On Saturday afternoon we had a family outing to Wrentham
Premium Outlet Center to buy some clothes and shoes for our daughters.
The place was packed. The line of cars to get into the center was backed up on
to the highway from both directions.
All I could think was "look at all these opportunities." It was enough to make my retail heart go pitter-patter. Judging from the number of bags in people's hands I would say that most stores had a good day. Some might have even had a great day.
But if my experience was like most customers, the stores that had a good day could have had a great day, and the stores that had a great day could have had an extraordinary day - if they had remembered these four simple words:
Maximize every customer opportunity.
Knowing how to greet and engage customers doesn't matter if you don't do it with every customer.
The ability to help customers make informed decisions about the latest fashions or a product's features and benefits doesn't matter if you don't do it with every customer.
Recommending additional products that will enhance a customer's purchase and his/her life doesn't matter if you don't do it with every customer.
Having fabulous new products or incredible sale doesn't matter if people don't know about them. Sure, you can post signs to that effect but nothing reinforces the message more than an employee enthusiastically telling me about them. But it doesn't matter if you don't do it with every customer.
Lots of store traffic is a wonderful thing but you leave money on the table if you don't maximize every customer opportunity.
Maximizing every customer opportunity sounds simple but if it were that easy, more retailers would be doing it. I'd say that fewer than 10% of specialty retailers maximize every customer opportunity.
I'm not saying this to be negative but quite the opposite. It's exciting because I see incredible opportunity for retailers like you if you make maximizing every customer opportunity the foundation of what you do.
Almost all retailers talk about how important customers are. Very few stress how important every customer is and the impact that has on business.
Look at the difference.
Welcome and engage customers.
Welcome and engage every customer.
Suggest products and services to the customer.
Suggest products and services to every customer.
Offer additional add-ons.
Offer additional add-ons to every customer.
Deliver a great customer experience.
Deliver a great experience to every customer.
Makes sales.
Make sales to every customer.
Maximize your opportunities.
Maximize every customer opportunity.
So let me ask, are you maximizing every customer opportunity?
If not, consider the impact doing so will have on your business if it becomes your number one priority.
All I could think was "look at all these opportunities." It was enough to make my retail heart go pitter-patter. Judging from the number of bags in people's hands I would say that most stores had a good day. Some might have even had a great day.
But if my experience was like most customers, the stores that had a good day could have had a great day, and the stores that had a great day could have had an extraordinary day - if they had remembered these four simple words:
Maximize every customer opportunity.
Knowing how to greet and engage customers doesn't matter if you don't do it with every customer.
The ability to help customers make informed decisions about the latest fashions or a product's features and benefits doesn't matter if you don't do it with every customer.
Recommending additional products that will enhance a customer's purchase and his/her life doesn't matter if you don't do it with every customer.
Having fabulous new products or incredible sale doesn't matter if people don't know about them. Sure, you can post signs to that effect but nothing reinforces the message more than an employee enthusiastically telling me about them. But it doesn't matter if you don't do it with every customer.
Lots of store traffic is a wonderful thing but you leave money on the table if you don't maximize every customer opportunity.
Maximizing every customer opportunity sounds simple but if it were that easy, more retailers would be doing it. I'd say that fewer than 10% of specialty retailers maximize every customer opportunity.
I'm not saying this to be negative but quite the opposite. It's exciting because I see incredible opportunity for retailers like you if you make maximizing every customer opportunity the foundation of what you do.
Almost all retailers talk about how important customers are. Very few stress how important every customer is and the impact that has on business.
Look at the difference.
Welcome and engage customers.
Welcome and engage every customer.
Suggest products and services to the customer.
Suggest products and services to every customer.
Offer additional add-ons.
Offer additional add-ons to every customer.
Deliver a great customer experience.
Deliver a great experience to every customer.
Makes sales.
Make sales to every customer.
Maximize your opportunities.
Maximize every customer opportunity.
So let me ask, are you maximizing every customer opportunity?
If not, consider the impact doing so will have on your business if it becomes your number one priority.
Comments