Train staff to look good and listen well; first impressions can last a lifetime. Ensure that your gallery makes a good one - advice

A recent nationwide survey said customers make up their minds in the first seven seconds they are in your store whether or not they are going to buy something.

What would be my first impression when I come into your store? Am I greeted and welcomed? Or is everyone too busy to notice I arrived? Are they talking on the phone and to each other instead of to the customers?

Even mass merchandiser Wal-Mart has a grandfatherly looking individual at the entrance smiling, saying hello and welcoming you. They are smiling, glad to see you and immediately offering you a service.

"My staff are my evangelists. I want them to say `hello' to each customer throughout the store," said Vern Hayden, a New Zealand retailer.

Seven out of 10 buying decisions are made after the consumer enters your gallery, but they can't make those decisions until they first decide if they're comfortable in your environment.

First impressions are made up of two simple parts: how you look and how you listen.

How Does Your Staff Look?

A national survey by Brit Beemer of America's Research Group concluded that four of 10 customers judge how much you know by how professional you look. Think of people who wear uniforms--policemen, firemen, judges. You see what they wear and immediately form a first impression. They are people with responsibility who wear the clothing of authority.

John Henry Peterson, founder of NCR, was one of the first employers to demand his salespeople dress in neat clothing, wear white shirts and be clean shaven. He knew the importance of the first impression.

Edward Young of Emory University in Atlanta did a study on the sales effect of what men's clothing salesmen wore in their shops. It found that when the salesmen wore suits, their sales were more than 40 percent higher than those that wore only shirts and ties.

How does your staff dress? Do they wear a badge with your store's logo and their name? People like to know whom they are talking to.

Would I respect and trust the advice of a salesperson in your gallery wearing a sweatshirt and jeans? Only if your inventories are presentations of rock bands or avant-garde experimentation.

Otherwise, the customers quickly thinks, "I don't like this person," which is only a half-step away from, "I don't like this environment." And if you are unhappy in a certain place in time and space, you leave. Develop a set of standards for the look of your sales staff, and insist that they adhere to it.

You have to have a "look" before you have an "image." This applies not only to your staff but also to your advertising. Ask your customers if they can tell the difference between your ads and your competition's, and most will reply, "All gallery ads look alike."

Direct marketing experts write and speak of mail's "first impression." They point out the importance of the "look" of the envelope you receive in the mail, which they say is really a "salesperson." Is it neat, clean, inviting and attractive to look at? If the envelope is dirty, soiled with ink smudges and addressed with nearly indecipherable writing, would you take the time to open it and find out what's inside? Probably not.

This "look" also applies to the merchandise in your store. Keep your displays clean. Dust on merchandise or shelves costs retailers in sales every year. It tells the customer, "This inventory is old."

Change your window displays often; once a month at least or more often, if you can. Tie them in with current events whenever possible. This keeps your gallery looking fresh and new and encourages customers to come in and browse.

How Does Your Staff Listen?

Listening is an important part of your first impression. It is your primary way to receive information about your customer.

An ancient Arabic proverb says, "If I listen, I have the advantage. If I speak, others have it." Since all your staff are in the business of communicating to make a good impression, remember you cannot "communicate" unless you first "listen."

A recent survey on customer service concluded that nine out of 10 customers say how they are treated by a business is a major factor in determining where they will buy. How does your staff respond to customer questions?

If I walk into your gallery and ask a staff member where I can find a specific artist or type of art, what happens? Is there is finger pointing in a vague direction with the instruction, "over there." Or, instead, do they take me to the area I want?

And what happens when I ask them questions about the art? The Beemer study found that eight out of 10 customers know very little about the product you sell. If your staff member is hesitant, unsure or makes vague comments, the customer will start looking for the quickest way to leave.

There is one basic sentence to memorize for increased sales in your market: "Find out what the customer wants, and give it to him." You can't do that unless you first listen. This means listening to, not listening against. When you listen against, you are not really listening. You are waiting for the customer to finish what they are saying so you can start your sales presentation which often has no relationship to what the customer just said.