by Pami Bhullar Greetings and Happy New Year, friends. Over 25 years’ tradition of New Year’s resolutions is something I will not break, and it continues to be consistent with the new chapter in my professional life at The Dixie Group (TDG). Sharing resolutions is an expectation from most of you, so I will not disappoint you.
Following are my resolutions for retail professionals in 2024—independent of TDG.
- Front load your sales/marketing efforts and projects. Being an election year (in so many countries), 2024 has three productive quarters. Advertising and social media will be expensive in the last few months before the election. Plan to conduct more promotions, direct mail events and clean up pipelines of current customers in the first three quarters. The possibility of media noise, distractions, negativity and confusion increases as we come closer to the election.
- Turn the ordinary into extraordinary. Employ what I call the “Power of 1,” which essentially means doing just a little extra to make the ordinary extraordinary. That could be one more thing, one more call, one more minute, one more customer, one more presentation, etc.—you get the idea. Remember, 100% of the things that you don’t do will not work.
- Go back to basics. The last three years have been anything but normal. We are all longing for a new normal, which is another way of saying let’s go back to basics. Look for ways to simplify buying and selling—that is what we all want. Make your presentations and processes as seamless as possible.
- Use technology in selling. Consumers are increasingly utilizing technology (i.e., social media, internet research, etc.) to get more information on companies to do business with. Is your website reflective of your products, values and story? If you do not have a story to tell, all you have is a price to sell. If you can facilitate purchases so your customers can visualize your products (i.e., room visualizers) in the comfort of their homes, rather than making five trips, they can decide in one trip. If you can send samples to their home or measure before they have to come to your showroom, you increase the likelihood of your success tenfold. Learn new ways to connect and build trust with your pre-sale communication.
- Emphasize quality over quantity. We always knew it, but the meaning of “life is short” has taken on a whole new meaning in the past three years. We all want quality materials, craftsmanship and an enjoyable shopping experience. We all want to buy the best we can afford. Are you starting at the best? Here’s an example: If you do not have a $20 sq. ft. product in your showroom, you will never sell it. If you have it but never show it, you will never sell it. If you have it, show it but do not believe in it or know what benefits and value it creates for the customer, you will never sell it. Reduce clutter at the bottom while improving the top.
- Focus on ‘real’ growth. Everyone is trying to reach out to more customers. Real growth is serving the customers you currently have so they might buy better products and services from you. You may find they are not only willing to pay you more but are also willing to promote you and become your ambassadors.
- Leave no stone unturned. The New Year marks a second chance or an opportunity to improve what you always wanted to but did not get around to. Make a list of the top three to five things that you would have—or could have—done better. Pick the one that will create the most value for you, your family, your company, your world and focus on it. Write a clear description of it and put it on your work desk, by the bedside, on the mirror in the bathroom and practice it for 30 days.
- Make 12 improvements over 12 months. Aristotle said: “We are what we repeatedly do; therefore, excellence is not an act but a habit.” Three simple words: repeat, improve and excel. It could be a word, a technique, a tool or a process that you want to improve. Start on the first of each month and make a sincere effort for 30 days. The sum total of all the little improvements makes a huge difference. Anything we do can be done better.
- Double down on positivity, please. Start your day by inducing a positive thought of the day. Dalai Lama said: “Just one small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day.” Do not get out of bed unless you have a positive thought. Try this: “My customers are going to love me. I am going to make that sale. I work with some amazing people. I am going to smile no matter what. I am going to focus on situations, not people. I am not going to worry who gets the credit, I am just going to do it.”
- Make a lasting ‘last’ impression. People always ask me what impression is more important—the first or last. If I had to choose only one, I will always pick the last impression. Here is why: If my first impression is not good, I have 5-10 minutes or half an hour to recover. But if my last impression is bad, the customer is already gone. I cannot say, “Mrs. Jones, can you please come back, pretend we never met and let us start all over again.”
Bonus: Build and nurture a respectful, trustworthy relationship with your suppliers’ representatives. Your reps can move mountains to make things happen for you. They are focused on your success because their success depends upon yours.
Feel free to share these resolutions with others (flooring or other retail pros) to make a difference in their lives. I appreciate your love, friendship and critique to make me a better person every day; that’s my personal 2024 resolution. Let’s all do our part to make this world, and the flooring industry, even better.
Pami Bhullar is VP of business development at The Dixie Group. He has been providing retailers with helpful insights for more than 40 years.
