You sense it as you walk through the door of your favorite store or restaurant. You feel both comfortable and excited to be there. And just being there puts you in a better mood.
Have you ever wondered what creates that extraordinary and wonderful feeling that keeps you coming back again and again?
It isn’t a coincidence that you feel the way you do at your favorite retail or eating establishments. It’s planned. It’s prepared. It’s practiced. And it’s purposely integrated into the identity of the business.
“It” is the Fun Factor and you can choose to have it in your store also. All it takes is deciding to create a better experience for your customers through employee training. And the results are amazing.
What exactly is the Fun Factor?
When I ask my seminar audiences to define the Fun Factor, I often hear over-the-top terms such as joking, laughing a lot, and silliness. But the Fun Factor is quite the opposite of silliness. In order for your store to reap the benefit of the Fun Factor, there must always be a thread of professionalism and competency running throughout the Fun Factor.
How do you implement the Fun Factor into your store?
Start with these three easy activities:
- Notice the restaurants you visit. Restaurants are notorious for applying the Fun Factor. The successful establishments train their staff to immediately greet customers, and maintain a positive attitude no matter what the situation. Always keep notes on what you observed – and present these in your next office meeting.
- Also start noticing retail establishments that use the Fun Factor. Oddly, very few retail stores implement the Fun Factor. However, those that practice the Fun Factor often do very well. Two companies that come to mind immediately are The Apple Store and Cheesecake Factory – which both use the professional Fun Factor effectively. Once again, observe their employees’ behavior and report back to your store.
- Now look at your jewelry store. How do you compare to the Fun companies? Are your customers treated with a positive attitude from your staff? Do customers leave your store with a great feeling? Do they look forward to coming back?
Let your staff know that you want to be known as the jewelry store with the ultimate Fun Factor – then practice how to greet and treat customers in your weekly store meetings. Implementing training and role-playing prepares you and your sales people for the next level of customer service.
The next time a customer walks through your door, they will experience the professional Fun Factor and you will experience returning customers and increased sales!
Ivan Levi is celebrating his 26th year in the jewelry industry. He is president of Ivan Alan jewels® and Ivan Alan SolutionsTM. His sales training seminars are heard throughout the country at trade shows and at in-store meetings. To contact Ivan for seminar information, call 800-235-1918.
