GPI 377 – Your customers are not always creative so help them starting at your front door.

Most customers are not creative. In order to sell your goods and services you must help them understand the benefits of buying from you.  They will respond to your ideas, concepts or subtle suggestions but you must determine the ideal time for this to occur.

Your firm can help the undecided shopper while they are in your facility by sometimes providing them ideas when they enter the front door. What you present to the customer is as varied as the number of businesses there are in the marketplace. Here are a few examples.

Ideas to hand out at the front door:

• Samples of your products: Put food in their mouth or hand out trial size bottles of your lotion, cleaner or small bags of dog treats in various sizes.  Give customers a sampling of what you produce or sell and let them decide themselves whether to buy it when they run out.
• To do lists: Create valuable to do lists that help your buyers keep track of what they need to stock a party, remodel a kitchen, paint a gazebo, plant an herb garden, overhaul a car transmission or replace worn brake linings.  When you give detailed and clear information to the potential buyer, it makes him more confident and less likely to shrug off the task.  It no longer seems insurmountable when you add instructional help.
• Items on sale: Shoppers visiting a supermarket may appreciate a list of the items that are on sale this week. Provide it as they enter the front door and offer it again on appropriate aisles.
• Buyers will change their plans if offered ‘good deals: Many buyers will add your items to their prepared list if offered a special price or great deal on a product they use.
• Offer easy recipes: Customers walking into a supermarket may not know what to prepare for supper. Many are stumped. Some will appreciate a list of recipes using food products available down the aisles.  Many people do not regard themselves as good cooks. They are tired of the few recipes that they know and are willing to try a new dish if offered and it seems reasonably easy to prepare.  Offer a dish that features one or two items on sale to encourage the transaction.
• Do not make shoppers look for your bargains: Do not make the buyer have to look for the item on sale.  Make sure it is predominantly displayed in the aisle.  Put more near the checkout aisle to ensure everyone is reminded of the sale.
• Offer complimentary products: Offer items that are sold together, all featured and displayed in one place.   If selling the recipe for green bean casserole, have cans of green beans, cans of mushroom soup and containers of fried mushrooms, all on the same corner display.  Make sure all of the items for the recipe are available.
• Remind clients of deadlines and schedules: Tax preparation offices can offer a tax deadline calendar that specifies all of the various tax deadlines during the calendar year. Doctors’ offices can have a schedule of infant vaccinations due by birthdate.  Mechanics might program an individualized car maintenance schedule for a client for his specific automobile to be kept in the glove compartment.
• Offer an email or text message service: To get them back in your door, have them sign up for text messages to remind them to buy a birthday card (sent a week early), get their car’s oil changed or tires rotated, purchase a suggested variety of fruits or vegetables to try a better diet, get a teeth cleaning and checkup, have year to date federal income tax estimates updated or a variety of other reminders pertinent to your business.