DDi - June 2013 - (Page 64)

64 | Think Tank First impressions E ffective customer relationships today are all about the shopping experience and inviting your guests to be part of the brand. This can be accomplished through attention to three aspects of that experience: the first impression, the product and the service. For starters, let’s focus on those first impressions. In our conversations with customers, retail windows are the first impressions within the overall shopping experience. Windows are the tales and portals to a far-off place, seasonal featured stories or funny jokes to set the mood. Like any good first impression, we hope they inspire a “meet again”—a longer get-to-know-you chat—and conversations that grow into relationships. When you think about how many people walk or drive by retail windows on a daily basis, you begin to understand their power to reach thousands of people. When you add in the power of technology, and the ability for a singular window photo to suddenly appear on countless blogs, Instagram accounts or Pinterest boards, those same windows can reach millions more! So, how do we ensure our windows don’t go silent? How do we give them a voice strong enough to start conversations—even from outside a store space? Language: Don’t let your conversation starters get lost in the chaos of the day to day. Understanding your customer is the first step. What interests him/her? What types of conversations will he/she find enticing? Should the language of your windows say a little or a lot? Should they tell an elaborate story or share just a brief moment? Should they be informative or strictly artful? Should they showcase product or simply an idea, feeling or mood? Whatever the approach, a window should inspire a new or returning customer to crave more. It should request a minute from their busy day, and then suggest that they “come inside and stay a while.” All of this so that they will hopefully take home a bit of the story your space has to offer, and return again for the next chapter. Volume: Don’t let your first impressions go unheard. Understanding how your customers experience the windows is important. Do your windows need to shout, or should they whisper? Is your storefront along a busy drive by a highway or a neighborhood block? Can your potential customers stop to casually take in your window story, or do you have but a moment to reach them? The key is to pump up the volume to just the right level, capturing attention without ever reaching that unappealing decibel. Etiquette: Don’t forget that conversations require two sides. Although the window/customer re- Photos: Asaki Oda, Anthropologie in Corte Madera, Calif. lationship starts off a bit one-sided, once guests step through those doors, it’s all about the interactive chat. What is their part in the story, and what is yours? Who are they? What are they looking for, and what do you have to share with them? Including customers in the conversations you are having inspires participation—and participation can lead to a great customer experience and a better understanding of their needs and desires. All in all, the perfect window “meet and greet” today can not only create sales, but also create greater brand relationships in the future. So, take the time to perfect those opening lines, choose your topics well and work on mastering the art of conversation—and first impressions. —Erika Sorgule is the display director for Philadelphia-based Anthropologie Inc. With more than 10 years of brand experience, she has helped continuously push their award-winning visual displays to the next level. | June 2013 www.ddionline.com http://www.ddionline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DDi - June 2013

DDi - June 2013
Table of Contents
From the Editor
From the Show Director
Newsworthy
Shopper Insights
Editor’s Choice
Design Snapshot
Cover Story: Isetan
Little Bookworm
Polaroid Fotobar
Creative Roundup
The Art of Drawing
Globalshop 2013: Post-Show Coverage
Right Light
Product Spotlight
Calendar
Advertisers
Classifieds
Think Tank

DDi - June 2013