What have you offered lately?
We know what Ms. Jones is looking for in her shopping experience. We also know that things that needed to be improved three of four years ago are expected to be running in tip top shape and things that were not top of mind even today are expected to be running in tip top shape.
Are we PLAYERS or are we FANS?
I just finished the book is Built to Serve written by Dan J. Sanders. Sanders is the current CEO of United Supermarkets, a midsized regional supermarket that serves West Texas and the Texas Panhandle.
Built to Serve is based upon the fact of building an organization where there is a higher power above profit and traffic.
Promise
Do you ever tell Ms. Jones no? Is it a better service to say no than to say yes and fail? What can you do when you can’t do anything? Can you call your competitors to find what she wants? Can you rack your brain and search your racks to find an alternative? Or are you willing to sacrifice your staff and stretch your resources to “try” to leap through Ms. Jones hoops?
What is your five year plan?
You are doing way too much in your store right now. It was a fact of life. Jobs and dollars had to be cut to make the business work. As a business owner you took on the brunt of responsibility and ultimately you got tasked with more than you were used to.
Do not be traditional!
What worked last time or the time before that does not cut it anymore. Ms. Jones has found new ways to shop and find the product she needs. Unless you can fit into the new way she can shop—she is not going to shop from you.
Find Your Audience
Ms Jones knows the stories you told. She accepted the worldview that you, the marketer, created for her. In an effort to create sales to keep the lights on you probably violated the stories that Ms. Jones had accepted. Cuts in price on items and products that you were carrying probably violated the very fabric of the worldview your retail outlet embodied.
New Economy. Same Hard Work.
Take a deep breath. You are making it. You are cutting back on expenses. You are moving forward with the retail environment that was thrust onto you. You are surviving a business climate that many could not.
Retail is recovering. Ms. Jones is beginning to buy something. Your operating procedures, pricing, marketing strategy, and business have changed. What do you do with it now?
Opening up a can…
Six months ago Honda decided it would get social. Their new Crosstour design was to debut exclusively on a Facebook page. They put in product features, photos, and design differences from competitiors hoping to open up their world to social media users.
Fatherly Advice
My marketing hero was not a college professor or the marketing director of a Fortune 500 company. My marketing hero was my father. Meeting the needs of customers in good times and bad times is important for all retailers. Our customers’ needs have never been greater than in today’s economic environment.
Let’s create something great!
Looking for a company that can help your local furniture store thrive? Just saying hi? Whatever, the reason. Let’s talk about where you are, and where you want to be.
We mean it when we say, “We love it when you succeed.” Our entire business depends on achieving the best possible results with each campaign for every single client.
– The Doran Family
Contact
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Mailing Address
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Lewis Center, OH 43035
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