I had a really interesting conversation with a colleague about the Black Friday sales. It seems to be something that has really gathered momentum here in Australia with many businesses even offering the deals until the week after! She had jumped on the sales with gusto and secured a range of gifts for the family for Christmas at below normal price. When I asked her how this impacted the way she shopped she mentioned an interesting thing. She said that when she got a good deal it made her want to continue looking for more deals and spending as she felt she was on a ‘roll’.
Like everyone else, I love a good deal. There is something satisfying knowing that you were able to get something that had caught your eye and that you got a bargain on it. It is almost as if the universe is telling you that today is your lucky day (come on you have felt this before too!) It also gets you to remember where you bought those items and ensures that you will return back to the business in the future.
So leading into the Christmas season, what are you doing to encourage customers to have this good feeling? For many businesses in retail, this season is the biggest income generating time of the year. Some businesses get really creative and play Christmas music or decorate the store in a festive way. I think this can create a positive vibe to help customers get into the mood to buy.
But what really can set your business up over the Christmas season is what your staff do. I walked into a really cool vintage shop called Dirty Janes this week (they are in Bowral & Canberra – check them out). As I walked in, all of the staff were smiling and you could tell that they really enjoyed working there. They enjoyed each other’s company and they also enjoyed talking with customers. This created an environment that lifted everyone’s energy and it was as if everyone wanted to buy something because it felt so comfortable. What are you doing to keep your staff positive to create this environment?
There are lots of great strategies that are captured in my book Leadership Hacks: Clever shortcuts to boost your impact and results. I also asked my friend about what type of Christmas special I should put on to encourage people and give them that great deal. She said 30-40% would get her to want to buy a few copies and give them as Christmas gifts (she has a number of corporate clients that she said it would be great for). So I have decided to do something different and offer this deal to you.
If you want to get a good deal on something as a gift for yourself or for you clients or friend, I am going to offer 40% off my Leadership Hacks book (or a Box of Leadership Hacks books!) for the next week only. Simply enter LHBOOK in the coupon code and receive a 40% discount and we will ship it before Christmas!
