Idea Exchange - March 2011

Dress the Part
From Carolyn Weise with Ecological Laboratories Inc.

When going for good impact, look for ways to improve the sales presentation to increase sales. If customers cannot find someone to assist them or they do not like the look for the sales team, potential sales might walk right out the door.

Requiring staff to dress in task-appropriate or uniform clothing, adding name tags to personalize the experience and training employees to handle large volumes of people can push your business ahead of the competition.

Find Your Firm's Weaknesses
From Ramona D. Marek, frequent contributor to Water Garden News

During research for a pump article, I visited a full-service pond and water garden shop for a hands-on, side-by-side comparison of various brands on the market. The solitary sales clerk showed me the pump display, which carried only one brand because it's the one they think is best.

Disappointed by the lack of product choices, I asked the tall clerk to explain the benefits and basic components to me. He courteously complied, but he held the pump at a level and angle that left my petite frame balancing on tiptoes and leaning in trying to see the pump. I also could not understand most of what he said because he spoke so quickly and swallowed his words.

I left the store frustrated and muttering about a waste of time, except that it perfectly illustrated the weakness and challenge of consumer education reported during my interviews for the article. Companies might want to create their own "Undercover Boss" or mystery shopper experiences to discover weaknesses in their businesses.

Help your business stand out by adding niche categories, such as giftware. (Courtesy of Sandy Meyer/BowTie Inc.)

Establishing niche categories is one strategy retailers use to make their stores destinations for unique products. One of the best ways retailers can stand out from big boxes and large specialty chains is to expand into niche categories by offering convenience products or unique products. Examples include clothing and workwear, housewares/giftware and pet supplies.

Price Back into the Market
From John Stanley with John Stanley Associates

During the downturn, many companies introduced a discount strategy to survive. For many customers now, discounts are the norm. It is time to break the cycle so businesses can develop. Here's how:

• Price a smaller product close to the larger or better version to boost sales of the higher-priced item.
• Romance the sale with the words you use to promote the product.
• Remove the "$" from the price and the average sale goes up.

One client in the garden industry changed prices based on whether or not a plant was in flower. Consumers expect to pay more when the plant is in flower; do not disappoint them.

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Idea Exchange - March 2011

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