Forget
about your Products! ... Think People!
- By Graham Bush.
In the current economic trading conditions,
business is tough, we all know that, but what are you doing about it?
A
message for Owners and Management;
I believe that there are three ways to grow
your business.
1.Spend money on Marketing /
Advertising; - Promote your business!
This is one way of getting new customers
through your doors, yes it could be expensive, but there are cost effective
ideas as well.
How many of you have “miss-tinted” or
“returned” tinted paint you are stuck with?
I have visited many hardware stores over
the years and on entering the Paint Dept I am met by a mountain of old tins of
paint, either dented or miss-tinted! What impression are you giving the
consumer? I believe you are giving the impression that you make a lot of
mistakes – do I trust you to mix my paint, your customer will ask themselves.
The answer…….get rid of them! Donate to
good causes; the local Hospice, SPCA, orphanage, old age home, AIDS clinics
etc.….you choose. Then get your local newspaper to write an article about it.
Nothing wrong with good public relations!
How many damaged ‘boxed” items do you have.
We all know that customers don’t want to buy a product with torn or damaged
outer packaging…would you?... Get rid of it! All products in your store should
look ‘new’ and “fresh” – would you buy a box of Corn Flakes in a damaged box?
Of course not!
How many times are you approached for
donations, particularly for golf days, charity drives etc? Give them a Gift Voucher!
This is a great way of getting a customer (perhaps a new customer) into your
store. In most cases, if not all, a customer will spend more than the voucher
value.
2. Get out and look for business!
There is business out there if you want it!
Stop complaining how bad thing are, go and look for business!
Have you visited all the schools in your
area? Who is the caretaker or maintenance person? Make it easy for them to buy
from you, have a policy; “You ring we bring”
Do you know what projects the learners are
working on? Are you geared up to provide ‘project kits’….find out!
Body Corporates are also good business.
Find out who is the Chairman of every body corporate in town – make it easy for
them to buy from you.
Then of course there are all the Garden services,
plumbers, electricians, builders, painting contractors etc in town. Do you know
them all? Do they know you?
3. Get more from the customers who are
already in your store!
Not only is this the easiest, but it is
also the most economical!
First of all, where are you right now; yes
that’s right – in your office! But the “action” in on the shop floor!
Now I understand that you have to spend
time in your office, but eight hours a day? – I don’t think so!
Spend more time on the floor with your team
– lead from the front! You, the owner, are most probably the best salesperson
in your business – serving very few customers!
In most stores, your salespeople only sell
what the customers asks them for – sorry, but this is not selling! You might as
well just have a trade counter! Your staff are “Salespeople” therefore they
have to sell! The biggest reason for lack of sales is a lack of product
knowledge! When was your last product knowledge training session, and when is
the next one scheduled for?
There is a brilliant hardware store in
Amanzimtoti in KZN that has a very high average transaction value, due to the
fact that their product knowledge far surpasses most stores I know – and I know
plenty! Their success is due to the fact that they conduct product knowledge
training EVERY WEEK! So, get hold of your suppliers and demand product
knowledge training for your staff.
Your TEAM:
Keep your staff happy! When was the last
time you praised one of your employees? Keep praising….it pays wonderful
dividends!
How often do you have staff meetings? It is
vital to keep the team in the loop, share with them goals and targets. Imagine
going out to bat in a game of cricket and not knowing what the score is!
A
message for staff:
Stop complaining!
I get really upset when you keep moaning
and bitching about your job! What you should be doing is getting on your knees
every morning and thanking your Maker that you have a job in the first place!
How many people do you know that do not have a job? That’s right…plenty!
Trust me when I say that the better your
business does the better you will do! But what are you doing about it? The
biggest reason for poor sales performance is lack of product knowledge – in any
industry. So don’t wait for the next training session, do something about it
yourself! I challenge each and every salesperson to learn one product a day!
That’s right, just one! Go to a department you are not familiar with and pick
up a product and find out everything there is to know about that product.
I wonder how many product catalogues there
are in your business, and where are they – correct, in an office or filing
cabinet somewhere! Get hold of them and read up and learn about products,
especially those you don’t know about.
You can do this…..but only if you want to!
Can you imagine what your boss will think of you when he/she sees you taking
the initiative and doing some self-learning!
So then, let’s forget about the products
your selling and think people!
Besides having a clean well stocked and
neat and tidy store, you have to have the best people in your business, after
all, your competitors are basically selling what you are selling! Ok, you may
not be bigger than your competition, you may not be cheaper – that doesn’t
matter; what does matter is that you must be better than your competition.
