Beating the competition

EATTNO your competition is best begun before they entcr your market. Swing into action as soon as you hear a new, aggressive owner is taking over an established stote or that onc of the biggics is looking for a nearby site.

The first step, consultant Joe Samulin advised in one of his store management and aggressive marketing workshops, is to analyze your market and your operation. Ask yourself the hard questions. What are we? Where ate we headed? What do we want to be? Whom do we appeal to in our market? Whatcan we dothat we are notdoing to achieve our goals? Be tough. Set your goal to become so successful and so profitable that the competition will hesitale to enter your market.

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Stratcglca for dolng cvcrythlng bcttcr than your compctltor. tcchnlqucs to guarantcccugtomcrsatlsfactlon. waysto attract ncw cu3tomcrs, kcop old one3.

The second step recornmended by Samulin involves your customers. He suggests developing a questionnaire and distributing it to them with a stamped, self addressed enve- lopc for returning it. Don't ask them to identify themsclves, but request sex and age.

Ask customerc to rate the store on a scale of I to l0 on cleanlincss, assortments, displays, ease of finding merchandise. Then ask them to apply the same ratings to your personnel, ranking them on courtesy, helpfulness, appearancc, attitude and product knowledge. Next, ask about advertising. Does it attract attention? Are advertised prices attractive? Are the advertised items displayed prominently in thestore, in plentiful supply, easy to locate? Dothey make other purchases when they come in for advertised specials? Finally, ask if you inventory what they want to buy and what else they would like for you to carry.

Prime the customer's acceptance of the questionnaire and encourage him to return it by including as a thank you a coupon for l0% offon his next purchase or a small gift such as lightbulbs.

If the competition is firmly in place, keeping ahead of it means learning from its successes and failures, business communicators Jacqueline Dunckel and Brian Taylor recommend. They suggest analyzing the competition to learn what it is doing right and wrong. Develop a profile of the competing store with these questions: How long have they been in business? What is their reputation for product/ service? What are they doing that we don'tdo? Is it attracting fhld Party KIln Monltorlng ln oddltlon to U. L. fol I ovr-up se rvl ce

Hoover Troatod Wood Products announces that a NATIONAL EVALUATION REPORIT (NER-4571 has bean issued by the National Evaluation Service of the Council of American Building Officlale to confirm that PYRO-GUARD Fire Retardant Treated Lumber and Plywood meets requirements of the BOCA, UBC, and SBCCI model building codes.

FRf labor and malerials replacemen] cos] warron]rl

Code Complionce Repori wlth evoluallon of elevaled tomperotu re slnength ]etttng for roof appllcatlons

Hlgh temperoture ttrength ]est resuhs

PYRO-GUARD has a degradation-free track record, a SO-year projected useful life, and is the FIBSI Fire Retardant Treated Wood with: T T T I I

New York Stote Smoke loxlclty test results

' NER reports are subject to re-examination, revisions and possible closing of file.

For Tcehnlccl Infermctlen Cqll l.800.TEc-wooD more customers for them? If we are both doing the same thing, how can we do it better?

Shop your competition to find out if they really have lower prices, better service, more complete inventory and a more attractive facility. Customers often perceive a store as what it says it is, not whpt it really is. If you tell the public something, such as "we have the lowest prices," often enough, they'll begin to believe it.

When you know what your customers think of you and how you stack up to your competition, take action. Cutting prices is rarely the answer, but creating the image of being a value added store is. Decide what you do better than your competition and let the public know. Advertise your friendly service, quality products, complete inventory, money back guarantee, free estimates, reasonable delivery, free paint matching, free computer design, special orders, custom service, installation, credit, clinics-whatever sets you apart from your competitor.

HoW's Our Service?

Are telephones answered courteously? Is the information correct? Is the voiee friendly? Can you understand the name of the company or is it said too quiekly?

Are customers approached wilh vitality, inlerest and enthusiasm, but without aggressive behavior?

Are customers allowed privacy to make decisions, explore possibilities, and qonfer with companions?

Are customor complaifts and inquiries received in a rcpectful, agreeable manner and acted upon promptly and efficiently?

Are business faqilities well maintained?

Doesthestaffpay attention to good grooming, decorum, and personal image? Docs thoir persirnal image reflect the company image?

Do staff provide extra time and attention to nakc every customer feel epocial and important to the bugincse?

fue paoducts ehecked to make sure they are in proper working order and as specified?

Is tiore follow-up toensure lhe cuetomer is satisfied? le therefollow-uptomake sure the customerrelurns?

Adaptcdfraw Xceptng Cuttoar,cn Happy by Jacquekne Dunckcl & Brlan Taylor, publtshcd by Inernational Sclf-Counscl Prcsc, 1990, reprlntcd courtcsy of pablishcr-cditor.

Involve all employees. Without them your plan will frzzle. T'hey must understand the reasoning behind your decision to add a new service or institute new policies. Their cooperation and dedication are essential to the effort.

Advertising is not the only way to bring people into your store. Gregrey J. Harris, a marketing specialist and author of Talk is Cheap, suggests giving customers a card to sign and give to a friend entitling the holder to a free gift or discount. In addition to bringing new customers, this will create valuable word of mouth advertising, he points out. Using information available from public records to make special mailings inviting newcomers or new homeowners to come into the store for a gift or discount also works. The old standby freebies of painter's caps, nail aprons, carpenters pencils, yardsticks or rules, calendars, small plants and trees never go out of style.

Summed up, it's possible to beat the competition by creating a favorable image for your store or developing a special niche market.