POINT-OF-SALE STAFF: ADVANTAGES AND TYPES

Point-of-sale staff are essential for showcasing the advantages of your products and services. And although we often think only of hiring hosts and hostesses, the truth is that the range of professionals who can add value to your point-of-sale activations is enormous.

Producing retail elements such as POS materials or stands is important, but brand activations can fall short if they are not backed by a team of people who bring them to life and maximise their potential.

In this post we take a brief tour of the different types of staff who will help you achieve your objectives. But first, here are some of the benefits of having staff at the point of sale.

THE ADVANTAGES AND BENEFITS OF HAVING STAFF AT THE POINT OF SALE

These are just some of them:

1. Full control of the space: if your brand activation has a promoter, they will be able to report any incident that occurs in your space at any time. They are your eyes and ears, letting you know that everything is running smoothly.
2. Closeness: customers will come away with a more familiar and approachable image of your brand if it is presented by a person rather than your product simply being present at the point of sale on a display.
3. They answer questions: with the right training, hosts and promoters become the fastest channel for resolving any questions customers may have about your product. A genuine brand experience that will win over your consumers.
4. Better product knowledge: thanks to demonstrations, customers can see how the product really works or what it is really like, without having to guess what the product inside a box will be like. This translates into higher sales.
5. Essential for launches: promoters will make sure consumers take notice of your new product. Through activities such as tastings, they break down the barrier created by unfamiliarity.

HOSTESSES AND HOSTS: THE MOST IN-DEMAND PROFILE

This type of staff adapts to a wide range of areas. From the point of sale to congresses and trade fairs, or even specialist hosts in different fields. There are many options available.

Depending on the type of initiative, you will need the services of one kind of host or another. The most common for your point-of-sale strategy in the retail sector are:

• Promoters: with a strongly commercial profile, they are responsible for making the product or service known. They are a very good option for informing shoppers about new products at the point of sale, offering tastings or providing information on current promotions. This is one of the most requested categories.

• Specialist hosts: for those occasions when you need your hosts to have additional training, specialist hosts are the way to go. They are common in activities involving beauty products (for example, make-up artists demonstrating the benefits of a concealer foundation) or food products that require preparation (preparing small tapas live so that consumers can taste them on the spot).

• Entertainers: with a more social profile, outgoing personality is their hallmark. If you need to grab people’s attention, entertainers are the staff you need. Whether in costume, dressed for a special occasion or performing special activities, entertainers become the centre of attention. This profile is very versatile and can be used at the point of sale, at events…

In addition to these hosts, there are other types of staff who are also extremely useful at the point of sale. We are talking about:

• Auditors: before carrying out any activation at the point of sale, it is important to know that the space where it will take place is suitable. At WDi we offer our clients audit services in which our qualified staff assess the in-store space, ensuring that the required space is available and checking other aspects such as product availability in store or the product lines stocked. If you have a GPV  (point-of-sale manager) for your brand, they can carry out this preliminary audit work.

AND FOR EVENTS, WHICH STAFF SHOULD I HIRE?

Depending on the needs of your event, you will need to choose one type of staff or another. Here are some examples:

• Congress hosts: if you are organising a congress, they are essential for it to run smoothly. Their duties include providing speakers with everything they need, directing and accompanying attendees to their seats and resolving any incidents that may arise.

• Brand ambassadors: they represent your brand at an event, trade fair or elsewhere. They must have the information needed to answer people’s questions and help attendees with any queries.

• Trade fair hosts: if you are organising a trade fair and want control over its operations on the ground, it is important to have different hosts and hostesses in charge of different tasks. Registering attendees on arrival, knowing the venue in order to give directions to different locations, and providing information on schedules and other rules are some of their duties.

HOW DO I KNOW WHICH STAFF I NEED?

After this brief overview of the different professional profiles available to you, the important thing is to analyse each brief in depth. At WDi we can help you do this, studying your needs in detail and offering you the option that best suits your product, with a tailored space and a team of professionals who add value to your company. Shall we talk?