Quickfire marketing – Six tips for building customer confidence

Steve Hasler fires ideas bullets in his regular ‘Try This’ column

Building up a name for yourself locally can take time. Here are some pointers to get things moving...

1 BE HONEST AND SPECIFIC
Consumers do not like surprises. If you have a deal, be sure to present it in an open way and with no caveats or exemptions hidden in the fine print. Little surprises will sour your relationship with the customer.

2 UNDER PROMISE AND OVER DELIVER
Be mindful of what is actually possible and build in margins for error, especially if there are other factors which are out of your control. Ultimately any issues caused by your supplier or courier etc. will be seen as a failure on your part.

3 BE THE EXPERT IN YOUR FIELD
Take advantage of any opportunities for training that are available and encourage your team to follow suit. Display your team’s achievements where the customer can see them.

4 REPUTATION IS YOUR MOST VALUABLE ASSET
As an independent retailer, some of the most powerful marketing available is word of mouth referral from your existing customers. And it’s totally free! If you keep exceeding your customers’ expectations, they’ll keep feeding you new business.

5 BE PERSONAL AND OPEN FOR FEEDBACK
Use customer names wherever possible and make recommendations based on previous purchases made by your customers. This personal touch sets you aside from chain store competitors. Make sure there are plenty of ways for your customers to let you know about their experience in your store.

6 ENCOURAGE STAFF TO TAKE INITIATIVE
Are there opportunities for your staff to use initiative to close the deal? On higher ticket items, for example, could they offer a small add-on that would seem like a completely bespoke offering tailored just to that customer, when in fact it is something available (but not publicised) to everyone?

Read more great ideas in full from Steve Hasler at independentretailermarketing.co.uk