co-written with Robert Kraeuter

If they say not to judge a book by its cover, then why do publishing houses go to great lengths to create such dynamic and alluring ones with captivating titles?

Because it sells books!

Yes, I know that what is on the inside is what really counts, but the storefront, the logo, and the business name are the first and most instrumental building blocks you have in constructing that initial relationship with a potential customer.

What does your storefront say about you?

If your business does not look inviting from the outside, or does not clearly define what kind of store you are, your potential customers will just walk on by. What does your storefront say about you? If you are a coffeehouse, would someone know it by driving or walking by? How about a gourmet store or café?

Try this 10 minute test and see if your message is having an impact.
Stand across the street from your store or shop, and randomly stop passers-by and ask if they can tell you what that business is across the street. What do they say?

Most of the time, you have about 3 to 5 seconds to attract someone’s attention as they drive by. If they are walking by and have a longer period of time to inspect your storefront, is the message any clearer? Does your identity stand out from all the others clamoring for that customer’s patronage?

Some ideas to help make your storefront work for you:

• Think about the type of impression you want to make about your business. Is it a quiet place to relax? An up-beat and energetic grocery? An olde-style bakery? What objects or colors come to mind when you think of those things? How can you use those objects and colors to re-enforce that message inside or outside your business?
• When in doubt – less is more! Don’t clutter the windows up with menus, posters or banners – you should be able to see inside your shop.
• Don’t tint the windows too dark – it will look like the business is closed.
• Avoid polarizing messaging such as political, religious or sexist signage. Coffeehouses especially should be viewed as a social Mecca – open to everyone.
• Make your logo large enough to see from the other side of the street. You should use a general rule of thumb of 5-inch high lettering for every 100 feet you want your sign to be seen by.
  

  However, you should avoid having your entire message scream at the viewer in all the same font size. Your logo should be the most important. Supplemental signs and lettering should be much smaller in size as a very general rule. Think one word for every second of attention you will have – and don’t expect to get more than 3-6 seconds.

• If you have an awning, use it to tell what you are or what you do. Keep it fast and simple.
• Make use of the sides of the building to gain additional attraction time. This could be an un-tapped billboard opportunity – but check with your landlord first!
• If possible, set up a quaint outdoor dining area – café tables and colorful umbrellas, brightly planted flower boxes or barrels, or unique flags from coffee producing countries to attract notice.
• Sweep or hose down the front sidewalk and gutter area daily.
• Pump music outside! It will add an aire of excitement and curiosity to passers-by. Make sure it’s relevant to the atmosphere you are trying to convey, and not disruptive to your neighbors.

Photo examples of effective storefronts:

This clean storefront uses fun colors and classy accents  of wood trim to give it a casual but  high-class feel. Note the brass tea pot hanging sign, and the business name.

Another nice and tidy storefront using an awning to frame their doorfront and describe the business. A unique sidewalk sign greets passers-by as well. This is a chocolate shop as well as a museum.

A simple but effective window treatment. Clean, and does not block visibility inside, but still conveys the message of the shop. (Taken in French-Canadian Quebec) Look closely at the “clothesline” – it’s toast! Very clever pairing of objects to add uniqueness to the business.

What a cool coffee shop sign!

Another very cool coffee sign. Unique and dynamic! The 3-d Sign really stands out from the rest.

Examples of less effective storefronts:

This storefront suffers from too many signs screaming at their customers. Remember you only have less than 5 seconds to get their attention – one or two clear messages is better than throwing several out there in the hopes that one will maybe stick. Also, you can’t see into the store at all, save for the tinted door. It feels very uninviting.

What does this store say to you about Beauty? What colors or objects convey the feeling of being beautified or pampered?

It’s a great idea for a restaurant to show a sample of their menu from the street – however, avoid covering up all of your windows with signs like these. Stick to one or two menus at or by the door, or on a nice free-standing display you can set out on the sidewalk.

Another store that falls victim to covering up their windows with an abundance of signs and a huge banner. Keep it clean and simple!

Your Logo – What does It Say About You?

It is said that a picture says 1,000 words, then so does an appropriate and properly designed logo.

What does your logo and company name say about your business?

A catchy and unique name that clearly and quickly tells someone the type of business you are operating will help pique their interest enough to open the door and walk in.

All too often business think of this part of their identity absolutely last – when it’s the very likely the first thing your customer may see about you. While a great product and excellent service is just as important, you should seriously consider professional treatment of this face of your business as well.

Consider hiring a design consultant to take a look at your logo and identity to get a valuable outsider’s perspective and feedback on your local target audience. There are many different kinds of graphic designers out there – one for every size budget and need. Ask around – what local businesses do you feel are doing it right? Go right up and ask them who created their logo for them. You may be surprised at just how accessible a professionally designed logo can be!

• Remember that you only have 1-2 seconds to make that impression with your logo. Can a viewer get a feeling for what you are about in that time?
• Keep it as concise and simple as possible. Less really is more when it comes to a logo!

They’re In! Now what?

Getting your clientele to step inside the door is only half the battle. It’s keeping them in and engaged that makes the interest turn into a sale.

Stay tuned for next week when we tackle this subject.

Have a tip or idea that has helped you? Any questions about what you can do to your store to increase visibility? Leave a comment or feedback.

Hot off the press! Sampling gourmet coffees and foods sell more products, both in the short and long run.  A new independent study proves for the first time that in-store sampling not only has dramatic sales impact on the day of the sampling event, but also increases sales of established products and line extensions, as well as products, for many weeks following.

Conducted by Knowledgenetworks,  the study showed the following:

• In-store sampling drives additional repeat purchase
• In-store sampling drives sales for existing products and line extensions
• In-store sampling delivers new buyers – to the sampled items and to the brand franchise
• In –store sampling impacts sales long after the day of the event, making it incredibly cost effective

To read the complete study: Groundbreaking Study Redefines In-Store Sampling Impact and Usage

Ideas that can be used specifically for specialty coffee retailers:

• Focus on creating a coffee of the week, month holiday or season.  An example would be celebrating the upcoming autumn season by featuring Pumpkin Spice for September, Cranberry Nut Cream in October and Vermont Maple Nut Crunch in November.
• Make sure to have related products at or near your sampling area.  If you are featuring Pumpkin Spice flavored coffee, promote a pumpkin spice flavored latte, pumpkin infused cheesecake, pumpkin cream cheese rolls, pumpkin nut muffins… you get the idea!
• Make the effort to use a slower time of the day or week to invite customers in to a seasonal or holiday sampling.  This is a great time to show off any new and exciting gift items you will be carrying for the upcoming time period.  Make sure to display at least three different size gift baskets that customers can order from you as well as any cookies or dessert trays that will be available.
• Get your whole staff involved with creating the buzz and helping out during the sampling.  Big smiles, pleasant greetings and lots of product knowledge will go a long way to stimulating sales now and in the future.
• Set up a designated area for different products and make sure you are ready to take early holiday orders.  Customers are thrilled to begin crossing people of their shopping lists.  Offer a generous discount for orders placed the day of the sampling event.
• Remember there is always a National Fun Food Holiday, changing of the season, Hallmark special occasion or nationally observed holiday to celebrate so you will never run out of ideas.

Upselling.  It should be sweet music to an owner’s ear.  It is just a nine-letter word, but it actually gets the respect of a four-letter one.  Despite the negative publicity the term upselling was not one of George Carlin’s seven dirty ones you couldn’t say on television.

In its simplest definition, upselling applies to helping a customer decide to purchase beyond what the original sale was intended to be.  This method of selling is one of the highest and most profitable uses of your company’s time.

Whenever I purchase a new pair of dress shoes, the shoe salesman always suggests protective spray, high-end shoe polish, or perhaps a brush to maintain a high gloss on the leather.  My favorite is the cedar shoe-tree to help keep the shape of the shoe over the years.

Shoe Salesman

Being in sales I can truly appreciate an upsell when it is done with ease and confidence.  Over the years I have purchased a number of those products.  These items are much smaller dollar amounts than the shoes but they do add up over time.  Despite the lower cost, the add-ons tend to have much higher margins than the original purchase.  This is why upselling is great for a business to gain and therefore an owner must train the staff to upsell.

The approach to upselling should be easy, almost effortless.  Upselling is just presenting the information in a “by-the-way” assumptive manner to the customer unless:

• You don’t make an attempt
• Your technique makes you seem pushy, arrogant or negative
• Most importantly, you don’t understand what to upsell because you don’t know WHY your customers buy your product to begin with.

In order to upsell, you must understand why people buy.  The focus must be on the customers needs.  The following examples may shed a little different prespective on the aspect of what consumers actually buy:

1. You don’t buy a candle. You purchase ambience or romance.
2. When you buy a book you are purchasing knowledge.
3. Buying a Blackberry provides you productivity.
4. Want mobility? Buy a laptop computer.
5. When you buy coffee, what are you buying? _________________________

No matter what your product is, it has a certain meaning for the customer.  KMO customers sell brewed coffee, and in some instances sell bulk coffee beans. So the question is “Why did your customer buy your coffee or why do they stop by your coffeehouse?” I call this “getting to know the unknown wants, needs and desires of someone you have just met for the first time”.  Once you have contemplated and developed some answers you are ready to move on.

There is no need to develop an over-the-top sales approach. This form of selling up is just a natural progression of providing great service and products to your customers.  The style and finesse in how it is accomplished sets the stage for future successes with that customer and others to follow.

Fulfill those wants, needs and desires now by offering value added items or by packaging some of your products together.  Examples of this could be…

• Have fresh-out-of-the-oven muffins or scones right at your counter to start the morning.  When a customer comes in to buy their morning coffee assume they are really buying a way to start their day and that everyone appreciates a great baked good with their coffee. Talk about how delicious and bursting with fresh blueberries they are and that the crumble topping is your favorite part.  Make a sample available for them to taste.
• If a customer comes in during the afternoon and buys a cappuccino suggest the the freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies which are only $1.50 for three pieces of afternoon delight.  (What they were buying with an afternoon escape from their mundane job)
  

  Prepare for Success!

• Create a commuter special that includes a large coffee, buttered hardroll, New York Times and small orange juice for $4.50.  (What you are offering is added convenience, world understanding, a calm commute even if they get stuck in traffic – all at a value)
• When a customer purchases a pound of coffee, offer them a FREE medium cup of brewed coffee as a bonus. (What is your customer really buying in this case?_____________________________)

Take it step further…

During the holidays, Pete stops by to buy a pound of coffee to take to a friends party…

What is Pete really buying?  Convenience (You were along the way), good taste ( He is buying specialty coffee, not a can of Folgers), perfect gift (Who doesn’t like coffee?), thoughtfulness (Remembered his friends loves Fair-Trade coffee)

Upsell – As Pete is standing there drinking his FREE cup of coffee, you say “I appreciate you thinking about us and stopping by to get coffee for your friends.  So many of our customers are pressed for time, not sure what to get for people on their list, or are trying to save some money this holiday season.  Seems like you may be feeling some of the same pressures.”  (Who doesn’t experience this during the holidays?)

You continue the upsell approach; “We have been quite successful at making the holidays much more stree-free for folks by creating personalized gift baskets and gift mugs that are sure to get a WOW!  I am sure you have a few people that always are tough to buy for.  If you have already bought them a little something, we can even put that in the gift basket and we can  ship anywhere in the country for you”.

Second delivery of an upsell: “We also now have party trays for breakfast and lunch which are perfect gift for a valued client or vendor and we will even deliver it for you”.

Third possible upsell: Last but not least, “We have begun taking orders for our famous Kringle Krunch Pie.  Pete, if you haven’t had a taste of this pie, it’s like missing a chance to taste a slice of heaven.  We sold out early last year and some folks were disappointed they weren’t able to get it.  This is a perfect gift for those last minute holiday invites we all get and you know you have to bring something.  Pete, who does not like pie?  Just imagine the compliments you’ll get when everybody digs into this delectable treat”.

Pete came in for a pound of coffee and you were able to understand the wants, needs and desires to offer time saving, money-saving and compliment-getting options.

Upselling can be extremely profitable for your business – however many owners feel they are the coffeehouse’s only knowledgeable or skilled salesperson and therefore limit their staff to a rudimentarily backup role. The time taken to train your employees in the art of the up sell will be rewarding for both them and ultimately the business.  A compensation program can be developed to reward staff that excels at bringing in more dollars into you business.   By training them well, you also provide yourself with added freedom.

Remember, upselling your products to a customer that is already purchasing your products will help maximize your revenues and profits. Keep your selling process personal and helpful. By making a small effort to understand why your customers buy and suggesting options that will benefit their lives your customers will appreciate the great service and the feeling of being special.

Take it a step further.