Watch customers as they enter and shop your shop

I love to watch customers in a newsagency, from when they enter the shop to where they go and, more important where they look. I watch their heads to see what they notice, where they turn. I learn plenty from being a voyeur.

In one newsagency I was working with recently shoppers tended to enter and look down at the flat stack of magazines. This was a surprise to the owners since they focused their attention on the top pockets of their magazine fixture. Magazine sales were consistently below the industry average.  Changing their focus to building from the flat up drove an immediate sales lift – all because we followed where the customers were looking. While this is not the only reason for below average magazine sales, it was a factor, one to address.

Watching where your customers look and taking note of what draws their attention can be instructive. Major retailers do with the technology tools. We in small business need to live with personal observation. And that’s my marketing tip today – watch your customers, learn what they notice. Do more of that.

How’s this a marketing tip? Tune your business more to what interests your existing customers and you will sell more.