DW's Blog

The Value of Storewide Signage Audits

by DW Green — July 12, 2017

“Store signage can have a significant impact on a business.”

Years ago I visited a successful, high profile independent supermarket chain in the southwest. It is an excellent supermarket company with beautiful and well-merchandised facilities. Since it was going to be my first visit I did some advance research about the company. I learned that the business was committed to, among many things, delivering exceptional customer service, exceeding customer expectations.You can imagine my surprise when the first thing I saw before walking into the store was a large sign announcing the store’s security camera’s, the penalty for shoplifting and a $25 returned check fee. Wow, the sign didn’t make me feel to good about the store or myself. I imagine from a legal perspective it is wise or even necessary to warn the public in advance of these types of activities but it doesn’t set the stage for a warm welcoming shopping experience.Store signage can have a significant impact on a business. Signs set the tone for customer visits and employees’ work atmosphere. Appearance, location and word-choice in signage create a lasting impression. Signage also sends a strong message to customers about whether or not the company cares about them and their business...

by DW Green — July 5, 2017

Efforts to control costs, can wind up costing sales

Amazon’s recent acquisition of Whole Foods signals that the future of retailing is moving toward a fusion of digital and physical experiences. The key word is experiences. Whether the digital experience is external (website, email blasts, social media platforms) or in-store digital devices (check stand screens, self service check stands, monitors, kiosks, ect.) the consumer experience is job one. And of course the store shopping experience is most critical. Store merchandising, product presentation, signage, product story telling, product assortment, food service offerings, product demos, employee training, and employee service standards must be exceptional. Duh…this all seems so blatantly obvious. Unfortunately, many retailers fall down in some of these important activities. Sometimes I think that efforts to control costs, wind up costing sales. Does your external marketing experience match your in-store shopping experience? Are you delivering a fun, informative and entertaining shopping experience? Remember, Amazon’s greatest competitive advantage is not its e-commerce network; it is its innovation engine.

Teacher And Student

by DW Green — June 28, 2017

Being the best that one can be

As Adam says “Being a mentor to someone who’s a freshman in life is one way that you can make your workplace a great place to work, and shop.” Being a mentor to anyone, regardless of his or her age, status, or station in life is a good thing. I have been blessed with many amazing mentors in my life, beginning with my parents. And I’ve learned from younger generations too. As mentor’s we are teachers, sharing our wisdom and experience.It’s been said that when the student is ready, the teacher appears. In essence, we’re both student and teacher. As students we can improve our awareness of restrictive thinking and seek to be ready for own teachers to appear. As effective teachers we make our impact by understanding the needs of the student. We light the way and ease the way—we facilitate learning—but the student has to walk the path.Mentoring builds powerful relationships that can last a lifetime. Success in any venture is simply the automatic consequence of being the best that one can be as a lifestyle, without looking for gain.

Read More – The Freshman

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by DW Green — June 21, 2017

The difference lies in the story.

The difference lies in the story.Last summer I visited Tombstone Arizona. Tombstone is best known for Boot Hill and the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. It was home of the legendary Earp bothers and their nemeses the Clanton family and Frank and Tom McLaury. The townspeople were largely Republicans from the Northern states and many of the local ranchers (some like the Clantons, were also rustlers) were Confederate sympathizers and Democrats. The story of Tombstone in the late 1800’s is a very interesting story. And like any great story, it includes the four basic elements of storytelling:The MessageThe ConflictThe CharactersThe PlotIn business, storytelling works on two levels: Storytelling is a strategic branding concept and storytelling as a communication tool. And like the frontier boomtown story of Tombstone, it includes the same four basic elements of storytelling.Klaus Fog writes in his excellent book, Storytelling. Branding in Practice. “Tough times lay ahead for companies that shut their eyes and continue to compete only on product and price.”“In order to retain the loyalty of your customers in today’s competitive e...

by DW Green — June 13, 2017

Enhance the well-being of a customer.

I’m an ardent proponent of product and service guarantees. A guarantee is a promise or assurance that a company will stand behind the quality of products it sells or services it performs. Guarantees build trust and loyalty with consumers. In a sense, a guarantee is a company’s commitment to the well-being of its customers. Wow, what an intriguing approach to serving the customer. Imagine a conscious intention by company leaders to enhance the well-being* of a customer. Is that possible?5 Reasons Why A Guarantee WorksFirst, it pushes the entire company to focus on customers’ definition of good products/service, not an executive’s assumption. Second, it sets clear performance standards, which boost employees’ performance and morale. Third, it generates reliable data (through payouts) when performance is poor. Fourth, it forces an organization to examine its entire service-delivery system for possible failure points. Last, it builds customer loyalty, sales and market share.What is a good guarantee? It is (1) unconditional, (2) easy to understand and communicate, (3) meaningful, (4) easy and painless to invoke, and (5) easy and quick to collect on.Cheating. Fear of custome...

by DW Green — June 8, 2017

Change is a good thing

Often times when sales and customer counts are flat or declining, a bold, new visual look and go-to-market strategy can shake up a market. Unveiling a new advertising look can create excitement with customers and employees alike. Plus change is normally a good thing. Non- shoppers are the biggest source for new primary customers and new revenue.Advertising and marketing that is developed in the context of themes and storytelling is the best way to attract the attention of non-shoppers. And the presentation of those themes and story’s must be applied differently to each marketing platform. For example, the print ad that is posted on the website must minimally become an interactive tool to add sale items to a shopping list. A searchable item list is better. A pdf of an ad on a mobile device is not effective at all. It’s very important that advertising and promotions are well integrated into all marketing platforms, including in-store signage. This message and activity integration builds momentum, resulting in more sales and more customers. What makes this all work so well is the planning. The sales benefit alone from just sharing a great plan with employees is amazing. No question that the retail shopping e...

by DW Green — May 31, 2017

Opportunity to learn and grow

It’s easy to react quickly to something someone says or does that’s annoying or out of line, over the top or under the bottom. And normally an instant reaction doesn’t improve the situation—often making it worse. I’ve learned to try to be still, relax, take some deep breaths, and regain my composure. I’ve learned that when coming from a place of stillness and silence, we are wiser, less reactive, less conditioned, more creative and more intuitive, so we are more likely to respond to life rather than have a knee-jerk reaction to it.Often these challenging moments require a difficult conversation with someone to resolve the issue. It helps me to remember that every difficult conversation I have includes someone who is teaching me something about myself. Every trying situation contains an opportunity for deeper self-reflection and learning. Every irritant, heartbreak, frustration, disappointment, fearful moment and sadness is a teacher. If I look at the conversation as an opportunity for me to learn and grow then maybe the other person will learn and grow too.