The Good News For Retailers:
A recent poll of consumers found that more than 85% of people preferred to shop at their local stores.
The Bad News For Retailers:
Customers don’t have to shop with you. Anyone with a credit card and a computer or a phone can buy absolutely anything – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
What does this mean?
While there are great opportunities for store owners, you had better deliver the goods. If you don’t someone else surely will.
There is really only one sure-fire, never-fail, super-profitable strategy for battling the competition. Always put your customers’ wants, needs, and desires first. You do this by showing that you:
LOVE YOUR CUSTOMERS…
The secret to making this work is to fall out of love with your product, service or store, and fall in love with your customers. It’s called "The Big Switch". When you make "The Big Switch", all of your business decisions suddenly revolve around what’s best for your customers, not what’s most convenient for you.
– Your store hours will reflect your customers’ schedules, not yours.
– Your product assortment will reflect what the customer likes – not what you like.
– Your store policies will be written with your customers’ best interest in mind.
– Your return policies will be generous, and not restrictive. (Think Nordstroms)
– Your staff will be thoroughly trained so your customers get great service from everyone in the store.
Remember, the person in front of you with a credit card is not a transaction, it is someone who, if you nurture your relationship properly, will bring you thousands of dollars of business and will send their friends to you store, which can make a significant contribution to your success.
Next I’ll tell you a story of one small business owner who made "The Big Switch" and soon realized that If you love your customers, the money will follow….