“I’m looking for Tupperware containers,” my wife told the retail employee. “Where can I find those?” “Uh…try aisle nine,” replied the employee, who then went back to what she was doing. She couldn’t be bothered to help a customer find what she was asking for. I visited an office supply store recently. The store was [...]
In Part 1 and Part 2, I outlined the ultimate floor marketing system. It consists of three simple steps: before, during and after. Before is what you do to attract new customers before they have purchased from you. During is what you do to get out of the “proposal” business, close a lot more sales [...]
In my last column, I outlined the ultimate floor marketing system which consists of three simple steps: before, during and after. Before is what you do to attract new customers before they have purchased from you. During is what you do to get out of the “proposal” business and instead close a lot more sales [...]
In my previous post, I outlined the differences between dealers who are hunters and dealers who are ranchers. Most dealers are hunters, meaning they are transaction-oriented. They spend their time, energy and money hunting down the next customer, bagging it, skinning it. Then they’re off hunting for the next one. Three big problems with customer [...]
“How many of you communicate with your past customers on a monthly basis?” I asked dealers at a Digital Domination Boot Camp I was conducting during the Chicago Floor Covering Association’s annual Product Showcase. No one raised their hand. That is not unusual. I poll most of my audiences with that question, and at most I’ll [...]
In the first two installments, I compared a floor dealership to a hot air balloon. That balloon wants to float up into the sky, but the rope is anchoring it to the ground. The rope represents the number of hours you can physically work in your business. By cutting the rope, your business can soar [...]
Dealers are finding it more difficult and expensive to get new customers through advertising. That's why to maximize your success, it’s critical that you maximize the dollars you generate from every sale to maximize your advertising ROI (Return On Investment). Nevertheless, my informal polling of dealers that attend my live seminars and webinars has shown [...]
Over their 30 years in business, FC News has presided over massive changes in what constitutes effective advertising for flooring retailers. 30 years ago dealers could run a newspaper ad with a special offer and generate enough immediate business to make a profit. The same with direct mail to a purchased list, display ads in [...]
With the thinning of the herd (customers) taking place in all business categories, it’s essential that you take your customer service and marketing “up a notch” to set yourself apart. In Part 1, I told you about giving a Welcome Pack and a good formula for yours. One reason “traditional” advertising fails floor dealers so [...]
With the thinning of the herd (customers)taking place in all business categories, it’s essential that you take your customer service “up a notch.” Set yourself apart! It’s appalling how, even in the face of bankruptcy, most businesses continue to take the ever-dwindling supply of customers for granted. Lousy service, customers treated with indifference, etc., etc. [...]
