RETAIL STRATEGIES

by TOM SHAY

It goes much further than that for me . I am a firm believer that certain things never go out of style : like a woman or man who makes a point to dress nicely , a person who opens doors for others , or a person who makes a point to acknowledge someone or say , “ thank you .”

I do make a point to write notes to people I meet . I use a linen card and envelope along with a fountain pen . But enough about my preferences ; being a “ paper and pen guy ” is more than just writing notes .

There is a person who is the president of a nationwide wholesaler that I have been fortunate to know . Every time we see each other at an industry event , I make a point to follow up with one of my handwritten note cards to let this person know I enjoyed the visit and appreciate the friendship .

With our last visit this person let me know they have saved every note I have ever sent . They said this collection of notes was a reminder to do something special for those they interacted with .

Then , as retailers , we have customers . We have worked hard to earn their business , and hopefully gaining their business was more than having sale prices . Preferably , it was gained by attention to details , not just by you as an owner or manager . We hope it occurs by the way you teach your employees and the use of technology .

Think about a customer who enjoys malbec wines in a higher price range . Hope-

PHOTO CREDIT : © LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS - STOCK . ADOBE . COM fully with your technology you are doing more than just capturing the customer ’ s phone number and the total dollar amount that they spend as your way of having that basic loyalty program .

So , if you do track this information , you may find you have 50 people who fit this category . For most , having a special event for 50 people may require more room than you have . Experiment with making this into multiple groups depending on what you have found your response rate to be .

You can send a written note ( email and social media invitations are so 2023 !) to invite these customers . You , as the owner , are hosting an event which is both a class and a sampling . Customers need to know and see the owner , not just another salesperson from a distributor . Let the customer invite a friend . You will likely find the person they bring is of the same socioeconomic status .

When you look at other areas of retail — hardware , pharmacy , clothing , furniture and office supplies — as examples , you find independents competing with chain stores and price-focused retailers by emulating what the mass merchants are doing . It starts with having a computerized phone system instead of letting a person answer the phone , which would be more representative of an independent ’ s appeal to customers . This seems to be in the same vein as an article we read recently that predicted customer service was going to improve with artificial intelligence .

As one customer , I will gladly accept that badge of old school if it means I am going to shop with a business that recognizes customers as individuals . It is like the paper and pen comment ; individualized customer service is never going to go out of style , and no business that is working to attract customers on price is going to match you . •

Tom Shay is a lifelong small-business owner and manager . He has authored 12 books on small business management ; a college textbook on small business financial management and co-authored a book on retailer / vendor relations .

8 Beverage Dynamics • Fall 2024 www . beveragedynamics . com