Name: XXX
Title of Learning: Sales
How and What I learned:
As the Fine Jewelry Supervisor at JCPenney, it is my responsibility to provide staff supervision and
operational support to our associates. My principle responsibilities and duties require direct involvement
of the sales support related tasks to ensure excellent customer service and that profitability standards are
met. In managing customer’s expectations, analyzing productivity reports and benchmarking tools, I am
able to capitalize on opportunities to meet sales and profit objectives. I strongly believe one must possess
strong organizational skills, be a self-starter, and display a positive attitude in order to motivate others.
Supervisors must work with minimal supervision, exercise good judgment in the decision making
process, and meet established customer service levels and sales goals.
Developing the skills and abilities of all associates is a major priority at JCPenney. Our web-based
training program is designed to provide a fundamental understanding and a working knowledge of the
department support process to ensure that associates are successful. The leadership training programs are
led by top executives and ensure the development of each individual. I have found career discussions
such as management competencies and individual development plans, essential to the development of
my career at JCPenney.
Listed below are some of the courses I have taken:
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Department Supervisor: (35-hours) covered the areas of customer service, supervision
of sales associates, sales support task, merchandise receiving and replenishment, ticket
maintenance, defective charge backs, diamond trade-ins, control maintenance,
shrinkage, store safety, and communications.
Sales Support Assistant: (35-hours) covered the areas of customer service, supervision
of sales associates, sales support task, merchandise receiving and replenishment, ticket
maintenance, defective charge backs, diamond trade-ins, control maintenance,
shrinkage, store safety, and communications.
Fine Jewelry Commission Associate: (35-hours) this training enabled me to hone my
selling skills in the areas of product knowledge, achieving prospecting goals, performing
minor repair services, and suggestive selling techniques to build and retain customer
following.
Replenishment Associate Certification: (20-hours) this course allowed me to develop
new skills in such areas as replenishment, merchandise pricing, visual merchandise,
floor recovery, and inventory control.
With no prior sales experience to speak of, I was made Supervisor for the Fine Jewelry Department. For
the first six months, I struggled meeting or exceeding the monthly department’s sales goals. Realizing
that I needed help, my District Manager became my coach and helped me develop the skills I needed to
succeed in this position. It was only after I developed these skills that I was able to lead my team in
meeting our goals. I would like to say that it was an easy journey, but it was not. In my experience, I
found that many sales people do not understand what it takes to be a great salesperson. Understanding
the stages of the sales process is essential to be successful, especially in a commission-based position.
One of the most important lessons I learned was to introduce myself, then shut-up and listen. To truly
understand what the customer wants or needs, you must ask probing questions that will initiate
conversations and get their attention. This two-way dialogue is an important tool that will help you
identify what the customer is looking for. It is also important to focus only on the merchandise that is
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relevant to the customer. During this process, it is important for the sales associate to get feedback from
the customer. For example, “I am sure your wife would love this ring; not only is the price within your
budget, but the fire and brilliance of these diamonds are outstanding! Don’t you agree?” The sales
method shown above is all about showing the merchandise, making a features and benefits statement,
and getting a response back from the potential customer.
This is the stage where if you have done your job correctly, the prospective customer has developed an
emotional bond to the merchandise and trust in you. Consumer trust is built when the associate educates
the customer by providing the details of what needs to be done to complete the sale. An associate can
never assume the sale is a done deal unless the associates asks for the sale. For example, “Would you
like me to put this on your JCPenney card?” Most importantly, once the sale is completed, always thank
the customer for shopping at your store. At JCPenney, we coach all our associates to: “Smile on the
aisle, Greet every customer, and Thank every customer for shopping at JCPenney.”
The training and coaching I received on the process of selling has been the most powerful tool used in
my career at JCPenney. Since truly understanding and using this process myself, I have been able to
develop my team’s selling skills. Due to this training, my department has been meeting or exceeding the
Company’s projected sales goals for our store.
In today's competitive environment, a thorough knowledge of the selling and buying process is required
in order to identify consumer behaviors. The customer service and sales training I have received at
JCPenney was specifically developed to improve my skills in the areas of the buying and selling,
prospecting for a preferred customer base, and closing the sale. The goal for all JCPenney associates is to
provide our customers with exceptional service at all times. To achieve this high level standard of
business practices, the company is continually evaluating whether any barriers exist that may impede the
ability to meet our customer’s expectations.
Determining and understanding the customer’s wants and needs, and assessing what products or services
can be provided, is extremely important to driving sales and remaining profitable. To pinpoint the
customer’s needs and wants, a company should look at the big picture and obtain key data information
such as geographic location, population, cost of living, and languages spoken in the area that drive these
needs and wants. It is also imperative that customers receive the right service at the right time. One way
to achieve this goal is by making the customer feel that they have been heard and understood.
At JCPenney, we believe that customer satisfaction is the key to developing and maintaining our
relationship with our customers. The benefits of my training has given me the ability to manage
customer conversations and to diffuse customers who are angry and upset. Since there is a correlation
between customer satisfaction and customer retention, it is important to understand what constitutes
customer satisfaction. The use of information tools such as customer satisfaction surveys, card
questioning, suggestion box, and telephone surveys can help companies identify areas of improvement.
It is important to remember customer expectations are defined by the customer. Understanding and
developing these skill sets has renewed my job satisfaction, which has positively impacted my customer
satisfaction scores in The Fine Jewelry Department.
In 2008, JCPenney launched “CustomerFIRST” which is a comprehensive customer service training
program that empowers all associates to make customers their top priority by providing an engaging
shopping experience. We believe that there is a direct correlation between highly satisfied customers and
increased sales; our associates work hard every day to build enduring relationships with our customers.
JCPenney also knows that highly satisfied customers and highly engaged associates go hand-in-hand.
The first step in understanding and meeting the needs and expectations of our customers is achieved by
asking them.
The JCPenney tracks its service performance by inviting customers to fill out online surveys that rates
their shopping experience by the following criteria: friendly sales staff, accommodating return policies,
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and comfortable and relaxing store environment. As part of the management team, I am proud to say
that for the third consecutive year JCPenney was recognized for its industry-leading customer service by
ranking #1 among department store retailers in the Customer’s Choice survey released by the NRF
Foundation and American Express.
During numerous Fine Jewelry training sessions and district meetings, product knowledge is considered
one of the most important selling tools for a JCPenney commissioned associate. Although understanding
features of the jewelry you are selling is important, convincing a potential customer to make a buying
decision requires you to convince them of the benefits of your merchandise. This requires educating your
customer by clearly explaining why they would want to purchase this piece as opposed to another piece
of lesser quality. In order to answer these questions, the associate must know the difference between a
feature and a benefit. Simply put, a feature is the characteristic of a product. The benefit explains what
the customer will gain by purchasing the product. It takes a lot of product knowledge to turn each feature
into a benefit.
A good feature and benefit statement that we use when selling Fine Jewelry Care Plans is: “The lobster
claw clasp is the safest clasp to own. It is the most durable of all the clasps. It is heavy, solid, and
soldered onto the chain so it will not come open. You will not have to worry about it coming loose,
breaking, or falling off your neck.” Another example of a feature and benefit statement we use is: “Our
Lifetime Care Plan (service agreement) covers the mounting, retipping your prongs, resizing your ring
up or down, polishing, cleaning, tightening stones, etc. All of these services are done at not charge to
you, the customer.” By demonstrating your product knowledge for the jewelry merchandise you are
selling, you can make this item unique and show the buyer how it can benefit them. This selling
technique is all about convincing the customer that your product is worth owning.
Since most jewelry purchases are emotional, how you open your sales presentation sets the tone for the
remainder of the time spent with the customer. Developing a relationship with a potential customer is
critical. Greet each customer with a smile and a hello. At JCPenney, we are trained never to start a
conversation with “Can I help you?” or “Are you looking for something special?” We always start off
our conversations complimenting them on something they are wearing or commenting about a piece of
jewelry they are wearing. We do not dominate the conversation, we keep the conversation light and try
to ask probing questions in order to better help define their needs and wants.
Another way to explore customer needs and wants can be obtained by competitive trends and external
marketing. Obtaining data can help a company market its potential customers and track their marketing
efforts by word-of-mouth, flyers, questionnaires, coupons, articles in magazines, and TV commercials.
In the past few years, JCPenney has made significant progress transforming itself by infusing great style,
introducing new and innovative retail technologies, and providing top-notch customer service. This was
part of the new strategy to attract the younger retailer and continue to maintain our normal customer
base. It is all about knowing your potential customer as well as always being on the look for the next
trend.
Managing inventory is a crucial aspect for any business. Maximizing profits can only be achieved if you
have the right amount of product on your shelves. Inventory control systems are an automated software
tool that helps track and manage inventory. Inventory counts are used to show how much stock a
company has on hand at any given time. A company’s biggest expense is inventory which is why it is
critical to ensure that capital is not tied up unnecessarily. At JCPenney we rely heavily on our POS
terminals and our barcode system to manage our inventory, identify shortages, errors or shrinkage. Our
purchasing department uses this data to adjust ordering levels and changes in demand.
Considered one of my major areas of responsibility, inventory control is a top priority for the company.
Prior to my joining the department, there were no controls in place. In fact, in 2007, the annual inventory
had a lost revenue of $168,000.00 due to lack of controls and supervision. Under my direction,
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immediate changes were implemented to ensure controls were in place to prevent shrinkage and
maintain inventory integrity. By assigning each associate with an AOR, I was able to ensure ticket
integrity, identify unidentified merchandise, verify counts, and replenish inventory. Through the
implementation of these processes, the Fine Jewelry Department’s 2008 annual inventory had only a
$6,780.00 lost revenue compared to 2007. For the past several years, I have been commended by the
Eastern Regional Director of Security for my due diligence and my project management skills in
reducing lost revenue.
Anyone who has ever planned or participated in an inventory count knows what a frustrating, tedious
and time-consuming activity it can be. The key to a successful inventory is to have a plan and properly
execute it. This is where I was able to utilize my project management the most. My first step was to
build my team and assigned areas of responsibilities; the next step is to develop a timeline plan to deal
with each step in the plan. I also encouraged feedback from my team and adjust my schedule
accordingly. Since no plan is ever written in stone, I monitored our progress and inform my team of
completed milestones or issues that have evolved. I find communication to be critical during this
process.
Replenishment associates at JCPenney are key in helping the store achieve impressive sales results. As
part of the team, I was responsible for ensuring that merchandise was accurately replenished, sized, and
recovered. I was able to transfer the training I received as a member of the replenishment team over to
my position in the Fine Jewelry Department. Being customer ready is about all replenishment.
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