Tag Archives: Retailing

3 Small Business Technology Resolutions for 2013 or How to Do Better Next Year! (pt.2)

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In my previous post, I tried to drive home the notion that if you didn’t collaborate in your business in 2012, then you didn’t see growth. And 2013 isn’t going to be any better if you don’t change something.

Labor of Sisyphus

Labor of Sisyphus

I also promised a list of tools to help you make real world productive changes that are also HUGE time savers…

So without further ado…

1.USE a Shared Calendar:

Having an item posted on a calendar makes it REAL for all involved. It also eliminates the need to send out notices, reminders, make calls, etc.

Google calendar, Microsoft Outlook, and others can create a separate or existing calendar for shared use. You can also configure them to send a notice and reminders to all invitees.

It’s a one time task of entering meetings/events with all accessory tasks automated – notes, additional information, agenda, etc. can be included in details and everyone has all the information instantly accessible in one location without having to print or search the inbox. Even telecommuters, out-of-state hires, … anyone can have access without a separate function to be performed.

2. Save Everyone’s Time via Teleconferencing:

You don’t have to have an on-site meeting every time to be productive (although I would suggest an occasional face to face helps with bonding). Giving your people the freedom to call in to the meeting from the comfort of their home or office is a huge win-win. And this may sound crazy but, record, but do not share the option for your attendees to listen later. If people know they can listen to a recorded version, they will have an excuse not to attend and therefore won’t be participating or providing valuable input. Furthermore, they may never get the time to listen to it later or they will get time sensitive material too late. Have well-planned mandatory monthly meetings with an agenda that include anyone who “touches” a customer.

Options: These are just a few that have both free and priced options:

freeconferencecall.com/

join.me

skype.com

webex.com

3. VIDEO onsite meetings:

Yes, make a video of your meetings. Give a friend or family member a perk to do the job – or hire a college intern or fix a mount or tripod.  If attendees desire, you can conveniently post the video to a DropBox or SugarSync shared account for all who attend these meetings (too large a file to email). All can use it to self-critique performance, review feedback, and monitor success.

Keep your meetings short – 30-45 minutes max – and stick to that time frame for every meeting. You’ll have better attendance and better attention. (Videos will help you see why meetings run amuck!)

Options:

For file sharing – yes, Virginia, this is the cloud…:

dropbox.com

sugarsync.com

For Video:

Your SmartPhone

Countless new inexpensive palm-size video devices (that can be placed on a tripod).

YouTube Capture

Vimeo

YouTube Channel

OBVIOUSLY, there are many other options out there and many more to come. But those above and many like them have the benefit of being accessible with most any device you (and anyone else) may already own – and often free!

Now go hit some of these links and make 2013 better!

 

Imho – What is the #1 reason for business failure among small business owners?

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I ran across this question by www.linkedin.com/in/davetteharvey in LinkedIn Answers

English: Findlay, Ohio, September 20, 2007 -- ...

English: Findlay, Ohio, September 20, 2007 — Gilbert Yingling, a representative with Small Business Administration (SBA) makes calls to local business owners from a local chamber of commerce business directory as part of an SBA outreach program. He then follows up with person to person meetings with the business owners. John Ficara/FEMA (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“Although there has been an increase in support services for entrepreneurs and small business owners, the percentage of business failures in America is still pretty high. Across industries it is averaged that 56% of businesses will fail within the first four years. In some industries, it is estimated to be as high as 86%. All of these businesses may not have had outdated products or underperforming services. Again, what do you think is the number reason for entrepreneur and small business failure?”

As I work exclusively with small businesses, I chipped in with my own answer because I see how many of these failures could have been stories of success. 9 to 5 has done a lot of harm to those of us with entrepreneurial potential. Being an employee for someone else can push you to forgo your own ideas for someone else’s in many cases. You may get used to letting go of responsibility in many ways, as in some companies, you are actually penalized for thinking outside the box, and are asked to settle into the status quo of the management mentality.

What does that mean in regard to these failure rates? In my opinion (I have a lot of those!), many a creative, entrepreneurial minds have been dumbed down by the “Peter Principle” experience of corporate work. So even when those same minds finally break loose and go on their own, they have ingrained habits that keep them in an employee mentality. That is why I wrote this answer to Davette Harvey’s question in LinkedIn Answers and hope that by sharing it with you, it will help one less SMB from failing.

Here is my response to Davette’s question. I’d love to hear what you think as well.

“If you own a small business, and don’t think beyond today, then you are nothing but an employee of your own business.

I used to train new retail franchisees as part of my corporate job with a franchisor and so many of them stunned me in regard to the lack of due diligence they executed before purchasing the franchise. In addition, very few of them had retail experience. Coming from a desk job, no matter how high the level, is not immediate qualification for running your own business.

Now I consult for them – and often they call me in far too late.

Yes, passion can take you far, but if you are like many small business owners, the inability to delegate the details is where you begin to lose the passion that drove you there to begin with.

Start out of the gate with lining up the right people for the various jobs and it will be the best ROI you can imaging. If a business owner tries to do it all, they lose the momentum of the opening due to being sucked into the daily operations that should be handled by those best suited. You need to have continued vision, oversee those who work for you, and market your business through networking and planning. If you are working in your store full time, you cannot do any of that.

The perceived lack of funding to delegate to employees is a result of waiting until business slows to recognize the errors. Customer service suffers, control over inventory suffers, marketing suffers… it all suffers including the owner who, by that time, is burned out.

Think of your well chosen staff as an investment in your business just the same as the brick and mortar building and the inventory or tools you placed in it. Then you will be free to oversee and grow it, you will prosper.

All too often I see the staff is the first to go when things slow down. They should be the last tier of the business to be let go. Check your operations, customer service, inventory, scheduling, etc.

And most of all, ask the staff, they know more than you oftentimes. Most common observation I hear from staff? “if the boss would just get out of the way and let us do our jobs…”

Please feel free to share your opinions….

Why in the world do you stay in retail…?

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insAne

Image by thewhitestdogalive via Flickr

“So why DO you like working in retail?” they ask in the interview.

Why DO people work in retail? The reasons are as varied as those who work in it.

What is retail to you? What motivates you to stay in a job that can be grueling, unpredictable, oft-times thankless, and physically tough?

No two are alike

If you’re like me, the draw of retail can lie in the ever-changing challenges that present themselves with each customer. As much as we may categorize customers and analyze demographics, we still have to admit that no two customers are identical and no two sales are either.

It doesn’t matter how much we think we can predict what a customer will buy, they will continue to surprise us with their choices.

Maybe they will, maybe they won’t

It doesn’t matter how many years we have been in the business, we are still kept guessing. Experience may teach us what customers are USUALLY attracted to and what they aren’t, but we still have to leave room for the unpredictable possibilities. And with customers becoming more educated, we are kept even higher on our toes.

Marketing is more challenging than ever, and now it’s up to Social Media to keep the retail business alive and kicking. Reputations are at stake and at the mercy of anyone who tweets “Store X sucks!”

This is what keeps the job interesting. This is why we stay. We are always learning, always growing, always challenged. There is no 9 to 5 routine.

What’s fun got to do with it?

Everyone is always “getting out of retail,” but most everyone stays. Why? Because it’s just damned fun! Underneath all the grumbling, we are really having fun! What’s more fun than never knowing how the day will turn out? What’s more fun than opening boxes of new product and trying to guess how it will sell and to whom? What’s more fun than helping customers feel good about their choices? What’s more fun than getting to be actors in the role of selling – whichever role we decide to choose for that particular customer!

Tell me, what keeps you in retail?

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Retailers! 5 ways to stop paying sales staff to just stand around!

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Yawn…

It makes me NUTS when I walk into a store and see employees just standing around, arms folded, slouched posture, looking oh, so bored… WHEN THEY COULD BE MAKING MONEY!

Why aren’t they? And why aren’t you owners and managers going nuts, too?

No busy work!

No, I’m not going to suggest you give them a duster or send them to organize the stockroom. No customer or owner/manager should want to see staff doing housework when the business at hand is Hello?! - SELLING! Hire a part time housekeeper and stockperson for chores!

What they should be doing is working their clientele book when there are no customers in the store. Making customer calls, sending reminders, birthday cards and more…

Make $$$ with clientele books

Sample Clientele sheet

MAKE YOUR OWN! And make it a nice, professional one!

Sales book, client book, customer book, whatever you want to call it, EACH person on your sales staff should be given a book to work.

Why? Basically because people have lousy memories, and worse, aren’t organized. Having a Clientele book is the easiest way to drum up more sales in an easy, efficient manner.

How do you use a Clientele Book?

Here’s the basic setup. Present your sales staff with their own small binder. Preferably the organizer style, but if you’re on a budget, standard 3 rings are a good start. And don’t make them buy their own! Cough up a few dollars – supplies expense it.

You’ll need alphabetical dividers and a clientele form like the one shown here (but, for God‘s sake, make a typed form and get lots of copies printed – pre-punched!)

Make sure you include blanks for all the info that will help you make a sale.

So how will it make me money?

A clientele book is a terrific marketing tool!

Here are just 5 Ways to begin using Clientele Books to make more sales:

  1. Enter emails provided into your customer database for your monthly email marketing list (you do have a monthly customer email newsletter, right?)
  2. Keep track of birthdays / anniversaries and send cards (SendOut Cards are great for this – no maintenance, easy branding, no need to buy stationery)
  3. Track customer preferences for when new merchandise comes in that matches their “likes.”
  4. Make Follow-ups of all kinds … “Just got in a new belt that would look fabulous with those pants you bought last month!” … get the idea?
  5. SALES!!! Have a “Sale Only” customer section in the Clientele books… You’d be surprised how much you can increase sales volume during sale and clearance days. Staff should call customers who were interested in items – just not at regular price. If you made note when they were in before and expressed interest, you are armed and ready!

How to make a killing with sale / clearance events:

If your staff is taking notes in their clientele book when customers express a desire for an item that isn’t in their budget the day they shop, they will be set!

  • Before the sale – call customers to tell them the item they looked so wistfully at is now going on sale.
  • Tell customers you must have their credit card number to hold the items and you’ll ring it up on that card the day of the sale for them to pick up later. It’s a win-win for you and the customer! (make sure you secure the credit card info)
  • Before you even open that sale day, you’ll have a pile of goods ready to ring up!

Entice your staff with an added individual $ or % bonus for pre-rung sales.

Ka-Ching!

It’s those nickel and dime sales that can really add up for you AND make the customers feel special. Now everybody is happy!

Get to your local office supply store and buy some organizers or binders TODAY!

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Can customers tell the difference between great customer service and just a liberal return policy?

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money flowers

Image by kolix via Flickr

No questions asked, but are the customer’s questions answered?

There are powerful marketing campaigns among large retailers about their liberal return policies. The “customers” on the commercials have supposedly found their “retailer of choice” because of the new no-questions-asked return policy. So what if it has a lot of fine print at the bottom of the receipt!

Old news

First, the concept of a 100% return policy is not new. Many successful retailers have had a 100% return policy for years and some were even founded on this principle. Look at Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom’s, L.L. Bean, Lands’ End. They’re no dummies. They understand that an honest and liberal return policy means a guarantee the customers will come back and refer others.

Second, customer service is not grounded on the basis of a return policy.

Huh?

Good customer service and good return policies are not the same thing

Sadly, there doesn’t seem to be a distinction between the two in many customers’ minds. Yes, a good return policy is an integral part of customer service, but there can’t be an assumption that good customer service is a natural by-product of a good return policy.

No matter how great the return policy is, you have to back it up with great customer service and that means good help.

The best test for a customer is the service they receive up front. Return rates are dramatically reduced when good salespeople properly educate customers on product and the product is properly matched to the customer’s needs.

Train and Re-Train

I’ve said it over and over. Training should never stop. Knowledgeable salespeople result in satisfied customers since the product will fit the needs. And better training and better treatment of staff means lower turnover. The lower the turnover, the better trained and experienced your staff. Get my drift?

“Kindness to Staff Begets Kindness to Customers” - Tom Peters

Tom Peters has it right. When your staff is happy, your customers are happy. Slave driver owners / managers are beating themselves at their own game. Disgruntled employees are the most dangerous staff to have inviting bad customer service and employee pilferage.

SO here’s another famous quote:

“You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time. “ Abraham Lincoln 

In other words, customers are not stupid. Don’t try to snow them claiming you have the best store because of your new return policy. If you don’t have the service to back that policy up, then it is meaningless.

And on the flip side, don’t be so foolish as to have a strict return policy that discourages customers from shopping with you. You aren’t losing the retail price. And it costs far more to try to lure in new customers than it ever will to please your existing customers for valuable repeat business.

And never, never forget that Social Media is extremely powerful among customers for spreading your reputation – good or bad – no matter what your return policy is!

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