Page 105 - 101 Ways to Market Your Business

101 WAYS TO MARKET YOUR BUSINESS

As I shopped I noticed the same interaction happening
with each customer that walked in. All of the sales assistants
took the same approach and the result was amazing. If
someone appeared to be a regular shopper in the store the
sales assistant gave them a brief update on specials, new
items or lines and then left the customer to his or her own
devices.

The manager of this shop is, in my opinion, a very
smart person. The sales staff were excellent and the cus-
tomers were free to shop without an ounce of pressure. The
majority of people don’t like being pounced on when they
first walk into a shop. They want a bit of time to get the
feel of the place, perhaps have a quick look around and
then ask for assistance.

Another way to help make contact with the customer
without putting them under pressure is to give them some-
thing. A friend of mine owns a large gallery. I have watched
people enter the gallery and shy away as the staff members
lunge at them. In this case I suggested he make a small
map of the gallery that staff members can give to people
when they enter. It is an easy icebreaker and it provides
the opportunity for a light conversation with no pressure
on the customers.

Retailing is a complicated and involved form of busi-
ness. Too many people think that it is simply a matter of
opening up a shop and waiting for the customers to flock
in. I have rarely seen it work this easily. Every detail is
important—from the colour of the walls to the type of
products you will sell to the prices you plan to charge. Very
few shops get it right straight away with most having to
spend months if not years fine tuning the details to get
everything right. The upside is that when they do get it
right these businesses can be very profitable.

Another interesting point to note is that the position
of the counter can have a huge bearing on the sales within
a shop. A client of mine owns a well-known national

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