Perform for your Customer!

A great Broadway Preformance takes alot of work and so should your performance.

Create an atmosphere that is play-like for your customer. Each step of your customers buying experience in your store is another act in your store's play. Your stores product line and atmosphere is the plays story line. Is it the best performance you can give or is there room for more practicing?

You wouldn't buy a ticket to a boring Broadway performance and neither will your customer purchase your ticket or product if its not a great store (story) line.

Every great Broadway play entertains the audience with a dramatic reading of its story line and you should preform or read your store's line with enthusiasm and drama. Entertain your customer and give them what they are paying for.

So, What is your story?

Your store's atmosphere, your employee's appearance and personality, and finally your product line.


Let's start with the atmosphere or stage:

A Stage or Set design must be great to draw the attention of the audience. Your store must be carefully planned to create an atmosphere that is appropriate for your setting, ie., a small cottage boutique wouldn't have flashy contemporary furnishings. No, a small cottage boutique will have fashionable cottage inspired furnishings in white washings, wicker or natural aged woods and touches of color highlighting trims and displays. A store in a mall might have bold and contemporary furnishings. Also your products must depict your set design or stage. Your image says a lot about your store's product pricing. Classic and Traditional furniture in a cottage design indicates a moderate to higher price product where bold white and industrial indicates a low end product like Walmart and such. Also lighting is always used on stages during plays, use your lighting to create dramatic displays. Accent lighting should be used to highlight merchandise of interest. Dark areas of the store are going to be overlooked unless it is called for as in a romantic display such as a playful bedding display or a tabletop display set for two by candlelight. Your customer will be drawn to the lit areas and displays. Spot lights work well in emphasizing a display in a dark area of the store. Large department stores use bright lighting throughout there stores. Though I have noticed that Walmart's lighting in their paint aisle is more like the natural light in a home and not as bright as every where else in the store. Of course retail packaging falls into your atmosphere setting. A well designed match packaging is your play leaflet. Your customer will bring it home and cherish it forever or pass it advertising for your next performance.

Moving onto act two - your employees:

You and Your employees are the actress' and actors in your set design. Have you fulfilled the roles of your store line properly. Each member of your play's cast needs to deliver your store line to your audience when they enter through your door. Curtains drawn! You must hire your cast with their understanding of their part in the play. Your employees must understand your stage and your store line. Explain it to them, rehearse with them and then preform with them. As far as your match packaging develop an act and perform it the same everytime. Use the same tissue in the same bag and box everytime. This will create a great advertisement for your store. People will become familiar with it and remember it.


Moving onto act three - your product line:

Your product line must be a part of your stage or set design. Meaning they must work together, comtemporary art isn't going to work on the walls of a cottage boutique but beautiful landscapes depicting tranquil skys will. Purchase your product based on your location, your store's atmosphere and your customers wants and needs. Price those products fairly for your customer.


And the final preformance:

The climax of all great plays will tear the house down if done right and you will know once it happens. No great preformance will happen if the audience or customer doesn't walk away with a shopping bag in their hand a smile on their face. NO standing ovation needed just repeat customers needed.

A great retail play will occur in your store if the above acts are completed flawlessly. Now think about your preformance or your employees to your last audience. Was it flawless? Are there improvements that can be made? Think Broadway Stage not a High School preformance. Your customer deserves the best now do break a leg and give them it.