“People buy from people” is a retail adage that speaks the importance of the human touch in forming ongoing relationships between a business and its customers.  Clearly in the case of our giant competitors such as Amazon and Walmart, there is no effort to identify the individuals behind the screen – and they are successful despite this.

But it does seem natural that many people do like to buy from someone they know, like, and trust. This is one of the key advantages of owning an independent retail stores – your name and face become identified with the business, and anything positive you do in your community enhances your store’s reputation.

What about publicizing the valuable staff members who do so much to make your business a success?  One of our neighboring retailers recently ran an engaging series of Facebook posts in which they highlighted each of their employees. In addition to mentioning how long they’ve worked at the store, they give the individuals the opportunity to talk about their favorite products, hobbies, and interests related to what the shop sells.

There seem to be two schools of thought about social media, and whether identity protection is more important than creating an engaging, personal posts. I think it comes down to finding out what your employees are comfortable with.  Permission to take and post photos and videos needs to be explicitly granted.  If you decide to profile your employees, find out whether they are OK with both their first and last name being used.  

We have a private Facebook group for our past and present staff members so that we can share news and achievements within this closed circle.  It’s a great way to honor the fact that we consider all of those who have worked at Orange Tree Imports over the years an important part of the shop’s long history.

Happy Retailing,

Carol “Orange” Schroeder