One woman was frank about her reasons for attending the market trends session at the recent Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurs meeting. She wanted to make more money.
Others said they were looking for marketing ideas and how to add customer appeal to their businesses, which varied from shops selling flowers, spices, gifts, clothing and makeup to insurance and catering services.
The first lesson, said session leader Cherylynn Walters, is not everyone is a customer.
“Focus your energy on who comes through the door, phones you and buys from you,” said the Saskatoon consultant.
Read Also
Canada’s plant hardiness zones receive update
The latest update to Canada’s plant hardiness zones and plant hardiness maps was released this summer.
The most important factors in sifting out an appropriate customer are gender and age.
Walters said most men hate to shop and come in knowing what they want and are eager to buy it and leave. Women, generally, are less logical about purchases, she said. They want a “relationship” with the salesperson that involves conversation, humor and a feeling of being made welcome.
“Take 30 seconds longer to talk to a woman customer and you’ll make more sales and easier ones.”
Being friendly is not just idle chatter, said Walters. The salesperson should try to figure out what the customer needs and offer suggestions.
Walters suggested to a rural hairdresser that she form alliances with other businesses in town, making recommendations for shoes or clothing when a woman comes in for a haircut. She said business owners can build loyalty by getting customers to rely on their advice.
Customers of different ages should be approached differently, she added. Those aged 20-25 are generally trendy and have strong computer skills, people aged 35-45 are family driven and customers between the ages of 55 and 60 buy lots of gifts and like coupons.
Walters said rural businesses have to work harder than city ones to bring in customers. They should make their business or small town a place that offers entertainment for entire families, so customers don’t drive into the cities where they can combine a hotel stay and movie night with a shopping trip. Rural businesses must also take advantage of the opportunity to promote each other, she said.
