This is an update of a popular blog post from 2010.

“Every product tells a story” read the sign in a display of handmade African items at the New York Gift Fair. It was a great reminder of the fact that one of our jobs as retailers is to communicate the story behind the merchandise we sell.  That’s something a big box, self-service store can’t do effectively.

Ideally, information about our special products should be passed on personally to each customer.  Although it may be hard to gauge a shopper’s interest in every item they pause to look at, noticing when a customer seems really captivated by something provides a great opportunity to offer the backstory behind the product. Ideally you and your sales staff should know something about where each item comes from, the technique used to make it, or some other attribute that would makes the item special.

A great way to practice this type of selling is to have staff members take turns picking out an item and presenting it to the rest of the group. To make it more interesting, they could be given a few minutes to do a quick online search to learn some new details to include in their pitch.

But we all know that some customers don’t want to engage in conversation, and that it’s not practical to talk to every person who comes through the door about every item.  That’s where good signage comes into play.  It’s easy to create a template for a “shelf talker” sign on your store computer that fits into a standard 3 X 5 or 4 X 6 frame.  Make sure you include your logo, and that the sign and frame style fit your store image.

Whenever a new line comes in, make a “shelf talker” sign with some of the special attributes of the products, and don’t forget to share this background story with your sales staff. Whether a customer reads the “story” on a sign, or hears it first hand from a sales associate, this additional information will hopefully lead to added sales. 

Don’t forget that customers will want to share the story of the product when they give  particularly interesting item as a gift.  Print up extra copies of your sign, add your store information, and slip one into the gift box with the item you’re selling. 

Happy Retailing,

Carol “Orange” Schroeder