Fall is here which means the holidays are right around the corner. Let’s face it, it has been a very tough year for retailers. As we head into this unusual and critical time, there are many steps retailers can take to not only survive; but actually thrive this holiday season. Below we had a Q & A with Michele Doty, Sales Director with French Kande jewelry to get her advice on ways retailers can really get the most out of this very crucial season. Michele has 25+ years in sales and sales management/training and has overseen the dramatic growth of French Kande’s wholesale sales division including the opening of their new Dallas Market Showroom!
What is your number one suggestion for retailers to solidify and increase sales this season?
The simple answer is open your doors both physically and virtually - as wide as possible - because then the possibilities are endless!
PHYSICALLY
Let’s start with your physical store! The one thing that will never change is the value a retail store brings to their community! Let’s face it, you open your doors to make money; however, a local store is not just a place to buy pretty things. Retailers provide a sense of community and familiarity that people are truly craving these days! Your loyal customers love you! And they want to help you! Statistically 80% of your business is from 20% of your customers! So open up your rolodex and start calling, texting, and emailing your valued customers. Even in the digital world we live in, people want to shop with people we know, like, and trust. These are your MVP’s this holiday season! USE them!
● CALL THEM - Split your customer list amongst your sales team so they each have their own list of customers to call and text weekly. Make it personal - ask how they are, let them know you have been thinking about them, and let them know their favorite brand’s newest arrivals just came in! Text pictures of new arrivals before they hit the sales floor. Our French Kande retailers will ask for product shots so they can presell it before it hits the sales floor!
● ASK THEM - To refer friends and family! The bigger your rolodex is, the more opportunity for sales! Make sure they are following you on all your social platforms and ask them to like and share! ABN - ALWAYS BE NETWORKING!
● SEND THEM - Curated boxes! You know what they love and they trust your judgement as their stylist and personal shopper - and who doesn’t love a mystery box full of their favorite things!!
● OFFER THEM - Exclusive private shopping events! Everyone is looking for ways to get out of the house in a safe environment and people love to feel special. These private events have kept some of our retailers afloat during much of the pandemic!
● HELP THEM CREATE - Wish Lists - for themselves and gifts. Get email and phone numbers for husbands, boyfriends, parents, kids and start planting the seeds for holiday gifts now!
Ok, so retailers dig deep into their customer base to get them into the store. What can they do to elevate sales while providing a safe environment for their customers once they get them in the store.
Greeter - Have a greeter at the front of the store with masks and sanitizer. Let them know how happy you are to see them - it is a nice welcome and shows you are taking precautions - especially as things get busier closer to the holidays.
Create a social distance line to the register - Map this out for your customers in a way that is safe for them and advantageous for you. Be sure you have the “impulse buys” surrounding the line to help with upselling - candles, lotions, masks, etc! Go to any Home Goods and you will know what I mean! While waiting to check out you are literally surrounded by last minute shopping items/total impulse buys. This will all add up to extra $!
Events - It’s no secret that special events like trunk shows help bring in shoppers! Make them fun! One of the boutiques near me had her husband build a bar in the back of the store. She has an event every Wednesday and decorates the bar to sync with her theme for that event (beach bar-beach wear, cocktail bar-dresses, sports bar-football season, etc).
This leads us to our next question. How does a brick and mortar store transition into a full-on digital store to capture more sales?
VIRTUALLY
A virtual platform will be extremely important this holiday season and ultimately from now on! Setting your store up on e-commerce and branding/selling on social sites will take you from a local brick and mortar store to a full-on, skies the limit business where you can reach people on a national level! The most important thing to remember as you enter into a cyber business is to remember to add HUMAN into your image/brand without actual human contact.
● E-COMMERCE - This is imperative as you move into the digital world of retail. There are a few great sites to consider if you are not ready to launch your own website yet:
https://www.shoptiques.com
https://www.shopify.com
● SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES - This is a biggie and can really make a difference this holiday season! At French Kande we learned early in the pandemic the value of Facebook Live! When things came to a halt in April we wanted to find a way to touch our customers and our community and spread much needed joy and honestly, find some in return. It has become a sweet way to share recipes, wedding stories, and life events all while wearing gorgeous jewelry.
● FACEBOOK/INSTAGRAM LIVES - This is one of the best ways to stay in touch with not only your regular customers; but to meet new ones from all over AND increase your sales because you increase your audience from your local base to a national platform!
● I suggest doing a Facebook/Instagram Lives once a week. Get creative and make it fun! This is your brand and your personality!! You are inviting all of your followers into your store! Some ideas I love are:
○ What are you wearing Wednesdays
○ Fashion Friday
○ Fabulous on Friday
○ Wine Wednesday
○ Thirsty Thursday
○ Look of the Week
○ Outfits of the Day
You can also plan Live events on special days such as black Friday, cyber Monday, margarita Monday, highlight a different brand each week, a different style each week, etc.
Not comfortable in front of the camera? You’re not alone, but do not leave this very important selling stage to your younger staff. It’s ok to have someone with you during the LIVE, but YOU need to be on them. Your customers love YOU, they want to see YOU, they like to buy from YOU! Melissa, owner of LA East in Charlotte, SC shared this. “When Covid shut the store down, I could not get together with my model so I had to become the model. I received so much positive feedback from my customers about seeing the product on a real woman. I realized I was really missing the boat all this time.” If you are not comfortable being in front of the camera, practice! Kelly, owner of Trends and Traditions in San Marcos, TX shared, “I was not at all comfortable in front of the camera, so my number one tip is to practice a few times by making a video and watching yourself. It is ok not to be perfect, these are not professional grade videos, but just another way to bring customers into our store, hang out and see all we have to offer. During my first live event one of my staff walked in front of the camera with a drink in her hand-I learned quickly to just roll with it.”
It was Kelly, unbeknownst to her, who showed me the power a LIVE event can have in generating spontaneous purchases. Case in point - I was scrolling through FB while waiting for my husband and stumbled upon one of Kelly’s Live events. The product they were showing was a creme duster. I went to the comments section and typed sold and my size and within a minute I had purchased the duster. I wasn’t even shopping, I was just scrolling through FB. And do not forget that if someone is not watching FB when it is LIVE, the video stays on your feed so people can watch it later. I had a store tell me that she had a great first LIVE and sold quite a bit; but to make it better, she woke up to a bunch of sales the next morning!
It is obvious that selling virtually will be imperative. Do you have any other suggestions to make these events even more successful?
Yes! There are a few platforms that can be used to help increase sales and make the LIVE events that much better. The one I LOVE and highly recommend is StreamYard. StreamYard is a live streaming studio in your browser where you can interview guests, share your screen, and much more. Stream directly to Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and other platforms. This will allow you to have “guests” join your LIVE events. For example, I joined a French Kande LIVE event that one of our retailers was having. They sent me a link to join and there I was, on their FB LIVE event with them - right from my home office. It is a great way to interact with your vendors and have them help you sell their products!
https://streamyard.com/broadcasts
Another platform to help with sales on social sites is COMMENTS SOLD. This will enable you to convert social media comments into actual sales automatically invoicing shoppers. There is a fee with this; but it takes a lot of the back end work away!
https://try.commentsold.com
Another tip: Get a ring light. It does not have to be expensive. I use:
https://www.amazon.com/UBeesize-Ringlight-YouTube-Photography-Compatible/dp/B07GDC39Y2/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=ring+light&qid=1601915509&sr=8-4
Do you have suggestions on increasing audiences on social platforms?
I am so happy you asked!
● For every person that walks through the door ask if they are following you on social media. If not, have them follow you right there, that moment. If they do, offer them a coupon for 10% off their next visit. Now you have a viable customer, who already shops with you following your social channels AND they will come back with their coupon.
● Remember the above advice to USE your best customers? Ask them to share your page with everyone they know. Pick 5 of your best customers and make them ambassadors for the store. Give them a gift or a discount for their efforts (think LuluLemon ambassadors!)
● Host a “like, tag, share” contest on your platforms to increase viewership.
Michele, thank you for these great tips. Do you have any more advice to share to help retailers regain what was lost due to Covid?
My biggest tip is to keep hustling! There is business to be had this holiday season! Relook at the way you have been doing business and take advantage of all the new avenues to increase revenue. Decide what platforms work for you and then start creating content! Your audience will go from what’s right outside your door to virtually unending opportunities. Spread your wings and soar and have a happy holiday season!
ABOUT FRENCH KANDE JEWELRY
French Kande blends French vintage medallions and found objects uncovered during designer Kande Hall’s travels throughout France. Strung on pearls, semi-precious stones and chains, French Kande is characterized by a bold, yet feminine style that has captured the hearts of women around the world. French Kande is designed and hand-crafted in the designer’s studio in Los Angeles, California.
Website: https://www.frenchkande.com/