Insight from six retailers on how they tackle marketing and the customer experience.
What’s the number one marketing tool you use for your store?
1. Excellent customer service, a great knowledge base, a very strong online presence with Instagram & Facebook, strong horseshow presence and long-time support of local charities and horse clubs.
-Ellie Scofield, owner of Spectrum Saddle Shop
2. My main tools for promotion are to sponsor rodeo athletes, our local rodeo and Instagram. The reason for this approach is that we are a small community, rural and remote with no radio or TV reception.
-Eric Olsen, owner of Olsen’s Cowboy Shop, Inc
3. Honestly, I think it's engaging authentically with our customers online and in person. Right now I'm touring the southern U.S. holding pop-ups at boutiques that carry Cheekys products and promoting my new book, Backroads Boss Lady. We want every interaction we have with our chicks (as we call our customers) to be positive, friendly, and honest. We are committed to helping rural women, but also all women, feel less alone.
-Jessie Roberts, owner of Cheekys Boutique
4. Being active in posting and engaging my followers/customers in helping pick out products or just even asking what they’re doing this weekend!
-Kaycee Burt, owner of Bossy Brangus Boutique
5. Our Staff!! They are so proud of where they work they love to share Old Tucson with our guest and learn of their experiences for what brought them to Old Tucson for the day. Our staff is very interactive and service oriented with the guest. The average stay for our guest is 4-5 hours so they see them several times in the day.
-Annette Johnson, Director of Revenue, Old Tucson Company
6. I have a mailing list and send out postcards every month, with the specials, “coupon days”, and events that I am participating in.
-Janet Lewis, owner Sunbridge Saddlery
How do you create a great customer experience?
1. We create our Spectrum customer experience by making it personalized, knowledgeable, friendly and knowing when to start and stop selling. We love that our customer knows that when they come back in we will remember them. We will be there to help them whether it is with a purchase or just an ear to listen. They love that we want to hear about their horses, their kids, their farm and more. We are a part of the community!
-Ellie Scofield, owner of Spectrum Saddle Shop
2. Here at Olsen’s Cowboy Shop, we remain dedicated to our trade by keeping a strong work ethic and true Western culture alive with superior product lines in our corner of Wyoming.
-Eric Olsen, owner of Olsen’s Cowboy Shop, Inc.
3. By having strong values around quality and communication, and being ourselves. We don't try to keep up with the Joneses in our industry, and we try to show our life as it really is, warts and all.
-Jessie Roberts, owner of Cheekys Boutique
4. Fast responses, fast shipping, and just keeping your customers happy!
-Kaycee Burt, owner of Bossy Brangus Boutique
5. The personalization of the guest experience. The staff are good to be attentive and anticipate what the guest haven’t thought of yet…might be a show they don’t want to miss, taking bags to the last store for them to pick up at the end of the day, reminding them to drink lots of water to helping them find their way around the Park. All of our staff in all departments are the best ambassadors for Old Tucson as each play and important roll to the guest memories!
-Annette Johnson, Director of Revenue, Old Tucson Company
6. I treat them all like friends, listen to their stories and try to make their visit a personal experience.
-Janet Lewis, owner Sunbridge Saddlery