BrainTrust Query: Building 'Braggable' Stores
Through a special arrangement, presented here for discussion is a summary of a current article from Retail Contrarian, the blog of the Dynamic Experiences Group.
Excessive self-importance turns me off, but I like to hear people share their pride in their accomplishments. Hearing people cross that line when they're bragging about the company they work for or the stores where they shop is music to my ears. There is no better advertisement, or more effective recruiting method, than a bragging customer and/or employee.
When someone is bragging about your store(s) you can be sure you're doing a lot of things right. As a matter of fact, getting the people who work for you or shop with you to want to brag about you requre the same actions. Here are five elements that contribute to your store's "braggability."
- Making an emotional connection. It's not "a" store, it's "my" store. When your employees and customers feel that connected, it's easy for them to extend your mission and experience beyond the store.
- Surprise and delight. Never underestimate the impact unexpected small gestures make on customers and employees alike.
- Consistently exceeding people's expectations. Things like anticipating needs, simplifying work and shopping, and remaining focused on delivering the best possible work and shopping experience are vital to creating bragging moments.
- Don't disappoint them. It sometimes happens that people's expectations are higher than you can or are willing to meet but, more often than not, dissapointment results when you take your eye off the customer or employee experience.
- Regular communication. It's your job to keep reminding your customers and your employees why you're braggable. Remind customers with newsletters, social media, cards and calls. When done well, that results in even more bragging. For employees, communication is an essential part of keeping connected and reminding them what's so special about the store/company they work for.