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Don\u2019t let the economy get you down! Here are some easy (and There are two kinds of retailer reactions in tough times: 1. Become a 1%-er.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n Vow to be 2. Keep Your Eye On the Big Picture.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n A<\/span>lways keep one eye on the BIG If you Remember 3. The Customer\u2019s Definition is the Only One Every retailer has an opinion of their customer Don\u2019t One day a When a 4. Ask our BIG Question.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n Ask 5. Do one more thing.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n Before 6. Adopt our \u201c7-Tile Rule\u201d.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n A greeter You can 7. Implement the 360 Degree Pass-By.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n Ideally, Survey Review your Walk the aisles: Survey your 8. Cross-Merchandise to Increase Sales.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n Look for opportunities to You can easily 9. Remember that Merchandise does not get This is a big one. How old is the product To avoid 10. Let Your Store Associates Shine!<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n Each associate brings a unique talent to your store, but you Do you A renewed <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\ninexpensive) things you can do to fight back!<\/span> <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n
<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n
\nretailers who hunker down, preferring to wait and see what happens before
\nmaking a move; and retailers who look for opportunity. The latter are willing to
\nscrutinize day-to-day operations and dive into waters their complacent
\ncompetitors tend to avoid. They find ways to move forward, tapping every
\navailable resource along the way, without spending lots of extra money to get
\nto their goal. These are the retailers to model in tough economic times. Here
\nare 10 things they have in common:<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\njust one percent better each day and you will be amazed at what you will accomplish.
\nThat little 1% more will help you grow your business in all sorts of new ways. You\u2019ll
\nlook at your store with fresh eyes, and you\u2019ll see new opportunity where you\u2019ve
\nnever seen it before. Your customers will notice \u2013 and so will your
\ncompetition. Being a 1%-er requires focus and commitment.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\npicture \u2013 long range goals for your store. You need short term goals as well,
\nbut understand that to keep the future bright, they have to plan ahead. Part of
\nthis planning involves keeping track of retail trends, keeping notes of things you\u2019d
\nlike to do, floor moves you\u2019d like to make, and lines you\u2019d like to sell. When
\na vendor visits your store, spend quality time with them, taking full advantage
\nof their knowledge.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\ndon\u2019t have time to set goals or work on the big picture, ask your team for
\nhelp. When you turn over some of the day-to-day tasks to your associates,
\nyou\u2019ll find extra time in your day. Don\u2019t be afraid to delegate.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nthis African proverb: \u201cHow do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.\u201d <\/span>The same goes for the goals you set. You can
\neasily accomplish your goals by breaking them down into smaller, more
\nmanageable, easy-to-do steps. Plan your work and then work your plan.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nthat Counts.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n
\nservice and it\u2019s usually better than their customers.\u2019 But when it comes to
\nservice, the customer\u2019s definition is the only one that counts.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nassume you know what your customers are thinking. If they\u2019re not happy they
\nprobably won\u2019t tell you, they\u2019ll just quietly go someplace to buy what you
\nsell. If you don\u2019t know how your guests define great service, then you\u2019re going
\nto have to ask.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nmonth, station yourself near the front door and conduct exit interviews. Introduce
\nyourself and ask customers if they found everything they were looking for. Ask
\nabout their in-store experience and their interaction with your store
\nassociates. Ask if there are any classes or events they\u2019d like to attend or
\nproduct they wish you carried.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\ncustomer tells you something good, write it down! Use their positive quotes in
\nads, bag stuffers, in-store signing, social medias, and on your website. A
\ncustomer testimonial is instant credibility because it\u2019s 10 \u2013 20 times more
\nbelievable than what you have to say about yourself.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\ncustomers, \u201cWhat ONE thing could we do
\nto ________________? <\/b>You fill in the blank. You might ask, \u201cWhat ONE
\nthing could we do to improve our customer service?\u201d or \u201cWhat ONE service could
\nwe add that would make it more convenient for you to shop here?\u201d or \u201cWhat ONE
\nproduct line would you like us to carry?\u201d Because the customer has to put
\nthought into their answer, you will hear constructive things that you will be
\nable to implement. And don\u2019t be surprised if several customers tell you a
\nvariation on the same theme. If it\u2019s positive then you have one more thing to
\nbrag about, and if it\u2019s negative, then you know just what to fix.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nthe customer leaves the store, before you hang up the telephone, before you hit
\nsend on that email, do one more thing. Invite the customer to sign-up to
\nreceive your newsletter and email blasts. Invite them to follow you on social
\nmedia and to join your loyalty club. Send information about upcoming events. Just
\ndo or suggest something that will keep that customer closer to your store.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nmakes sense on days when the store is really busy, but when it\u2019s not, you can
\nstill make customers feel welcome. Whenever anyone in the store \u2013 sales
\nassociate, stock person, truck driver or CEO comes within seven floor tiles (that\u2019s
\n7 feet) of a customer they must personally acknowledge that customer.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nengage the customer in conversation or look them in the eye, smile, and nod or
\ndo whatever makes sense at the time is
\nokay as long as every single customer is acknowledged.<\/span> Do you really
\nwant to make this a priority? Tell your team that if they catch you ignoring a customer,
\npizzas for lunch are on you every Saturday for a month.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nyou should do an in-depth tour of your store at least once a month, but to keep
\nthings in balance, do our 360 Degree
\nPass-By<\/span> each morning before you unlock the doors for business.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nthe parking lot; size up the store front; access the decompression zone<\/i>
\n(the first 5\u2019 to 15\u2019 just inside the front door of the store); work your speed
\nbumps:<\/i> the displays just beyond the decompression zone that shoppers see
\nfirst; check the displays at the front right (90% of shoppers enter the store
\nand look or turn right) \u2013 this area needs to be set to sell!<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nin-store signing: Does it make sense? Check out the checkouts: Is there room
\nthe counter for a customer to comfortably complete a transaction? Are there
\nimpulse items displayed at the checkouts to encourage add-on sales?<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nIs there product spilling over into the aisles? Are there stack or dump
\ndisplays blocking the main aisles? Can customers easily maneuver a shopping
\ncart, wheel chair or stroller down the aisles?<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nmerchandise presentation: Are your displays fresh? Do they encourage customers
\nto stop and look, and entice them to buy? Are there open spaces on the sales
\nfloor or empty spots on the shelves that need to be restocked? Is the product
\n\u201cfaced\u201d (brought to the front of the shelf or hook)? Are the displays properly
\ndressed, fluffed and signed?<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\ncross-merchandise product all over the store. Doesn\u2019t it make sense to send customers
\nhome with everything they need to complete a project, rather than forcing them to
\nmake another trip to the store when they don\u2019t want to?<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\ncross-merchandise in every product category using clip strips and J-hooks, and
\nyou can set beautiful displays on your speed bumps<\/i> and throughout the
\nstore. Vow to never put a new item on the sales floor without first choosing
\nitems to cross-merchandise with it.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nbetter with time.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n
\nmerchandised on your store\u2019s shelves? The scary thing is that too many retailers
\nwe consult with cannot tell us when product was received, nor can they quickly identify
\nslow-sellers or those items that are dead on the shelves. The store\u2019s problem
\nthen becomes decreased inventory turns, increasing cash flow problems, and soon
\nthe owner is eating out of inventory sales. From here, the downward spiral quickens.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nthis, you need to be disciplined. Add a code to the product labels and\/or bin tickets
\nthat tell you how old the merchandise is. We know your POS system tells you how
\nold your stock is. Good! When was the last time you took those reports to the sales floor to find all the old stuff?
\nLast year? Never? What are you waiting for?<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nhave to let them use it. Get them hyper-involved in store operations. We\u2019ve
\nseen hundreds of associate ownership examples where store programs, operations,
\npromotions, merchandising and more have been turned over to associates who have
\ndemonstrated the ability to perform tasks, introduce profit-producing ideas,
\nand encourage others to collaborate with customers in ways that would make any
\nretailer proud.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nknow why this works? Letting your associates shine works because they know that you
\nbelieve enough in them to let them try. If they fail, talk about what could
\nhave been done differently and then they move on. The associate feels a sense
\nof ownership continually strives to do more for the store.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nemphasis on these 10 things will help you combine a unique customer experience
\nwith great customer service, critical <\/span>in a tough retail economy.<\/span> They\u2019ll
\ndo something else as well: build positive word of mouth \u2013 the number one thing
\nthat brings new customers to your store.<\/span><\/p>\n