These are the times that try retailers’ souls. Unemployment is at a 14-year high, consumer confidence is at an all-time low, and the stock market has yet to mellow out. If you own a retail store, you probably aren’t sure what sales numbers to expect this holiday season. International retail expert Rick Segel has a suggestion: Tune out the bad news and do everything you can to get customers through your doors.

“People are still buying stuff, big and small,” Segel says. “It’s your job to make sure they are buying stuff from you.” Here are some aggressive sales techniques to consider:

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• Make your store the place to get the best stuff. Everyone has a hard time resisting a good sale. So, get in touch with your vendors and see what buys they’re offering for cheap these days. And don’t be afraid to do some negotiating if necessary. Many of your vendors will be willing to sell cheap because of the slow economy. By including items in your inventory that you’ve purchased from your vendors on the cheap, you’ll be able to tempt your customers to part with their cash.

• Give customers something to talk about. Strong businesses are built on word-of-mouth advertising. The kicker is that in order for word-of-mouth advertising to work, you have to get people talking about your store. A great way to do that is through creative promotions, eye-catching window displays, in-store contests, and of course, great merchandise. All these things differentiate you from the competition and make your store stand out in the eyes of your customers.

• Stay in front of your customers. If you don’t already ask your customers for contact information when they buy from you, now is the time to start. Simply following up with past customers to ask how they like an item they recently purchased, inform them about an upcoming sale, or offer them special discounts is a great way to capture the fruit closest to the ground during a tough economy. You’ll tempt them to come in again and making a purchase without giving away the store.

• Sell to every person who walks through the door. Remember, it is your job to maximize every customer who walks through your doors. Take the time to train your sales associates on how to engage your shoppers without alienating them. Remind them that just selling one item to one customer is not good enough and that the store benefits the most when a customer buys multiple items. So, make sure the phrase ‘May I also show you our fill-in-the-blank?’ becomes second nature to your staff.

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