2. Getting Started Basics
Get to know your Department
Opening and closing procedures
Department team
Merchandise and “What we Stand For”
Product Knowledge – try on, vendors, features &
benefits
Stock room
Outgoing merchandise
Sensor tags
Mobile POS and check in / out process (if applicable)
Using the phone – tie line, transferring calls
NQC process
3. Understanding your job
expectations
Coaching Guide
Productivity goal
Taking returns graciously
Return Alt Lookup / Non
Recall
Exchange / rewrite
guidelines
Merch search
DTCs – status, follow-up
Nordstrom Order Manager
(NOM)
Security with customer
information
Pacesetter Expectations
Charge Sends
Alterations / Repairs
Register reads / Flash
Red Book
Scanning tickets and price
accuracy
Customer Own Goods
(COG)
Floor presentation –
cleaning, straightening
Working safely
4. Nordstrom Best Practices
Immediately greet and approach
customers (10 second rule)
Acknowledge every customer
when they enter your department
Walk ALL packages around the
cash wrap
Always try and use your
customer’s name
Never point!
Offer to order (DTC) any item not
in store
On the aisle with a smile!
Hold the door for others
Refrain from personal cell phone
use on the floor
Always know your department and
personal sales goals
Have your biz cards handy at all
times
Follow up!
Send thank you notes or emails
Pick up trash when you see it,
throughout the store
Answer phone quickly and with a
friendly tone, stating your name
and your dept
Don’t chew gum on the floor
Help customers carry out their
packages if needed
Use employee parking
Always ask if your customer will
be using their Nordstrom card
today
Let customers on the escalator in
front of you
Never simply say “no” to a
customer
5. What is Designer?
Complete the eLearn independently
Discuss after- what did you learn/ how does it
apply to your new role?
You need to:
Have an understanding of the designer industry
Garment construction
facts/processes/understanding
Nordstrom history with the designer vendors
(esp the ones in store, start there then expand to
others)
6. 5 Designer Core Values @
Nordy
1. Build the relationship
2. Treat every customer uniquely
3. Love your product
4. Find the romance!
5. Details matter
7. 1. Building the relationship
All starts with communication and
trust- not hard selling!(customer has to trust that
your’e not in it just for the $$)
Be Honest! (if it doesn’t look good, tell them and suggest
something else; WOM biz is not going to be positive if they leave in the wrong
outfit/ill fitting; get them to trust you to know what they like and what will look
good on them before they even know!)
Communicate CONSISTENTLY
(ALMOST LIKE A FRIENDSHIP)
“Our people that have good books and USE THEM, make good incomes without
exception.” John Nordstrom
8. Example of building the
relationship through effective
communication
Amber met a new customer, Sharon, on the floor who was browsing for a few
pieces to update her fall wardrobe. After a great fitting room experience resulting
in a sale of over $3,500, Amber made sure to do several things as she rang up
Sharon at the cash wrap.
1. She briefly filled Sharon in on the Personal Book tool and informed her that she was adding her
to her own, if that was ok? Sharon immediately said yes, and was impressed by Amber’s initiative
2. Amber then placed her DTC order for Sharon’s pant size not available in store. She told Sharon
she would be following up in a few days and asked what form of communication she preferred.
Sharon said either phone call or email would be great.
3. After Sharon left the store, Amber wrote out a handwritten thank you note, simply thanking
Sharon for her business and the pleasure of meeting her. She also added a date reminder in PB
for the upcoming event Sharon had mentioned that she would be wearing one of her new outfits
to, along with a note detailing Sharon’s favorite brands and silhouettes.
4. A week later, she followed up regarding the order and made sure Sharon had received it/updated
shipping info
5. A few days after that, Amber sent Sharon a quick email blast :
Asking how her event went/how much everyone loved her new outfit
A quick FYI about an upcoming trunk show Sharon would love
Sharon was so surprised and impressed by the follow up communication (as
well as in store experience) provided by Amber, that she quickly became
a regular customer of Amber’s and Nordstrom Dallas Galleria. Sharon
had been a top customer of a neighboring retailer, but because of the
competitive edge Amber created through her efforts to service Sharon
above and beyond expectations, Sharon decided to shop mainly with
Amber only, since she felt important every time she worked with Amber.
9. Navigating Personal Book
(PB)
Logging in*
Home screen functions*
Inviting/adding customers to your book*
Follow up options*
Customer To-Dos
DTC follow ups
Today’s Customers
Emailing customers
Customer Lists
Customer overviews
10. Day 1 of Personal Book
Logging in; you will need to sign up
first.
After you log in, you will be directed to
the PB home page. Here, you can:
Prioritize your day
Stay organized
Build your biz
12. 2. Every customer is unique
Customers WANT TO BE WOOED! ( not just one in a
crowd, want both unique looks and service catered to them specifically)
Common denominators: expectation for
luxury and quality, interest or are fashion
forward
Any customer can become a designer one
(remove physical stereotypes of who our customers should be or look like, all walks of life, help them
elevate their wardrobe!)
Personalize your service and deliver it on
your customer’s terms (ie do they prefer text, calls, emails?
Frequent or monthly touchbases? Very professional and respectful tones or more friend
oriented?)
13. How can I make my customer
feel unique?
Invite the Customer back!
TIP: Many salespeople miss the
opportunity to invite the customer back
to the store. Never end your sale
without setting a follow-up or stating a
“next time” opportunity.
Events, PKs, trunk shows, new product,
triple pts, etc.
14. 3. Love your product
Know the fabrication and details for each
piece on your floor!(adds value to your convos with customers, allows you to
quickly find pieces that meet their needs)
Know what you have, what’s orderable and
what’s coming (gives you confidence in your interactions with customers, great
convo starters for new foot traffic customers browsing)
Find the pieces you love and advocate
them! Let your personality be seen by your
customers through your unique sense of
style!
15. Ideas for ways to learn about
your product!
Create a list of “must haves” for your
customer and WHY! Hang up in
backroom to remind yourself!
Choose a vendor a week to get “close
and personal” with; research with your
team then practice sharing your
learnings with your customers
Pick out “sticker shock items” and
practice selling them
Practice describing the fit and details of
different pieces to your manager, as if
they were the customer
Ask questions when vendors come to
visit! Have a running list of ones that
come up on the floor
Keep latest lookbooks close by and
review during slow times
“Pass it on”
Make a habit of sharing new info with
team members who come in after you
Find ways to utilize peers and
stylists to help you style and sell
items you don’t personally like
Read product labels/hang tags
during slow times to learn:
Fabric content
Care instructions
Season info
Any other specific garment details
Try it on or have a team member
model new product arrivals:
The more body types and skin
tones the better! Discuss what you
like/don’t
Learn 3 benefits/ 3 features to all of
your fave items
Practice selling a “skeptical” item”
to your manager, ie wrinkle free,
washable silk, etc
Check out the competition; who are
they, what do they do better, how can
you compete
16. 4. Find the romance
Passion for the product separates the
good from the great
Use/learn/practice elevated and
accurate vocab when describing and
presenting our product to your
customers (simple four letter words won’t do in designer; and if we can’t
speak to the benefits and detail in our product, why would your customer be interested/
be willing to pay the extra designer price tag cost?
17. Vocabulary Update
Selling Vocabulary: Words like “nice,” “pretty,” and “cute” carry little conviction.
Build a vocabulary of descriptive terms, which convey the fashion power of
your merchandise:
Luxurious
Elegant
Stunning
Functional
Fresh
Versatile
Simple
Striking
Sporty
Utilitarian
Military Inspired
Durable
Beautiful washes
Understated
Sophisticated
Tailored
Updated
Excellent value (never
“cheap”)
Refined
Edgy
Feminine
Classic
Boho Chic
Retro
Minimal
Polished
Season-less
Timeless
18. 5. Details matter
Even the smallest things matter:
Product presentation
Back of the house organization
Remembering customer details ie their
events, favorite designers, fun facts, etc
All of these factors come together
to create a seamless experience
for your customer every time!
19. Tips for remembering the
details for each customer
♦ Use their name as much you can throughout each
interaction (saying their name 3 times within the first
5 minutes of meeting a new customer will help you
remember it for the long run)
♦ Remember their previous visits and purchases
♦ Remember Birthdays, Anniversaries, special
occasions, etc.
All of these details can be inputted and saved in PB,
under purchase history, customer preferences, and
follow up tabs found under your customers name
and phone number. Review these before they come
in for an appointment!
20. Nordstrom Differences for
Designer
YOU!
Reservations
On Approvals (limited)
Surprise & Delight
Repairs (either through our Alteration dept or
vendor specific options paid for by the store)
Made to Measure suits
On Site tailors
On site shoe shines
Personal stylist program
Any differences/similarities compared to past
employers??
21. Reservations and On
Approvals
On Approvals:
Product can be sent to the customer’s own home (along
with you) so they can preview/try on before purchasing
Essentially we can provide our exceptional fitting room
experience in the comforts of their own home
***has to be approved by SM and reserved for top department
customers
Reservations:
Ability to preview and select product before it hits the floor
(pre-sell)
Done on Ipad or on a desktop
Review the process
Still have to follow up daily
22. Surprise & Delight
Lunch in the fitting room
Favorite coffee drink upon arrival
Spa day
Flowers
Anything that will surprise and delight your
customer!
***Check with your manager beforehand on
what is possible/what isn’t, be
appropriate and get creative!!!
23. Resources
We have many designer specific resources
at your disposal as a salesperson in this
department
Review the following on a desktop with your
DM:
Designer Triangle Sharepoint
Main training site for designer divisions
Weekly Playbooks
Vendor specific guidelines on BizComm
Designer Lookbook Site (BizComm)
Reservation tool
24. Social Media Resources
Additional way to stay up to date with
trends
Websites, blogs, Instagram, tumblr,
Twitter, apps, etc
Just suggestions! Not mandatory, but
gives us many more options for
learning our product and about our
customer
26. NEXT App
Allows sales people to safely and securely
text their customers from their personal IOS
or Android device
No need to exchange personal contact info;
this app generates a “new” number to use
for the purpose of safely storing customer
payment info and ensuring best
communication practices are used by their
Nordstrom sales person that provides the
standard level of elevated customer service
as would be given in store.
Review NEXT app set up and best practices pdf
27. Styling Practices
Loving your product begins with
knowing your department offerings!
Pull together three different looks for 3
different customers:
Mid 30s mom
Trendy, 30 something professional
Older, more conservative woman in mid
60s
28. Questions to ask when pulling
for a customer
Who is she?
Where is she going?
How else can these items be worn?
What verbiage best describes these
pieces? Remember, keep it elevated!!!
“Never stop selling until the customer says
NO!”
29. Designer Sizing & Fit
Women’s Apparel
USA 2 4 6 8 10 12
BRITISH 6 8 10 12 14 16
FRENCH 34 36 38 40 42 44
ITALIAN 36 38 40 42 44 46
Shoes
USA 5 6 7 8 9 10
EUROPEAN 35 36 37 38 39 40
30. Understanding Our Customer
Designer customers can come from
any walk of life, and EVERY customer
has the potential to be one!
Review Designer Customer elearn and
discuss after
Avoid stereotyping!
Accessibility is KEY for all of our
customers!
31. Language of Love
Our vocabulary should match the
sophistication level of our products
Say NO to “cute” and “cool” 4 letter words!!
These are not elevated enough or
informative about product attributes.
Your vocabulary should ALWAYS be
expanding and developing!
Same principal applies to COLOR:
“brown” versus “hazelnut”
33. Colors
Blue
Brown
Gray
Black
Green
Orange
Pink
Purple
Red
White/Cream
Yellow
Cobalt, cornflower, indigo, navy,
periwinkle, royal,
Amber, bronze, caramel, chestnut,
coffee, fawn
Charcoal, heather, slate, stone,
ash, smoky
Coal, ink, jet, raven, ebony,
obsidian, pitch
Chartreuse, jade, sage
Apricot, copper, salmon, tangerine
Blush, punch, rose
Plum, lavender, magenta, mauve,
iris, grape
Brick, crimson, scarlet, cherry,
ruby, rose, strawberry
Alabaster, eggshell, nude, ivory,
pearl
Gold, lemon, citrine
34. Practice the language of love
Pull 5 different pieces from 5 different
designers in the department and
describe them to your manager using
elevated, relevant word choices
Say all the word lists on previous
slides one by one to make sure
pronunciation is correct
35. Greet & Approach
How would you want to be greeted as a
customer?
5 “Be’s” to our Greet & Approach @
Nordstrom
1. Be Yourself
2. Be Curious
3. Be Knowledgeable
4. Be Influential
5. Be Thankful
“The most critical step in selling may very well be your opening line.”
36. Be Yourself
Relate with the customer
Be honest yet professional in all interactions
Saying hello to customers is easy and costs
nothing. Think about this way: You’re at home, a
friend knocks on your door. You open the door and
say……….nothing? I don’t think so.
Greeting customers who walk in to our department
are no different – make them feel welcome
immediately by saying hello with a smile. If you are
busy, tell them someone will be with them shortly.
Would you shop at a store where you were
ignored???
37. Be CURIOUS
Why are they here?
What are they looking for?
“Hi! What brings you in today?”
Where are they going/what are they wearing it to?
Approaches should be questions or statements that
encourage the customer and put them at EASE!
Open-ended, NOT “Can I help you?”
Sincere
Unrelated to selling or product
Icebreakers or convo starters
38. Icebreaker Topics
Weather
“Is it still sweltering out there?
Smart lady, staying indoors
and away from that heat!”
Children (if they are shpping
with their children, engage the
kid!)
“You look like you could use
a balloon!” Cue wink to the
parents.
Sports ( are they wearing any
personalized fan
paraphernalia?
“Rangers fan? Man, that was
a close game last night!”
Random fun fact, relating to
the department or something
the customer would relate to
“Can you believe that
performance by Beyonce last
night? If you didn’t watch the
VMAS, you HAVE to check it
out!
Sincere compliments (don’t do
this every time; you need to
actually mean it!)
Hi! I love your scarf! Where
did you get that?!”
Holidays
“Any plans for Valentines
Day? Regardless, you should
definitely treat yourself to
something special in honor of
the holiday!” Followed by a
big smile and a wink.
39. Be Knowledgeable
Know your product beforehand and
share relevant info with the customer
about fit, fabrication, etc.
“All of my customers today have been
going crazy over this new shade of
purple. It’s unique to this designer, and
the slouchy fit of the sweater could easily
be dressed up and down with leggings or
denim.”
40. Be INFLUENTIAL
Gauge your customer’s style and
interests
GUIDE them through your department,
floor or even store and purposefully
point out pieces along the way
“Hi! Have you seen the latest Akris fall
collection yet?! You have to see this
piece we received today!! Here, let me
show you.”
41. Fun Facts About Customer
Approaches
Customers will seek help from
a salesperson who looks (is)
busy over one who isn’t…so
stay busy! Dust, straighten,
fold and avoid lounging behind
the register!!
Wait until you are actually
working with the customer
before asking their name or
giving out yours.
When a customer is waiting
while you are helping another,
you should always:
1. Make eye contact
2. Smile!!!
3. Apologize for the delay
4. Let them know someone will
be with them as soon as
possible
The most effective location on
your floor for optimum customer
service and timely greetings is
right by the hard aisle. Prime real
estate!
Treat them like a guest in your
home, ie:
Offer their partner a seat
Offer them water
Take their shopping bags to hold
at the register and free up their
hands to shop!
It’s not necessarily what you say,
but how you say it that carries
meaning, as 93 % of
communication is non-verbal.
(Words, 7%; Voice, 38%; Body
Language, 55%; UCLA.)
42. Be THANKFUL
Our customers are the reason we’re
here…and they have an impact on
your pay check!!
Thank them every time!
Develop ongoing relationships with
your customers
Keep your voice pleasant, enthusiastic
and respectful!
43. Permission to Re-approach
Even the best approaches and most veteran
employees can get a “No thanks, I’m just
looking” from a customer…but you still want
to be available when that customer IS ready
for help.
So instead of getting discouraged, or leaving
the area, what should you say/do?
“Great! Please have a look around. I’ll check
back with you in a few minutes, ok?”
***This isn’t the time to give them your name or force a
sales pitch if they clearly aren't ready for help.
44. Designer Education
We need to be able to speak credibly with
customers about designer brands we offer…often
they are already familiar with the brand themselves.
The more knowledge we demonstrate, the more our
customers trust us
Review the Design Dossier elearn
Focus on designers carried in store first, and then
focus on out of store brands
Discuss what you learned and how to apply on the
sales floor with customers
45. Akris Punto
•“Spectacularly unspectacular”
•State of the art fashion that makes
sense and fits effortlessly to the needs
of today’s woman.
•Creativity and innovation meet
wearibility, featuring architecturally
inspired lines spun into timeless pieces.
•Fabrics play a crucial role. Designer
Albert Kriemler has said, “ The design
of every item begins with the fabric in
my hand.”
•Quality, understated elegance. It’s all
about the woman and her personality
foremost, followed by her clothing
secondarily.
47. AKRIS PUNTO
Milestones
Established 90 years ago in 1922
Swiss designer and company
3rd
generation family biz
Akris strives on personal tradition,
regional roots and vertical integration
House of Akris continues to evolve
and progress
48. Vendor Guidelines
Chanel guidelines
Louis Vuitton Boutique returns
Christian Louboutin and Boutique
guidelines