The holiday season is the biggest season of the year in retail. It’s the time when malls are packed and e-commerce sites crash. Gifts are wrapped, goodies are baked, and on Black Friday, otherwise civilized people elbow each other out of the way to grab the season’s hottest toy. The holiday season is sheer insanity for retail businesses. For business owners, figuring out how to manage it properly can be highly stressful. You want to cash in on the most profitable time of the year. Using psychology to get your brick and mortar store holiday-ready will help you leverage the holiday season to increase your income.
Upgrade Your Communication
You need state-of-the-art customer service that will let your customers know that you’re there for them, you’re focusing on them, and you’re willing to go the extra mile for them. Customers are much more likely to think highly of a store that has exceptional customer service. Even when the product isn’t exactly what the customer expected or something breaks before it even makes it out of the package, good customer service can salvage the customer’s opinion of the company as a whole. Provide plenty of opportunities for your customers to get in touch through email, phone, or your website.
Utilize the Psychology of Emotion
Emotion is a powerful marketing tool. Customers who feel an emotional connection to your business are more likely to remain loyal to your company even when they have a less-than-desirable experience. New customers are more likely to jump on the chance to make a purchase when their emotions are engaged. As a small business marketer, you may not have taken advantage of the available opportunities to utilize emotion in your marketing efforts—and that means you’re leaving money on the table.
Find the Emotional Appeal
Finding the emotional appeal can be a challenge. Businesses often don’t have a good perspective on the emotions that lead customers to choose their products. Make sure that you talk to your customers on a regular basis in order to understand what leads them to choose your products. Keep in mind that understanding a customer’s pain points and learning how to solve those problems can have a substantial impact on the way they view your business. Uncover the secret desires of your customers and make sure you keep those in mind when planning your store layout and shopping for store fixtures. Seek out emotional treasures like using sandwiched board signs with creative messaging to lure in customers in order to make your business stand out from the crowd of others clamoring for sales this time of year.
Pay Attention to the Details
During the holidays and throughout the rest of the year, your customers focus on the little details that set your business apart from the dozens of others that are just like it. Offer free shipping, whether that’s outright free shipping or free shipping after a certain amount is spent. Create a solid return policy that will let your customers know that you stand behind your product. Highlight gift wrapping options that make delivering your gifts easy. During the holiday season, focus on bundle deals and gifting to help customers make decisions concerning those important gifts for loved ones.
Lock Down Your Marketing Plan
All holidays are not the same. By creating a marketing plan that is unique to this time of year, you’re better able to focus on what your customers want and need from you. Take the time to make sure that your marketing plan is ready to go. It’s never too late to polish it!
Regardless of your industry, sales boom during the holiday season. If you want to make the most of the holidays this year, create customized marketing strategies that are designed to use the holiday to full advantage. You don’t have to have big bucks or endless time to spend on marketing this holiday season to get your business on the shopping radar. There’s plenty of work that goes into preparation and planning, but by keeping the holiday spirit, you’ll discover that you can enjoy the season and encourage your staff to do the same.
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