First Things First

Making a list of things to attack first in our effort to improve the 'attraction policies' of our business model is easy.  First we will list a few items in the physical category.  After that we will list a few items in the emotional category.

Find your Potholes!

    Then we will ask you to prioritize how to place these efforts into
    action.  First things first!  We need to repair the pot holes...fix the flat
    tires...then we can work on marketing, budgeting, product knowledge
    improvements, promotions, and all of the other very important aspects of running a successful business model.  First things first, however!

Let's Fix The Obvious Breakdowns.

Physical Category:

• Look at the curb appeal of your business model.  Go outside and look at the front, the sides and back of your building!  What needs repairs and improvements?  Check out the paint job.  Make a simple list.  Prioritize the list.  Place the work on a calendar.  Get started!  Assign someone or make it your duty to tackle this project.  Describe to the person you assign how important you have grown to recognize the appearance needs of your business.  Ask them what else they may see that is in need of some help.  Give them the responsibility to oversee this project.  Make sure you find a way to reward their efforts as they tackle the project, piece by piece.
• Make sure your signage is professional, helpful, current and clear.  If it is not healthy, change it.  Be smart, crisp, and professional.  It is alright to include a 'thank you' sign somewhere.  Make it simple and soft.  Look professional.  Be particular.
• As the customer enters your facility or web site is it clean, inviting and safe?  Is the clutter missing?  Good.  Eliminate clutter and confusion.  Open up the entryway.  Make sure it is swept up, cleaned and signed professionally.  Give nice directions to where they may go as they enter.  Give simple and professional directions so each customer knows where to go when they enter.  Do not assume they are clear.  Offer a trash can in the entryway, outside.  Be thoughtful.  You are trying to provide a good experience for them to adopt.
• Do you have seating available for those customers who need to rest?  And if so, is the seating clean and professional?  Is it convenient for them to use or is it tucked away in the back behind the display racks?  Some of the customers bring family members along who do not want to mill around with the ones shopping.  Help them find a comfortable place to rest as they wait for the shoppers to do their shopping.  Do not assume the shopper comes in with exact cross-hairs aimed at their target, expecting them to immediately grab the target and go to the checkout lane.  Many shoppers need time to mill around, browse, and examine many options before they decide what they need or want to buy.  Help make them more comfortable when they come in.  You want them to take their time and stay longer.  They will have a tendency to build a stronger bond to your place of business if they spend more time in your business.  Permit and help them to bond with your business.
• What does your business smell like?  Is it filled with an offensive smell?  Pay attention to these elements.  Make sure your customers senses are being coddled.  This is true about obnoxious noises, music volume, music choices, telephone ringing tones, buzzers, bells and any other elements that effect the senses.  Make an attempt to improve these unnoticed yet silent killers of your 'attraction policies.' 
• If some of these things are too difficult for you to change and improve, you do not have complete control of your business model.  You may need to examine who is actually in charge of your business atmosphere.  It may be a key and influential employee instead of you.  Take a very honest look at this condition.  If your employees prefer raunchy rock music, loud...and you permit it...you are not in control.  You would be surprised at how often someone has hijacked your ideas and desires for honoring great 'attraction policies.'  Who is actually in charge?  You will soon find out when you begin making these kinds of changes.
• How are your business hours arranged?  Do they reflect open times that are working well for your clientele?  Is your business facing a challenge of staffing which is limiting when you open and when you close?  Make sure you are offering the best open times available for your customer flow.  Do not try to be too budget minded on this one.  Most games are won by tiny margins of difference.  A percent more per year in sales may make or break your year!  Be as accommodating as you can afford.
• Have you considered some art or some character exhibits in your business area or building?  Think hard on this one and find a way to compliment your business efforts with some sense of artful continuity.  Get help on this one.  Run a contest or host an event that will add some culture to your business model.  Acquire a piece or item of permanent placement that will represent your efforts in this area.  Set yourself apart as a culturally aware business on at least one subject.  Learn to tie this effort in with what you sell.  This effort can provide you with a wonderful item that will boost your 'attraction policies' hugely.  For example, a farm store could host an annual pumpkin contest and keep a permanent display of pictures as a montage reminder, set in a frame that looks like a pumpkin.  Next to the montage photo display could be a permanent display of seeds for sale that have large growing expectations.  The display could be a year around reminder of the activity and its fun.  Get creative.  You can think of many opportunities for your business.  (Beware...think long and hard prior to introducing an activity...consider that you may never be able to remove it.  Are you prepared to do it forever?  Many of these projects become permanent.  Can you afford to do it year after year?)
• Are wires, cords, poles, blinds, phones, computers, registers, files, cabinets, plants, windows, doors, trims, walls, clocks, appliances, and the like clean, neatly arranged, straight, plumb, working, alive, and pleasantly appeared.  Look around, pay attention to these details.  Make the simple and necessary corrections.  Do not become sloppy in your physical 'attraction policies.'

 Emotional Category:

• Worker awareness.  Is the staff pleasantly able to converse with customers in a friendly fashion?  Are your training programs including this kind of subject?  Do you have a training program?  If not, begin building a program.  Simple is best.  Work on becoming very pleasant to the customers!
• What self-help books are you reading?  Do they include efforts to improve your own people skills?  If not, add a small program to your personal schedule.  Be sincere to that effort.  A great leader is a great reader.  Lead by example on this one.  Do not read over this one and skip the action required!
• Do you have any programs to encourage your staff to take the initiative on improving presentation policies and working to improve their 'attraction policies?'  If not, have your staff work on introducing a simple program that will endure the time of their employment.  Be creative and very permissive to encourage staff direction and development.  Your goal is to have the staff take possession of this type of product.  Your customers will find the atmosphere of your business model welcoming while your business model finds its way through wonderful self-help emotional improvements.
• Invest in tools for the development of your staff.  Find books, videos, CD's, hand-outs and online material sites for offering aids to help develop improved 'attraction policies.'  Develop a regular routine for you to follow-up on slipping this kind of information to your staff on a once-in-a-while basis.  Offer them help, encouragement and added materials to consider in their efforts to develop these skills.
• Remember to reward the development progress of your staff.  Find simple, inexpensive recognition methods to help you award those who find their way down this program path.  Many great ideas are shared on the web about this opportunity.  My current staff likes chocolates!  They also like 'team' earned pizza's.  This kind of process is noteworthy...these rewards are not especially my likeness, but my staff finds them very worthwhile.  Much of the time, the staff reminds me of some group accomplishments worthy of a group pizza!  Although I see their efforts often, it is wonderful that they take possession of the effort.  Permit them to drive this project.  Your customers will feel the difference in your staff's sincere developments.  These kinds of things improve your 'attraction policies.'   

You may come up with many more ideas.  Try them.  The key is to work in the direction of improvement.  No one idea is the perfect best.  The key is to move in and improve.  Your customers will notice the difference.  Your edge will be recognized.  Your competitors will need to improve to keep up.  This is the best compliment you will notice, outside of improved sales!  In review...define the work you need to do, place it on a schedule of work calendar, assign others to lead the way and get started!  See you next time.