December 21, 2015 What RTB do you present to your customers? For the uninitiated, RTB stands for Reason to Believe — and it’s the latest term I learned during my eleven years on the United Way of Dane County (Wisconsin) marketing committee. I can heartily recommend volunteering as a way of increasing your skill set. I can’t tell you how much I’ve learned during my recently completed tenure with this United Way committee. An RTB is marketing-speak for the understanding of what draws us to a business. According to the web site Brandeo, “The Reason to Believe provides proof that the brand delivers the benefits that it promises to deliver, and that the benefits are true and credible.” The RTB is part of your positioning statement, and if you don’t have one it might be good to give it some thought as you start the new year. Here are a few questions to ask: What makes your store special? Why should someone shop at your store? Can you substantiate any claims you make about your superiority? Here are some concrete examples of Reasons to Believe for a retail store: We are locally owned. We have been in business __ years. We’ve been voted the best gift shop in town __ times. We have the largest selection of ___ in the area. Our staff is certified in ___. We provide _____service/warranty to back up our products. We are love _____ and look forward to sharing our enthusiasm with you. Identifying your RTB will help define your marketing strategy for the coming year. Do potential customers know what makes your shop better than other alternatives? Once you have defined the most persuasive reasons that shoppers should visit your store, you can think about how best to communicate that message to those you are trying to attract. Happy Retailing, Carol “Orange” Schroeder PS Please note that there will not be a Specialty Shop Retailing blog next Monday. Happy holidays!