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Offer less-SERVE MORE
Author: Deborah Harr
Offering less-SERVING MORE
We tend to be creatures of habit, get up at a certain time, take meals at a certain time, retire the day at a certain time....plugging through each day much the same as the day prior.
The internet has changed a great deal since it began in the 80's--the evolution has brought forward a great number of changes in our 'day to day'. The way we advertise and the way we do business has changed.
Back in the good old days, a businessperson was out there in the world, greeting and speaking with those surrounding them in their lives--most important; they were taking hold of people’s hands in a friendly shake. Many others sit behind a screen, waiting for someone to swing by their cyber-world so that they can meet them with a cyber-shake. Even though most do a great deal of internet marketing, it is very important to remember that there is a person behind that digital transfer of words through email or page.
In speaking with a friend of mine who has both an online and a brick and mortar store I asked him this morning how he felt about the experience he was offering to his customers these days and how important cyber-business was to him.
His answerers surprised me, but prove what many of our customers are all saying—if you take the time to listen.
Through his doors each day will pass thousands of customers—who fought the traffic, rushing here and there to run all their errands, make it to work on time or in a hurry to get home from work. He realized that even his life had become much the same congested rat race we all enter in to accomplish what we need each day. This past year brought many changes—all thanks to his cyber customers.
This caught me off guard for a moment—and he allowed me a few moments to digest his comment—he has always known the importance of brilliant silence. He knew my mind was running on that last comment and awaited my response, eager to share what he meant.
So I took the bait and asked him how his cyber-customers changed his way of thinking. In the 70’s he purchased his shop—and over the years has grown till he owns most every inch of the block his store now resides. Through the years he has remodeled and built some of the most amazing layouts. The original was cluttered with rack after rack of everything he wanted to sell—it was hard to move through everything to see his wares. Let’s not forget the 80’s when everything was bright colors—still so many racks you could hardly move around. The 90’s produced some great displays of metal, track lighting and glass—still so much you could hardly move around. He said his sales were going strong offering nearly everything created under the sun, which focused on his corner of the market so that all of his customers had everything available—if they could manage to find it.
I asked him what in the world this all had to do with his cyber-customers. He replied—“a year ago we slimed the website down, removed much of the ‘clutter’ and got to the bottom line—listing only the key elements and key products which his market were looking for. If they want something they can’t find, they can pick up their phones and call us—chances are we have it and can ship it right out to them”. He was proud to admit that his internet sales have tripled—even though they offer less.
This caught me off guard, he sells more in showing less? I asked him how this came about. His answer was very excited—because they have to CALL---and in calling they reach a real human being. This real human being then speaks with them on a personal level and finds out what they need and what will work for them the best for their need.
But he didn’t stop here, he once again remodeled his store. When you walk in, it’s like a breath of fresh air. You will not find display after display, rack after rack, nope. Rather you find large comfy cushioned chairs, coffee tables with magazines, fireplaces, tile and wood floors. You are greeted with smiles and warm handshakes and asked if you would like some sweet bread, fruit or a beverage. His employees encourage everyone to take a seat and then they ask the customer, what they can help them find. The customer tells them and the employee runs off to gather what it is they have to fill the customers request.
The customers sit, relaxed from the rat race, the rush to get from here to there—they sip their cup of tea or soda and eat the snack they were served---while the employee runs around and serves them up all their requests. When their experience is completed, they make their purchases and leave the store with a smile.
I asked him how his cyber-customers brought about this change and he replied—“because the world of the internet took a key factor out of the equation---it took the hand shake, friendliness and the smile. Many stores have also gone to the attitude of---find it buy it—they even you to ring it up yourself---they have made the world a strangers world where no one knows a name”. He said through the years he fell into this category and managed quite well for more than 30 years under the guise that offering more was what his customers wanted and needed. His internet customers proved to him that they wanted to ‘SEE’ less and be offered more---they still wanted the human interaction and they wanted to know their purchase mattered to someone.
I asked him how his sales were going and he replied (I could feel the warm smile through the phone) “They have gone through the roof”. He attributes a nearly doubled ticket amount to the fact that. “We serve our customers in more ways than one. They no longer rush through our doors in a hurry to get somewhere. They come in, sit down and we ASK, we serve them not only in items they need, but serve them on the basic level—the human side of the money we ask them to part with. In offering them less to look at, we must SERVE them twice as much.”
I asked him how much he had to raise the prices in order to offer such a great experience. He responded that his prices never rose at all—in fact they still compete on a price level of all the other ‘similar product’ stores around. But he was most excited to share the fact that even his own personal life has slowed down, he rushes around less and ENJOYS so much more. “We found to some extent that the service offered to our customers who entered the doors was sometimes just as cold as the service offered on the internet—so we brought the whole experience, including the internet back to the days of a warm handshake and found success in the fact that ‘offering less—and serving more’ is what people are after”.
Sorry this was so very long, but I thought it was important to share.
The bottom line is---break free from your habits if you are not realizing the RESULTS you are looking for, and remember—“sometimes offering less—and serving more”—can often bring greater success.
Hope you enjoyed this weeks message.
Timber
http://www.timbersnoni.com
About the AuthorMy favorite saying:
the only difference between success and failure, is the amount of procrastination you lend to the solution. ~Timber ...
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