IT’S YOUR UP
Presenting Fashionable Products
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Tom Jennings Retail Training Expert Tom Jennings is a lifelong member of the flooring business. Since selling his family’s retail business in 2006, he has served the industry as an educator and speaker. He is a past board chairman of the WFCA and is currently the board chairman of WFCA Services, Inc. He may be reached at
tomg.jennings@gmail.com
aving spent my adult life engaged in flooring retailing, I have observed that many store owners and managers have given a great deal of thought to what results they want to see their respective businesses achieve. They can tell you what products they wish to sell. They know how much margin they wish to gain from the sale and even when they want to sell them. They decide how they would like their store displays arranged, how the staff should dress, and what music they would like to hear playing in the background. They often say that they want to sell better quality goods than in the past. They feel that they have properly planned for favorable business results from each customer sale. While this may appear impressive and certainly beats failing to plan, I find this “store-centered” business philosophy flawed. Why? Because no one bothered to ask the customer if any of this was relevant. Have you ever asked your customers what are indeed the essential elements of a sale to them? What is it that turns an ordinary product into an extraordinary fashion in the customer’s eyes? I have found that a profitable use of time is to tour businesses successfully specializing in fashionable products not sold in our industry. These businesses may be selling anything from clothing to home décor, kitchenware, to eyewear. They do have one common goal — to make the customer’s buying experience fun and fulfilling. They have learned that customers will gladly pay more for unique, well-designed, innovative, and well-displayed products. They have learned that this customer places a high value on their time and will not allow it to be wasted. These merchants understand that there are “category killers” or “big boxes” in virtually every phase of retail that will appeal to a certain percentage of potential customers. They also understand that the promise of mass retailing turns off a healthy percentage of potential customers. This customer wants to see the product in a comfortable setting with correct lighting. They want to hear relaxing background music — not a public address system with frequent ads mixed into the rotation. They want
They feel that they have properly planned for favorable business results from each customer sale. While this may appear impressive and certainly beats failing to plan, I find this “store-centered” business philosophy flawed. Why? Because no one bothered to ask the customer if any of this was relevant.
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Premier Flooring Retailer | D2 2021
