Five Must-Dos For Your
Retail Business
Bob Phibbs, the Retail Doctor

1. Market. Even if your customers had a great time with you, with so much clutter trying to find its way into customers' heads, you need to be sure your brand remains top of mind. That means finding creative ways for customers to remember your store. If you aren't marketing to your customers, your competitors are.
2. Selling. You must make sure customers don't forget something with their purchase or they might end up at the other guy's store. You should be cross-selling the purchases when possible. Cross-selling is selling an additional product or service to the customer, an add-on that completes the purchase. That also means owners and managers telling everyone, "Business is great," even when it may not be. Success attracts success.
3. Answering Email Promptly. Email must be checked at least twice daily. A recent poll showed 70% of independent businesses failed at this. It's easy to standout from the rest — answer customers quickly.
4. Collect Names. How? From your Web site, business cards you gather, or from special orders. You need to be in the "list" business first. A database is essential to stay in touch with the people who can really grow your business — those who know you.
5. Keeping In Touch With Customers. Come up with a way to have meaningful contact with your customers for at least two years after a purchase — it's not a bunch of 20%-off fliers but it's personal, targeted and mentions specific purchases from the past.

Best-selling author and speaker Bob Phibbs has helped thousands of independent businesses compete by using his sales approach and not discounting. His book, You Can Compete is the backbone of company training programs and teaches his methods for making over a business. Download more free tips at www.retaildoc.com