Impress your customers

Depending on which study you read, you’ll find that you may only have a few seconds to make a first impression on someone. That sure isn’t a lot of time to come up with a carefully crafted greeting and make sure your body language is welcoming so that the person will walk away with a positive opinion of you.

And this isn’t just about interpersonal relationships. It also applies to customers’ first impressions of your store, which begin the moment they see your store from the road (check out the great curb appeal on page 64) and continue to be shaped as they make their way through your store and (hopefully) push their brimming cart through the checkout counter to their car.

“But who has time to worry about first impressions during our busiest time of the year, Karen?” you might ask. And that’s where we can help. Cognizant of the limited time available to you during the most hectic 10 weeks of the year, we’re presenting you with our Spring Survival Guide, a pocket edition of Garden Center filled with quick reads on management, marketing and merchandising tips and tricks to help you keep the store looking great. There’s also plenty of information to keep you sane and healthy when you’re putting in long hours. By making small changes, holding effective meetings, keeping communication open and taking care of yourself and your employees, you’ll be better equipped to handle the chaos and make a better first impression.

Good luck and happy selling!

kvarga@gie.net