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Author: Phil Wrzesinski

Call Me Farmer Phil

A toy store in December. Time to harvest the crops. Time to gather the rewards from a long year of planning and preparing for this moment.

Yet here we are still planting seeds.

Check out this FB post from a customer…

We’re always impressed with customer service at the Toy House, but yesterday was over the top. Our family was there because our son was picking out a gift for our daughter’s birthday. He asked me about a ride-along horse which I told him was fine, and he raced off, I assumed, to tell my husband. The next thing I knew a Toy House employee was asking me if I was XXXX’s mom. I said, yes, and she said that my son was asking if they could wrap the toy for his sister’s birthday. She wanted to know if it was okay, and they would go ahead, remove the tag, and wrap it for him, and we could pay when we were ready to go. I appreciated them taking the time to interact with my son (and tracking me down) instead of just brushing off his desires to get something for his sister. Thanks again, Toy House, for the continued hard work and great customer service!”

Planting the seeds for the next generation of Toy House shoppers.

If you are in a retail business like mine, where your primary target outgrows you, you have to always be farming, always be planting seeds for the next harvest.

I have to grow a new crop pretty much every year, so I am always in planting mode. You should be, too. Here are some ways to plant seeds.

Treat everyone in your store the same wonderful way, regardless of how much money they spend. Today’s small spender might be on a tight budget, but might know some friends and relatives who are not. She might also find her luck has changed next year.

Treat everyone in your store the same wonderful way, regardless of how they behave. You don’t know the journey they are on or the troubles they are facing. Have compassion and kindness. Understand that this is just today. Tomorrow will come and tomorrow will be different. It always is.

Pay attention to the memories and feelings you are creating. We are emotional beings. We remember feelings long after we forget the facts. Design your policies, choose your staff, and build your store around the feelings you want people to associate with your business.

Call me Farmer Phil. I’m off to go plant some more seeds.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS Here is a seed worth watering… If you are a retailer in the Jackson area and you want to take your business to the next level, check out www.JacksonRetailSuccessAcademy.com. A new class is starting in January.

The Next Transaction

Do you know the real goal of each transaction? To earn the Next Transaction.

Unless you’re closing the store and selling off your inventory, you’re going to need that next transaction, and the one after that, and the one after that, and so on.

You always need one eye on the horizon, one eye fixed on how to earn that Next Transaction.

Last Saturday we had a huge event. LEGO Contest, Yo-Yo Competition, Toy Demos, Crafts, Scavenger Hunt, Cookies, Prizes, the whole works! We advertised heavily. We staffed heavily. We spent a lot of money to draw traffic and put on a lot of events to keep that traffic happy.

Did it translate into extra sales? A little. We had a slightly better than usual Saturday. Not enough to cover the extra expenses, but that wasn’t the point. The entire goal of the day was Wish Lists – pieces of paper that the kids took around the store and filled out with what they wanted Santa to bring them.

Since our competitors in town don’t stock the same items we stock, we wanted those kids to make out their lists with our toys. Every kid who went on a scavenger hunt to earn a cookie got a wish list. Every parent with one or more kids in tow got a wish list.

Our goal for the day was simple – focus on the Next Transaction.

  1. Give everyone something fun to do.
  2. Give everyone a Wish List to fill out.
  3. Treat them so well they can’t wait to come back.

It is a formula that serves us well.

There are a lot of businesses that put too much effort on maximizing this transaction – as if it will be their last. Make this one special for the customer. Delight her. Earn the chance to get another transaction.

If that isn’t enough to convince you, try this… Ask yourself these two questions:

  1. What percentage of my business is Repeat Business? (write that number down)
  2. What percentage of my business is Referral Business? (write that number down)

The remaining percentage is your advertising driven business – usually the smallest of the three numbers.

Put your energy into getting repeats and referrals and you’ll have all the Next Transactions you need.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS There are a lot of ways to earn the next transaction. Sometimes adding on and maximizing the current sale is how you earn another – especially if the add-ons are what is needed to “complete” the sale. Don’t ever let a customer walk out without everything they need. Sometimes you earn the next transaction because you didn’t get overly pushy. Sometimes you earn the next transaction because you planned it that way (like the wish lists). The best leaders are always looking beyond this transaction to the next one.

PPS Here is an email one mom sent me from our event that drives home the point…
“…and great event Saturday!   While I know you’re open minded and see the big picture, I wanted to let you know that your sales on days like that may not be all the sales you gain from the event.  I could barely manage the two kids let alone purchase anything, but I’ll be back this week to get everything.”

Treat Your Sales Reps as Partners

The dreaded sales rep. We all have one. Maybe more than one. The rep that just doesn’t get you or your business. The rep you wish didn’t get all the good lines. The rep who makes you wonder if they even care. The rep that makes you roll your eyes just setting the appointment.

Then there is the good rep. The one who gets it. Who gets you. Who anticipates your needs. Who knows your style, your store’s style, your store’s goals. Who you can’t wait to work with again.

My buddy Tim Miles illustrated the difference between those two reps – the order taker and the true partner.
Much of the burden on becoming that good rep belongs to the rep himself. He has to want to be your partner.

But I wonder if there is not also some burden on us.

Do you treat your rep as a partner or an order taker?
Do you share your goals for the store – especially for that line of products or services – with the rep?
Do you share your visions and philosophies with your rep?
Do you share the responsibility of all the work with your rep – or do you expect them to do all the heavy lifting?
Do you take them out to lunch instead of expecting them to always buy?
Do you listen to their suggestions?
Do you even ask for their suggestions?
Do you consider them to be part of your team?
Do you offer them the some of the same benefits you offer your own employees?

There is an anonymous quote that says, “Your customers will get better when you do.”

I think the same applies to our reps.

-Phil Wrzesinski
PS I offer all my product sales reps the same employee discount my staff gets. It is just one way to make sure they understand they are part of my team.

Do Something Over-the-Top

You still have time to pull this off. Christmas is still 48 days away. Do something Over-the-Top for your customers this season.

Is parking a problem for your store? Offer Free Valet Parking. Get some young motivated drivers to move the cars to the distant lot (hire the local cross-country team – they don’t mind running in the cold and their season just ended).

Offer a seating area with comfortable recliners. Coffee and doughnuts in the morning. Water and fresh fruit in the afternoon.

Do a coat-check.

Have servers walking the store with samples of local treats. Bonus – have them dressed in formal black tie outfits.

Forget the piped in music – have live performers from the local symphony. Get a trio or quartet every Saturday – pay them well (some of them will work for gift cards).

Give them labels to go with their giftwrapped packages.

Give out helium balloons free to every child. (As Winnie the Pooh said, “Nobody can be uncheered with a balloon.”)

Do a Santa Wish List – even for the adults – and keep it on file for spouses, parents, grandparents, aunts & uncles.

Offer a free sample, free inspection, free add-on, free trial, free upgrade, free whatever. Don’t advertise it. (Please don’t advertise it.) Just do it. Freely and with sincerity. Let your customers advertise it for you.

Have a couple doormen carry their packages to their cars – no matter where they parked!

Think about what your customers expect from you, then do something way unexpected and over-the-top. They will talk about you. A lot. To everyone they know.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS Every fine restaurant in New York has a coat check, usually tucked away in the corner past the crowded bar. When I went to a Danny Meyer restaurant in NY fabled for amazing customer service the greeter took our coats without us having to shuffle through the crowd to the hidden coat check. Better yet, when our party got up to go, the greeter was already waiting with our coats and knew exactly who got which coat. That was unexpectedly cool. And I’m talking about it.

Asking the Right Questions

The first few years I interviewed people for positions on the team I asked a bunch of questions. Most of them were the wrong questions.

I asked a lot of “What if…” questions. You know, “What would you do if a customer comes up to you with a complaint about…?”

Questions that are based on speculation will only get you answers the interviewee thinks you want to hear.

Those are of no value to you. About all they can tell you is whether that person has done any research on your company’s policies and values. They rarely show how the interviewee will actually react when facing that situation.

The right questions to ask are questions about their previous actions. Our actions speak louder than our words about who we are and what we believe.

Use this phrase, “Tell me about a time when…”

Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond your job expectations to help a customer.

If they can’t tell you a time, then they probably never did. What they tell you also gives you insight into what they think is above and beyond. It tells you how they perceive their role and whether they even believe they can do what is right versus what is policy. You might also learn that they are mavericks who do their own thing regardless of what policy might be.

Tell me about a time when you had to help a friend in need.

You learn a lot about loyalty, helpfulness and what friend means.

Tell me about a time when you had to stay later than you were scheduled. (getting the job done versus just putting in the hours)

Tell me about a time when you were short-staffed and everyone had to do extra. (how they view hard work and stressful situations)

Tell me about a time when you received the worst customer service while out shopping. (their view of what bad customer service looks like)

Tell me about a time when you received the best customer service while out shopping. (their view of what good customer service looks like)

Tell me about a time when you had to solve a problem and no one was there to help you. (their approach to problem solving)

Tell me about a time when someone at work did something especially nice for you. (how they relate to other workers)

Tell me about the worst thing you ever had to do on the job. (how they get along with co-workers and bosses)

Actions speak louder than words. Decide which actions you want your employees to take, then ask them to tell you how they’ve taken those actions before. This one little tip changed the quality of my new hires overnight.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS Some of your interviewees will hem and haw at answering these kinds of questions. They were prepared to tell you what they thought you wanted to hear. Take that as a sign. Others will tell you things that will astound you. If they get on a good story, keep it going. The longer they tell a story, the more passion you’ll see and the more it will reveal.

Making a List, Checking it Twice

No, I’m not Santa (although some people in Jackson might disagree).

The list I am making is the list of traits my seasonal staff needs to have. Things like…

  • A willingness to learn
  • Knowledge of toys
  • Knowledge of play and play value
  • Ability to do math
  • Ability to work on a computer
  • A strong, confident voice
  • Friendliness
  • Problem Solver
  • Can giftwrap a package
  • Loves to help others
  • Has legible handwriting
  • Works well with others
  • Energy to stand on your feet all day

Wouldn’t you love it if your seasonal staff had all those traits?

Which ones are deal killers (if they don’t have it, you can’t hire them)? Which ones do you think you could teach? Which ones do you know you could never teach?

Make a list like this for every position in your business. Then take that list and make a second list. Separate the first list into two columns – the stuff you cannot teach, the stuff you can teach.

Now go hire someone with the stuff you cannot teach, and train them on everything else.

As for the deal killers – those are the first things you need to identify in your interview process. That’s how you get a seasonal staff up to your level of customer service in short order.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS Friendliness, Problem Solver, Loves to Help Others, A Willingness to Learn – those are my deal killers. You don’t have those traits, you don’t work for me.

Redefining the Terms

You don’t sell products. You sell feelings.

The jeweler doesn’t sell diamond rings. The jeweler sells the look on her face when he opens the box and asks, “Will you marry me?”

The shoe salesman doesn’t sell shoes. The shoe salesman sells the bounce in your step and the self-confidence you have when your feet feel good.

The toy store doesn’t sell toys. The toy store sells play value and imagination and creativity.

You and I get this. Our customers don’t.

Not because they can’t, but because the big chains won’t let them. Especially the discounters. They are trying to commoditize everything you sell. Make it all about the price. It isn’t about which toys you buy, but how many. The big chains know you can outperform them on getting the right items. They want to make sure the customers don’t even think about that. They’re winning, too, because we allow them to control the conversation.

They talk about the products. We talk about the products. We’re speaking their language. We need to instead talk about the feelings.

We need to talk less about the products we sell and more about how our products make the customer feel. We need to talk about the emotions behind the products, the emotions behind the purchases, the feelings we create.

We need to bring the importance of the purchase, the reason for the purchase back to the forefront.

When you write your ad copy, whether for print, broadcast or social media, ask yourself two questions.

  1. Is this copy about the product or the feeling?
  2. How can I make it more about the feeling?

The more you do that, the more you change the conversation back to one you will win.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS For example, here are two radio ads I have run this fall to change the conversation. These are the left-brained, logical ads. The more emotional ads run next month.

We Sell Play Value
Over the next couple months a bunch of stores will start advertising to you about toys. They’re talking about the wrong thing. You don’t buy toys. You buy Play Value. You don’t buy toys; you buy creativity and imagination. You don’t buy toys, you buy engagement and fun. You can forgive them for not knowing this. They only sell toys part time. We sell Play Value all year long. That’s why you shop at Toy House and Baby Too in downtown Jackson. We’re here to make you smile.

Made Up Lists
Fortunately, you guys are smart. You know all those Hot Toy Lists are fake, phony, decided in some backroom meeting months ago. Designed to get you to buy what they want to sell. As if your kids were sheep and only happy if they got one of the “hot” toys.  That’s not you. That’s not us. We aren’t going to hype you into buying what we want to sell. We’re going to help you find what works best for you. Over twice the selection of the big chains, ten times the play value, and none of the hype. Toy House in downtown Jackson. We’re here to make you smile.

Buying Word of Mouth Part 2

I bought people talking about my store for only $418.

This next project cost about the same – and I didn’t have to pay for it!!

Candy Chang started a project down in New Orleans by turning sheets of plywood into interactive works of art by asking people to finish this sentence – Before I die, I want to…

The interactive chalkboards have become a worldwide phenomenon.

I first learned about the project back in the spring and was kicking around the idea when a local artist approached me, wanting to use the side of our building for this project. She applied for a local grant of $500 and the board you see pictured is the result.

This picture was taken the day after the board was installed. You can see that it was already two-thirds full. The success of that board has prompted us to put up two more – My Favorite Toy… and the original Before I Die…

Now we have people talking and writing (and showing up)!

After the boards are up, we’ll install the webcam (for both novelty and security).

You can get word-of-mouth when you do over-the-top things in and around your store. Heck, you can duplicate this one quite easily.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS We used 1/4″ sanded plywood primed and painted with chalkboard paint. You could also use black flat paint if you’re on a tight budget. Doesn’t erase as well, but it still works. The borders are made with 1″x2″ poplar boards – the hardwood will last a little longer and hold up a little better. But just a simple piece of painted plywood will do the trick, too (but use a thicker plywood). The words are painted on (you can use a stencil or freehand it or even leave the board blank except for the header).The sidewalk chalk is in a 6″ cube acrylic box with a hinged lid.

The two other boards also have received funding through generous grants. See if there is money for art in your community.

Prepping the boards for mounting.

You can see the border – simple carpentry.

The chalk box.

Maggie, the artist behind the project and Dave, the carpenter.

Your Store is an Extension of You

I’ve been preaching this point for a number of years. 

What is important to you is what you will focus on in your store.
We have always been a prompt store. We close at 6:00pm, but we turn out half the lights at 5:55pm and start the process of closing down cash registers while customers are still in the store. We often have the doors locked and are clearing out before the last car has left the parking lot.
Yeah, deep down I know that we are not giving our best customer service at this time because the appearance is that we are in a hurry to leave. Yet, we’ve always done it this way.
Then it dawned on me.
My mom is all about being on time. She still gives me grief for being born a day late. Says I’ve been late ever since. Promptness is one of her Core Values. She lives the Shakespeare quote, “Better three hours too early than one minute too late.” She got this trait from her mom, who with my grandpa founded Toy House.
For forty-four years prior to my arrival, this was one of the dominating traits of the people in charge and it became our method of operation. We open on time (or early) and we close on time. 
Period. Unquestioned. Customer Service be damned.
Your store is an extension of you and what you believe. It is an extension of your values. Your policies and your procedures reflect what you hold dear. Whether you do it consciously or subconsciously.
All I ask is that you do it consciously.
-Phil Wrzesinski
PS I work hard to push the idea that the last customer of the day gets the same wonderful service as the first customer of the day. But perception is reality. We could very well be undoing all the good we did servicing the customer by being in such a hurry to close up.

If You’re Not Happy, Don’t Settle

I finished the stage, well at least the main part of it. We still have some decorations to complete, but the stage was up, the curtain was in place, people were using it.

Something didn’t look quite right to my eye.

This morning my wife made a suggestion. She was absolutely right. I had put the curtain in the wrong spot. The easy solution was to just live with it. Was it horrible? No. Was it workable? Yes.

The bigger question was what would it take to fix it?

The answer was one hour and one band aid.

Before – with the curtain at the front edge of the platform.
After – with the curtain moved back.

Now the stage fits my eye better. Now the stage has a space in front of the curtain for storytellers, performers, maybe even a visit from Santa. Now the performers can be seen from a wider angle. Now the stage looks more like a stage and less like a curtained room.

The lesson? Before you settle for something not quite perfect, ask yourself these two questions.

  1. Can I fix it?
  2. Can I live with it? 

If you can answer yes to the first question, fix it. Period. If you answer no to the first, but you can answer yes to the second, keep it as is. If you answer no to both, scrap it and start over.

Yes, this applies to just about everything. Just be sure to ask the questions in the right order.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS Don’t settle. Make the effort to fix the things you can fix. It pays off in the long run. You are in this for the long run, right?