Who are you ....in the mind of your customer?

Or to ask it another way .... Is who you think you are the same as who the customer thinks you are?

Perfect marketing alignment happens when both you and your customer agree about who you are and what they can expect from your store. It is the time when a business really excels and is firing on all cylinders. It sounds so simple but this is one of the hardest things for many of us to accomplish. Why? Sometimes the answer is change. We try a new product line that takes us in a different direction. Sometimes we change a policy, a procedure, or just run a different type of advertising and we confuse our customers.

So many times we, as owners and managers, think of ourselves one way while customers have a completely different perception. Confused customers don't buy. In a card and gift store, I once observed a customer who ran in for a quick Birthday card for one of his employees he had forgotten. He came in because he worked across the street and he said, "I like your cards." He was in a hurry but the owner insisted that he wait while she recorded his frequent shopper card to get a free card on the 12th purchase of a card. He didn't care about the free card or saving any money. He just wanted a nice card quickly.

I bring this up because I am currently working with a Platinum Member of The Retailer's Advantage who is moving and is worried about keeping her old customers. So I asked her why customers came into her store. Her response was good, but the order of importance she gave me was suspect. Her first response was that the store is a fun place to be. She then added great customer service, unique products, and finally she was perceptive enough to say (although reluctantly) herself.

The truth of the matter is most smaller independent businesses are doing business because of the emotional and intellectual attachment we have with the owner, manager, or a key employee. Customers will refer to the business by the person's name if it's not the name of the business already. Such as, "Let's go to Bobbi's place. She always has the right thing to wear." Or "Let's go to Vinnie's-he has the type of jewelry I like." These examples are actual businesses with totally different business names.

Knowing that about a business, let's try to figure out what they like about us. We find this out by listening to the comments people make about you and the business. Look for the comments that keep on coming up over and over again.

The next step is to create a signature line you use after your business name to help position and define your business in the mind of the customer. We are telling the customer exactly who we are and what they can expect from you. Then of course we have to live it! Our signature line is our positioning statement and our mission statement all boiled down to less than 8 words.

I want to try something completely different this week that I have never done with this forum before. I want to announce a contest to help the store I used in my example and yourself. The store owner is fully aware of what I am doing and knows that although the help will be wonderful, some of the ideas that come from this will or could be used by other stores.

Here are the prizes:

- First Prize: A two-month membership to the Retailer's Advantage or a one hour consulting session with me.

- Second Prize: Two books or videos of your choice

- Third Prize: One book of your choice

I am going to give you the words and phrases she has collected and her insight as well. Using this information and your retailing savvy, create a signature line for this store!

Here is the background information:

- The store is a downtown jewelry store in a major metropolitan city
- The owner is a brilliant (MIT Graduate brilliant!)
- She is a very talented and creative jewelry designer who has traveled extensively and lived an intriguing life
- She sells to "Alpha Women"-strong, powerful, and accomplished executives
- Woman who want to make a signature statement with their accessories
- Woman who no longer just want small pearl earrings but want longer dangling earrings that are fashion forward yet appropriate
- Woman who want to say, "I am a successful confident woman"
- She "Suits the Suits"
- The three words that best describe her business are:
Creative (Good but way over used)
Knowledgeable (Same as above)
Unpredictable (* I LOVE THAT because it applies to so many different places and applications*)
- Things she hears most often from customers
"I've never seen anything quite like it before"
"Tell me about that piece"
"Tell me about how that was made"
"I love coming in here. I just detox here"
"Coming in here is like enjoyable education"
"I just want to hang out for a while I love this store"
"I love coming in just to chat."

For the sake of this contest, we will refer to the owner as Susan Tracy and the store name of Mason's Jewelers. Have some fun with this one. Remember 8 words or less! The ideal signature line will define the store, position the store so that the customer knows exactly what they will be getting. Just email your ideas to me at rick@ricksegel.com.

Here are some example signature lines:
- Coke The real thing
- Vintage clothing Treasures you can wear
- The Frame Shop Where the artists go for framing
- Miller Beer Tastes GREAT; LESS Filling
- FEDEX When it absolutely positively has to be there overnight

Can't wait to read them and share mine with you. Have a great Thanksgiving!

 

Are You Pleasing Everyone?

I had another article that I had been working on all week and I just got an email from someone who changed all of that. This person complained about one of my interviews on The Retailer’s Advantage. This person was very respectful and complimented me on my work but thought that this one interview I did recently just didn’t meet my normal standard. It’s a valid point and he brings up a few lessons we can all learn from. Let me explain.

After I read the comments I smiled and I had flashbacks from being in my store. Why? Because I would work so hard at buying the merchandise for my store and there were times when my customers just didn’t like my choices. I looked at buying as an art form as well as a science. I would shop other stores, I networked with other retailers for ideas, I belonged to prestige buying offices, I EVEN SHOPPED DIFFERENT MARKETS. I would go to Atlanta, Dallas, California, and of course, New York. Then I would be so selective with each vendor and if merchandise ever came in that was different than what I had purchased, I would be on the phone so fast to send it back.

The next step if the merchandise was right was to prepare it for the selling floor, find just the right spot on the selling floor, and then finally display and sign it properly. After all of that, it never failed--a customer would come in and look at this piece of merchandise and say something like, “What were you thinking when you bought that?” or “What has happened to this store? You used to carry such nice merchandise?”

It happens to every retailer, it happens to every business, and yes, it even happens to writers and interviewers.

The interesting part about this interview was that I personally liked it. Understand, I interview a lot of people and I feel I have a pulse on the market but you never know. Just like in buying merchandise; some are going to be winners and some aren’t. I go through the same steps as buying merchandise. I contact someone who comes with either a strong recommendation or someone I respect personally and the interview comes out less than I had expected.

Do you kill it or let the program run? I have killed an interview and then I ran the risk of alienating the guest. But most of the time I feel it’s up to my audience or my customer base to make the decision. A few months ago we aired what I considered to be the worst guest I have ever interviewed. I almost lost it with some of the responses. Yet, the next day I had 5 responses from members telling me that it was the best and most inspirational interview I had ever done. Go figure.

What are the lessons to be learned from this?

1. You just never know exactly what the public is going to like.
2. One comment does NOT mean that everyone hates it
3. However, a negative comment should never be ignored and is a warning sign.
4. It’s good to get some negative comments because many times that can mean you are trying something different. Sometimes new items or change is initially rejected. That doesn’t mean it’s bad--you just might be early with a look or trend.
5. Always remember the people who take the time to write or tell you about a problem or bad piece of merchandise care. THANK THEM (I am sending two books to the person who wrote to me.)
6. Don’t let the negative talk get you down. It’s part of living and doing business. There are some people who like to complain just for the sake of complaining. Don’t worry, those people are easy to recognize because they complain about more than just one thing. After all they are complainers.
7. Lastly, remember my all time favorite quote that works in times like this. “Don’t worry about the mule going blind, just load the wagon.”

Again, thank you to the person who wrote to me. I will let you know what the rest of the comments on the interview are like. The books are on the way.

If You Want It Done, You Have To Do It Yourself!

It’s time to master your management skills!

When we are young and naïve (scratch the young part because I have seen as many older people with similar misconceptions about management!), we believed that we could just hire the right people, tell them what to do, and they would be do it. If they didn’t, we could just fire them and hire someone else who could do the job.

Now does that scenario work? Yes, it does, BUT it’s not that easy!

Great managers seem as if they are hardly working but weak managers are the ones who are putting in the long hours and never seem to get enough done. What do these great managers do?

We all have our own personal examples of great managers. Think about the best bosses you ever had. What did they do? What made them so good? Why are they so memorable? We remember great managers for a lifetime--but we remember the horrible managers as well!

It's amazing how you can remember a manager you had 25, 30, or even 40 years ago and the impact they had on your life. These people are described as tough but fair. You automatically respected them but also liked them. They got more out of you than you could get out of yourself. They knew how to motivate and inspire. Somehow, you never wanted to let these people down. What's the magic formula that they had?

If you want to have some fun with this topic, go up for dinner with 3 to 6 people and ask the question, “Who was the best boss you ever had and why?” When people start to describe the best boss they ever had, their mood seems to change. Sometimes they get euphoric or seem to be in a bit of a trance describing their favorite manager and the profound effect that one person had upon their lives.

Here is my list of things that constitute good management:

1. Good management starts with hiring the right people. The subtle difference that great managers possess is they take the time to determine exactly what the job is and what they expect from a new employee.
2. Great managers know the type of person who would succeed in the job. Every job requires certain unique talents and attitudes. Know them! Use an assessment service to help you identify them.
3. Hire Attitudes, Train the Skills! We can do so much more with people with good attitudes than with problem people.
4. Know what a good job is, a great job and a terrible job. Make sure your employees know it better than you do.
5. Schedule regular one-on-one meetings just to talk. It’s simple but it goes a long way.
6. Catch an employee doing something right and celebrate it.
7. Celebrate Mistakes. Mistakes happen, especially when we are first learning. When we recognize and accept that, the tension leaves everybody. This should be part of your expectations.
8. Never reprimand in public. Always do it behind closed doors. Embarrass the employee and you will create an employee with a bad attitude.
9. Fear Motivation causes more problems. You will make your employees afraid of change and they will start to cover up mistakes. Great managers NEVER employ it.
10. Send Birthday Cards and Anniversary Cards. It’s a little thing that just goes a long way. Sometimes it’s the only card they get.
11. Be up when your employees are down and be down when they are up. This means that sometimes our employees need a little encouragement to get them through tough times but they can’t get too arrogant or sure of themselves either. Great managers maintain that balance.
12. Give them space to perform but be there when they need you. That also means to check on their tasks as well. Great managers are always aware of what their employees are doing.
13. Share information with your staff: Make your employees feel like they belong; they are valuable member of a team.
14. Give lots of little things. It’s the little things that matter in life. Sometimes a fun lollipop can go a long way. Flowers for a holiday, a gift certificate to a restaurant, or any store for that matter, can make you memorable.
15. Have some FUN! Many of our employees don’t work for just the money; they work for the people contact, the camaraderie, and yes, the FUN. Never lose sight of that.

This is just my partial list. If have any other ideas you would like to share, send them along to me at rick@ricksegel.com and I will l publish them in an ebook, giving your idea full credit. If you don’t want your name used, just let me know.

Are You Pleasing Everyone?

I had another article that I had been working on all week and I just got an email from someone who changed all of that. This person complained about one of my interviews on The Retailer’s Advantage. This person was very respectful and complimented me on my work but thought that this one interview I did recently just didn’t meet my normal standard. It’s a valid point and he brings up a few lessons we can all learn from. Let me explain.

After I read the comments I smiled and I had flashbacks from being in my store. Why? Because I would work so hard at buying the merchandise for my store and there were times when my customers just didn’t like my choices. I looked at buying as an art form as well as a science. I would shop other stores, I networked with other retailers for ideas, I belonged to prestige buying offices, I EVEN SHOPPED DIFFERENT MARKETS. I would go to Atlanta, Dallas, California, and of course, New York. Then I would be so selective with each vendor and if merchandise ever came in that was different than what I had purchased, I would be on the phone so fast to send it back.

The next step if the merchandise was right was to prepare it for the selling floor, find just the right spot on the selling floor, and then finally display and sign it properly. After all of that, it never failed--a customer would come in and look at this piece of merchandise and say something like, “What were you thinking when you bought that?” or “What has happened to this store? You used to carry such nice merchandise?”

It happens to every retailer, it happens to every business, and yes, it even happens to writers and interviewers.

The interesting part about this interview was that I personally liked it. Understand, I interview a lot of people and I feel I have a pulse on the market but you never know. Just like in buying merchandise; some are going to be winners and some aren’t. I go through the same steps as buying merchandise. I contact someone who comes with either a strong recommendation or someone I respect personally and the interview comes out less than I had expected.

Do you kill it or let the program run? I have killed an interview and then I ran the risk of alienating the guest. But most of the time I feel it’s up to my audience or my customer base to make the decision. A few months ago we aired what I considered to be the worst guest I have ever interviewed. I almost lost it with some of the responses. Yet, the next day I had 5 responses from members telling me that it was the best and most inspirational interview I had ever done. Go figure.

What are the lessons to be learned from this?

1. You just never know exactly what the public is going to like.
2. One comment does NOT mean that everyone hates it
3. However, a negative comment should never be ignored and is a warning sign.
4. It’s good to get some negative comments because many times that can mean you are trying something different. Sometimes new items or change is initially rejected. That doesn’t mean it’s bad--you just might be early with a look or trend.
5. Always remember the people who take the time to write or tell you about a problem or bad piece of merchandise care. THANK THEM (I am sending two books to the person who wrote to me.)
6. Don’t let the negative talk get you down. It’s part of living and doing business. There are some people who like to complain just for the sake of complaining. Don’t worry, those people are easy to recognize because they complain about more than just one thing. After all they are complainers.
7. Lastly, remember my all time favorite quote that works in times like this. “Don’t worry about the mule going blind, just load the wagon.”

Again, thank you to the person who wrote to me. I will let you know what the rest of the comments on the interview are like. The books are on the way.

What Is Your Educational Edge?

 What did you learn today? What new promotion did you hear about this week that you could adopt or adapt for your business? What technique did you read about that could make your business more efficient? What new website did you hear about that can help your business? The other day I got a wonderful introduction from someone I didn't know but this person certainly knew me. He was a regular reader of this column. It's funny because I very rarely refer to this weekly article or tip as a column, but this person reads my article through an industry newsletter that runs my articles.

He said in the introduction, "Education has become so important because things are changing so DAMN FAST." (That was a quote!) He made me laugh when he said, "I was never such a good student in school but I am a pretty darn good businessman, if I say so myself. (He was extremely successful, which I found out later.) But what worked a year ago just isn't working today. What good is running a brilliant newspaper ad if no one is reading the newspaper, or what good is it having me record one of my legendary radio commercials if all the kids are plugged into their iPods?"

Then he gave me the idea for this column. He said, "I have more good ideas in my idea book from Rick Segel than any other source." OK, I loved the compliment but it is the "Idea Book" that intrigued me. I have a file in my computer for "the things I learned today".

(It was a carryover from when I was a little kid when my mother would ask me before I went to bed, "What did you learn today?" If I ever said nothing she would always say, "Now don't waste tomorrow.")

I got a chance to talk to my new friend when I was finished presenting and I asked him about his idea book. He said, "Having a great idea isn't even half the battle. First, you have to remember the idea, then you have to find the right time and place where the idea fits, and then you have to implement the idea. Most people don't even remember the idea, which is sad but the reason I like your ideas is because they just get me thinking and they seem to trigger some of my own ideas. The best idea you gave me was when you referred to some customers as bottom feeders. So I had a Bottom Feeder Sale. Our store is near the coast so everyone understood it."

We then talked about his website and how he was approaching Facebook. I mention that because he laughed when he said, "I still can't get over that ME of all people is talking like some computer nerd. But like I said, I am a pretty darn good businessman, and today business is all about that educational edge." I then thanked him for writing this week's article for me. He asked, "What's it about?" I said "YOU." He looked at me half pleased and half perplexed and said, "It's my idea book, huh?"

That was part of the answer, I assured him, but the larger part was the appreciation he has for the importance of constantly learning and looking for that edge which is the key to success today. Then he shocked me, when he said, "But the people who read your column already know that! Push the idea book instead. By the way, I have a Blackberry phone and sometimes I might jot down a note but I really do use a little spiral bound note book."

He is probably right , because if you are reading these words you do understand the importance of education. So don't forget the Idea Book and I won't forget my responsibility to deliver good ideas to you.