This month: Think inside the box!
What does your shop front window say to the world? Is it engaging or just full of stuff because there was not really any other place to put it. It is literally your first window of opportunity to impress. Does it engage the person looking in. Less is always more. What is it they say about a cluttered mind?
Once a consumer moves inside your store they are a potential customer. You must make sure all the building blocks are in place to convert the sale.
Is your advertised product clearly displayed. Does it almost sells itself on approach? You have spent good money advertising it; give yourself the best possible shot by presenting it in an impactful way. Be creative.
What is your sales team’s opening gambit? A friendly and polite welcome always sets the mind at ease and opens the way comfortably for further dialogue. My local fruit and veggie shop staff always makes a point of asking me about my children, my little Aussie terrier or something else that they know is important to me but not intrusive. I get the impression they really care about me.
The atmosphere in your store will influence your sale rate. Have you ever walked into a supermarket or department store and, in an effort to save on their power bills, they have every second light switched off? Does it not create an unwelcome feeling? It’s hot outside and you have not had your air conditioning unit fixed. Comfortable shopping conditions equate to pleasant shopping experience.
Equally when you walk onto a shop floor and see point of sale material, hanging signs and posters in confusion. You don’t know where to look first. Simple point of sale and well lit merchandise inevitably encourages enquiry and potential purchase.
Pricing is also important – clear and bold and not shy about saying – ’ here I am and this is how much I cost.’
Basic product information on or around the product can be designed to encourage the customer to ask a staff member for further information. Make sure your staff are skilled and up to date with the benefits relating to the product.
Consider tapping into the basic human senses. Sight, sound, smell and touch drive us to make various decisions on a daily basis. The smell of freshly brewed coffee or the enticing aroma of freshly baked bread are powerful factors when your favourite café or bistro opens it doors to the morning trade.
Hearing the right kind of music in store may help us linger longer. A beautiful sculpture may evoke memories of a past life experience and give you reason to recapture it.
Approach your store, your product or service offer as an artist would a blank canvas. There are some fundamental rules to abide by, but it is up to you to create your own individual masterpiece, and there will always be some one out there who will want to hang it on their wall.
Eddy Odden runs his own marketing communications consultancy.
Contact: odden@idx.com.au
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