When launching a product into the luxury industry, it’s not enough for it to be highly priced. Luxury customers are looking for products that symbolize abstract things like “space, time [and], freedom (Association for Consumer research 2014),” and retailers want to work with reps who are dedicated and enabled to achieve this goal.
Many luxury vendors have discovered Field Activity Management software empowers their reps. However, some worry about a feature that the software provides - employee monitoring. Some may fret about making employees feel like they are not trusted, but there is some good news. It turns out that not all employees feel this way. In fact, 81% of respondents of a GFI Software survey, which tracked employee response to software monitoring, said they did not consider the software an invasion of privacy. In the luxury industry, employee monitoring is in everyone’s best interest. Here’s why:
1. It’s All About Exclusivity
When you walk into a Barney’s, the atmosphere is polished and the sales employees look as polished as the stores themselves. From the vendor to the field rep to the retailer, there is very little room for error. When leveraging Field Activity Management software, field reps can send pictures of in-store displays, allowing their managers to see they have not overcrowded the product, cheapening its display. The dynamic communication capabilities of these solutions allows the reps to show their managers that they are delivering the high level of professionalism expected by the industry.
2. The End of Pointing Fingers
When a luxury product is out of stock, the image of the brand can be negatively impacted. And with the growing need for luxury brands to provide a consistent customer experience, even small mistakes can be devastating to sales. If the hottest-selling limited edition handbag is absent from the shelf, the vendor immediately needs to know where the mistake happened, so as to prevent it in the future. With Field Activity Management software, GPS histories and digital forms can reveal the origin of the mistake. Instead of “he said, she said,” reps can use the software to identify and solve mistakes - no finger pointing necessary.
3. Elevating Team Work
Companies who have adopted Field Activity Management have found that it saves their entire team time. According to SBE Council report, companies who simply switched from paper to digital forms saved 11 hours of field rep time and 6 hours of owner time each week. Things like introducing e-signatures and digitalizing product guides allow businesses to be more efficient. Additionally, more and more tech savvy customers are familiarizing themselves with luxury brands through technology. Having more time to spend with retailers and keeping up with the industry’s technology trends will give your luxury reps a major advantage over the competition.
The latest solutions for Field Activity Management enable field reps to quickly identify and solve issues, keep up with the trends of their industry, and raise their level of professionalism. With these tools at hand, luxury field reps will be able to perform more consistently and effectively; and managers will be able to see that progress in real time and implement it across the board.
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