Doug Fleener offers up a list of things you should stop doing because they may very well cost you sales and profits. You’ll see some of them are twists on the items in Doug’s 21 Ways list, but as Earl Nightingale once said, “Whatever we plant in our subconscious mind and nourish with repetition and emotion will one day become a reality.”
1. STOP congregating at the register. Okay, I had to say that one for old time’s sake. I don’t know what they put in those counters but they act as magnets for the flesh of retail employees. I just can’t figure out why so many customers are immune to the magnetic force.
2. STOP thinking it is too late or you don’t have to time to do marketing activities that will have a positive impact on your business. If you’re an owner or a manager now is the time to increase some of your staff’s hours so you can concentrate on driving more customers in.
3. STOP thinking that what newspapers, websites, and pundits are saying about the holidays is what is also going to happen in your store. I just searched the terms “Holiday Sales” on Google News and once again the stories are all over the place. The San Francisco Chronicle’s headline yesterday read: Sales slow after hefty Black Friday - while the Houston Chronicle headline read: Holiday Shopping Off to a Solid Start. The only thing that matters is where your store ends up. The biggest impact on your sales isn’t the national or local economy but how well you and your team execute. Believe and work hard to achieve a GREAT holiday and you’ll have one. As a matter of fact you should create your own headline like: Blows Away Holiday Sales Goal - and post it at your desk and in the backroom.
4. STOP thinking traffic is slow. Start thinking that slower traffic gives you an opportunity to build a deeper relationship with customers and to sell them more products.
5. STOP believing that all customers want is a great deal. Most customers actually want a great experience buying a product at a fair price. Most customers want to feel good about what they buy. That same customer may have been hunting for a great deal on Black Friday weekend but has now settled into his regular shopping routine.
1. STOP congregating at the register. Okay, I had to say that one for old time’s sake. I don’t know what they put in those counters but they act as magnets for the flesh of retail employees. I just can’t figure out why so many customers are immune to the magnetic force.
2. STOP thinking it is too late or you don’t have to time to do marketing activities that will have a positive impact on your business. If you’re an owner or a manager now is the time to increase some of your staff’s hours so you can concentrate on driving more customers in.
3. STOP thinking that what newspapers, websites, and pundits are saying about the holidays is what is also going to happen in your store. I just searched the terms “Holiday Sales” on Google News and once again the stories are all over the place. The San Francisco Chronicle’s headline yesterday read: Sales slow after hefty Black Friday - while the Houston Chronicle headline read: Holiday Shopping Off to a Solid Start. The only thing that matters is where your store ends up. The biggest impact on your sales isn’t the national or local economy but how well you and your team execute. Believe and work hard to achieve a GREAT holiday and you’ll have one. As a matter of fact you should create your own headline like: Blows Away Holiday Sales Goal - and post it at your desk and in the backroom.
4. STOP thinking traffic is slow. Start thinking that slower traffic gives you an opportunity to build a deeper relationship with customers and to sell them more products.
5. STOP believing that all customers want is a great deal. Most customers actually want a great experience buying a product at a fair price. Most customers want to feel good about what they buy. That same customer may have been hunting for a great deal on Black Friday weekend but has now settled into his regular shopping routine.
