How To Get More Customers, More Often.

 In the retail and hospitality game, we rely heavily on people coming into stores to buy stuff. 

But these past few years it feels like most people don’t want to leave their houses. 

Homes have become our place for everything. 

Working, shopping, socialising, relaxing, learning…

You can decide to embrace this and partner with a third-party delivery app or Ecomm store.

But that means sacrificing loads of margin…

Ideally, we want them to visit our brick-and-mortar locations where we have a team waiting to serve them.

So how do you get people to leave their sanctuary and come to your store?

• More marketing?
• Run loads of paid ads?
• Drop an offer they feel stupid saying no to?

All of those are good, but I wanted something stickier to make them come back over and over.

And today, I want to share where I’ve landed in case you want to copy it.

It starts with this big idea…

People will forget what you said.

People will forget what you did,

But people will never forget how you made them feel.

- Maya Angelou

Winning in brick-and-mortar stores today is about delivering insanely awesome, super memorable and ultimately remarkable experiences.

The ones that cause customers to have an uncontrollable urge to share it with others and can’t wait to return.

And the good news is that the standard is pretty dreadful these days in almost every industry which means it’s never been easier to stand out when you do it a tiny bit better.

When you get the experience right and customers tell others, it’s equal to building your own private marketing army that you don’t pay for. It  leads to:

• Increased profits
• Elevated brand position
• Deeper customer loyalty
• And unstoppable word-of-mouth marketing

To demonstrate, let’s take a quick look at three businesses that do it well…

Magic Castle Hotel

Magic Castle Hotel in LA isn’t pretty. 

But it has more 5-star reviews than most 5-star hotels in the US. 

It’s because of a poolside phone with a sign that reads 'Popsicle Hotline'.

When you pick it up, a staff member answers “Popsicle Hotline” and you can order your flavours. 

They’re then delivered to you poolside on a silver tray by someone wearing white gloves. 

Imagine the delight for kids (and adults) who get to do this at an unremarkable hotel.

Doing something simple yet remarkable has made them stand out and be written about.

Victor Churchill Meats

These guys are at the opposite end of the spectrum. 

They had a successful wholesale meats business but wanted to build a really special butchery that showcased the best of what they have. 

The result is a beautiful experience. 

Intimidating almost. 

Because it’s so different from other butcher shops.

Apart from the dramatic fit-out and incredible produce, they employ ex-chefs to serve you.

It’s so you can talk to them about how you’re cooking it, and get advice on alternative cuts and ways to get the best out of the really expensive meat you’re about to buy. 

The store alone is a unique experience but they add layers to it (like the service) to make it even more remarkable.

Lastly,

Culture Kings

These guys got so good a building in-store experiences for their target audience.

Not only are their stores fitted out with basketball courts, DJ set-ups and barber shops, but they also attract huge celebrities into the store and push it out on their social media channels.

They work with event promoters to make sure they know who’s in the country and how to get them into the store because they know that sends their customers into a frenzy.

It attracts their core audience into the store and firmly cements the brand in the minds of people looking for streetwear.

On the days there are no celebrities, they’re running shot competitions on the basketball court, arcade game comps and giveaways.

Their entire customer experience is about creating memorable moments using gamification, entertainment and high energy.

The result? 

They bootstrapped their growth without investment and sold for $600m a couple of years ago.

Petty impressive way to leverage building unique experiences in a crowded market.

The common theme between each of these is that they won because they did something unexpected. 

Something different to the rest of the market.

Most businesses only focus on the service.

And even then it's hard to deliver on at a good level. 

Service is so important, but from the customer's perspective it gets linked to the transaction.

Good service is an expectation... And therefore it isn't that remarkable.

To get people to talk about your business uncontrollably, you have to go waaaaay beyond that. 

Do something unexpected. 

• Like a Popsicle Hotline at a budget motel.
• Or an over-the-top butchery with chefs serving you.
• Or an immersive experience shopping where your favourite celebs hang out.

That’s what it takes to win in retail these days.

I hope you're one of them.