By Mark Hopwood, Director of Client Services – The Brandt Group
A guest walks into your store, curious about the latest product and offer that they had seen on your website. Price, as always, is a determinant factor. But, it is only a tie-breaker. Your ad invocated something special, something emotional and the client anticipates anything but ordinary.
Upon entering the store, you anticipate that something unusual will happen. Then, “May I help you?” happens. That one simple phrase makes it all vanish. A hallucination, a fantasy, an expectation unrealized.
You expected something, anything, different.
What could have really happened? Let’s face it; people really do make the difference. It’s not about common; it’s about the uncommon. Something that triggers the emotion that says, this store is special. It’s about that personal interaction. Really, that is what distinguishes the typical experience from the GREAT experiences when we shop or dine.
You can drive the customer to you store with great expectations through advertising. Advertising exposes your clients to your brand, do your associates deliver on the promise you have created? Your people really are your brand.
The pattern is simple. Create clear expectations with your staff. Train on how to execute your expectations. Let the associate personality shine through. Then inspect what you expect. Measure the outcome with mystery shopping. Repeat. Rinse. Price and selection is your ante into the game. Ultimately, your people are the brand. Provide them with the training and feedback to be successful. Investment in your associates = investment in your brand. Your future profitability depends on it.
