In today's retail environment, your success is much more about the relationship you have with your customer--fulfilling your brand promise--than the items you sell. Let's face it, they can get many of the things you sell from various other sources.The first step to establishing an open and honest relationship with your customer is to clearly communicate your value proposition, brand promise, or MISSION to them.
"Don't have a mission statement," you say? Get one! Go to the Business section of your Trade Department or textbook area RIGHT NOW and find a book that can help you learn about vision and missions for organizations and get busy drafting one for you store!
When you're finished, follow the lead of your colleagues at the New Mexico State University Bookstore (among others) and post your mission statement in a prominent place for all to see. At the NMSU store, they put it right at the entrance. You can see the sign on the pillar just below and to the right of the store's main sign in the image below.
It’s a simple thing that goes a long way in today’s ultra-competitive retail fight for customers and their loyalty.
Tony Ellis, CAE
tellis@nacs.org
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