In business, you may assume your products are the things which sell, and you’d be right in some regards. It’s crucial to note, though, that the best products wouldn’t leave the shelves if you didn’t have the right team upfront. Whether you run a retail space or an office, then, your employees are your best assets. And, as much as good sales can boost profits, certain bad habits could also turn customers away.

Regardless of how tempting your offerings are, some team behaviors and issues could see you struggling to scrape even small profits. They certainly won’t lead to loyal customers. But, what are these bad practices, and how can you get rid of them in your workspace?

Taking Breaks Where Customers Can See

Taking breaks in plain view of customers is always a mistake. Let’s say a member of your staff is smoking under your business entrance canopy when a customer enters your premises. It won’t look great if they then clock back in and serve the customers in question, will it? The same can be said for an employee eating their lunch in plain view, or even taking personal calls. Providing a private break room to avoid these eventualities will both benefit your staff and remove the risk of crossovers. Equally, a separate smoking section at the back of your business ensures staff are never caught in the act by potential customers.

Swooping Too Soon

It’s good practice to encourage staff to approach customers. This shows that you have a knowledgeable and helpful team, as well as ensuring no customer leaves with questions. That said, companies who have a 30-second swoop policy or similar aren’t doing themselves any favors. While it is, of course, vital to show this forward service attitude, acting too soon will scare most people off. We all avoid shops where we know staff will be on us at the door, after all. Make sure the same doesn’t happen in your business by coaching staff to give customers at least two or more minutes to look around first.

Going in for the Hard Sell

Most modern businesses have a real focus on a hard sell. Some even have employee sales targets for uplinking purchases. But, this focus on hard selling might not be doing you the favors you expect. Remember that customers aren’t stupid. They’ll know when a team member is trying to sell them more than they need, and it could cost you a sale or certainly a repeat visit. By comparison, a gentler sales strategy which clearly has a customer’s best interests at heart rather than your sales figures could go further. This shows that you care about saving your customers money, and could lead to repeat and loyal custom, which brings you more profit in the long-run.

Even if you’re unsure about dropping the hard sell or implementing a break room, we recommend you try it out. The results should soon speak for themselves, and the chances are that you’ll never look back.