The Home Effect
Posted on May 18, 2009 - Filed Under Business | Leave a Comment
Make your business ambiance home-like
I'm sure we all have one or two favorite spots we like to haunt where
it seems, like the old slogan for the Cheers TV show, everyone knows
your name. I know I do. I've got a little Italian restaurant down the
road from me that I frequent and it seems like not only do they know my
name, they know what I'm going to order before I do.
Other
places I have been eating at for years do not even recognize me from
visit to visit, much less bother to remember my name. I am sure you can
guess which business I frequent more and which is always my fist
choice. It is not even that they have the most competitive prices and
the highest quality ingredients that compel me back repeatedly. The
welcoming, comfortable atmosphere makes me feel at home.
How can
you as a small business entrepreneur achieve that effect, though? It is
easy enough to chalk it up to eidetic memory and say to yourself, "I
just don't have the brain for that and I'll never achieve that.?
There
is plenty of business out there that do achieve this sort of atmosphere
and there cannot be that many people out there with photographic
memories. No, there are strategies you can implement in your business
to make people feel at comfortable and at home, turning them into
regulars that will sustain your sales for years to come.
The
easiest way to start is to talk to your customers outside of the
"That'll be $29.99. Thanks. Here's your change? paradigm. While you are
talking them up, try to take note of some distinguishable feature about
them that will help you remember them in the future. If you are not
completely swamped and in a rush, try to make some notes about them
that you can reference later.
At first, you will find yourself
remembering the best customers and the most troublesome customers, but
with a little practice, you will find yourself remembering those
infrequent customers that only show up once in a blue moon. Like
anything, it just takes a little time and the effort of practicing.
The
benefits of your work can be useful outside of friendly greetings too.
If, for instance, you are able to identify what types of products your
regulars gravitate towards, you can use that information to expand your
line in the future, or you can use it to target your advertising.
Are
your regulars in love with your line of silk drapes? Do some color
printing to advertise those new green silk drapes you just got into
inventory. Have you taken note of your customer's birthdates? Why not
send them a promotional greeting card with a special offer or discount
and show them you appreciate them at the same time?
I know it
sound like a lot of work, but, hey, it takes work to make money. In the
grand scheme of things, though, the effort you put into it , is far
outstripped by the rewards you will reap. Give it a try. You are new
regulars will thank you for it.
Learn more about the color printing industry.
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