Successful Retail Strategies
Here are the do's, don'ts and tips for any small retailer
to increase business.
This is what to do right:
- Your business name should clearly identify what you
offer.
- Entice customers to buy more by attractively pricing
packages of several services.
- You need to have enough staff and flexibility to handle
your client's business.
- Court potential referral sources. For example, hotels
are a perfect source of referrals for hair salons, spas,
nail boutiques, and other personal care services. Figure
out who could send business your way and keep in touch.
- Be visible. Customers have to find you. Some of the
most effective ways to be seen include having a well-trafficked
location, good signage, an ad in the Yellow Pages, and
a regular ad in the local newspaper.
- Give reminders of possible "second sales."
Remind people of other ways to spend their money, except
on what they already bought from you.
- Make your space inviting. In most businesses, you
want to keep your customers around as long as possible.
The longer they linger, the more they'll usually spend.
(Not always, of course; some companies want to get customers
in and out quickly.) In any case, you want customer
to enjoy coming to you.
The above steps cost very little, yet they may result
in significant increases in sales. So take an hour, look
around and think about a few ways to add to your bottom
line.
From: RhondaWorks | July 2001 By: Rhonda Abrams
Rhonda Abrams is the author of The Successful Business
Plan: Secrets and Strategies. Her newest book, The Successful
Business Organizer has just been published.
