I’m sure that most of you have been out fighting your way through the crowds at the mall, grocery store or other retail outlets trying to finish up your Christmas shopping. We’re you paying attention?  Even though shopping annoys me to no end, I make it less painful by watching what retail stores are doing right and what they are doing wrong when it comes to marketing and customer service.  I did have my girlfriend do a big portion of my shopping for me as she’s a dedicated “shop-aholic”, but I couldn’t outsource a few gifts and I couldn’t let her buy her own gift.

Presley and I In Front Of Our Tree

It’s even more clear to me now that 90% of business owners deserve what they are getting right now. The business owners and franchises that WILL be going out of business just after the 1st of the year should have nothing to complain about except their own incompetence.  I compressed most of my shopping into two nights and a trip to Chicago for ONE item.

So here it goes.  When the dust settled I had stimulated the economy with close to $10,000 in total spending and I learned a lot.  While shopping at the mall I had visited a few well know retailers.  You know all of the stores that most local business owners think that they can’t beat.  Gap, Williams-Sonoma, Justice, Yankee Candle, The Buckle, Younkers…just to name a few.

During my struggle it was very obvious that the “art” of selling is no longer needed to get a retail job.  Looks to me like if you have a heart beat and you will work nights and weekends…you’re in!  This at a time when unemployment is 12% and if the government actually calculated it by adding the people who just quite looking it would be closer to 20%.  You know there are alot of former car sales guys looking for jobs, former real estate agents, mortgage brokers, but these Big Dumb Companies obviously have no interest in hiring someone who can actually sell something and continue to hire incompetent staff.

In most stores you were left to your own devices.  No offer to help you find the perfect gift.  No offer of exchanging sizes from a fitting room.  Many stores were so understaffed that they had 50 customers and only 2 or 3 employees.  Merchandise thrown all over the place or no merchandise left on the racks.  Upon finally discovering the gifts that we actually wanted it was a basic nightmare to check out.  One cashier at most stores and 10 or more guests trying to check out.

In retail the majority of their business happens in just 90 days.  Now you’d think that they would put out an all out effort to maximize sales and position themselves for the new year and attempt to retain new customers that were brought in for a holiday gift.  Let’s just talk about two simple strategies that they completely BLEW!  #1 – I was only half heartedly upsold on one occasion.  I bought my sister a high end T-shirt and a gift certificate. The girl actually asked if we needed a cami for underneath.   That was the ONLY occasion that an upsell was offered.  The upsell is about the easiest tactic for retail stores.  The customer is already there, they’ve already decided to pull out their wallet and now all the store needs to do is ask and 3 out of 10 times they’ll actually sell something.  #2 – I was NEVER asked for my Name, Mailing Address, Email, Phone Number, Nothing!  Since this is what I teach, preach and practice…it blows my mind every time I see these BIG DUMB COMPANIES report earnings and come up short. Most aren’t practicing the two easiest business building strategies selling more to existing customers (upselling) and / or selling more often to your existing customers via direct mail, email, telephone calling, etc., etc.

I will actually take joy in some of these companies leaving and making room for the businesses that actually get it.  In my next post you’ll actually hear some good news.

#1 – What can you learn from a Car Wash (really a small local chain of car washes that gets it)
#2 – Why Cliff in the liquor department at the grocery store deserves a High Five and an award for selling
#3 – 5 Big Mistakes made by a Very Upscale retailer on Michigan Avenue (proving that if you have a product that can be sold with emotion instead of features / benefits you can have some very poor sales skills and still sell)

Merry Christmas,

Darin