In this regular feature, we sit down with a member of the 2.0 & Partners team, to find out a bit more about who they are, what they do, and how they do it.
In this edition, we speak with Shampa Roy, 2.0 & Partners Brand & Training Ambassador.
Please can you outline your background and experience within the industry?
I started my career as a cabin crew, flying with an international airline, Cathay Pacific, with Hong Kong as my base. I got a chance to travel to different parts of the world and that’s where I got my exposure to various international people, along with their multi-cultural differences.
Thereafter, I moved back to India, Mumbai to be precise, after seven years of living out of Hong Kong. I joined a company called IDFS (Indian Duty-Free Services) as a Training Manager. IDFS was the sole concessionaire for inflight duty-free sales for Jet Airways. In my role, I helped set the bond near Mumbai International airport and trained the cabin crew of Jet Airways on Inflight duty-free sales for two years. Jet Airways was just going international and my previous experience in Cathay Pacific was the key.
Jet Airways then hired me directly as a senior cabin crew and again I travelled the world and also got a deep insight into the airport retail culture all over the world. I was also one of the star sales people of Inflight duty-free sales on board.
At the same time, I also realised that I loved facilitation and training, thus I started my parallel career as a soft skills trainer, training corporates in topics like international etiquette, cross-cultural engagement, sales trainings, etc. After nine years of flying, I was hired as full-time trainer for cabin crew and ground staff for three years until the airline shut down operations in 2018.
I now run my own company called New Leaf Image Consulting and I conduct sales and soft skills training to various corporates, schools and 5-star hotels. So, to put it in a nutshell, I have 30 years of international travel, sales and soft skills training experience.
How did you come to be working with 2.0 & Partners?
I got referred by an associate with whom I collaborate on various sales training related projects. He is based out of Dubai and he told me about this opportunity. Once he explained to me what its all about, I was really excited as this is exactly what I love to do.
Why do you think creating the perfect experience in-store is so important for the modern consumer?
Consumers, today value experience more than the product itself. With more brand exposure and disposable income in their hands, consumers today seek connections and personalised service which touches their heart and mind together. That’s where they would willingly spend their money and time. That’s why it’s so important to have everything right in the first place without much room for second chances.
What does great service look like, in your opinion?
Personalised service, with the right approach after understanding the mindset of the customer, is so important. The service provider has to be well groomed, friendly and helpful, in simple terms. A great service would be an interaction whereby the customer leaves the sale with a great product and a greater buying experience.
More focus is being put on shoppers in the India today, especially in the travel retail sector. What makes today’s Indian shoppers unique?
The Indian economy is booming; the stock market has done exceptionally well. This has resulted in the increase of disposable income in the emerging new upper middle class. Alongside this, the digital fluency of Indians has made them more aware of international brands; thus they are seeking out unique shopping experience with the ease of online research and digital payments. This, combined with the new love of travelling the world, seeking new destinations, and new experiences make Indians great customers.
The new generation, especially, value experience in every interaction and also get influenced by lifestyles and product choices of Bollywood stars, Hollywood icons and influencers.
Where did your passion for creating great retail experiences come from?
Personally speaking, I am an avid shopper and I love my shopping experiences which I have gathered from my various travels around the world. The experience whereby all the six senses are stimulated when you enter a store is a vital differentiator of a good sale or no sale.
The feel-good factor that one gets after buying what you have wanted for some time, along with a joyful interaction with the sales personnel, is a wonderful personal reward to have. I have used this knowledge in my sales trainings with good results.
What does a ‘normal’ day at work look like for you?
A normal day at work would be a day of excitement and interactions. The early part of the day would typically feature lots of excitement and anticipation. A training workshop will pan out with happiness and satisfaction if my facilitation is engaging and the participants are exchanging best work practices with each other. I love it when my participants are excited to use the key takeaways in their workplace. The end of the normal work day would be a tired but a happy Shampa.