Lesson Plans
Boost sales by educating customers on your product.
Opinions expressed by Â鶹Éç contributors are their own.
When Mary Cassinelli moved her herbal products shop, , to its current Seattle location, she waslooking for a way to attract customers. Remembering that theseminars she held at her previous location always resulted inincreased sales, she ramped up her “edu-selling”efforts.
“We’ll reach more than 200 students this year,”says Cassinelli, 38.
Incorporating educational components like seminars,instructional videos, hand-outs and books into your retail shop isa great way to earn customers’ trust–and the increasedspending that comes with it, says Tom Shay, president of , aretail consulting firm in St. Petersburg, Florida. His tips:
- Start promoting seminars and classes at least amonth in advance. Use in-store signage, postcards and localadvertising.
- Keep customers in the know with demos, samplesand tutorials. “If they don’t know how to use whatyou’re selling, they’re not coming back,” saysShay.
- Get cash from the manufacturer. Shay saysmanufacturers are often eager to pitch in for programs that promotetheir products.
When Mary Cassinelli moved her herbal products shop, , to its current Seattle location, she waslooking for a way to attract customers. Remembering that theseminars she held at her previous location always resulted inincreased sales, she ramped up her “edu-selling”efforts.
“We’ll reach more than 200 students this year,”says Cassinelli, 38.
Incorporating educational components like seminars,instructional videos, hand-outs and books into your retail shop isa great way to earn customers’ trust–and the increasedspending that comes with it, says Tom Shay, president of , aretail consulting firm in St. Petersburg, Florida. His tips:
- Start promoting seminars and classes at least amonth in advance. Use in-store signage, postcards and localadvertising.
- Keep customers in the know with demos, samplesand tutorials. “If they don’t know how to use whatyou’re selling, they’re not coming back,” saysShay.
- Get cash from the manufacturer. Shay saysmanufacturers are often eager to pitch in for programs that promotetheir products.
