Ep 17 - Walk Your Local Small Business Thru Your Customer's Eyes

Episode 17 – The Local Small Business Coach Podcast Today We Discuss: Walk Your Local Small Business Thru Your Customer's Eyes   In today's episode: We discuss why it is critical that you walk your business through your customer's eyes. You will be amazed at what you are telling your customers at any given moment.   Shownotes: I was reminded of this critical step in the daily routine of any small business owner.  One that is often overlooked and it can be very damaging to your businesses sales and profits.  I knew at that moment that we needed to take some time to discuss it. I decided to have lunch at a local fast food joint and when I got out of my truck, the first thing I saw was a trash can that was over flowing with old wrappers and soda cups. The ground littered with this trash. At the front door was another trash can that was also overflowing and a stack of gross trays with ketchup oozing out the sides. Since I was planning on dining in, my first thought was, I sure hope the tables look better than the trash cans.  Later I would realize I was out of luck. Tables were littered with trash, crumbs and drink stains. By the way, the tables weren't alone, the chairs and floor looked like a bomb when off. Just like those confetti cannons. You've all experienced this before. You know, where you go table to table hoping one will be semi clean so you can sit down. This is a huge pet peeve of mine. Nothing screams I don't care about you as a customer more than this. It tells your customers that I don't care that you sit and eat in crud. It tells them that if I don't care about my lobby, I probably don't care about keeping my back line clean either and odds are my food prep areas.  It screams, I don't care about you the customer.   When I had my place, I was a fanatic about this. Even in busy times, I knew it was critical to send the right message to my customers that I cared about the environment they and their children ate in. But, please know, this conversation isn't just about dining room lobbys. It is much greater than that. A business lesson I learned at an early age was to walk each 8 ft section of my business through the eyes of a customer.  What do they see? Is the product fresh? Is it signed well? Does it answer the questions someone might have? Is it faced and cleaned?  Or are there torn packages, an inch of dust, no signs and no rhyme or reason to the placement of the product? Are the shelves blocked by freight?  You get the idea. Basically, what is the customer experience? I want you to think about when you go personally go shopping or when you visit businesses with your family.  Let's assume there are no employees and the business had to stand on it's own. What do you find that frustrates you?   ** For the full show notes click the link below!   HELPFUL LINKS Podcast Website: LocalSmallBusinessCoach.com Leave your Message on the website with the Speak Pipe Button or just email me at [email protected] Episode Show Notes:  Episode 17 - Local Small Business Coach Podcast Our Training Materials for Local Small Business Owners:  TrainingforLocalSmallBusinessOwners.com Starting a Local Small Business Website:  StartALocalSmallBusiness.com