What Is Your Dealership Saying to Your Customer?

When was the last time you spent time analyzing how the outside and inside of your store looks?

Many dealers spend a great deal of time on this. Many more, however, don’t give it a second thought. But if you want to make a positive first impression to your customers and keep them coming back, then you’ve got to realize that how your store looks says a lot about who you are and what you care about. And your customers are noticing.

If your dealership needs some sprucing up (inside or out), try using these tips…

The Outside

One of the worst things an outdoor power equipment retailer can do is to neglect the outside of their store, especially the lawn. After all, you’re selling lawn maintenance equipment. You need to spend time keeping your lawn looking inviting. Unkempt lawns send a very negative signal to current and prospective customers.

Make sure the grass is cut once per week during the growing season.
Create flower beds to add color and visual interest to the outside of your store. If you focus on planting perennials you’ll only have to make the investment once, as they’ll grow back each year.
Lay down a thick layer of mulch to keep your beds tidy and moist all summer long.
Make sure your dealership’s windows, and all signage, is spotless.
Sweep the parking lot weekly, and make sure that all trash is picked up on a daily basis.

The Inside

Once you’ve got the outside spruced up, it’s time to focus on the inside of your store.

Make sure that your shelves are dust-free. Customers don’t want to buy product they even suspect might be “old”, so make sure everything is kept dust-free.
Many dealerships, especially ones located in older buildings, have terrible lighting. Customers want a store that’s bright, open and welcoming. If your store is dim, then make it your top priority to add additional lighting.
Head over to Home Depot and take a close look at how they have their equipment displayed. Customers today are very savvy; well-put together displays sell far more than product that’s just jumbled or stacked on a shelf. Try to make your store look as “professional” as the chain stores.

The Checkout

You can also impress your customers as they’re walking out the door by having high quality OPE point of sale software. Quality software is not only convenient for your customers (since they get out the door faster), but it also allows you to track vital data like buying trends, lost sales, and your customers’ contact information.

Your dealership is constantly sending subtle messages to your customers. Invest the time in making sure that those messages are the right ones so that your customers keep coming back.

outdoor power equipment software, Store Operations | July 6, 2010 1:03 pm