questions are being asked and making it easy for the customer to tell you what they want.

3. Offer product knowledge.
The key to this step is offering product information that is relevant to the consumer. Make sure the search results match their query, and include content that matters to them. Rinse and repeat (further define needs, offer more relevant product knowledge).

3. Look for opportunities to upgrade.
Offering additional information/products/services once a customer has found what they want is appreciated so long as it is relevant. "Try this cute belt. It looks great with those jeans," is great. "Want some socks?" is rarely effective. In real estate, your customer may want options (this floor plan is similar but has a garage; this 3 bedroom is a great deal; this community is close but has a pool). Make sure the customer knows that if they do want a "belt,' they can get it from you.

4. Convert.
Once the customer has found what they want, confirm that it is a good choice for them, and close the loop. In internet marketing, this means get them to perform some action: buy/lease online would be great, but we can settle for making an appointment, requesting more information, or signing up for an online newsletter.

5. Thank.
Make sure you end the conversation actively, not passively. Make sure your customer knows you'll follow up with them. Make sure they know who you are (brand awareness)and how they can follow up with you.