If you own a swimming pool service business or a swimming pool construction business you are, in effect, running a retail business, right? I recently read an article about the steps that independent bookstores are taking to keep themselves and their businesses viable and thriving. There are lessons I gleaned from that piece that will help any small business owner who operates a retail location.
Here are the things that independent bookstore owners have found to be their “secrets to success”:
- They have built a community. Those who frequent independent bookstores are typically raving fans. They enjoy the experience they have at the bookstore because the bookstore owner goes out of his or her way to make it an experience for the shopper. What can you do to build a community of raving fans for your pool or other retail business?
- Just as Amazon offers its, “If you like this, you may like that” or the “People who bought this also bought that” pop up on the screen, independent booksellers also offer that type of information to their customers. What can you use as an add-on or an up sell in a non-pushy way? Consider, if you’re a pool retailer and your customer buys pool noodles, he or she may be interested in a raft or a life jacket or another type of swimming pool toy.
- Is your retail outlet appealing? Make it an experience when your customer walks through the door. Clean, artfully arranged and beautifully displayed items will be more appealing than will cluttered aisles and dimly lit merchandise.
When you’re competing in a small market, or a shrinking market, you need to go above and beyond when it comes to customer service. This means answering the phone when customers call. Being diligent in your duties to the client and making every visit an experience. What can you do to emulate the independent bookseller?