MARKETING FOR PROFIT; TIP OF THE MONTH

''If you can’t smile, don’t open a shop.'' -- Old Chinese saying.

Did an ancient Chinese really say this? Who knows, but if not, he should have because it is absolutely, incontrovertibly and utterly true. The ability to smile sincerely at customers when you meet them or talk to them on the phone is really one of the most basic qualifications for a retailer or a salesperson of any type.

If you can’t smile, please, please do not become a storekeeper — or any other kind of small/medium business person who has to deal personally with customers. Without a friendly, engaging smile and a pleasant word, you are history before you start.

The smile is the first part of general presentation. You should be well groomed, clean generally and neatly and appropriately dressed. Uniforms are generally great in-store and even better out of it, e.g. for delivery of goods (particularly food), lawn mowing, cleaning, building maintenance, and so forth.

I am watching customers bleeding away from a local butcher because he and his apprentice do not have an appropriate manner towards customers. Another in trouble for want of a smile and the sort of presentation that goes with it, is an individual pizza store in a neighborhood mini-mall. The owner behind the counter is downright sullen, quite apart from being sloppy and none too clean. No wonder business isn’t happening.

DOES THAT HELP? YOU BET! So jump to INSTANT HELP: FOCUSSED, FAST, MARKETING HELP, MARKETING WORDS THAT WORK, YOUR PERSONAL MARKETING WORKSHOP or GROUP MARKETING WORKSHOP to get the show on the road -- the road that is never closed!