Are You Candid Enough With Your Customers?

Want to really gain respect from you customers? Be candidly honest. If something looks bad on a customer, let them know – gently, of course, and with an alternative in mind. But either way, be honest about your retail instincts and for that matter, your style instincts. Whether you sell apparel, footwear, furniture, art, accessories or anything else, being up front and honest with your customers can gain you sales in return, even if you have to miss a sale to get there. For example, if you are selling a service and someone wants your opinion on one versus another, it’s your job to educate them on your thoughts on both. It’s also your job to tell them your preference if they ask – or possibly  give them a suggestion even if they don’t ask. The point is that you want to gain trust, value and respect from your customers through honest communication. Being candid about your viewpoints on what  you are selling – and most importantly, what you are selling with them in mind – offers the opportunity for a relationship to be built on the honesty you are giving them. In turn, they are more likely to believe you when you tell them something does look great or is worth trying. Don’t just sell anything to sell it. Consider who your audience is and if it is meant for them. This will allow you to gain valuable returns in not only sales, but respect, as well, while building long lasting customer relationships.

5 Ways To Engage Your Customers

Whether you have a free standing store, an online store or sell in any other way, it is important to keep your customers engaged. By doing this, you keep their attention and hopefully will keep their business, as well. Five ways to help do this include the following.

[tweetmeme]1. Ask your customers their opinion. Have some ideas but not sure if your customers will respond to them favorably? Reach out to them and ask before you invest your time and money into this idea. You may be surprised with what you find out – and what you learn (including new, stronger ideas). Want to gain feedback from a recent sale or special event? Tell your customers “thanks” while also reaching for some insight on their thoughts. A great way to do this is to send a ”feedback” survey via email.  Get them to talk to you about what they really think of what you are doing for their business.

2. Be open to complaints and address them. We have all had our issues, let’s face it. Late deliveries, poor communication, damaged products – the list goes on and on. Sometimes it is out of our control however often, it’s not. Listen up when you hear a complaint and try to evaluate how you can improve on this the next time around. In addition, try to make sure your customer is ultimately happy. And of course, follow through! Let them know you heard them (give thanks here too) and that you are working on improving or fixing the situation.

3. Remember the little details of your customers lives. Their kids names, a special event they just went to, an upcoming occassion, where they work – make it a point to listen and then ask them in friendly yet professional ways how things are going when you talk to them. Each customer is different, though, and some may respond to this chit chat better than others. But those that enjoy it will appreciate it. Limit this to just a bit of time, though, as it’s important to get to business and not take up too much of your customer’s time.

4. Refer your customers new business when possible. Want to make your customers really happy? Bring them business! Whether it’s a small deal, a single sale or just a shopper who doesn’t even make a purchase, let them know you appreciate what they offer and tell others about it! Make sure they know you are referring people their way, but you don’t need to do this in a big way. Simply send them an email letting them know “so and so” may call them or stop by.

5. Actually care. So simple and yet so powerful. If you actually care about your customers, they are more likely to care about you. Are they struggling with bills this month due to the economy? Listen and see if you can extend their payment for you – if, of course, you know it will come. Are they dealing with a family crisis? Send your thoughts and best wishes – and mean it. Maybe you just value their business. Let them know! Sincere actions go a long way. Show how you care whenever you can.

Retail Minded is committed to helping independent retail and wholesale businesses thrive in all the ways that matter, but we can’t do this alone! We’d love to hear your thoughts for our readers to learn more. Please comment below.

Boutique Extras – What Are They?

A lot of my retail clients ask me what they can do to help them stand out from other independent boutiques. Aside from providing products that customers will want to return to their store for, I suggest offering customers boutique “extras”. Hard to find at traditional big box retailers, such as Macy’s and Dillard’s, and yet not offered in most boutiques, boutique extras offer that “extra something” that customers appreciate.

Examples of boutique extras include:

Offer a beverage while shopping. So simple, and yet so nice. Depending on your store and your business license, you can offer anything from filtered water to sparkling water to tea to wine. Decide what you think may complement your store and go from there. Possibly you don’t offer alcohol but serve your beverages in wine glasses. Be creative with your presentation of this service but remember that this is just extra – don’t make it why your customers come to shop.

Provide complimentary gift wrapping. That said, don’t just tie a ribbon around the bag purchases are put in, but rather have a classic and charming gift wrapping style that will “wow” your customers and the receiver of the gift, as well. Make your gift wrapping stand, therefore creating a conversation about your store before they even open the gift!

Offer product delivery services – even for items purchased in the store  or within the same city. This is particularly important if the product purchased is heavy, hard to carry, breakable, or a special purchase of any kind. When possible, don’t charge for this service but rather offer it as part of your sales strategy.

Have “pass the time” options for shopper’s companions. Whether it’s a bored husband or restless child, if you can provide something that will engage your shopper’s companions so that they can shop more leisurely, you are not only offering your customers something extra but you are doing yourself a favor, as well. A comfortable chair, stylish or not depending on your concerns, is always nice to have on hand. Have  magazines available for both men and women – even friends can get bored while waiting on some shopping decisions to be made. Another idea is to offer internet access. Televisions can be nice, as well, but they may interfere with the shopping environment since they can be loud. For kids, a child size table with coordinating chairs is a great idea if you have the room. A basket of gender neutral toys or a nice variety is great, too. Make sure they are quiet toys, though. The next time a busy mom needs to shop and only has twenty minutes, the choice between your store or the one without a kids corner will definitely stand out in her mind.

Offer frequent shopping incentives. Coupons, discounts, early bird specials – whatever you decide to offer, make sure your customers know it’s something extra to what other customer’s get. This is assuming these customers are on a mailing list of some sort and you have access to communicate these details to them separate from your normal communication with all other customers.

Offer coat and bag check services – complimentary, of course. If you live in Chicago like me, you know how much of a pain it can be to shop with a heavy coat on in the middle of January. Make it easy for customers to take their coats off, check in any bags and shop comfortably.

Provide neighborhood information to them. Since many boutique owners are located in neighborhoods that offer lots of shopping, some of your customers may not know which streets to walk, where to have lunch, or how to get to their next destination. Make their entire shopping experience more enjoyable by helping them along. By offering a street map and already written down restaurant suggestions, you are showing your customers that you care about their entire day, not just the time they are in your store. Whether they purchase something or not from you, this extra something will certainly be appreciated.

The great thing about independent boutiques is that each one is different. Whether you offer a little something extra or a lot of extra somethings, remember that your store represents itself and you want it to leave the best impression possible with your customer. Through all the attributes that make up your retail store, the most important thing is to make sure your customer knows you care. This is what being a boutique owner is all about.

Customer Loyalty Programs – Are They Worth It?

Have you ever returned to a store of any kind, such as an apparel boutique, nail salon, sandwich shop, pr video rental store simply because they have a loyalty program that you participate in? I personally can tell you that I have a favorite nail salon that not only gives me great no-chip manicures, but after ten appointments I get one free. Or, in my eyes, I save $45 and still get a great manicure. There is also a boutique in my neighborhood that offers 40% off any regular priced item under $100 after five regular purchases. Pretty great, huh? If that isn’t enough of a reason to at least look there when I am in the mood for a new special something, I don’t know what is.

Loyalty programs are a great marketing tool to help retain business and increase sales. When customers are given options as to where to buy and what to buy, their decisions can often be influenced by who will reward them the best for their purchases. As small business owners, you may not be able to give them the same kind of incentives that big box retailers can, but what you can offer them through your own personal loyalty programs can make up for this.

Advantages of Loyalty Programs

Customers have choices in every action they take, therefore it helps to give them a reason to want to make you their choice as to where to make a purchase. Loyalty programs do just that by creating a relationship with customers that allow them to feel connected, and in some sense obligated, to purchase from you. For many customers, this will simply be because they will hopefully save some money. For other customers, they will enjoy the personal connection and customer service offered through your loyalty program. The reward of the program itself can also be an incentive. Whatever the reason is, customers respond to stores that give them something in return for their business. Common examples of this are sales and special events. A loyalty program is simply one more thing you should consider to help make your customers return to your store to shop.

A few loyalty programs to consider include the following. Please note all specifics, such as percentages off, purchase quantities, and other specific details are examples only. You will need to customize these details to cater to your business needs if you should decide to create a loyalty program for your customers.

Loyalty Program Examples

1. Purchase ten pairs of shoes and get your next pair on us! Value equal to $100 or less.

2. Save 50% off your next purchase of $200 or less after 5 purchases.

3. Gift certificate for local restaurant on all purchases over $250.

4. Refer a friend and your next manicure (up to $20 value)  is on us! Make sure your friend tells us you referred her.

5. Receive $10 towards store credit for every $100 spent. Store credit must be spent in store only.

Things to Consider

1. Be very clear with any specifics you are offering or NOT offering. For example, if you want to put a spending limit on a free service or product, note this in your loyalty program so that there is no confusion with your customers.

2. Communicate with local businesses to see if they may want to contribute to your loyalty program. For example, a local restaurant in your neighborhood may be wiling to donate gift certificates to you in exchange for the marketing they will receive by doing this, as well as the possibility of gaining new customers.

3. If you want to include time restraints on your program, be clear about this upfront with your customers through your loyalty program marketing.

When planning your loyalty program, consider all aspects that you want to communicate with your customer, as well as make sure you understand why you want to offer this program so that you can best communicate this with your customer. Hopefully the return will bring you repeat business, increased sales, and loyal customers.

If you have any comments or questions about loyalty programs, please contact me at nicole@retailminded.com.