Choosing to market in slow times

Written by Melinda Dille Jun 08 2009

Note: This is the first in a series of articles about the value of customer service and marketing in slow times.

Long before my advertising career began, I had a job in retail. Many people look at retail jobs as low paying, demeaning and what you might be reduced to do if you ever lost your “great” job. I, on the other hand, found my retail experience to be rewarding in oh-so-many ways. It was what led to my success in an advertising career, I’m sure of it. My retail days also offered me what most colleges could not, a multi-educational study in math, human behavior and manners.

My retail math education taught me how to run a cash register, make change and count it back to a customer (without a receipt showing me how much to give back). I learned to tally and order merchandise, take inventory and set prices. I also gained an understanding of supply and demand, profit and loss and living within my means.

My human-behavior education taught me to:

• Find out why customers picked my store;

• Focus on the products they wanted;

• Decide how much they would pay for an item; and

• Discover ways to keep them coming back for more.

Many times, I would go to the mall to observe shoppers and see which bags they carried. I asked myself, "Why were they shopping at those particular stores"

My manners education started long before my retail education (thanks mom and dad), and that’s a good thing. Manners go along way in this world. I have worked for some very tough bosses and have had to deal with even tougher customers. I once had a boss who lived by an old saying, for which he added a slight spin: “The customer is always right. NOT! But they are here and they are to be treated right. When that happens, everybody wins.”

For the most part he was correct.