With the weak economy it is more important than ever to get people into the store. If you can believe statistics, many people are just not planning on spending money. How do you attract people to the store, and put them in the mood to make a purchase by helping them feel good about coming? Following are three ways to meet that challenge:
- Offer a workshop or seminar that provides information on subjects like these: * Enhancing your child’s or grandchild’s creativity * Motivating your child to enjoy reading, writing, drawing and math * How to Earn Extra Income in Retirement as an Independent Contractor.
- Invite people to bring their children in to the store to record a story or book for a distant parent or grandparent, possibly even someone serving overseas in combat.
- Invite people to come in and record a story or book that so that their children can listen to it, even though they way be away on business, living in a distant city or in the Armed Forces, possibly even in combat areas.
There are, of course, potential problems. One is fulfillment. You’d better make certain that you can fulfill customer expectations. A second is costs. How do you do this without spending much money? The answer to both issues is to partner with an organization that has an existing product or service that you can implement. In the case of a workshop or seminar, the company will usually be selling a product or service, or offering that product or service through your store.
Of course, you can always develop your own seminar workshops and services, but that takes time. It’s better to invest your time in a core business. Whatever you decide, keep in mind the objective–to get people who would not normally come to visit your store, and then feel good about spending money. In difficult times, a creative approach may just work better than throwing more money into print or radio advertising.
