Leading Consultancy in Luxury Retail Behavior and Training

The current gap between the way sales professionals treat customers and how customers actually prefer to be treated led The New York Times to acknowledge Martin’s unique insights on this topic and credits him as a “behaviorist”.

It has been a pleasure working with Martin and his organization, and I am grateful for the positive impact they have had on so many people and organizations. Your partnership, insight, and commitment to helping others succeed have always stood out.

“Working with Martin Shanker has been a great opportunity to strengthen the high jewelry expertise throughout our organization, from management to the retail team. His very personalized approach has helped us to develop the individual talents of our High Jewelry Sellers and to significantly improve our overall commercial performance, both in boutiques and during high jewelry events.”

“I have been working with Martin Shanker of Shanker Inc. for nearly 10 years and have found his work exemplary. Martin quickly and effectively is able to identify the challenges and the needs of the business. His customized sales and management programs when applied consistently have effectively improved and enhanced the skill sets of both sales associates and managers. The results of his programs are immediately measurable and quantifiable with positive testimonials from every team member he coaches. Over the years, Martin’s programs have been instrumental in my success, and I personally continue to utilize the skills that Martin has taught me on a daily basis.”

Martin Shanker is an expert on the nuances of sales and service.

Martin Shanker of Shanker, Inc was one of those trusted partners and exceptional resources for us at Burberry, Americas for 8 years as Burberry skyrocketed into a global luxury brand. Martin took the time to understand our brand values and company culture to develop a bespoke selling program and manager training to create a unique customer experience. Martin is passionate about all things luxury. He has been a scholar throughout the years of how the luxury customer has evolved due to his curiosity, listening skills, global travel and exceptional clients. He continues to be my go-to source to understand the behaviors of the luxury connected consumer and how we, as brands, can best serve them. “His expertise in translating the needs of the luxury customer into actionable skills and behaviors for individuals who serve those clients is unparalleled.”

“Martin Shanker is the pre-eminent expert in advising senior luxury industry executives on addressing patterns in evolving affluent consumer behavior. His insights and analysis shape luxury brands’ strategy for sales and training as well as understanding client needs and wants. I’ve found Martin to be an excellent source for expert commentary and an accomplished speaker on luxury marketing and retail topics. I call him the ‘luxury whisperer,’ a title he earns daily from the countless senior luxury executives who work with him to better their goals and business.”

Adapting to the evolving luxury client is key and Martin Shanker of Shanker Inc. has been instrumental in helping navigate these changes at both Van Cleef & Arpels and Piaget. Having worked with Martin for more than 10 years — his training and coaching have helped our teams drive sales and profit. He is always inspirational, flexible, accessible and an expert in luxury.

“At Yves Saint Laurent I placed a big emphasis on client care. What Martin helped me achieve were dramatic results in all our stores! In outer markets we saw a 45% increase lasting for four months and subsequently resulting in a sustained 20% increase.”

The Shanker Inc. “Relationship FIRST Selling” is the true secret to convert sales and increase client retention. Martin gets to the essence of how an associate is able to connect and provide the client with an exceptional experience. He teaches and coaches precision selling skills and techniques. Martin offers an invaluable fresh nonbiased perspective.

Martin’s experience and expertise in the luxury retail sector is unmatched. He lives and breathes what he teaches every day. Having worked 15+ years or luxury brands such as Cartier, Chopard, Montblanc, and Tiffany & Co., I’ve partnered with many top-notch consultants and trainers. Having worked with Martin at LVMH, I can say, he is the real deal. Years later many associates still comment on the transformation they experienced in their lives. I highly recommend Shanker Inc. to anyone who is serious about elevating their performance.

Martin has an intuitive understanding of luxury retail and how to develop the business through people. The Manager as Mentor and Coach program has provided real behavioral changes enabling our store managers in China and Hong Kong deliver significant results through their teams. Martin’s training is very focused, well planned and interactive. His ability to engage participants in and out of classroom (in the store) is commendable. The way he runs ‘real’ play is impactful with sharp feedback and insightful sharing.”

Not only has Shanker Inc. given our sales professionals the skills to increase sales, the manager training has also been a strategic part of our success—building employee accountability to further drive sales.

“We’ve tried many approaches to improve our customer service. By working with Shanker Inc., we finally are able to see real behavioral change in our sales professionals, which directly led to exceeding our sales projections. We have found their training programs to be very effective in producing quick results.”

I have attended multiple Shanker Inc. training programs in the last 5 years, and they have been instrumental to my growth and success as a store manager in the luxury retail industry. Martin Shanker is a highly effective coach who can achieve remarkable and immediate results in driving sales and improving employee behaviors. Martin understands the complex world of luxury retail and is able to pinpoint specific behaviors in the workplace that increase employee self-awareness, resulting in permanent behavioral changes that result in double digit increase in sales. Our client recruitment and client retention rate saw an immediate 5% increase just one month after our associates have attended Martin’s training sessions. I am so grateful for Shanker Inc’s trainings and for Martin’s insights. The knowledge and skills I’ve learned from Martin Shanker has helped me become a more impactful leader and mentor to my team.