Shopping is hard work.
Harder than it used to be. And getting harder.
The culprit is choice.
We are surrounded by choice. The opportunities to choose are growing every day. We can choose to shop where we live or work. We can choose to travel to a store that has exactly what we want. Or we can choose to buy online. We can choose from hundreds, or thousands of stores. And millions of products.
You might think that more choice makes it easier to shop.
But it doesn't.
Instead, shoppers become paralyzed with indecision.
When too much choice is presented to customers, their eyes glaze over.
They move on to the next store, or the next website.
Don't customers want options?
They do. But they want their options to be simplified. They buy when the choices are easy.
Look at Amazon for example. Amazon offers tons of choice. And the number of choices are constantly expanding. But Amazon helps you choose. Amazon makes it easy to find exactly what you want. Their search feature, customer reviews, recommendations and personalized emails guide you to buy. They make it easy.
So what makes it easy for customers to shop?
Three things: consistency, organization and information.
1. Consistency
Consistency helps your customer know what to expect. Consistency means you have a strong identity that is carried through your entire company.
Imagine a store sends out an email featuring new designer fashions. It includes an elegant black & white logo. Classic typeface. Lots of white space.
What do we expect this store to look like?
Naturally, a store that has the same identity. A comfortable, elegant shopping environment. A lot of space between racks. Quality merchandise. Helpful service.
We're surprised & confused if we find a discount store instead. Or the featured merchandise is unavailable. Or the sales staff are apathetic.
Maintain consistency in all points of contact with your customers. They just want to know what to expect from you. Customers find it easier to choose when they know what to expect.
2. Organization
Shoppers don't like to feel confused.
At the slightest hint of confusion, shoppers will turn around and walk away.
At the very least, a store needs to be clean & neat. Boxes of stock and returned merchandise don't belong on the selling floor.
Beyond this, merchandise needs to be organized in clearly defined categories. To determine categories, watch how your customers shop. What products do they buy together? Group these complementary products together.
For example, imagine a store that sells computers, digital cameras and accessories. Instead of grouping equipment bags together, place camera bags with cameras. Laptop bags next to laptops.
Customers that find everything they need in one place, choose to buy more.
3. Information
Information helps shoppers makes decisions.
But only if it's the right information.
In the right place. At the right time.
Signs can help you put the right information where it needs to be. Use them to answer frequently asked questions. Do shoppers have questions about how pants should fit? Or how to choose the right printer? Or what the price is?
But how do you know where to put the sign? Sometimes the answer is not obvious. To discover the right place, watch how customers shop. What are they doing right before they ask a question? Test sign placement to see if customers read it. Test, and test again until you get it right.
To help shoppers choose, provide the information they need. When & where they need it.
Use consistency, organization and information to make your customers' choices easy.
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How Training Like A Gymnast Attracts Customers
What do gymnastics and attraction have in common?
Two things. Learning gymnastics and attracting customers both depend on developing core skills. Those skills help both gymnasts and retailers shine in the face of strong competition.
What can retailers learn from gymnasts?
Competitive gymnasts are incredible to watch. They move their bodies with skill, strength and beauty. They appear to have incredible control and confidence in their abilities.
We want our businesses to look like a gymnast's performance – beautiful, controlled and confident. We want to stand out from our competitors as the best.
How do gymnasts become so skilled?
One word. Practice.
Practice is what transforms a gawky seven year old school girl into a competitive gymnast. She doesn't start out at a competitive level. She doesn't attempt complex routines. First she masters basic skills. Before she does cartwheels on a beam, she learns to do cartwheels on the floor. She learns to walk along a beam that is only six inches high. She learns how to get on the beam. How to get off the beam. When she begins each skill, she is tentative. She wobbles on the beam. She looks a bit clumsy. She makes mistakes.
The coach gives feedback. She tries again. Correcting small mistakes. Each time she gets a little better until the skill is mastered. Once she learns all the small skills, she puts them all together. At each step, the coach supports and guides her. Soon, she can do a series of skills. One after the other. Now she can do cartwheels on the beam, four feet above the ground. Her movements are so smooth, they look effortless.
What does practice have to do with attracting customers?
Consistently attracting customers consistently requires a core set of skills. You need to have customers coming in day after day. Week after week. You need to practice many small skills over and over. When you put all those small skills together over time, you'll find you've mastered techniques that bring customers in the door.
We don't want to take time to practice those small skills.
We want to find some magic technique that will bring crowds of new people through the door tomorrow. Attracting loyal customers doesn't work that way. Loyal customers are gained by building relationships and trust, one day at a time.
There are three basic skills you can practice to attract customers.
1. Make it easy for customers to shop.
Keep the store organized, uncluttered & accessible. Make it easy to find product information.
2. Keep the store looking fresh.
Make sure displays are changed regularly and stock is filled.
3. Stay in touch with customers.
Create events, send valuable information, talk to them in the store, go for coffee.
You might think these things are too basic. You might think you're doing some, or all of them. But have you mastered them? Are you doing them so well that it looks effortless? Are you training like a gymnast?
Stores that are struggling to attract customers need more practice in at least one of these core sets skills. It's one thing to know the skills, it's another to master them.
To be competitive, keep practicing!
Next step: Subscribe to the Retail Tips email newsletter (Fill in your details in the subscribe form) Don’t forget: To share the article via twitter, facebook, email, blog or your newsletter
Two things. Learning gymnastics and attracting customers both depend on developing core skills. Those skills help both gymnasts and retailers shine in the face of strong competition.
What can retailers learn from gymnasts?
Competitive gymnasts are incredible to watch. They move their bodies with skill, strength and beauty. They appear to have incredible control and confidence in their abilities.
We want our businesses to look like a gymnast's performance – beautiful, controlled and confident. We want to stand out from our competitors as the best.
How do gymnasts become so skilled?
One word. Practice.
Practice is what transforms a gawky seven year old school girl into a competitive gymnast. She doesn't start out at a competitive level. She doesn't attempt complex routines. First she masters basic skills. Before she does cartwheels on a beam, she learns to do cartwheels on the floor. She learns to walk along a beam that is only six inches high. She learns how to get on the beam. How to get off the beam. When she begins each skill, she is tentative. She wobbles on the beam. She looks a bit clumsy. She makes mistakes.
The coach gives feedback. She tries again. Correcting small mistakes. Each time she gets a little better until the skill is mastered. Once she learns all the small skills, she puts them all together. At each step, the coach supports and guides her. Soon, she can do a series of skills. One after the other. Now she can do cartwheels on the beam, four feet above the ground. Her movements are so smooth, they look effortless.
What does practice have to do with attracting customers?
Consistently attracting customers consistently requires a core set of skills. You need to have customers coming in day after day. Week after week. You need to practice many small skills over and over. When you put all those small skills together over time, you'll find you've mastered techniques that bring customers in the door.
We don't want to take time to practice those small skills.
We want to find some magic technique that will bring crowds of new people through the door tomorrow. Attracting loyal customers doesn't work that way. Loyal customers are gained by building relationships and trust, one day at a time.
There are three basic skills you can practice to attract customers.
1. Make it easy for customers to shop.
Keep the store organized, uncluttered & accessible. Make it easy to find product information.
2. Keep the store looking fresh.
Make sure displays are changed regularly and stock is filled.
3. Stay in touch with customers.
Create events, send valuable information, talk to them in the store, go for coffee.
You might think these things are too basic. You might think you're doing some, or all of them. But have you mastered them? Are you doing them so well that it looks effortless? Are you training like a gymnast?
Stores that are struggling to attract customers need more practice in at least one of these core sets skills. It's one thing to know the skills, it's another to master them.
To be competitive, keep practicing!
Next step: Subscribe to the Retail Tips email newsletter (Fill in your details in the subscribe form) Don’t forget: To share the article via twitter, facebook, email, blog or your newsletter
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