Do you notice customers just don't seem to come into your place of business quite as often as they used to, and when they do, they don't spend as much? Are sales down? Are sales up but profits are down? Would you like to reverse the trend? Try these approaches and mine the Gold!

SUCCESS RULE NUMBER ONE
Before you get started on any new program, you must understand Success Rule Number One. This rule states: "Customers will spend more with you if they believe you really understand their wants and needs and that you really care about satisfying those wants and needs." Let me re-phrase this in simpler words: "Customers will spend more with you if they believe you really understand their wants and needs and that you really care about satisfying those wants and needs!"

"All right," you say, "that's all well and good, but what do you want me to do about it? I only have so many hours in the day, and I still have to make a living. I can't go off and take one of those customer sensitivity courses or whatever, and I sure can’t send my employees; I'd go broke in the meantime! And besides, good help is hard enough to find, and I don't want to make them mad with new rules and things."

You may have good people working for you, but they may not be good help. Here are some tips you can use to increase business without alienating your staff or your customers, and without having to enroll everyone in an expensive customer sensitivity training program.

VALIDATE YOUR CUSTOMER
Nothing turns a customer off faster than being ignored. Your prospective customer wants to buy something when they visit your store, why make them angry before they even tell you what they want? Do the unusual! Look up from whatever it is you are doing and say something (with a smile) like: "Hi! Be with you in a moment." This simple statement lets your customer know you recognize them, and that helps validate you in their eyes.

BE FAIR
Your prospective customer is standing there patiently waiting for you to get off the phone. Just as the conversation is ending and you look up, the phone rings again and you say: "Just a moment, let me get this," then you talk to the second phone customer. Wow! Have you made a mistake! You're telling your in-person customer they aren't as important as someone who can dial a telephone, and you want them to wait while you take someone out of turn! If you have so much business your phone rings constantly and you cannot take care of in-person customers, you need more employees!

SHARE YOUR KNOWLEDGE
Your customer expects you to have answers. It doesn't matter what is asked, you need either have or be able to find the answer! If you don't have this information, get it from your suppliers, type it on a sheet of paper, and file it in a "knowledge" book accessible to you and your staff. Better yet, make a copy of your knowledge book available to your customers. Even better, take a leaf from successful businesses and make the knowledge available to your customers with ‘How To’ pamphlets placed in racks on the counter.

INTEGRITY PAYS
Never, ever, not even once, lie to a customer. Don’t even stretch the truth! If your prospect or customer discovers you lied, that's the end of their relationship with you, and they’ll take their friends with them. For example, if asked why your price is higher, tell the truth. "Our overhead is higher because we don't just put it on the shelf, we have the people to help you make your best selection," or "You don't have to worry about saving the boxes and papers. If anything goes wrong, bring the item back to us and we'll take care of it for you." An honest explanation will get you a satisfied customer, every time.

SMILE
It is unreasonable to want you to know every customer by name, but it is not unreasonable to greet everyone entering your store with a smile and a pleasant greeting. "Hi there! Glad to see you," goes a long way to make friends, and friends buy from friends. You might want to review Success Rule Number One here.

YEA, BUT
"I know all that stuff!" is not an appropriate answer to the above discussion. Judging from the letters I get on the subject: outstanding courtesy, friendliness, willingness to help, and item pricing are the four top reasons a customer shops at a particular store. These are also the reason a prospective customer does NOT shop at a particular store. Note that price is only one of the four reasons, and is the last reason.