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Making a Personal Connection With Customers

by Terry Lemerond | December 27, 2019

In every business, you need to make connections. As a health food store owner or manager, your connections with returning customers are most likely more personal to begin with. After all, the very nature of supplements and the concerns they support easily lend themselves to discussing highly specific and private subjects.

But these days there are many options for customers to choose from. People can buy online and have everything shipped to their door—without ever really needing to connect with anyone. As I’ve mentioned in the past, any retail store now needs to be a destination. And a big part of that is developing and cultivating relationships with your customers.

How to Start

First, you always want to hire the right people and pay them what they are worth. After all, they are on the frontline of your store, and in many ways, give your store its identity. The genuine enthusiasm that they bring to their jobs should be evident to every customer that walks through your doors. Training a staff gives them confidence to approach customers; being a mentor gives them the reassurance that they can ask you or other senior staff to help out if they get stuck.

Have a Customer-focused Store Philosophy From the Beginning

I know that sounds very basic, because when we think about it, we know that the customer is our priority in any retail business. But how often does that essential idea get pushed out of our mindset when the day gets hectic or stressful? It is absolutely crucial that nobody on your staff becomes complacent regarding customers. After all, they are the ones signing your paycheck.

You’ve got to be willing to drop whatever else you’re doing and be there for them. Your customer doesn’t care if your delivery truck was late if your guest speaker for the evening cancelled, or if an assistant manager called in sick. Your customer’s experience needs to be as seamless as possible, whether you are experiencing a perfect day or not. It’s key that your employees understand this, too. Because of their training, your staff should know that they have the freedom to take care of customers and not be criticized for taking time from stocking shelves or other routine business to go the extra mile. They need to know that they have the freedom and support from you and the managers to exercise some discernment about how to best help everyone who comes through your door.

Approach and be Approachable

Always acknowledge every customer with a warm smile and a “hello” as they come into your store. But be sincere—people can see through phony interactions, even if they appear to go along with them. Truly be ready to help, not just to make a one-time sale. I think that cultivating an attitude of service is essential in every endeavor, especially in health food retail.

One way to do this is to help your staff play to their interests and strengths. While being a generalist about natural health is a must for every employee, it is also common for each person to have their own areas of expertise. That can easily work to your customers’—and your store’s— benefit.

For example, if you have a knowledgeable staff member who believes in the benefits of protein powders and eagerly tries the varieties you carry (and can recommend them), they are exactly the person to take on customer questions about flavor, amino acid content, and whether concentrate or isolate forms are the best option.

Likewise, if someone on your staff is a superstar when it comes to adaptogens and energy, enlist them to help plan a special event that features a guest speaker and a variety of the products you carry. He or she can be on hand to chat with customers who might otherwise leave the store rather than wait to have a question answered by your guest speaker. It’s just another way to deepen personal connections.

Develop and Host a Wide Variety of Special Events

Hosting special events is a great way of seeing what your customers are really interested in. You can promote the science behind the supplements with expert educators—some of whom may be on your own staff. It is a great way to generate interest and literally support the health of your community, too. Consider partnering with aligned local businesses; think about the synergy behind bringing in a local veterinarian who practices holistic care for a presentation and some of the same natural foods and pet-centered supplements you have in store. Be mindful of being a good host by ensuring that your visitors have ample seating, printouts of the presentation, and time for questions-and-answers afterward. This encourages the open discussions that keep people in the store and guarantees their return. And it gives you and your staff a great opportunity to get to know each of your customers better.

Read, Study and Train on New Products and the Latest Health News

Keeping tabs on what is happening in the world of clinical studies, new herbal for mulations, and the latest diet and lifestyle science can help you and your staff have a lot to draw from when talking to customers.

Keep a List

And if your store offers a savings discount to returning customers, like a “buy 10 and get one free” program, you can always ask for their email—strictly voluntary, of course, to keep them informed of special events, new products or seasonal offers.

Encourage Browsing and Lingering

As you’ve established your business, you probably know by now that it isn’t just a shopping destination, it’s a social destination. And that’s absolutely as it should be.

If your store is busy, and it seems like people simply want to browse for a while, that’s good news. Encourage it and welcome it. Because the more popular your store is as a destination, the more sales you’ll see.

The times when customers linger is an invitation to get to know them better. You don’t have to be heavy-handed about this: let them browse and enjoy the space, but also let them know that you can help them and answer questions.

Have Passion

The passion you have in your work carries through in the enthusiasm that you pass along to your customers. It’s something that you notice anytime you meet someone who truly loves what they do, and the feeling is contagious. If there’s a “vibe” to your store, let it be a passion and care for others. This is a sure way to develop a genuine, sincere and deeper connection to your customers.

Listen to Your Customers

Your customers aren’t just coming into your store to buy supplements or specialty items. They want to live a healthy, vibrant life and to address serious needs that they feel can’t be met by anyone else. Part of your vision with your store is to be the resource your customers are looking for. Train your brain to remember key facts and interests about every customer. It helps you make a more personal connection, and encourages your staff to spend time forging relationships with the people who shop there.

Put the Product in Your Customer’s Hands

Whenever possible, walk your customer to the item they’re asking about and place it in their hands. It’s one of the best ways to engage them and discover whether or not they need anything else, and establish a relationship with someone who is new to your store.

Be Willing to NOT Sell Something

Whether or not you ring up a sale at the register, you are always selling the most important thing to your customers—your trust. Ensure that they have a positive experience, and they’ll be back.

Be Responsive Online

There’s no getting around the existence of the internet, even when you have a retail space. Consider it an extension of your business, and another forum to connect with customers. After all, even some of your most loyal shoppers are going to order products online, so it might as well be from you. Create a rewards program for your customers that they can apply either in-store or for special online promotions. Connect with them often—but not too often—via an email newsletter that announces store specials, guest speakers and other traffic-driving events.

If you’re fortunate enough to have team members who are versed in website design or social media, see if they’d like to expand their role to cover that aspect of the business. But be responsive—don’t let posts get old online, and be ready to address customer questions and field a lot of concerns that range from organic food to environmental issues to fair trade practice.

Many of you probably already have put these similar ideas into practice. But I think that during a time of increased online competition and fickle loyalty, putting a spotlight on developing deeper relationships with each customer will yield incredible results. VR

A highly regarded leader in the natural products industry, Terry Lemerond is founder and president of EuroPharma, Inc. He also founded Enzymatic Therapy, Inc. and PhytoPharmica, Inc. and is currently co-owner of the Terry Naturally Health Food Store in Green Bay, WI, which recently won its sixth consecutive consumer choice award as “Best of the Bay.” With more than 40 years in the natural products industry, Lemerond has researched and developed more than 400 nutritional and botanical formulations that continue to be top-selling products in the market. Lemerond shares his wealth of experience and knowledge in health and nutrition through his educational programs, including the Terry Talks Nutrition website, newsletters, podcasts, webinars and personal speaking engagements. He is the author of two books: Seven Keys to Vibrant Health and the recently updated Seven Keys to Unlimited Personal Achievement.

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