August 2022 - 29

POHMER ON...
I think it's safe to say that most of your customers have
short memories, and they become even shorter in the
third and fourth quarters, when they are bombarded with
advertising messages from every other retailer, both brick
and mortar and online, all competing with you for their
attention. So how can you remind your customers about
your seasonal programs and timing? How can you gain
" mind share " that will bring them to your garden center?
Stay Top of Mind
First and foremost, seize the opportunity to make every
interaction at every point of contact with your current customers
exceptional, from the in-store experience (including the
purchasing process, complaints and returns) to their success
with the products they purchased (customers remember where
they bought a product they had a great experience with, but
not the price they paid for it!). Consistent and repetitive great
experiences generate trust in your brand, trust breeds loyalty,
and loyalty leads to a relationship that makes you the supplier of
choice and top of mind when they're in the market for products
you offer, carrying over from season to season.
Hopefully, you've been capturing your customers' email
addresses and have a robust loyalty program. Using these email
addresses as the basis for digital marketing to communicate
timely and helpful information is an excellent way to stay in
contact and stay top of mind with your customers throughout
the year.
And note that these emails shouldn't be a " hard sell, " but
rather educational and informative in content and tone,
featuring topics that your customers find helpful and beneficial.
Remember that these communications represent your brand, so
be professional in your presentations. Once you have your email
database set up, it's pretty easy to create digital mass mailings at
minimal cost.
Here are a few examples:
* " It's time to ... " monthly or seasonal messages to remind
your customers about what activities they should be doing
at that time. For instance, a spring pre-season checklist to
get their yard and garden cleaned up and prepped for spring
planting. Another one might focus on a " Fall is for planting "
theme, explaining the benefits of fall planting and offering
variety suggestions. And you can use each month's email
to telegraph what's coming up next month in your garden
center, planting the seed to keep their attention.
* " Flash " messages. Earlier this past spring, we had a few
nights where the temperatures were forecasted to be
freezing. A local garden center, who had my email address
as a loyalty member, sent out daily emails reminding
customers of the forecasted freezing conditions and
advising the customers to cover the tender plants in the
ground or move the pots/trays inside for protection. These
communications were urgent and actionable, and reinforced
the image of this garden center as caring, helping to ensure
their customers' satisfaction and success, and built trust for
their brand.
Another tool to leverage your current customer traffic to
promote the next season is to hand out flyers advertising
what's coming up. As your spring season winds down, have your
cashiers give flyers to customers that provide the dates you
expect to bring in your fall mums and pumpkins, the dates of any
fall events you may be hosting, and, possibly, a coupon offering
a small discount on fall products. In addition, you could print up
full-color 22-by-28-inch posters to place by your exit doors as a
reminder of what's coming soon.
And then employ these same tools during the fall sales period
to promote your holiday programs.
So how long is a customer's memory? In reality, pretty short,
especially when we don't have many opportunities during
the year to physically interact with them. But, with some
imagination, initiative and commitment from you, there's a real
opportunity to stay top of mind with your customers throughout
the year that will pay big dividends for your business.
How long is a customer's memory? As long as you choose to
make it!
Stan Pohmer is president of Pohmer Consulting Group in
Minnetonka, Minnesota. He can be reached at spohmer@pohmerconsulting.com
or 612.605.8799.
LGRMAG.COM | 29
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August 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 2022
