The 5 senses of retail sales.... Part One...

I had a great conversation with my 5 year old daughter tonight. She asked me how we remember smells? That's my little princess - always wanting to know how things work!

We don't really remember events. What we remember is the sensory experience.

The smell of popcorn at the cinema, or the scents at the perfume counter.

The sound of the games at the amusement arcade or the music playing through the Virgin megastore.

The feel of wearing a new shirt or a pair of jeans that you try on for the very first time...

The look of a perfectly cooked steak... and how that first bite tastes when you've been waiting for it all day....

So often in retail we don't truly maximise the 5 senses for the ultimate in-store experience. It's easy to show me what your store looks like, but what does it sound like? What does it feel like? And have you ever thought about what does it taste and smell like!?

Here are some great examples of retailers who I know who maximise the visual and auditory in-store experience. I'll follow up the other senses in part two of this blog in August.

The Visual

The idea of having a plasma screen in-store isn't a new one. In fact, the majority of retail stores I visit have a decent size television on the wall. Unfortunately, what I see most of the time is images of store commercials or product related advertisements playing on the screen.

My friends at Robert Gatward Jewellers have executed this visual concept brilliantly. When you go into one of their stores in the United Kingdom, you will not see store commercials or brand advertisiments... you'll see "Toy Story", "Monsters Inc" or "Finding Nemo". Brilliant!

The sound is turned off but the visual image is fun and you can't help but smile when you see these images playing in an enviornment where you're not expecting them! Imagine playing a Bond film to promote the release of a new Omega watch, or "When Harry Met Sally" during Valentine's Day!

And have you ever thought of a fish tank? My friends at Cottrills have executed this idea perfectly with a custom 9ft, 6000 litre fish tank placed in the center of their store. And to top it off there is a fully stocked bar with enough drinks to celebrate any engagement purchase surrounding the tank. Now you might not be able to go to such levels but what can you do to change the visual experience in your store? What can you go an execute now for your store?

And finally, my friend Andy Koehn from Koehn & Koehn jewellery in Milwaukee has executed an idea that I'm a big fan of - the engagement wall.

Every couple that gets engaged gets to sign the wall. I can't imagine a more fun experience and a better testimonial to how many people enjoy buying from this fabulous store! Simple, elegant, and most importantly it is fun!

Music anyone?

It is in my Top 5 mistakes of retail store branding to not have any music playing in your store. In fact, the only thing worse than no music is playing music that associates the wrong feelings to the products you sell.

I find it incredible annoying to walk into a store that is playing classical music quietly in the background - YOU ARE NOT A MUSEUM!!! And you are fooling yourself if you think your customers like it. In fact, they feel intimidated by it. It makes you look inaccessible, expensive or intimidating - 3 things I'm sure you don't want to be right now!

Get some Frank Sinatra, Michael Buble, Tony Bennett - or just some jazz! It's nice, safe and 99% of the population enjoy it while 100% don't find it offensive!

And then play the music at a decent level. If your sales staff or your customers feel the need to whisper when they are talking in your store, then the silence is deafening!!! Music creates invisible walls so customers can feel more comfortable discussing their needs. And more importantly so they can discuss their objections, price concerns and budgets.

Stay tuned for part 2 of this blog where I'll talk about taste, touch and smell! You'll never guess what some retailers are doing to offer an amazing memorable experience! And what is smells like!

If you know of a store that's offering an amazing experience please share so we can all learn!

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Why should I buy from you?

Why should I buy from you? Why should I buy from your store? Why should I buy this now?

3 pretty simple questions.... right?

In every workshop I host and in every speech I give, I always ask those participating to answer these questions. And here are the top 5 responses I get...

"Because of our customer service..."

"Because we're nice..."

"Because we will look after you..."

"Because we stand by the quality of our product..."

"Because we have a great range of items..."

And what's so wrong with that?

IT IS EXACTLY WHAT YOUR COMPETITION IS SAYING WHEN I ASK THEM THE SAME QUESTIONS!

I'm sure you are "nice" and I know you only stock "quality" products - but if I ask Zales, Zamels, Goldsmiths, or whoever is the competition in your town - they will all give me the same answer as you!

We need to do better to explain to our customers what they stand to lose if they don't buy from us, our store, and right now!

A few weeks ago I was training at Michael C Fina (the only family owned jeweller on 5th Avenue - so they are clearly doing something right!) and I got some great responses to my question of "Why should I buy from Michael C Fina?"

I won't quote Justin, Stu, Amanda, Richard and the other great salespeople there directly, but I will share with you some of what I learnt from them and a few other impressive players from around the world.

Here are 3 of the best things a salesperson can highlight in their sales presentation...

Make it personal

Justin (Michael C Fina) did a great job here. He gave himself value by highlighting his expertise. And no, he didn't just say "I'm an expert". He backed it up with how long he has been in the jewellery business and his impressive qualifications from GIA. Sure, the guy up the road may say similar - but probably not and certainly not presented as well.

Make it about your culture

I've got to credit the amazing boys at Lewis Grant in Glasgow, Scotland for this one. The staff are all trained to highlight that Lewis Grant is a "locally managed and locally owned Glasgow business". This is brilliant! It makes the customer think of the value in the store brand. It also make them think that if there is something wrong it will be easier to address than another business whose head office may be hundreds of miles away.

Make it about what you do that no one else can...

From my friends around London, SWAG Jewellers do a phenomenal job in promoting "lifetime guarantees" and "upgradable diamonds for life"! Sure, other jewellers can and do offer similar incentives to buy, but no one executes the uniqueness of these after sales opportunities as a technique to close a sale like SWAG do!

So... why should I buy from your store?

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is your business insane?

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results”.

Albert Einstein

There is one big problem with early or “overnight” success in business. It’s that we develop bad habits because we create superstitions regarding our early triumphs! “What did I do right? I should just keep doing that!”. Well, you’re right......and wrong.

One of my mentors once told me that “when times are good you don’t realise what you’re doing wrong”. And why would you? If my business is up 22% YTD then do I really care if I’m making a mistake along the way? I’d rather be wrong and rich, than right and poor!

But what happens when the world shifts its reality? What happens in a world where every week a business seems to going into administration or filing for bankruptcy? What happens when less people are walking through the door and the stores around you have “up to 75% off” signs in the window?

In those moments you need to do two things. You need to take a personal inventory of your past success and highlight what really made you money over the years. Then you need to adapt and evolve that entrepreneurial spirit that made you shine in sales and retail! Let that spirit flex its creative muscles and ask yourself, “What can I do differently? What more can I do? And where does the change begin?”. 

Sitting still and “riding the storm” - that will not work. We need to be aggressive and pushy. And no, not push towards our customers but demanding towards ourselves! It’s time to change our world! Break your business plan and re-build it! Train your staff! Even if it’s having a weekly meeting and talking about the sales process is better than nothing! Have a staff incentive daily for the person who sells the most items, the most expensive item or any random item! Take cash out of the till and give it to them then and there! Call every customer who bought a present in your store last Christmas and make sure they and the gift receiver are still delighted! And, for those who can’t do that because you don’t collect customer details......START! I guarantee you that the future of any sales business will not be the ability to serve customers but rather the talent to manage relationships.

It’s time to iThink about how to change your retail world and fight for success. Start today and I guarantee that 2009 will be far more fun than any year you’ve ever had before!

how will you think different this year?

You don’t want to  train your staff because it’s a waste of money if they leave?

What if you don’t train them and they decide to stay?

Don’t turn off your TV, don’t stop reading newspapers and don’t stop listening to the radio. Over the last year everyone has been saying “the doom and gloom is just in the media”. Well, with thousands of jobs being lost and company’s going bankrupt on a daily basis maybe we should admit we need to change our approach to retail?

Now I’m not here to solve any crisis - financial or otherwise! I’ll leave that that up to politicians, experts and people a lot smarter than I am. But what about a solution to our retail problems?

In December of last year I spoke to almost 100 retailers across the United Kingdom and what astounded me most was the 3 camps that they would fall into.

“What crisis? I’m up on last year!”

This retailer is one who is in charge of their own destiny. They invest in their people, in their brand and in their customers. This retailer will have more money than they can imagine when this recession ends.

“I’m going to wait and see what happens...”

Good strategy? Wait and see what happens all the way to the bank? How’s that working out for you two weeks into the new year? 

I worry about these retailers and hope they will survive 2009. But right now I think the liquidators are circling those who have two many brands and no brand identity. 

“I need to do something!”

Admitting it is the first step! These are the many retailers who are asking me to come in and help them coach their staff through smarter selling and more sophisticated clientelling.

So how are you going to iThink about things differently in 2009?