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March 2012 Newsletter
Using Deals to Attract Customers; Frequent contact and a mix of merchandise.
Every boutique owner has been asked, “Do you have any good deals?” You had better be ready with a good answer tailored to her fashion style. If you answer with, “Yes, everything is a good deal.” you may have lost her interest. While working on good answers, consider this. Are you in a rut waiting until a customer contacts you?
Maybe it’s time to change your ways if you have been waiting for your customer to call or walk in. Now is the time to be more active by calling or sending email personalized for each individual customer. Contact a few customers every day, or at least once a week, until you have contacted all your customers. Once you begin this regular contact, the pace will develop so you have a routine that customers will come to expect. Always talk about one item especially suited for her. Once she visits your business, she may see other things that interest her.
The Deals
Is every item of stock in your business promoted as a deal? If so, you may be losing the potential benefit of having deals. Offering a good value on all your merchandise does not mean that you call everything a deal. Save the words, deal and bargain, for special items that your customers will appreciate.
The Main Season Merchandise
Is everything in your store the newest, main season merchandise? If so, you may be missing the opportunity to use deals to attract customers who are willing to buy more if she sees the exceptional value of a bargain.
The Mix
With a mix of deals and main season merchandise, you have the opportunity to promote in two ways. Some customers will respond to learning about the latest deals that you found and brought into your shop. Other customers will want to hear about the newest main season merchandise, so she has first choice on the new season.
Plan Your Buying
Plan your buying to include a regular flow of fresh deals and bargains. This gives you something new to talk about when you contact each of your customers. Determine the price point that your customers love to see in a bargain. Then discuss your situation with your sales rep. She will help you find bargains that allow you to make a profit and create a good deal for your customers.
The Boutique
The trend for boutiques is to have changing styles year round, without relying on the two seasons of spring-summer and fall-holiday. This allows the boutique the opportunity to provide customers with buy-now wear-now styles. The boutique is the perfect place to use the mix of main season merchandise and deals selected to attract customers.
Classic Church Suits
The successful businesses that sell classic church suits and hats use a combination of stock bought for inventory along with catalog special orders. To create the mix, add a regular flow of new dresses or sets bought at bargain prices so they can be sold as a great deal. The deals add another reason to call or email customers on a regular basis.
Bridal and Prom
If you think that bridal shops don’t need deals and bargains, just watch the popular TV show, Say Yes to the Dress. While these stores offer a thousand styles at some of the highest prices, both locations in New York and Atlanta have bargains. It may be called the sample room or the back room; but it’s the place to find the bargains. The show has featured customers who want great value at a bargain price by buying a dress from the sample room, or a bride whose wedding is only weeks away. When a special order is impossible given the time involved, a dress available in the store is the only option. Whatever the reason for buying a bargain dress, such dresses are part of the mix of merchandise for bridal and prom.
After all is said and done, contact your customers regularly to tell them about your deals and bargains. No matter what your unique style of merchandise you’ll help your customer, Say yes to the dress!
Create and update your customer contact file to include each customer’s name, address, preferred phone number, and email address. Allow space for notes about her preferences, and a record of when you contact her. Your customer contact file is much more important than a website or a Facebook. Whether you use your computer, a spiral notebook or index cards, keep the contact information up-to-date.
- Name
- Address
- Preferred phone
- Email
- Notes
Help New Customers Find Your Business
Do you have your business listed on Google Maps? Google says, 97% of consumers search for local businesses online.
If Google Maps has not found your business, don’t wait any longer. It’s free. You can create your business listing on Google Places that shows on Google Maps. Look for the link: Put your business on Google Maps after you go to maps.google.com
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