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

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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!