Did
you make a New Year's Resolution for 2013?
Did you keep it any longer than 2012's New Year's Resolution?
It's
been a few years since I've even bothered making a New Year's Resolution. Of course, I'm the guy who's reached the age New
Year's Eve means going to bed at the usual time, unless I'm at a party. And even then it's a struggle keeping my eyes
open until midnight. You may have
experienced the very same "symptoms."
But
I like New Years Day and always have.
There's something special about beginning the New Year with another
opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of others, whether they
be family, friends or employees. The
feeling should be that it's the first bright new day of the New Year. And that's a good feeling because
opportunities abound. Yeah, we had our
ups and downs in 2012. But that was
yesterday. Just remember not to spend a
lot of time looking back at last year, because "back" is not the
direction you want to be going in 2013. Moving
forward should be your focus.
I
suppose the most important thing to remember for 2013 is that doing things the
same way you have always done them will not change your results for the
better. So shake things up. Do things better and differently. If it doesn't work out, try something
else. Have a goal and focus on it for
2013. You can make it happen. You can make a difference. And always remember that smiling is
contagious.
"Showrooming"
is a relatively new word in the world of retail sales that I told you about a
few months ago. "Showrooming"
occurs when someone walks into a retail store, has a clerk demonstrate the
features of various products, and then, when they return home or even while
they are on the retail floor, they will shop the item they want online, looking
for a better price.
Best
Buy, in particular, has been really affected by "showrooming." It is combating this by having sales reps
with tablets meet customers as they enter the store. The sales reps then escort the customers
throughout the store as they compare specs on product models that interest
them, allow the customers to experience and use the features on the models they
like best, and then consummate the sale on the spot. If the product isn't in stock, the clerk can
arrange for same-day in-store pickup using Best Buy's existing warehousing
infrastructure or offer home delivery.
Enhanced
customer service in the form of knowledgeable salespeople is how retailers are
differentiating themselves from online e-tailers. I can buy an Apple computer online directly
from Apple. But if I purchase the Apple
computer directly from a near-by Apple store, I can get all the hand-holding
and knowledge transfer that will really make me comfortable with the purchase.
Because
retailers are facing pressure from two directions, Walmart's low prices and
Amazon's e-commerce driven convenience, they are reinventing themselves by
embracing "omni-channel commerce."
"Omni-channel commerce" aims to deliver a seamless consumer
shopping experience through all available channels - i.e. mobile devices,
personal computers, brick-and-mortar stores, catalogs, and newer shopping
channels yet to come.
Why
am I sharing this with you? Because you
need to know what is happening and what is changing in the retail channel. When you read that big-box retailers are
focusing on enhanced customer service and extremely knowledgeable sales people,
you know that you have already been offering these services to your customers
for many years. You already know these
are competitive advantages for you.
Focus most on what you do well or should be doing well. You'll be surprised at the results.
Harvey
Mackay suggested in a December Blog that every company should have a Santa
Claus attitude. I wanted to share a few
of these Santa Claus attributes with you, because they'll serve you well in
your business. Santa Claus has a great
reputation. He is a magnanimous soul who
stands for goodness and generosity. Santa Claus is a great listener. He pays very close attention to what you
want. Santa Claus has a great
smile. You know how important I think
"smiling" is! Santa Claus has
humility. He never takes credit for all
the happiness he spreads. Santa Claus
has enthusiasm. He does the same job
year after year. He's a pro. Wow, let's all be a pro and be the best we
can be for 2013.
