“Great Moments are Born from Great Opportunity” – Miracle

With Thanksgiving shopping weekend just days away, it is time to consider what a great opportunity we have as retailers to make a significant difference in not only Q4 but in the long-term success of the business.

According to a recent article by the National Retail Federation, over 165 million customers will shop over the 5- day Thanksgiving weekend. 165 Million!!

Consider this for a moment. These are not only 165 million opportunities to make a sale but 165 million opportunities to build a relationship, make a friend, and create a guest for life. It is also 165 million opportunities to lose a sale, make an enemy, and never see the customer again.

What's interesting is why people are shopping. Yes, #1 is for the deals. But the other top reasons are simply because of tradition, the social aspect, and because it is “just something to do.” 

What's apparent is millions of people will be walking through stores "just-looking," " getting ideas," and making lists. How your customers are treated will have a significant impact on not only the purchase they make that day, but the purchases they will make in the future and the influence they will have on others when they tell of their experiences. 

Before the craziness starts, please, take a moment with your teams and stress the importance of every customer interaction and be sure every employee exhibits a few simple but critical behaviors. 

1.     Smile - Smiling is the simplest way to make yourself and everyone around you feel better! And it is effortless to do! 

2.     Listen – Don't just hear the words from your customer, really listen. One can quickly get caught up in the monotony of the holiday shopping cycle and not listen to each customer as an individual to truly understand their question.

3.     Be efficient but not impatient. While it is essential to move quickly through the selling process as we don't want to keep customers waiting to check out, it is equally important not be impatient with customers who can't make up their minds, fumble with their credit cards, or are busy chatting. Remember, we are there for them!

4.     Stay in the Moment - It is easy to look past the customer in front of you and see the line of people waiting. Stay in the moment; focus on the customer in front of you. Staying in the moment will lessen mistakes, reduce customer dissatisfaction, and increase efficiency.

5.     Keep smiling, and have fun!

Happy Holidays Everyone!