A Job Description of Shoe Sales
Shoes sales associates at department stores, small stores and chain stores have a busy, customer-oriented job. A shoe sales associate needs to have an energetic personality and enjoy working with people, whether he is full time or part time. Selling shoes is a way to start a career in retail sales or fashion.
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Education
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Shoe sales associates should have a high school diploma or equivalent. Basic proficiency in math is important. Shoe sales associates need math skills for using the cash register, counting change and taking inventory.
Create Customer Loyalty
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Customers are extremely important for shoe sales. Customers are sensitive to how shoe sales associates treat them, whether or not they actually make a purchase. If a customer has a good experience with a shoe sales associate, he will generally return to the same associate next time he is in need of shoes. Repeat buyers are an important way for shoe sales associates to build up a customer base and increase their commission.
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Sales Goals
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Sales goals are an important part of selling shoes. A sales associate will be given a daily, weekly and monthly sales goal. Whether a shoe sales associate is making his goal will determine how well he is performing at his job. Meeting or exceeding sales goals is a job requirement that helps to increase a sales associate's personal pay.
Cash Register
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Shoe sales associates will be responsible for operating a cash register and placing a customer's purchase neatly into a shopping bag. The cash register is the customer's last impression of the sales experience. This is when a shoe sales associate should thank the customer and invite her to return to the store next time she needs of shoes.
Shoe sales associates are also responsible for ensuring the cashier area is kept neat and tidy, both for co-workers and for customers.
Fashion Sense
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Shoe sales associates should enjoy fashion and be up-to-date with current shoe styles. It is important to read current fashion magazines such as Vogue, Elle, GQ and Bazaar in order to help customers make fashionable decisions about which shoes to buy to complete an outfit.
Loss Prevention
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Small and chain shoe stores do not have a security department. Shoe sales associates are responsible for preventing the loss of valuable merchandise. Shoe sales associates must be able to recognize fraudulent transactions at the cash register, such as stolen credit cards and stolen merchandise being returned for cash. Shoe sales associates must also watch the sales floor to ensure shop lifters are not placing merchandise into their bags and leaving the store without paying.
Shoe sales associates who work for large department stores do not have to worry about loss prevention. Department stores generally have their own security staff watching the floor through cameras and personnel disguised as customers.
Schedule and Salary Expectations
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Shoe sales associates have flexible hours. Flexible hours are considered an irregular work schedule where a worker could work in the morning, midday or evening. It also includes weekend and holiday shifts.
Shoe sales associates earn a base plus commission. The base can be an hourly rate or annual salary depending on the employer. Commission and base salary rates can vary dramatically from store to store. In general, the base plus commission may yield an annual salary between $23,000 and $33,000.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit shoes image by Angelika Bentin from Fotolia.com
