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Category: Word of Mouth

Teach What You Can Teach

Question number one: What can you teach?

Make a list right now. Jot it down on a napkin. Tell it to Siri. What topic(s) do you know enough about that you feel you could teach it to someone who knows nothing?

Write. Down. Everything.

I can teach…

  • How to tie a shoe
  • How to squash a bug with a tissue
  • How to giftwrap a package
  • How to calculate the area of a square
  • How to buy the right toy
  • How to…

Question number two: What are you teaching?

You’re qualified. Go ahead and teach. You don’t need some fancy degree. You don’t need someone’s approval. You don’t need permission from some authority. The only permission you need is from the student. You are an expert. You need to share that expertise with anyone who will listen.

Expertise garners trust. Trust builds relationships. Relationships create sales.

Go ahead and teach what you can teach. Teach it to your staff. Teach it to your customers. Teach what you can teach to anyone who wants to learn. Believe me, there are a lot of learners out there who would love to know what you know.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS About half the population of shoppers is looking for an expert they can trust. When you become that expert that your customers trust, you win their loyalty. Half the population. That’s a lot of people looking for you.

Grow Your Business by Excluding, Not Including

“Without a doubt, networks yearn to be bigger and more inclusive. The challenge is to do that without losing what made them work.”   -Seth Godin (read the whole post here)

 As I was reading that statement from Seth, all I could think about was how this is probably the biggest mistake “networks” make – trying to be bigger and more inclusive at the same time. This may sound counter-intuitive, but one of the best ways to become bigger is to be less inclusive.

 What??

 Yes, be more exclusive. Exclude those people who don’t want something special, who only want to dicker and deal for a super low price. Treat your remaining customers as if they were your only customers. Treat them with the kind of special services you would give only to a select few. Treat them as though they were a celebrity, even royalty.

 What does that look like? It might mean offering exclusive appointments. It might mean extending your hours for special sessions. It might mean hiring an extra sales person and training him or her in the art of royal treatment. It might mean having food and drinks available. It might mean a concierge service, a coat check, valet parking, white glove delivery. It might mean doing different things, unique things, stuff that no one else in your category does or would even do. It might mean treating each and every customer uniquely, in the way she wants to be treated. It definitely means doing things that make your customers say, “WOW!”

 When you try to be more inclusive, you dumb it down and end up delighting no one. When you try to be more exclusive, you delight your customers to the point that they spend more and bring their friends back. 

 When you understand that, you’ll grow bigger. Just remember the last part of Seth’s quote – grow bigger without losing what got you there in the first place.

 -Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

 PS Can’t figure out what to do to be special? Start with this question… What would be the most crazy, over-the-top thing you could do to WOW your customer? Go there first and then dial it back until you get to something you think you can accomplish consistently that is above and beyond what she expected.

Be the Best at One Thing

Quick, name the second place person in the MVP balloting. Any sport. Bet you can’t unless it was your favorite player who got snubbed.

When they give out the awards at the end of a sports season, the big winners are always the leader in at least one category. In fact, the short list of potential MVP’s always starts with the leader in each category.

Being pretty good in everything doesn’t get the same attention as being the best in one thing. It applies in sports and it applies in retail.

If you want attention for your business, you have to be the runaway category leader in one category. You have to be so far out in front that your competitors have already resigned themselves to a fight for second place. You have to be not the first but the only company that comes to mind in that category.

When you do that, you will get all the attention you desire deserve.

How do you figure out which category you should own?

  1. Make a list of everything you do better than your competition.
  2. For everything on that list, write down all the competitors who at least try to own that category.
  3. Figure out which category has the least amount of competition. (In other words, the one you own the most)
  4. Figure out how to do it even better than you already do. (In other words, widen the gap).

Spend all your time and energy growing your lead. You’ll win all the awards (customers) you deserve desire.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS After you focus on your best trait, shore up your worst trait – the one that drives customers away. But always, always, always in that order. Best first. Worst second. No one remembers second place or an average business.

My Three Biggest Facebook Posts This Year

This year I have had three totally different Facebook Posts that stood out among the rest.

The first was this…

Can you all help me out? 

I need to hype up our JUST FOR FUN SALE that starts this Thursday 9:30am to 6pm.

Hundreds of great toys, hobby and baby products at deep discounts including LEGO and Playmobil, including ride-on toys and summer toys, including board games and puzzles, including dolls, including tons of arts & crafts, including bedding and feeding accessories, including a whole lot more.

Please hit the Share button and help me spread the word.

Thanks! You are the best fans ever!!

That post had a reach of 7,316 people (yet we only have 2890 fans). I got 179 Shares from that post. I had engaged enough with my fans that when I asked a favor of them, they responded in a big way! They responded because I had built up trust. I can’t go to this well too often or I’ll lose that trust and they’ll run away.

The second was this one…

We have a whole bunch of pallets from the many great shipments we have received this winter. Anyone want them? (please?)

There was also a picture of the pallets. Within 17 hours the pallets were gone. Total reach 4,136, including 48 shares. (My dad would say this just goes to show that any fool can give it away.) 

The third was this…

A crib mattress shouldn’t do this.

You shouldn’t be able to fold it in half with one hand while you take a picture of it with the other.

Your baby needs a firm flat surface for sleeping for a number of reasons… skeletal growth, proper breathing, protection from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), etc. The more firm, the better.

Don’t take my word for it. The American Academy of Pediatrics says it, too. So does every other organization interested in the health of your child (The Danny Foundation, First Candle, SIDS Alliance, et al)

Firm mattresses don’t fold in half as easily as this one did. 

When you go shopping for your nursery, there are three things you don’t want to skimp on – the crib, the mattress and the car seat. 

We won’t let you get a mattress that won’t be safe for your child. Apparently other stores don’t feel the same way as we do.

There was a picture of a crib mattress being folded in half with one hand. This reached 3,518 people including 28 shares. There was an emotional edge to the post. Baby safety is a hot topic right now. Hit the right emotional topics and you’ll see a lot of interaction and engagement.

Note than they all had a different style. They all also reached way more than 100%. One was asking for help. One was giving something away. One was sharing information.

The point to take away from this is that variety is the spice of life. Mix up your posts. Don’t make them all the same. Try new things and measure the results. When you find something that works, use it, but not too often.  Engage, engage, engage. Give your fans something shareworthy, regardless of whether it is about selling your store or your products.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS There are easy ways to “beat” the Facebook Algorithm. My FB posts for Toy House regularly reach 50% or more of our fan base. Click here to find out why.

People Do Business With People

A friend of mine is going through a change with her business. She opted out of a franchise agreement and is now going independent.

She had a momentary bout of panic when the franchise webpage listed her store as “closed”. She wasn’t closed. She was open. Just doing business under a different name. How were people going to find her?

After we discussed all the steps for getting the new name out (press releases, ads, new website, owning her Google Place, contacting her networks to update her info with them, emails, Facebook, Twitter, etc), I reminded her of one simple thing:

She was the same person doing the same business in the same location with the same Core Values and the same vision and mission.

None of that had changed. And by her own estimate, 90% of her customers did business with her, not the name on the sign. All the extra advertising and on-the-pavement sales she had planned for the transition would help her pick up that other 10% in no time at all. In fact, based on what we discussed, I expect she’ll be at 110% within a couple months.

People do business with people.

You can do all the advertising you want, but if your people aren’t performing, your business will suffer. Likewise, if your people are outstanding, you can overcome almost anything. It is your people that get customers to come back and bring their friends.

Put your money into your people and no matter what curve balls come your way, you’ll knock ’em out of the park.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS Put more emphasis on hiring the right people to begin with. That makes the training easier. Yes, training. If your business relies on repeat and referral traffic, your training budget should far exceed your advertising budget.

The Best Ways to Grow Your Facebook Reach

Everyone is buzzing about the Facebook Fraud.

Real or not, paying for FB to “promote” your page is not a smart way to grow your business.

You need FANS not “Likes”. You want people who will engage and share. You want people who want to hear from you. You want people who want to see you succeed. You want people who will be your evangelists, bringing others to see you.

You cannot buy those people on Facebook. You have to earn them one at a time.

How?

Post Relevant Stuff: Tell them interesting information that is important in their lives. If you are a running shoe store, post information about training tips, upcoming events, injury prevention, etc. If you are a baby store, talk about safe sleeping, car seat installation, and potty-training. If you are an electronics store, post about innovations and upgrades and whether or not they are of value.

Post Shareworthy Stuff: Post things that no one else knows. Post things so cute and funny (while also relevant) that your current fans want others to see it. Post things that just beg to be shared. Share things to your page. If you found it Shareworthy, your fans will, too.

Post Engaging Stuff: Ask for opinions (and act on the results). Ask for thoughts and ideas. Naming contests, polls, and guessing games are engaging and fun.

Post Emotional Stuff: Speak to the heart of your customer. What is her desire in relation to your products? Sell toys? Speak to the growth and success of her child. Sell jewelry? Speak to the reaction on her face when she opens the box. Sell mattresses? Speak to the feelings of finally getting a good night’s sleep.

Nostalgia is a strong emotion for businesses that have been around the block a few decades. Post stories and pics about the olden days (if you think FB is only for the younger crowd, post a pic from the 60’s and get ready to be amazed).

Facebook, to truly be effective for your store, is not a numbers game. It is a message game. Win the message and you’ll have all the numbers you want.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS The big question is, “How often should I post?” To be most effective you should post at least once a day, but only when you have the right message and something new to say.

Tired of Saying No?

Everyone wants a discount. Everyone wants a deal. They bombard you daily. Can you match this price? Can you give us this break?

You’re tired of saying no. Me, too.

What if instead you started saying Yes?

Yes, I can do that. Yes, I can offer that. Yes, I can do something.

What would it take to say yes? Higher prices and margins? Support from your vendors? Lower expenses? Guts?

There are certain aspects of retail that lend themselves perfectly to saying yes. Food service is one. If you sell food, whether a sit-down restaurant in a fancy part of downtown or an ice cream stand on the boardwalk, you should set your prices high enough that you can say yes all day long to whatever gets asked.

Don’t advertise that you say Yes. Just do it. Say Yes out of the generosity of your heart. You’ll feel better (Yes always feels better than No). Your customers will feel better. They’ll start telling everyone else about your generosity. New customers will flock to see you because of that generosity.

When you say Yes more than you say No you’ll get more customers. Period.

Those of you selling non-consumable goods are tuning out. Stay with me. There is something you can do, too.

Generosity is contagious. You will be surprised what you can give when you start looking to give. Can you give free delivery? Free giftwrapping? Free extended warranty? Free balloons with your logo on it? Free assembly? Free tune-ups? Free shoe laces? Free yard stick? Free gift with purchase? Free information? Free instructions? Free tips? All of that should be built into your business from day one.

When someone asks for something, rather than tell them No, tell them what you can do. Say Yes. It feels better.

(Once again, though, don’t advertise it. Just do it. Give, give, give, and let your customers advertise your generosity for you.)

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS Yeah, you might be thinking that you can’t raise your prices enough to cover any generosity. I’m telling you that you can. The formula is in my first Freebie, the one that launched Phil’s Forum Publishing LLC, and it is still as relevant and effective today as it was the day I wrote it. If you aren’t using my Pricing for Profit tips, you’re leaving money on the table and not giving yourself enough room to say Yes.

PPS Notice I did not say “match prices”. You don’t have to match prices to give generously. There are other valuable services you can offer. In fact, you don’t have to give away anything. But if your current strategy isn’t working or you are feeling beat up by the requests, this is another way to go. If you’re in food service, this is one of the best ways to go.

It’s the Super Bowl! Don’t be Boring!!

Tonight is the Super Bowl. Half of the talk will be about the game. Half of the talk will be about the advertising.

Everyone who spent the $4 million for a commercial to air tonight is hoping for one thing – Talk.

Good or bad.

Just talk about the ad. Please.

We will be talking about the best and the worst ads, which gets those companies what they really want – extra print and air time for their $4 million. Even the really bad ads, unless they are horribly offensive, will generate business for the companies who aired them, thanks to all the extra talk.

The worst thing any of the advertisers can do tonight is be boring, be plain, be somewhere in between the best and worst ads. $4 million and no talk. Sad.

The lesson here is simple. If you want people to talk about you, you cannot be boring, middle-of-the-road, play-it-safe. You have to get out there and do something that will get people to talk.

Watch the game (and ads) tonight. Watch the talk tomorrow. The ads most talked about will be the most emotional ones and the most surprising ones.

Can you be more emotional and more surprising in your business? It will get people talking.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS The emotional ads that resonate with your Core Values always get the best response. Always.

Many Happy Returns

Returns are one simple way to set your store above the rest in terms of customer delight. The more you can do to make a customer happy while making a return, the better.

Here is what I reminded my staff regarding returns…

MANY HAPPY RETURNS

Actually, we hope we have very few returns, but we do know we will have some returns. I want all of them to be as happy as possibly. Here are some ways to make them Happy Returns.

Yes, we will take it back! Don’t worry about the customer’s motive, whether it is opened/damaged/re-sellable, etc. First and foremost make the customer happy by saying yes. Some items we can re-package to sell. Some we will get credit from the company. Some we can steal parts from to fix others. Some we can use as demos. Some we can donate to places that take used toys.

Yes, we will refund your money! If you have a receipt. Otherwise we will gladly give you a store credit good on anything at any time. This is one area where you might get someone demanding money back even without a receipt. If they are being really pushy about it, just give them cash back and send them on their Merry Way. (Get them out of the store as soon as possible.)

Apologize! Someone is bound to come in saying we ruined their Christmas because we sold them an obviously used/broken toy. Well, no, we didn’t. Not on purpose. But that doesn’t matter. Apologize. Say, “I’m really sorry that happened. What would you like us to do to fix this?”

Fix it! This can be tough. We might be out of what they need. It might be a part that needs to be ordered. But do whatever is in your power to fix it.

If we have the item in stock—swap it out for them, parts or the whole thing, whichever is easier.

If we do not have the item, you can offer to order replacement parts. Often we can order them directly through the company and have them shipped to the customer. You can check online or on the phone while the customer is right there.

If we cannot order the part or replace the product, offer them a store credit or a refund. But most of all apologize.

Remember this order…

  1. Make the customer happy.
  2. Tell me later what you did.

-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com

PS You might not make everyone happy. There are always unreasonable people and just plain rude people. If you have tried your best and nothing seems to be working, do whatever it takes to get them and their negativity out of the store as fast as possible before they infect anyone else. Take the loss if necessary. Handle it with professionalism, kindness and respect regardless of how they treat you. Remember that other customers are watching and judging you and your character. Show them what you got!

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.