It won't be long before the tourists will be out in force. They'll be shopping at craft shows, looking in shop windows, making purchases and telling their friends about their outing when they get home. Wouldn't it be wonderful if there were a way to get them to buy more now, and to capture even more sales from those shoppers after the holidays?
Well, it's not a dream. You can do both. Here are suggestions to help you maximize your profit from holiday shoppers.
Suggest related products to buy
Your customers have many, varied needs. The woman who buys a hand-knit sweater may want a pair of slacks to go with it, or may want need to buy a gift for the office grab bag. The young man who's looking for a necklace to give his girlfriend may also want to buy a pair of earrings for his mother. And the couple shopping for a new couch may order end tables or lamps if you point out something appropriate. Making those suggestions can boost the size of your average sale - and your profits.
Put impulse-buy items near the sales counter
People get fidgety waiting in line to have their purchases rung up. Capitalize on their desire to look at anything other than the line of people ahead of them by putting attention-getting impulse items on display near the checkout line. Remind lookers why they should buy now by hanging a sign above the display that reads, "Great Stocking Stuffers."
Capture the customer's name
The customer who buys from you today may want similar items later in the year for themselves or for other gift-giving occasions. They won't buy from you, though, if they don't remember your name or don't remember where they put the business card or catalog you gave them. You can help them remember by making an effort now to capture their names and addresses. Among the ways: ask shoppers to sign up for a mailing list (and use it to announce special sales), or run a contest and capture the names and addresses from the contest entry forms.
Tip: with more and more people using the Internet, be sure to have a spot on your signup forms for email addresses.
Give the customer alternate ways to make a purchase
Your store may be the first one the shopper hits during their shopping trip. They may decide to look in other stores before they make a purchase, then find they don't have time to return to your store. That doesn't mean you have to lose that sale or future sales, though. To capture the customer after they leave the shop, set up a web site and/or an 800 number for taking orders. Make sure every customer who leaves your shop leaves with your web site address and a flier or catalog of your top selling items.
Follow up after the initial sale
Satisfied customers are your best prospect for new sales. But you won't bring in as much repeat business as you could if you don't keep in touch with your customers. Try to send your customers a mailing once a month or once every other month at minimum. Send out coupons , send out notices of special sales, catalogs, announcements (for instance, when you do get that web site set up), or newsletters. But whatever you do, keep in touch with frequent reminders about the many goodies your store offers for their shopping pleasure all year long.
Copyright 1999, Attard Communications, Inc.