4.Products Promote products you use and believe in. Promote these on your signage and make sure all team recommend them and are consistent in their recommendations. i.e. “we use x growing media when potting our plants up” “we recommend x polishes to care for your furniture.”

5.Inform For example, in garden centre, inform your customers that you select plants that are hardy and have been acclimatised to local weather conditions. There is a perception in marketplace that often plants, in many garden centres, are distributed nationally and are not hardy.

6.Celebrities Promote local celebrities, recommend products they recommend and get them into your store whenever possible.

7.Sponsorships Sponsor local relevant events. Be seen to be involved with local clubs and charities. Do not be shy in getting your name promoted at such events.

8.Guarantees Have a risk reversal guarantee on products that you sell. Risk reversal means that whatever they do, you will replace product if it does not meet their expectations. In my experience some store owners grasp marketing opportunity it provides, whilst others worry they will be abused. Risk reversal is a marketing strategy and should be looked on as such.

9.Training Ensure all your team are trained in customer service and product knowledge. Trust comes from retailers who are confident. Confidence comes from those who feel they have capabilities to sell professionally.

10.Trust And finally, brainstorm “trust” with your team. I am sure they could expand on above list and expand trust marketing tools in your business.

Over last four articles we’ve taken you on customers’ journey through your business. The key is to walk your store in customers’ shoes. As retailing becomes more competitive, you will constantly need to evaluate what your doing. The days of setting up your business and keeping it looking same for long periods have long gone.

Customers today soon get bored and are looking for new stimulation from your business. Bored customers leave businesses. Don’t play safe, it’s least safe thing you can do in today’s market.

Are there any businesses out there you can partner with to increase your market penetration?

According to Kare Anderson, there are seven key steps to looking for smart partners to grow your business.

1)Partner with business people you already know and trust. 2)Make sure you both target same consumer, e.g. Generally in our business it is a 45-50 female baby boomer. 3)Don’t underestimate power of Movers (advocates for your products) and Connectors (people who can connect you to new business opportunities). 4)Know where your target customers gather. What clubs, associations and meeting places they use. Target their venues to grow your business. 5)Attend meetings where your peers and competitors meet. This is where you find out what is happening in marketplace. 6)Be aware of what is happening locally. Visit other retail establishments and social gatherings in your local area. Find out what is happening with your consumer and what other retailers are exposing them to. 7)Consider Big Five MVP’s (most valuable partners) and can they help your business. The big five are companies that your customers are bound to visit in your neighbourhood. They are supermarket, petrol station, bank, phone company and electric supplier (the last two come to your consumers home via bills, but this could still be a marketing opportunity). One of these businesses could be a key partner.

Use personality as a Point of Difference Although I believe that partnering will be big in future, you may still want to go it alone. If that is case then you need a novel approach, and using your personality as a draw card is a great point of difference in itself.

Big commodity retailers will promote their products on price - when they zig you zag - so you need to add value to your promotions by building on relationship consumers will be exposed to when they discover your store.

Zanthorrea Nurseries in Western Australia are brilliant at relationship selling and it starts before you get to store. They build relationships into their interruption marketing campaigns.

I have illustrated two of their interruption marketing campaigns, both of which were used as a lead up to last two Christmas promotional campaigns. As can be seen from these adverts they involve team, provide a “trust” statement and promise a fun relationship when consumer enters business.

If you would like more ideas on how to build great relationships, that encourage loyalty and repeat visits, our brand new book Think For Your Customer, Lizard Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-9750118-1-2 has an entire section devoted to building relationships.

Stay tuned for our next article in series, Journey of Inspiration, which will show you how to inspire your customers to do business with you in just thirty seconds.