Archive for the ‘Indepedent retailer’ Category

Words that sell….!

Friday, April 10th, 2009

Your country needs You !

Your country needs You !

The words that you use to communicate to your customers (online, via letters or in conversation across a counter) directly impact your sales. There are certain words that dramatically increase your powers of persuasion and their response.

After a jaunt around my local town I’m convinced more than ever that someone needs to be saying this…. I was really shocked at the levels of customer service on offer, OK, so I know I’m a professional in this area and I’m looking at this aspect and watching for it – but I saw four examples in a time period of just an hour of customers putting stuff back because they got tired of waiting at tills to be served, or they got a dumb answer from an assistant in a shop who didn’t understand what they were asking…. Its painful to watch !

Anyways, here’s some of them to wet your appetite…

YOU – We want to know how we can learn better, improve our health, have a better time, make more money, solve our problems etc, so the more you use the word YOU in your conversations and copy the better it will be for you! (Just a note, do you think that old world war two poster would have worked as well, if it had read “Our country needs us? )

FREE – Don’t we all like to get something for free? People are drawn to an advert offering something for free (especially if its something they want or has a perceived value) But it gets their attention – if you are trying to attract subscribers to your shop newsletter – give them something for free and watch your subscribers go up. Actually, this one always makes me mad, because I like to think of people as being noble and not orientated by free things at all, somehow above it all, but time and time again, I’m proved wrong !

NEW and NOW – People are always talking about the latest thing, there’s a fascination with the latest thing. Its because people always want to know what’s new? If you’re writing some copy for your shop you could start a headline with the word “New….” Even if your product isn’t really very new, you could substitute the word New, with the word Now … “Now available…” or “Now back in stock…” Now is also a pretty cool selling word.

WHO, WHAT, WHICH, WHEN & HOW, These are great headline words when you’re trying to write copy for your shop. When you use these words you answer questions and let people know your information in a clear and concise way.

Just as Bakers have baking tins, fishermen have lines, retailers should have them too, ready to plop out and run for the till… Fizzy words that sell, that positively zing (my favourite current word)

One of a retailers tools in the toolbox, should be words, after all you spend most of the day talking to people… so you should be interested in words that sell? After all, why would you choose to use words that don’t if you have an option – unless you’re unaware that your choice of language is so important.

Why would you agree its expensive when you can say its luxurious, and a real treat ! It could be lush, opulent, lavish, sumptuous, glamorous, distinctive, refined, elegant, intricate, exquisite or rare (among other words – I could go on) or you could just agree with the customer that it’s a bit pricey…?

Words have power, so with the help of your staff (and maybe a dictionary) start compiling a list of words that sell, positive, upbeat, zingy words that can help you convert customers to happy chappy Z reports !

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Words create our world !

Wednesday, April 8th, 2009

Don't go on a rant fest - Get peeved instead !

Don't go on a rant fest - Get peeved instead !

Words are powerful, they enable us to describe our world, how we see it and what we’re looking at, without words we couldn’t have a shared experience. Just think, instead of this word recession we could be calling it a woobleding, or a shizkayump. Would we feel different if we had to read about a wobble in the woobleding each morning, or a shift in the shizkayump? I think we just might

We are lucky in the UK that we have such a rich language, with many layers of description and finesse. But we must be careful because the words we use shape our world…. Literally. We should be careful lest we conform to Lily Tomlin’s view that “man invented language to satisfy his deep need to complain!”

So, taking the process right back to the start, it all begins with thinking. We don’t feel then think. We think then allocate sensations to the thought process, which we then call feelings. So if you consistently tell yourself that you’re tired – you’ll start yawning and you’ll feel tired.

So the key is to stand guard on your vocabulary, I got thinking about this after a recent post on the Springfair trading talk blog. The post was about these tough times we’re in, and while I’m no Ostrich, I think there’s a danger in assigning labels. For instance the word tough, implies difficult, aggressive and unfavourable conditions.

I prefer the term “challenging” which implies something altogether more thought provoking and with some positive connotations. The dictionary describes a challenge as:
1. Calling for full use of one’s abilities or resources in a difficult but stimulating effort:
2. Absorbing; intriguing:

I believe that we would feel different about our situation if faced with a challenging time, rather than a tough time. A challenging time is one where you start to really use your head, you get creative. You look for inspiration. You are thrown down a challenge, whilst you merely suffer a tough time ! Tough implies that its bigger than you, harder than you and you’d best cower away, while challenge implies ingenuity, spirit and smart thinking…

You could argue that this is just semantics, and in a way it is, but words really do create our world – I’ll prove it to you….

Next time you’re really really mad about something, don’t have a rant fest, call in the perspective police and when asked what’s up – say “ I’m really really peeved ! ” You see, even the word is funny, it’s impossible to say this word and still be mad, you have to stop and smile.

When someone asks you how you are today, don’t give our usual British dumb answer of “I’m ok” or “I’m good” or “It hasn’t happened yet” or “still here” “hanging in” or any of that dumbness that’s just a waste of good vowels.

Try (for one day) answering “I’m absolutely brilliant! “ “Fabulous” “Wicked, top of the world – marvellous, magic, any variation of this that suits you in particular…. And tell me you don’t feel better…..! Watch your vocabulary it can literally dictate what kind of a day you’re going to have – words create our world – make sure yours is a fun and zingy one

In fact, here’s my challenge to you today, come up with 10 zingy words that make you smile when you say them, and make sure you use them in conversation with customers…. Try it, go on, it’ll be fun !

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Posted in Challenge, Indepedent retailer, Positive mental attitude, negativity, recession | No Comments »