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Category: Advertising

Most Ads Suck

What is the big draw about satellite radio? No ads. We all hate that break in the station when we get bombarded with ads. Boring, blah, blah, blah ads.

It isn’t that we don’t like ads. We actually do. We tune in to the Super Bowl just to see the ads. We like great ads. We watch and listen to great ads. We talk about great ads. We remember great ads. Just this morning one of my employees came in and said, “Time to make the donuts.” And everyone over thirty knew exactly what she meant.

The problem is that most ads suck. They aren’t interesting. They aren’t memorable. No one wants to listen to them, let alone repeat them. Yet there is hope.

One way to make your ads more interesting is to understand your listener. She tuned in to the radio to hear music and stories. So give her what she wants. Maybe not music (unless you’re a professional musician and accomplished songwriter), but you can definitely tell stories.

Tell your best stories, the ones that show who you really are, the ones that line up with your Core Values. They don’t have to be long, just interesting. Here are some examples of 30-second radio ads that I have used over the years. Remember that my Core Values are Fun, Helpful, Educational, and Nostalgic. See if you can figure out which one is which…

Ice Cream – June ‘10
I served them ice cream.  8:30 in the morning and I served my staff ice cream.  Some looked at me like I was crazy.  Others dug right in.  Yeah, I’m a little unconventional that way.  Kinda like how we staff the store.  I have more staff on the floor than stores double our size.  Some think I’m crazy.  Others love it.  There’s always someone available to help you.  It takes a little more ice cream, but it’s worth every scoop.  Toy House in downtown Jackson.  We’re here to make you smile.

Home for Christmas –Dec ’06
Christmas Eve, nineteen sixty-five.  He didn’t know if he would make it.  Nine months of active duty, he missed his family.  And he was an uncle now.  His sister had a baby girl, a precious little child for which a stuffed animal from an airport gift shop just wouldn’t do.  As his dad picked him up in the family sedan, he asked, “We got time to stop by the Toy House?”  “Of course, son.  Welcome home.”  Merry Christmas from the Toy House in downtown Jackson where Christmas magic happens.

Game Night – April ‘09
The big four-oh,  Whatever she wanted.  Dancing?  Dining?  Dinner and a movie?  Her birthday, her choice.  She chose Game Night.  A dozen friends playing Pictionary, Yahtzee, Egyptians, Empire Builder.  Eight of us rolling on the floor laughing playing a new game called Consensus.  Four of us still laughing at two a.m.  Yeah Game Night.  How hard did you laugh on your last birthday?  Toy House in downtown Jackson.  We’re here to make you smile.

The Trunk – July 2012
My grandfather had a trunk.  He filled it with his favorite toys and drove them all around, telling their tales, how these toys would be the most beloved toys in the toy box, the kind of toys you kept because you knew your grandkids would enjoy them, too.  The trunk may be in storage, but the lessons about great toys are still the same.  Stop in and see us.  We’ll teach you what we know.  Grandpa knew a few things about toys in his day.  We still do.  Toy House in downtown Jackson.  Great toys to make you smile.

You have stories. Every business does. Tell them and people will listen.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS There are a number of ways to make your ads more memorable. Telling stories is just one. We’ll look at a couple more ways over the next few posts. But for those of you who want more stories, here are some of my favorites.

My all time favorite…
The Men’s Bathroom – August ‘08
I couldn’t believe it.  They were taking customers into the men’s bathroom.  Yes, my staff was taking men and women, young and old into our men’s bathroom.  And the customers were coming out laughing and giggling, oh yeah, and buying, too.  I guess when you find a product that cool, you just have to show it off however and wherever you can.  (laugh) The men’s bathroom, gotta love it.  Toy House in downtown Jackson.  We’re here to make you smile.

A series of three…
When She Was Three – Oct ‘10
When she was three she galloped down the aisles on stick horses.  At six, she brushed the mane of her My Little Pony.  At nine she used her own allowance to start her Breyer Horse collection.  And on her sixteenth birthday, she drove the car here just for a book on how to draw horses.  Now on her way to college, her parents wanted a gift.  I handed them Horse-opoly.  They smiled and said, “How did you know?”  Just a guess.  Toy House in downtown Jackson.  We’re here to make you smile.
His First Car – Oct ‘10
His first car was a coupe that he drove Fred Flintstone style up and down the drive.  As he got bigger his cars got smaller until they fit in the palm of his hand.  Fast cars, fancy cars, fun cars – he owned hundreds.  Now he’s a graduate.  His parents smiled when we showed them how to hide the real car keys inside the box of the model car.  Don’t know which he liked more.  The model was built and painted before the weekend was over.  Toy House in downtown Jackson.  We’re here to make you smile.
Horses and Cars – Nov ‘10
She saw the model car on his desk.  He was a man of detail.  He saw her drawings of horses.  She had talent and passion.  On their wedding they compromised, he promised not to wear the NASCAR jacket if she didn’t wear the cowboy boots.  But when they said it was a boy, we were ready with both horses and cars.  Once again they found a compromise.  They smiled when they saw it – Froggies.  Toy House and Baby Too.  No matter where you are in life, we’re here to make you smile.

My favorite memory…
Earliest Christmas Memory – Dec 07
What is your earliest Christmas memory?  Mine was grandma and grandpa sitting on a bench handing my sister and me our gifts.  I was only three, but I tore open that package with the speed of a six-year-old.  A towel, a white, Raggedy Ann towel.  I smiled a big smile, unfolded my towel and plopped down.  I couldn’t figure out why my sister was crying.  After all, she got Raggedy Andy and he’s way cooler.  Merry Christmas from the Toy House in downtown Jackson.  We’re here to make you smile

New Dad – Sept 09
He came in needing help.  One look at the dark circles under his eyes and the telltale plastic wristband, I knew there was only one thing to say.  Congratulations.  He smiled and said, “Thanks.  It’s a girl.  They’re coming home today.  Can you help me install my car seat?”   Of course I can.  I’d be happy to.  Welcome to the club, Daddy.  Toy House in downtown Jackson – get your car seat installed for free because we’re here to make you smile.

How Much Are You Investing in Your Business?

The Jackson County Chamber and I are teaming up to offer the best segments from the Jackson Retail Success Academy for all Jackson area businesses (and anyone willing to make the drive).

Three classes. Three four-hour days. $250 investment in your business (or $99 per class if you cannot make all three or are not a retailer.)

Inventory Management and Financial Health for Retailers
Thursday, June 27 (9am to 1pm) 

Every retailer knows that Cash is King. But do you know how to get more cash in your business to grow your kingdom?

This Business Boot Camp is designed strictly to help retailers understand how to manage inventory and expenses and, most importantly, your cash. You will learn simple formulas that the smart retailers use to keep the checkbook fat and happy. You will learn the Do’s and Don’t’s for keeping your inventory fresh and moving. You will find out where your cash is hiding and how to get more of it.

We will discuss things like Open-To-Buy programs, financial statements, the proper numbers to measure, how to price your products for profit, and the simplest way to get the most out of the inventory you sell.

Yes, there will be math. The important math. The kind of math you have to do if you want to be successful. What will surprise you is how quickly and easily you will learn the math and see the results.

(Note: to get the most out of this Business Boot Camp bring your previous fiscal year’s Balance Sheet and Profit & Loss statement. You will not be asked to share, but it will help you do your own math.)

Shareworthy Customer Service for Small Businesses
Thursday, July 11 (9am to 1pm)

We all know Word-of-Mouth is the best form of advertising. But do you know how to get people to talk about your company?

This Business Boot Camp will teach you the fundamentals behind generating Word-of-Mouth from your customer base. You will learn how to exceed customer expectations in such a way that they have to tell someone else. You will learn how to create a culture in your business that wants to delight your customers at every turn and raise the bar of Customer Service so high that you turn clients into evangelists.

Whether you are a retailer, a service provider, or any type of business, you will walk away with four ways to generate word-of-mouth, a new approach to hiring and training, at least one planned staff training, and a better understanding of what it takes to offer Customer Service that makes people want to talk.

Word-of-Mouth is still the most powerful form of advertising. This Business Boot Camp will be one you will be talking about for a long time.

Branding and Advertising: Reaching New Customers in Today’s Market
Thursday, August 8 (9am to 1pm)

The advertising that got you results yesterday isn’t working today. Today’s market just can’t be reached. Or can it?

This Business Boot Camp will teach you the fundamentals of marketing that work in any day and age and how to apply those to this day and age. You will learn what moves the needle in advertising and how to craft a message that gets your potential clients to take action. You will learn the biggest myths of advertising and how even the largest companies throw good money away every single day. You will learn how to get the most out of your advertising budget (even if it close to zero).

Advertising cannot fix your business, but if you have a good business model, you will learn techniques that will grow your business the right way and keep it growing for years, no matter what kind of business you run.

Contact the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce to sign up. It will be the best twelve hours you spend on your business this summer!

Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS If you are struggling in any one of these areas, you should sign up for that one class Ninety-nine dollars for four hours of top-level, hands-on instruction is the kind of no-brainer investment you know you should make for your business.

PPS If you don’t think you need any of these classes then you should definitely sign up for all three. Last night as I did a presentation for the Quincy Chamber of Commerce, one of the organizers lamented that it was only the businesses who were already doing well that showed up. I reminded her that was why they were doing well. They kept showing up.

Tim’s Thing

Tim Miles is a smart guy. Funny, too. Oh, and quite tall. He makes up words like Shareworthy.

He makes up other things, too, like this thing…

It is really cool.

Most of you instinctively see it for what it is.

You have to first figure out the Goals and Values of your business before you do anything else.

Then you can start making some Strategic Plans for reaching your goals. From there you can decide how to shape and control the Customer Experience. Once you know that, then you know what your Marketing Message should be. And finally you can decide which Media to use to share that message with the world.

It is really, really cool!

Now it needs a name. Tim is asking people to give him suggestions for names. You could win an iPad or better yet, bacon!

What would you call it?

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS I suggested “The Order of Business” because so many businesses get the order wrong. They pick a media, then create a message without ever knowing their goals and values.

Why Your Ads Go Viral

I just watched an interesting TEDTalk about Why Videos Go Viral from Kevin Allocca, a YouTube Trendwatcher (yes, he watches YouTube videos as a profession).

He explains there are three things that make a video go viral.

  • Tastemakers
  • Participation
  • Unexpectedness

The same three things are true of your advertisements.

TASTEMAKERS

If someone of importance takes note of your video – a “tastemaker” whom people follow – then others will take note. In advertising, you have to speak to the people who influence the decision.

McDonald’s has made a mint by advertising to the backseat influencers. A clown and funny characters and toys have been so effective at reaching this audience that people concerned about our children’s health have pushed to ban the golden arches from putting toys in their Happy Meals.

We have a local bra store that advertises on the local sports talk show. Yes, she advertises bras and lingerie on a radio show heavily skewed towards men.  Her message? “Guy, are you tired of hearing your wife complain about her bra not fitting? Send her to Bras That Fit.”

They are speaking to the influencers, the tastemakers.

Your ads should be targeted to the tastemakers, the people who have the influence to send customers your way. Sometimes that is the customer herself, but sometimes it is someone within her circle that has the power to influence her. Let me ask you what would be more effective? A radio ad to a woman about bras, or her husband saying, “Honey, you’ve been complaining so much about your bras. Why don’t you try out that store…?”

PARTICIPATION

What do the Harlem Shake, NYAN Cat, and the Friday Song all have in common? Besides millions of views, they have thousands of knockoffs and spin-offs, and copycats. They have audience participation.

People love to be involved. People love to be included. People love to be loved. In fact, the most seductive word in the English language is a three letter word and it doesn’t include an X.  The most seductive word is…

YOU

Do your ads speak directly to the customer (or influencer)? Do your ads talk about the customer twice as much as they talk about your company? Do your ads include the customer as an insider, as a participant? Can your customer see herself doing what you want her to do? When you talk more about her than you do yourself; when you paint a picture of her doing what you want her to do, when you include her as part of you, then you are creating participatory ads.

UNEXPECTEDNESS

How many times have you watched a video and wished you had those three minutes back? You aren’t sharing those videos. There has to be something exciting and unexpected for you to hit the share button.

Let’s face it. The expected is so… boring. The expected is so cliche, uninspiring, blah, blah, blah. We are bombarded with thousands of advertising messages a day. We have learned to filter anything that looks or sounds like an ad. We have learned to ignore the mundane. We have learned to pass over the unexciting.

Your ads need to be unexpected, too.

The most effective radio ad I ever ran started with these words… “I couldn’t believe it. They were taking customers into the men’s bathroom…”

After hearing that, you know everyone wanted to hear more. Can you say something totally unexpected to get their attention? Can you then tie that into one interesting point? Can you surprise and excite and delight people in a way that makes them want to hit the share button?

The same principles that make a video go viral also affect the effectiveness of your advertising. You might not get a few million views, but if you follow Kevin’s advice, you can make your advertising budget a heck of a lot more powerful without spending a penny more.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS Roy H. Williams, aka The Wizard of Ads, calls this the Impact Quotient of your ads. Here is a free download called How Ads Work Part 2 that I wrote to give you examples of how to make your ads more memorable and impactful.

Two Types of Customers (and Other Generalities)

(Warning: there are enough bullets in this post for the Zombie Apocalypse. You may want to save it in your favorites just in case…)

I sat through a webinar today on advertising. The hosts (whose names shall be withheld to protect the ignorant innocent) said there are three types of customers:

  • Frequent (loyal)
  • Infrequent (fickle)
  • New (not yet a customer)

Now I like There-are lists as much as the next person. My current favorite is…

There are three types of people in this world. Those who are good at math and those who aren’t.

Those of you who know me, however, know I believe there are only two types of customers:

  • Transactional
  • Relational.

But this webinar did get me thinking… You could also say there are only these two types of customers:

  • Those who shop with you
  • Those who do not shop with you

And you can break that second group down into three subgroups:

  • Those who do not shop with you because they know you
  • Those who do not shop with you because they think they know you (but don’t)
  • Those who do not shop with you because they don’t know you

And while we’re on this list kick, your customers come from three primary sources:

  • Repeat Traffic
  • Referral Traffic
  • Advertising-driven Traffic

What percentage of each do you think is in your store today?

That last one – Advertising-Driven Traffic – is really only aimed at two people – Those who think they know you and those who don’t know you. What can you tell those people that will change their minds? Go write that ad.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS Repeat and Referral business come from Shareworthy Customer Service. If they aren’t the bulk of your business right now, forget about advertising. You got a bigger leak in your boat that needs serious fixing. Start training your staff to delight and WOW your customers. Otherwise the money you spend on advertising will only hasten your demise.

Most Missed Posts from 2012

I posted my top ten most viewed posts in 2012.

In all fairness and just for fun, here are the bottom ten – the ten least viewed posts (although I like to think they were just missed.)

Read on if you dare…

10. From the Mouth of Babes – Two great lessons on Customer Service I learned on a field trip with a bus full of fifth graders.

9. Don’t Marry Your Inventory – Some of the best advice ever on how to manage your inventory better and make it work harder for you.

8. Thoughts From a Wedding – Four really simple but important ideas I got from a wedding I attended.

7. Politics and a Plan – How to be prepared for the unexpected and not have to play the blame game.

6. Stay Above the Fray – Why negative advertising is so powerful in politics and so dangerous in retail

5. Make it More Fun – An NRF study said 78% of consumers would shop somewhere else if they thought it was more fun. Here are ways to make your business more fun.

4. Thanks! It Works! – The power of saying “Thank You!” and how those two simple words can make a huge difference for your business.

3. Tell Me a Story – Emotions move the needle far better than data. Stories are powerful. Are you telling yours?

2. Measuring People – Three different ways to “measure” your staff to make sure you are getting the most out of the investment you put into them,

1. What Do They Know? – One simple thing you can do to become more knowledgeable about the products you sell.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

Get in the Paper or On the Air

Rarely does a month go by that I don’t have my store mentioned in the local newspaper, on local radio, or local TV. Heck, rarely does a week go by, especially during the holidays, that I don’t get some complimentary coverage for something we are doing.

I don’t think it is because I am more newsworthy than anyone else. I think it is because I do a few things most retailers don’t.

Here are my top three secrets for getting into your local media.

  1. Make friends with the reporters
  2. Help them out for free
  3. Show them why/how what you’re doing is newsworthy to everyone else

Make Friends

You can find local reporters at business meetings, at city council meetings, or simply by reading the bylines of your local paper. Those of you who still have print papers will find that those reporters list their email with every story.

Make it a point to attend those meetings and sit next to the reporters. Ask them questions. Find out their take and their opinion on the topics at hand. Listen. Strike up conversations every single time you see them, whether at a meeting or not. Call them by their first name. Comment positively on things they have written.

When you become their friend, they will learn to trust you as an easy source for information when they are on a tight deadline.

Help Them Out

Read all of what they write. Send them an email with your thoughts. If you agree with them, tell them so. If you don’t agree with them, give them facts and sources for information why you might politely disagree. In fact, help them out. Send them information related to articles they have already written – information that has nothing to do with your business. Send them links to articles you have read and liked. Give them content totally unrelated to your store but in the same vein as what they typically report.

Most importantly, expect nothing in return.

If you think of the reporter as a friend, you are just trying to help your friend do a better job. Do this enough and they will help you in return when the time is right.

Show Why/How it is Newsworthy

The editor gets the final say as to what stories get run. The number one thing an editor wants to know is, why is this important to my readers? If the answer to that is because it will make you money, they will tell you to buy an ad. If it is only important to you and your business and your customers, it isn’t newsworthy. You have to find the angle that makes it newsworthy to everyone.

When you finally get around to sending your press releases to all your friends in the media, you need to find that angle or your friends won’t get it past the editor.

I had a chance to interview a local newspaper editor a few years ago about this topic. She gave a classic example. Having the president of Rotary International coming to your next Rotary Club meeting is only important to you. Having five hundred people drive from up to four hours away and stay in local hotels and eat at local restaurants to hear him speak is newsworthy to everyone.

Find the slant in your story that is newsworthy to everyone including people who would never be a customer of yours. That is the story to tell. (If you don’t have one, tweak your event until you do have a newsworthy angle.)

Yes, all of this takes time. That time, however, pays off quite well. You are in this for the long run, aren’t you?

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS It might seem like I am only talking about newspapers (print & online). The same applies to bloggers – flattery and complimenting information gets you far. The same applies to TV and radio – find out who the program directors and news directors are. They are your ticket in. The same works with networking – get to know the movers and shakers without expecting anything in return. Take the time. It is well worth your investment.

No One is Buying the Hype

Greatest (biggest, best…) ever!

As soon as you hear it, you dismiss it.  You’ve been burned too many times.  If it sounds too good to be true, you know it probably isn’t.

Hype is dead.  Hype has been laid to rest.  People aren’t buying it anymore.

If your advertising campaign is built on the next biggest, greatest thing, good luck with all that.  You’d be better served to drop all the overblown hyperbole and talk about the downside.

Yeah, the downside.

One of the easiest ways to instill trust in your customers is to be open and honest about what you or your products won’t do.  As in… “This bottle claims to eliminate gas in your baby’s stomach.  We all know that ain’t happening.  Your baby will need to burp no matter which way she feeds.  But here is why you really should think about this bottle versus that other one.  If you are nursing…”

In other words, be honest.

Everyone knows that every product has an upside and a downside.  If you don’t show the downside up front, the customer will wonder what you’re hiding.  They will look for that downside and form a strong distrust of you in the process.  But if you show that downside right up front, first they begin to trust you and second, they are far more willing to listen to everything else you say.

At the end of the day, it is all about Trust.  No one trusts the hype.  No one trusts the salesperson who hides the downside.  So drop the hype, tell the downside.

I’m waiting for the furniture store to run this ad.

“This isn’t our biggest sale ever.  In fact, we’ll probably have another sale next month.  But the items we are selling today won’t be in that sale.  If you’re looking for a great deal on a couch, wait til next month.  But if you need a dining room set, we have a few closeouts we want to move off our floor.  Nothing wrong with them, just not a style that sold well at regular price…”

I think it would resonate far better than the current hype with the circus tents and balloons and shouting MC’s.  Especially to anyone who wants a new dining room set.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS  Not only should you reconsider your hype ads, make sure you are training your sales staff to tell the downside first.  Be upfront and honest in your advertising, marketing, and in your store.  Your customers will trust you far better.

Two Ways to Use Facebook Better

Social media is not a new form of advertising.  But it is a new method for branding your business.

Facebook is not a new avenue to talk at your customers.  But it is a new method for talking with your customers.

The biggest mistake most businesses make with social media (heck, with all forms of advertising) is using them the wrong way.  With social media, the specific mistake is thinking it is a platform for you to talk about your business.

If you think that way, you have it backwards.  Social media is for your customers to tell you about their lives and how you fit in them.  Therefore, the best way to use social media is to help your fans and followers start the conversation and then let them do all the talking.  Ask questions.  Ask for feedback.  Tell them what you’re thinking and ask if they agree.

Groovy Girls versus Barbie Dolls

One way I like to start the conversation on Facebook for Toy House is to post pictures of two competing toys to see which one my customers prefer.  Quick Polls.  People love to give you their opinions, so let them.  One time I posted this pic of Groovy Girls vs Barbie Dolls.

You can see from the comments how my fans were doing the “selling” of Groovy Girls.  Far more powerful than me trying to “sell” my customers.

The other advantage of these quick polls was how easily it was to get a read on what my fans liked and didn’t like and why.  They told me!

Not only did I get my customers to do the selling, I got valuable information about what my customers liked and disliked.  I also got a lot of interest.  The more people commented, the more people saw the post.  We found that the number of people who “liked” us grew faster when we did stuff like this rather than just shout out “We have Groovy Girls!”

Furthering Your Brand

Another way to use Facebook successfully is to use it to further your brand.  Make sure all of your posts are consistent with your Core Values.  For instance, one of the Toy House Core Values is Nostalgia.  So I posted this…

In 1949 my grandparents, Phil & Esther Conley transformed a house on First Street into a toy store. Everyone said they were crazy. You can’t sell toys year-round in Jackson. 18 years and three expansions later they had outgrown that house. On Monday, September 18, 1967 they re-opened Toy House at 400 North Mechanic Street. Forty five years later, the store is still going strong in our current building, still making people smile. If you like what we’ve done, share this with your friends. In a world where everything is becoming more disposable, some things are still built to last.

It was one of the most popular posts ever in terms of views and shares and likes.  Nostalgia is a powerful value that resonates with a lot of people.

I didn’t tell people what to do.  I didn’t tell them where to go.  I told them what I believed in.  I tapped into their own feelings of nostalgia.  I tapped into their own belief systems.  I deepened the connection they might already have and used them, by their comments and likes and shares, for reaching out to others who might share those same values.

I love Facebook.  Not as a means of selling, but as a means of conversing, of learning, of sharing, and of building a deeper relationship.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS  Want to know more about the right and wrong ways to use all other forms of advertising? Read my FREE eBook How Ads Work Part 1.

Changing a Customer’s Mind

About 40% of the population are going to vote Democratic in the next election no matter what.  Another 40% are going to vote Republican no matter what.  Their minds cannot be changed.  These people are easy to identify.  They are the ones posting sound bites and article links all over Facebook.

The real political battle is only over the 20% who may change their minds.  That’s it.  Twenty percent.

Aren’t you glad you’re in Retail?

The National Retail Federation did a survey that said 78% of satisfied customers would shop somewhere else they thought would be more fun (heard this in a presentation, but cannot find survey).  Seventy-eight percent are willing to change their mind on where to shop!  I think the number is much higher.

We all know that Transactional Customers will change their mind on where to shop.  They’ll shop wherever they can find the best deal.  But what about the Relational Customer?  What if you are first loser on a Relational Customer’s list?  How do you change their minds?

Make it Fun
Start by doing what the NRF survey told you to do.  Make your store more fun!  Sit around with your staff (and a six-pack of beer if you think that will help) and try to envision what “the most fun store” in your category would look like.  Sport Clips is a hair salon for men that figured out how to make haircuts more fun.  They have translated that fun into becoming one of the fastest growing franchises in North America.  Even if you implement just one suggestion from your sit around, you’ll probably be more fun than anyone in your market.

Care
We all know the saying, “The customer doesn’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”  Take that saying to heart and find new ways to care about your customer.  Find out what concerns she has about shopping at your store, why she might stay away.  Eliminate those concerns.  Find out what you can do to make her feel more welcome, invited, and treasured.  Do those things.  Find out what she expects and then exceed that expectation at every turn.

Seth Godin posted this blog earlier today…

Questions we ask before we trust your new idea
Who are you?
Do I trust you?
Am I afraid of it?
Will this work for me?
Who says it’s important?
What will my peers think?

Those are the questions a Relational Customer asks long before they will pay attention to your advertising, your sales pitch, or your staff blather on about facts and data.  You need to answer those questions first.

Two Reminders
You know this… The definition of insanity is to do the same thing and expect different results.  If you are not happy with your results, then you need to do something different.

Roy H. Williams taught me that people don’t actually change their minds.  They make new decisions based on new information.  And since we all know that the heart wins out over the mind, give the heart of your customers new information so that they can make new decisions.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS I was listening to an ad for a national retail chain that mentioned how they were focused on and committed to “customer service”, yet they never once told me how.  The rest of the ad focused solely on price.  Is it any wonder I cannot for the life of me remember which chain?  Don’t tell me.  Show me.