The creators of those cute little pocket monsters, Pokemon, are certainly rolling in money these days. Since their appearance on Saturday morning cartoons almost a decade ago, Pokemon items have been among the biggest selling types of merchandise for children. There are Pokemon toys, clothes, trading cards, decorative items, games, and much more. If you're in retail sales, you'd probably be thrilled if your products sold like Pokemon. And, with a little sales and marketing savy, you can boost your sales, no matter what your product-from flowers to software and beyond.
There are many different ways you can make a visit to your store one that your customers will remember, and one that makes them come back for more! First of all, there are three things your customers need to immediately see when they walk in the door of your store: 1) A staff member, 2) the cash register, and 3) your products. The reason these things are so important is that customers want shopping to be easy. They want to know that they can find someone to help them if need be, where to pay when the time comes, and, of course, they want to know what's available. In the case of a flower shop, we florists try to place our cash registers in an area that is immediately visible and create beautiful product displays that catch the customers' eye while showing off seasonable items.
Staff members should not only be visible, but they should also have an air of approachability. It does no good to have staff members the customers can see, but are afraid to approach. Staff members should greet customers, but, according to some marketing experts, it may be more effective to start a conversation with a customer rather than simply asking, "May I help you?" For example, if a florist notices a customer looking at a particular flower, he or she might say something like, "Aren't those roses beautiful? We just started carrying that variety. It's really popular because its color is so unusual."
Another great way to help your products to sell better is to step outside your store and approach it like a customer would. Is the outside of your store appealing? Do your customers know what kinds of products you sell? Is your lighting adequate? Is there enough parking? Can customers find the front door easily? Be sure your window displays are appealing and show off some of your latest and/or best selling items. For example, when you walk by a flower shop, you'll probably see decorations appropriate to the current season. In the spring you'll see tulips and daffodils, in the fall you'll see mums and rich, warmly colored flowers, and around Mother's Day you'll see our most beautiful flower arrangements designed just for moms.
Many florists are very good at creating a welcoming atmosphere in their stores. But then, flowers tend to make people feel welcome. But, the truth is, it doesn't matter what kind of product you're selling, just by following a few tips and guidelines, you could boost your sales to Pokemon level. And may I suggest some beautiful flowers and plants to help your customers feel welcome, too?
Copyright: Copyright © 2006-2008 Wesley Berry, AAF
About the Author:Wesley Berry is member of the American Academy of Floriculture (AAF) and President of Wesley Berry Flowers, a successful multi-million dollar floral business that was established in 1946. He is also the developer of Localnewsdelivery.com a website that delivers local news to over 40,000 communities across the country. Recently he also launched a website providing information about various places of worship throughout the United States. Visit Wesley Berry Flowers on the web at www.800wesleys.com.
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