| How can you find out what your customers like? If | | | | inexpensive and universally liked, such as a lollipop or a |
| you ask them, you'll get a definite clue as to what they | | | | piece of gum or a little smiley-face sticker or two to |
| think they like. It may point you in the right direction, but... | | | | give to the customer's kids or grandkids (you know |
| ...observing what they do is an even better bet. | | | | how much kids love getting stickers). |
| Surveillance cameras are in use in more and more | | | | Set your surveillance cameras so they can monitor the |
| small businesses. Theft prevention is the number one | | | | customers' reaction in both checkout lanes. |
| use of this tool--but have you ever thought about using | | | | Remember, the controlled variable here is the |
| the camera for market research? What if you want | | | | presence of a small free gift supplied to every |
| to watch what your customers do? | | | | customer immediately after the sale. Monitor and |
| One test is to set up two areas of the store with | | | | compare the reactions: are the people receiving the |
| different merchandise--or signage or layout--and then | | | | free gift a little happier? Just a little more satisfied? |
| see how customers react to that area. The big idea | | | | The next step, of course, is to show the tape to your |
| here is to be careful to only alter one element at a | | | | Bloom Team and see what they think, and decide how |
| time. Remember your high school chemistry classes | | | | best you can incorporate tiny changes in your store's |
| where you employed the concept of the "controlled | | | | environment to effect a change in customer |
| variable"? In any test; you might change the | | | | perception. |
| temperature, or the pressure, or the mix of the | | | | Actually, it's often a series of small changes that |
| chemicals, but never both at the same time. | | | | separates the winners from the also-rans. And the |
| Here's another test: give your customers a little | | | | winners snag a much greater share of the profits. |
| something at the point of sale in Checkout Lane #1, | | | | Remember: Brand (who you are) + Package (your |
| and then nothing except the usual light cashier-banter in | | | | Face to the Customer) + People (customers and |
| Checkout Lane #2. Think of something easy and | | | | employees) = Marketing Success. |