|
|
|
Dialogue: The Four Dialogic Principles For Successful Communication
"But you don't understand!" exclaimed the manager, "this new initiative is vital for our team. If it doesn't work we could all be out of a job!"
"Uh-huh... Really... Explain to me again how this new initiative is so different from previous...
Does Your Business Need a Toll-Free 800 Number?
Should your business have a toll free number for customers to make sales, service and billing inquirers? The industry began in the early 1970’s and today most customers expect you to have it. Providing a toll free line can bring in a number of...
Managing Your Business’ Cash Flow
You wouldn’t drive a car without a gas gauge or speedometer, and if you’re driving on an empty tank, you won’t get very far. Then why would you make financial decisions without the proper tools? Businesses must master controlling the flow of...
Sales 201: Learning Tools of Your Trade
Copyright 2005 Daniel Sitter A carpenter has his saw and hammer. A writer has his pen and ink. A doctor has her medical instruments and medicine. An accountant has his calculator. A mechanic has his wrenches. What of the salesperson? What are the...
Yesterday's Hero
Wonder Woman makes it looks so easy. She gets up every morning, fights the good fight, calls it a day, and starts the whole process all over again. This is the way most of us begin our workday. We work hard, accomplish lots, and get up in the...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Do you have a picture of YOUR customer?
I was recently working with a retail client and was discussing their merchandise strategy with their display manager. I asked the person about two products on the same display and who would buy them. The display manager mentioned that one of the products would, in their view, be purchased by 65 year-old woman, whilst the product next to it would be purchased by a 25 year-old woman.
Was the display working? I’m afraid not. Why wasn't it working? Because the person building the display did not start with a picture of the consumer in mind.
Generational marketing
In recent months there have been number of articles in the press about generational marketing. What does this mean? It means that as a retailer you need to consider who to target. Is it Generation Y (15-25 year-olds), Generation X (25-35 year-olds), the Jones’ Generation (35-49 year-olds), Baby Boomers (50-65 year-olds), or Greying Tigers (over 65 years-old).
A flick through a glossy magazine will soon reveal that marketers are very defined on who their target is and present the pictorial or promotion accordingly. But, it’s more than marketers getting the message across, it’s display teams understanding the message and merchandising accordingly.
The challenges
This does present some challenges. Traditionally, merchandisers have presented products to consumers based on specific categories i.e. placing all of one series of products together. But is this the answer in the future?
Some retailers have an easy task. They have refined their retailing to already attract one specific age group and can merchandise accordingly. The real challenge occurs when you are a retailer who needs to attract customers from across a wide band of age groups.
If you fall into this latter category, then there is a real argument for splitting up product categories based on target age groups.
In the scenario mentioned at the beginning of this article, the merchandiser had built the display based on an overall product category. The result, in my opinion, was that all age groups were put off, because the display did not appeal to any specific age group.
The display manager would have had more success if she had built a display based on a specific age group.
One of my clients, a German gift company, now segments its product range based on age. Each segmented display is supported by a promotional board that features a person enjoying the product experience from the selected age group. The result is displays in store target selected age groups to specific areas in the store.
This does mean that more space is required in store to “sell the picture” but the end result is increased sales per square metre.
Where do you start?
Start with the customer in mind, not the product. Have a defined age group in your mind when you’re building a display and then build the display with that age group in mind.
Let me give you a simple example based on my observations when it comes to signage on displays. Generation X (I prefer to call them IKEA Babies) know what the trends are and what is fashionable. If you sign a product to tell them what is new and trendy, they could feel you are talking down to them and this may resist purchasing.
The next generation up, the Jones’ Generation, want to be trendy and fashionable, but they need to be told what’s new. If you don’t tell them what’s new, they may never discover it.
The Baby Boomers tend to pick up trends later. Tell them it’s new and they will often wait while it’s accepted by the Jones’ Generation. Greying Tigers may resist new products completely as they look on the product as a new gadget which they don’t understand and that will quickly go out of fashion anyway.
Segmentation opportunities
Some retailers will go to considerable expense to get the formulae right. Wetherby’s in South Africa have divided their store into two. One half is targeted at Baby Boomers and the other half at Generation X. Both groups walk through the same entrance, but are then split into two, Baby Boomers turn left into the store, whilst Generation X turn right. Both sections of the store have their own coffee shop to ensure both consumer segments ‘linger longer’ in the comfort of their own generational group.
Become a maven of retail generational marketing
Encourage your retail team to become “mavens” or leaders of a trend. Make sure that the business subscribes to magazines that target each generational group you are targeting. Get the team to produce ‘storyboards’ on trends from those magazines that can help them build appropriate displays.
One display will not serve all, start with the customer in mind and build displays that a generation can relate to.
About the Author
John Stanley is a conference speaker and retail consultant with over 20 years experience in 15 countries. John works with retailers around the world assisting them with their merchandising, staff and management training, customer flow, customer service and image. If you would like to receive John’s monthly newsletter please visit www.johnstanley.cc or email us on newsletter@johnstanley.cc.
|
|
|
|
|
| SellingPower.com | Solutions For Sales Management |
| Targeted to sales managers and upper tier sales professionals, this magazine helps you train, educate, and motivate your sales team. |
| www.sellingpower.com |
|
| Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management |
| The official web site of the Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management has moved to the University of Missouri, Columbia, which is the home of the ... |
| mkt.cba.cmich.edu |
|
| Management Articles |
| Sales Management. Unleash Your Brand Ambassadors. A recent GlaxoSmithKline decision took the advertising industry by storm: The pharmaceutical giant ... |
| gmj.gallup.com |
|
| Manage Smarter - Performance Gateway |
| Manage Smarter is the online home of sales & marketing management, incentive, potential, presentations and training magazine. |
| www.salesandmarketing.com |
|
| The 5 Biggest Sales Management Blunders |
| Learn the biggest sales management blunders and how you can avoid them. Spending the necessary time wearing your sales manager hat will help foster a ... |
| sbinformation.about.com |
|
| DEI Sales Management |
| Stephan Schiffman's DEI- Management Group, offers sales training tools and educational forums designed to teach: Cold Calling and Closing Techniques, ... |
| www.dei-sales.com |
|
| Sales Management Training - Selling Seminars - Reinforcement & ROI ... |
| Offers sales and sales management training. Sign up to receive the monthly newsletter. |
| www.brooksgroup.com |
|
| Sales Management Resource International |
| Sales Management services, sales training, sales solutions, sales people. We provide a systematic approach to providing immediate sales results ... |
| www.salesmanagement.com.au |
|
| Reconnect Sales Management to Profitability - HBS Working Knowledge |
| "Work your pay plan" is one of the central tenets of sales management. ... In a similar way, top managers can reconnect their sales management to ... |
| hbswk.hbs.edu |
|
| Amazon.com: Sales Management: Books: Robert J. Calvin |
| Amazon.com: Sales Management: Books: Robert J. Calvin by Robert J. Calvin. |
| www.amazon.com |
|
| Amazon.com: Seven Secrets to Successful Sales Management: The ... |
| Amazon.com: Seven Secrets to Successful Sales Management: The Sales Manager's Manual: Books: Jack D. Wilner by Jack D. Wilner. |
| www.amazon.com |
|
| Personal Selling and Sales Management: KnowThis.com |
| KnowThis,com offers information, resources, reference and links for sales people, sales managers and other involved in managing a sales force including ... |
| www.knowthis.com |
|
| Sales Training and Sales Management: KnowThis.com |
| KnowThis.com offers information, resources, reference and links for anyone involved in sales training or sales management or other managing issues involving ... |
| www.knowthis.com |
|
| SMR Career Services |
| Sales Management Resources is a professional executive search company, dedicated to providing consumer products companies the recruitment of exceptional ... |
| www.smrcareer.com |
|
| SalesVantage.com: B2B Advertising, Marketing and Sales Management ... |
| B2B Advertising, Marketing and Sales Management Directory, Newsfeed & Business Referral Service designed for sales, marketing & advertising executives. |
| www.salesvantage.com |
|
| Contact Management Software, Contact Manager & Sales Software for ... |
| PC World Gives Prophet Contact & Sales Manager 4 Stars · eWeek praises Prophet for building a sales management solution into Outlook for a reasonable price ... |
| www.avidian.com |
|
| Sales Management- 7 Secrets to Successful Sales Management, the ... |
| 7 Secrets to Successful Sales Management, written by, Jack Wilner, one of today's leading sales management trainers, coaches and consultants, ... |
| www.7salessecrets.com |
|
| Sales Management Training |
| Sales management training for the complex sale includes business development programs and sales training seminars. |
| www.primesalesmanagement.com |
|
| Contact Management Software (SFA) price quotes - Free sales ... |
| Contact management software buying advice and free sales management software quotes from leading suppliers. |
| www.buyerzone.com |
|
| Waterhouse Group - Sales Training Programs: Consultative, Value ... |
| With over 20 years of experience in sales, sales management and sales training, ... Selling Success: The Journal of Sales & Sales Management ... |
| www.waterhousegroup.com |
|
|