Let’s say you get 50-100 people in your store each day. Just 10% would be 5-10 emails per day, or 150-300 per month. In 6 months you have a list that contains 900-1800 email addresses of people that have been in your store, agreed to get emails and you no longer have to sell to…the have all been “pre-qualified”. In other words, they know you, your store, your products/services.

Keep in mind that 80% of your business comes from 20% of your customers. A good autoresponder will allow you to keep in touch and bring people in your door.

You have 3 options: Get more people in your store, get the people in your store to buy more and get people to come back more often.

SECOND: Put a simple sign in the window about a promotion they receive when they come in and give their email address so they walk into your store. Even if they turn around and leave, you’ve got them in and got their email. Half the battle is now over.

THIRD: Get a website if you don’t already have one. If you do, attach the Aweber or other autoresponder to it. Now you can capture email addresses from your site as well. Again, offer some incentive.

FOURTH: Here’s one to address bad habits; Asking a question that the customer can answer with “yes” or “no”. Never say “can I help you?” That’s the worst…it’s so easy to say “no” to that. Instead, comment on the item they are looking at. Get them to talk about what they like, need, want. Sell them on features and benefits of the item they are considering.

Sales people love when you ask their opinion or ask for their ideas. How about a round table discussion for ideas to bring in new clients/prospects or ask someone that is still producing good numbers to share some insight as to what they are doing. Theywill most likely do it b/c they are in the spotlight (all sales people love that) and at the same time it’s helping you out b/c some of your struggling sales team might get an idea to bring in some new business.

Another idea, if they aren’t busy have a meeting about the “basics”. If they aren’t out winning new business, they need to be fostering relationships that will bring in repeat business. Remind them that the client is the only reason they are there, ask everyone to write 2 hand written notes in the meeting. Pass out blank cards and tell them, one thanking someone for a meeting they’ve gone to within the past week, and another asking someone they’ve met within the past week to meet. It doesn’t have to be a meeting to talk sales, but maybe just to establish a relationship that could bring a sale in the future. It’s all about relationships, drill that into them now, while they can focus on it.

Another idea: talk to your team about putting a new spin on your product/service. Whatever it is you provide, must benefit your client, you must figure out how to benefit the client enough that it out weighs the cost of whatever your service/product is. Sounds like another good round table discussion.

This is the kind of stuff I love, I hope it was helpful/applicable to your team.