Retail Contrarian

A simple surprise

One of the easiest and most effective ways to win your customers is to surprise them.  No, not by jumping out from behind a fixture and yelling, "Boo!"  That does surprise them, but it also might give one of them a heart attack.  That's bad for business.

I'm talking about surprising your customer by doing something nice that they didn't expect. Since the customer has zero expectations the surprise is a huge WOW that makes a lasting impression. That's good for business.

Some employees are very good at surprising their customer, but the best companies make it part of their overall experience/service strategy. It's also part of the job expectations.

Wouldn't it be great if an associate had both a sales goal and a surprise/wow goal?  Now the staff would be looking much harder for ways to surprise their customers.

What are some ways the staff can surprise a customer? I'm sure you see plenty examples from your staff every day. Things like:

* Offering the customer a drink or something to eat.

* Entertaining a customer's children.

* Getting a chair so your customer can sit down.

* Calling a competitor's store to see if they have a product in stock.

* Offering to call the customer when something comes in.

* Asking if he/she can carry a purchase to the customer's car.

* Sending a thank you card.

* Walking from behind the counter to hand the customer their purchase.

You're probably thinking that the items on this list aren't a big deal.   You might be wondering if these actions really do surprise your customer. I think they do.  Remember, the staff at most stores don't take many of these actions that you do for your customers every day.  They are a simple but pleasant surprise for shoppers when they encounter them in your business.

But don't stop there.  There are opportunities to raise the bar and find even more distinct and personalized ways to surprise your customers.  A few examples I've seen include:

* Offering to pay a customer's parking or add money to their meter.

* Leaving the store to purchase a customer's favorite drink.

* Sending a follow-up card or note card based on something the customer said.

* Clearing snow off customer cars in the parking lot.

This list is just a starting place.  If - and only if - the company makes it a priority, a dynamic and customer-focused team will find many more special and fun ways to surprise their customers and exceed their expectations.

So let me ask, is your team using simple surprises to win customers and maximize opportunities?

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Doug Fleener is a proven retail and customer experience expert that helps companies dramatically improve their customer experience and their results. Visit our website or call Doug at 866-535-6331 to discuss how he can help you create an extraordinary experience and results.

Keeping a molehill from becoming a mountain

I'm a big fan of the television program Project Runway, so of course I'm watching Project Runway All Stars. At first I was disappointed that Tim Gunn, who usually acts as mentor to the designer/contestants, would not be taking part in this edition of the series, but I've really come to like and appreciate Joanna Coles, Editor-in-Chief of the U.S. edition of Marie Claire magazine and mentor to the All Star designers.

In last week's episode Joanna handled an issue in a way all of us can learn from. When talking with the designers she discovered that one of them believed that another designer had copied his design. That designer, of course, felt differently.

Instead of letting the issue simmer or talking with each designer separately, she immediately asked everyone in the room to gather round. She told them that whenever there is tension in her office she pulls her entire team together on the spot and addresses it.

She then asked the other designers if they felt that Michael had copied Jerrell's design. After getting their feedback she shared hers, and then dismissed the meeting. Done.

Love it!

Here are the five things we can take away from how Ms. Coles handled the situation.

1. She addressed a problem immediately. She didn't tiptoe around it or hope it would take care of itself. Nope, she saw an issue between two people and stopped what she was doing to address it.

2. She publicly acknowledged that there was tension among the group. Why step around the elephant in the room? That just requires extra energy and impacts the ability of a team to work together.

3. Her reaction kept the molehill from becoming a mountain. The issue was only as big as Joanna Coles's reaction to it. Because she didn't overreact, the situation didn't become any bigger than it was. Many managers and owners can learn from this.

4. She addressed the issue in the open. Of course we have to be careful here, but there are many opportunities to address issues among the team. Whenever there is a problem we sometimes inadvertently create the "he said she said" dilemma by meeting separately with each individual involved.

5. She brought closure to the issue. At the end of the mini-meeting she declared that the issue would be decided on the runway. In other words, we're done and it's time to move on. I like to also set clear expectations on how you expect people to behave going forward. "From now on, if you have a problem with someone you need to tell them directly and not complain to others behind that person's back. Let's now move forward and work together."

Later in the show, Jerrell beat Michael in a head-to--head competition, so in the long run the question of copying a design didn't really matter, and I'm guessing that's why Joanna Coles made sure a mountain didn't grow out of a molehill.

So let ask, are you keeping molehills from becoming mountains in your store?

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Doug Fleener is a proven retail and customer experience expert that helps companies dramatically improve their customer experience and their results. Visit our website or call Doug at 866-535-6331 to discuss how he can help you create an extraordinary experience and results.

How to maximize a GWP

If you're not sure what a GWP is, then this post probably isn't for you. For those of you who frequently offer a Gift With Purchase, this might help you see how to better leverage these types of programs.

A GWP is a great way to promote products and drive incremental sales without discounting. The most common GWP promotions are 1) buy product XYZ and get an xyz at no charge 2) buy a certain amount of XYZ products and get a free xyz or 3) spend a certain amount of money and get a xyz. Most GWP promotions come from manufacturers, although retailers would do well to consider doing them on a regular basis.

There are many ways to use a GWP.

1. Use the GWP as a way to engage the customer. I'm not a big fan of using the GWP as the way to initially engage a customer. "Welcome to ABC. We have a great gift with purchase promotion today." While the GWP definitely makes it easier to approach customers, I think the effectiveness is diminished when it's the first thing you tell your customer.

I would rather tell a customer about the GWP after establishing a personal connection with him/her. This way you can personalize and use the GWP to add even more value to the person's visit and purchase. "Since you own a lot of XYZ, today is the perfect day to add to it with our Gift With Purchase offer." It's also an effective way to reengage a customer you couldn't connect with on the first attempt.

2. Delight the customer who would be purchasing the product anyway by telling him/her about the GWP after the fact. While I'm all in favor of exceeding a customer's expectations, this doesn't leverage the GWP.

3. Use the GWP to increase the store or brand's average sale. This uses the GWP as a "carrot" for the customer to spend more. The key is to use the GWP as appropriate with every customer.

Say something like, "If you spend another $30 you'll get the xyz at no charge. It's almost like the extra $30 is free!" (Notice how we make the additional sale "free" rather than the GWP.) Most of our clients see a nice bump in their ADS during a GWP promotion.

4. Use the GWP to increase conversion. Since the GWP is either limited in time or inventory, it can be used to motivate the customer to buy now rather than wait. I find it's best to not to talk about the ending date or limited supplies until you can use that information to help motivate your customer to take action now.

5. Use the GWP to create incremental sales. A GWP will often create purchase intent in the customers. The GWP often gives the customer the motivation to buy something they normally wouldn't buy. The key is to create value in the free gift. Some associates put too much focus on what the customer has to buy rather than the gift itself.

6. Use the GWP as an opportunity to communicate with your customer. This should be a given. Every GWP should be communicated in your newsletter, on social media, and possibly cards and postcards.

While all of the above methods except the first two are great ways to use a GWP, this last one is my favorite and leverages the GWP.

7. Create incremental visits from your VIPs with your GWP. A GWP is the perfect opportunity to call your very best customers and schedule a personalized shopping experience to take advantage of the gift with purchase offer.

As you can see, when used well the GWP is so much more than just a free gift. It's a great way to drive higher performance.

So let me ask, are you taking advantage of the many ways to maximize a gift with purchase promotion?

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Doug Fleener is a proven retail and customer experience expert that helps companies dramatically improve their customer experience and their results. Visit our website or call Doug at 866-535-6331 to discuss how he can help you create an extraordinary experience and results.

Seven tips to better delegating

Most people need to be better at delegating. There are three reasons for this. First, leaders need to create more time to work on strategy, marketing and driving traffic, and actively growing their staff. Second, delegating helps future leaders grow and develop. Third, retail can sometimes get routine, and giving people additional responsibilities results in a more engaged workforce that's more emotionally connected to the business.

However good a delegator you already are, here are seven tips that can help you be even better.

1. Let go. It's okay to not do everything yourself and, more important, it's okay that others don't things perfectly. The margin of error for most what we do (except involving money and high priced products) is pretty wide. Let go and let others contribute. You and staff will be the better for it.

2. Give yourself a daily or weekly delegation goal. A lot of people who say they need to be better at delegating really just need to delegate more. The first step is to get into the habit. Setting a daily or weekly goal for yourself keeps the need to actively delegate right at top of your list.

3. Delegate the things you like to do. When I was a store manager I delegated tasks all the time. Of course, it was the boring stuff I had no interest in; things like cycle counts, filing paperwork, etc. Good for me, but not so good for my team. I was appalled when my manager suggested I do this, but it worked! This is especially important if you don't have time to do everything you need to.

4. Don't insist that people always do things the way you do them. Sometimes there is a documented process that needs to be followed, like checking in merchandise. Sometimes there are many ways to do something that all end in the same result. It's okay to let people find their own way. It might just be a better way.

5. Use delegating as teachable opportunities. Telling people what to do is easy. Teaching people why and how to improve is harder and takes more time, but the return on your time investment is huge. Remember: Teach, don't tell.

6. Stop fixing other people's mistakes. As I said earlier, delegating is a learning experience for the employee. If they don't do something right, take the time to teach them how to do it the next time. Just fixing it doesn't teach anybody anything. If they still can't do it right after you've taught them, then you need to rethink whether or not they're the right person to delegate the job to, or if they're even right for the position. The same holds true if they didn't do what's been delegated at all. Don't do the task/action yourself, but follow-up and find out why the action was not taken.

And that connects right with our seventh and final tip.

7. Build specific follow-up expectations and accountability into the delegation itself. Many people struggle to delegate because they're fearful things won't get done, and even worse the task/action will fall through the cracks. That's an easy fix. When you delegate give very specific expectations, and then put the accountability to communicate completion on the person being delegated to.

As an example, "Bob I need you to run the report and identify the top 100 customers by 3:00pm today, and please send me an email letting me know you've completed it or if there is a problem." Then write on your list "Bob-3pm?"

So let me ask, which one of these tips can you apply today?

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Doug Fleener is a proven retail and customer experience expert that helps companies dramatically improve their customer experience and their results. Visit our website or call Doug at 866-535-6331 to discuss how he can help you create an extraordinary experience and results.

Valentine's Day marketing ideas

Whatever you sell, Valentine's Day offers all retailers an incredible opportunity to create incremental sales and visits.

Let's start with those who don't sell the typical Valentine's gift products. You can put together a one-week "We Love Our Customers" event that lets your customers know how much you appreciate them. You can promote the event on the run-up to February 7th, and then hold seven days of We Love Our Customers specials, events, and giveaways. I'd promote the heck out of it. There's still plenty of time to put something together.

Those of you sell typical Valentine's Day products can also do We Love Our Customers events, of course. Your challenge/opportunity is to figure out how to get your message to shoppers who may not get your newsletter or be a member of your Facebook community.

I recommend a fun, Valentine's-themed campaign suggesting how your customers can leave hints for the perfect Valentine's gift. It could include things like little cutout notes in your newsletter to be left for the reader's significant other, or Facebook posts that a follower can share so his/her significant other will read. There are lots of fun possibilities with this one. Don't be afraid to take it over the top. You need to stand out!

Also, here's a thought for those of you who sell very traditional Valentine's Day gifts like flowers, chocolates, and jewelry. You need to do something that makes your products/gifts stand out above and beyond anyone else's. Consider adding a free $5 or $10 gift card for the buyer to add to the gift they're giving. The gift card acts as a bounce back to drive the recipient into the store to make an additional purchase.

Ah, there are so many possibilities this Valentine's Day - if you put your mind to it and dare to be better than good!

So let me ask, will your Valentine's plan bring you results you'll Love?

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Doug Fleener is a proven retail and customer experience expert that helps companies dramatically improve their customer experience and their results. Visit our website or call Doug at 866-535-6331 to discuss how he can help you create an extraordinary experience and results.