2/16/2019
Howdy. or, if you like, H’lo, folks. We’re enjoying Saturday morning and not having to be somewhere. We didn’t even go out for breakfast, Barb made some very good gluten free pancakes. (She treats me much better than I deserve.)
I did, indeed, have a SIMH this morning: Kenneth Bell/Larry Henley wrote a song for Randy Travis which has very funny lines, even though it’s as typical as you can get for country music—“Is It Still Over.” You know, “since my phone still ain’t ringin’, I assume it still ain’t you.” Cute song, we heard this in the car on Thursday and there it was in my head this morning.
Go figure.
Retailing is on my mind today, I’ve been trying to frame a way to show how to avoid failure. Many retailers who do not “make it” are using techniques which push their actions in the store into a less than desirable pattern. I know, there are many factors which enter in to a failed result, such as bad products, or bad product presentation, or poor location, poor lighting, etc., etc.
But, the number one largest problem in retailing is the people. Every day, proprietors of their own business go to work with the expectation of making a good day out of it. Customers come in, buy, go out happy—that’s the goal. But, many days go like this: something isn’t “right” in the store and the proprietor is the only one who can fix it! Right away, his attitude takes a turn toward less than perfectly positive. What he must learn is to not be affected by the issue. When a customer walks in, the proprietor must go right back to his first-thing-this-morning-face! And he will be holding himself and his store to the highest positive presentation of his products.
Difficult? Yes, it is. How, then, shall a mere employee look at his/her day when they are the one walking in and finding something “not right” and they are the one instead of the owner who must deal with this and wait on the customers? Doubly difficult.
First, the owner: It has long been my opinion that the owner of a retail establishment should charge him/herself with their task by making sure they were amply early—be it 15 minutes, 30 minutes or an hour early in order to take away the possible disruption of treatment of their customers. There is nothing worse than an owner who doesn’t want to do this. They are doomed to failure. One might say, “Well, I can’t always know when something is going to disrupt normalcy.” True, so let the attitude urge you to be there early enough. The incentive is all yours. If it is your intention to own a successful business, and it is within your power to erase or lower costs and create the success you look for, always think far enough down the road to set the attitude of success, even before it comes to you.
In thinking ahead, owners should look at several “bellwethers” for their hopes and dreams coming true. First, if time spent with each customer is not producing the strength of sales you wish, examine the product line(s) you sell answering the question, “how can I get a higher dollar amount per sale?” This may lead to product expansion or change in the quality of products or prices, whichever way will result in getting more dollars per customer which is paramount to growth.
Secondly, the most important hope for tomorrow is the repeat customer. Certainly, presentation and attitude during presentation makes people wish to return, even if on this day they do not buy, or buy less than one might hope. Every successful owner knows how to treat a customer to make them want to return—treat them like you would hope to be treated; don’t rush them even at closing time, don’t cause them to decide your way unless your way is the absolute best to keep them from regretting a different purchase and always, treat them all the way to the door as if they had bought the most expensive thing in your store and you’re looking forward to their return.
Owners will take care of the things pertaining to ownership; care of the money, local, regional and federal tax issues, pay the utilities, etc. but, owners have to learn to remind themselves to be good customer relationship people, filled with all the knowledge available for their products and an eager, productive way of letting all that be known. (Remember, an owner’s education begins with the suppliers’ product information and whether it’s easy reading and understandable for teaching.” Owners should force suppliers to be good suppliers.)
Be a good owner. Next blog: the employee.
Thanks for reading, the Elder
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