There is always fresh cheese in the mousetrap

Communications Consultant Paul Allen, Managing Director of Public Relations firm Paul Allen & Associates, gives advice on how to stay ahead in the Covid-19 Recovery.

Now that our upside-down world is beginning to slowly right itself, it is a good time to reflect on what we have been through in the last few months. When we look back at the inconceivable challenges we have faced in the business and retail world, we see that we never really knew what the word ‘impossible’ meant.

At Paul Allen & Associates, we have an often repeated saying; ‘’if we are faced with an obstacle, we either go around it, over it, under it, or straight through it.’’ It is essential now that the sector ups its game. Go out and
embrace the new marketplace. We all have to work harder,but smarter to capture the attention of the public.

If I can share one example, the recently launched Kilkenny Design ‘Rise Up’ campaign, which sees businesses from all sectors rise up,capture attention and engage proactively with their audience. Now is the time to examine every aspect of your business and how it interacts with its customers. The key question; ‘’Can you do more?’’ and as former USA President Barrack Obama said, “Is feidir linn” (Yes, we can)’’

Simple things really do work. Within your own team, someone must be good at social media. They should start, with your oversight and encouragement, setting up YouTube channels where experienced staff can give weekly demonstrations on handy hints, colour trends, how to solve basic problems and new items that are arriving in. Social media can be daunting for beginners, but we all need to get over the fear of looking silly online to highlight your expertise and knowledge. Let’s face it, you and your team know how things work. It’s time to continually tell people this over and over again.

We also need to look at our stores and ask the killer questions; What does this look like to a new customer? Are items easy to find? Is it a friendly place to be? Are staff on hand to help? In business, we all need to have the mindset that we need to be constantly improving and looking to do things better.

The first priority must be to ensure customers that your store is clean, safe and has strict protocols visibly in place. A happy staff member should be at the door, reassuring and welcoming people in. The simple things make all the difference, e.g. saying to customers ‘’we have some hand sanitiser for you just inside the door’’ while smiling, rather than ‘’you must sanitise your hands immediately.’’ This underpins the values of your business and the respect you have for your staff and new customers.

One strong tip we would recommend this month is that every business avails of the ¤1 million direct mail campaign by An Post. This is free advertising straight to people’s home and is simply and easily done. The initiative is on a first come, first served basis.

Looking back at the last four months, we see that nothing is impossible when impossible means failure. The past four months have been tough, but now is not the time to relax and hope things get back to normal.

We like to look at today’s world as the ‘new temporary’ rather than the ‘new normal’. As we settle back into the new temporary, everything is up for grabs. The only way to get ahead and keep business moving is to embrace the changes Covid-19 has forced on us and make the most of the situation. Certainly, getting back into the business world, it is they who shout loudest get a foothold in their market. Now is not the time to scale back on marketing or communications spend, or to cancel plans to introduce new product lines relating to energy efficiency.

We must be mindful that the world is changing. The next Government may be introducing a major retrofitting scheme, and we must be prepared for this. The new retailer/outlet needs to realise that they need to have greater engagement with the customer, develop novel concepts and try and win over those who want to be thought of and cared for. The unique selling point of many retailers in this sector is knowledge, ‘’information is power’’.

I would hope that you take away from this piece the need to get out there, be bold, interact and win the customer’s confidence. Always remember, you have the secret sauce; the knowledge to help the hard pressed customer to get the right tool for the job.

The businesses that are able to display this knowledge and experience, communicate it to the customer and combine it with good sales craft will help energise their entire business. In the post-Covid world we also need to think about how retail outlets can maintain a sense of friendliness, welcome their customers and make the customer feel safe.

We need to plan for the many days ahead. In doing this, all of us in business need to step up our game, communicate better and strive for excellence in customer service.Prioritising long term engagement with customers of all kinds is vital to success as are stores that illustrate and reinforce good value for money or develop a loyalty programme.

Always remember the early bird catches the worm, but it is the second mouse that gets the cheese.

PAUL ALLEN Paul Allen & Associate

This Business Support article appeared in the July/August 2020 edition of The Hardware Journal