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You might say that in 38 years I've
been around the block a few times! Here are some of the most often
asked about subjects that I have run into over the past thirty eight
years. I hope you find them helpful.
THE LOOK - The decor of your
store should look wealthy but not cost an arm and a leg. Twenty-five
tears ago your customer was thirteen years old and a single scoop of
ice cream cost about fifty cents. Today your customer is me -
married with children. I'm the decision maker as to where we'll go
tonight to buy ice cream. It's no longer fifty cents - our visit to
your shoppe will cost me about fifteen dollars. A decor of clowns
and balloons is out of style. Whereas Laura Ashley wallpaper and
chair rail molding around the store are in. You want to make the
store look warm and expensive like a fine dining room. That's not to
say it can't be high tech or bright - just make it appeal to the age
group that is doing the purchasing!
SIGNS - Get rid of them! I
walk into some ice cream parlors and they have signs up for every
product ever sold - from 4th of July rocket pops to Santa Clause ice
cream cakes. I'm so confused by all the choices that I end up
walking out with a vanilla cone. And please, don't sell someone
else's name. I don't want to "have a nice day with a Coke."
You want me to leave the store remembering your name.
BATHROOM ACCESS - I've been
shopping all morning and need to find a bathroom. Don't make it
embarrassingly inaccessible. Do me and my children this one favor
and we'll remember you forever. Oh, and since I'm a bit embarrassed
and I am heading home anyway, I'll take a pint of ice cream with me.
A BRITISH QUEUE - A well
designed store has a definite flow to it. You know who is next in
line. We've all been in stores where getting waited on is survival
of the fittest. If I'm twelve years old and mom sent me down to
order a cake for fifteen kids, give me the same chance to be served
as the adults.
WHOLESALE - It's snowing out
and there's ten inches on the ground. Your worst nightmare walks
into the store - me! "So, how's the wholesale business we talked
about last spring?". Reply: "Oh, I'm much too busy to start up
wholesale accounts." Or, "I'm not a salesman. I wouldn't know how to
approach a chef." Baloney. The weather's horrible so you're not too
busy and you don't have to sell the product - let it sell itself!
Walk in at 9:30 AM with a tub of your best ice cream or sorbet while
the executive chef is doing his buying. Bring along a sheet of paper
that lists your flavors, your terms and your delivery schedule and
then leave! You have a tremendous advantage over the big wholesalers
in that they require a minimum order of fifteen tubs and can only
deliver once every two weeks. You on the other hand have a minimum
order of three tubs and can deliver with as little as two days
notice! The chef doesn't have room to store fifteen tubs and he
doesn't know ten days from now what flavors he wants to offer.
You've just solved two of his major frozen dessert problems. One
last thing. Give him what we in the selling biz call "the hook". "Oh
by the way chef, if you have any ideas on how I can improve my
product or any ideas for new flavors, please tell me." He'll be your
friend for life and he'll tell all his chef friends how well you
take care of him.
SALESMEN - Or Salespersons if
you insist. These people make their living selling new and hopefully
better products to you. The wrong approach on your part would be to
say, "No, thank you. I've been using the same wigits for the last
five years." The right approach would be to listen to the salesman
and possibly give his product a try. It might just be better than
what you're using now.
PINBALL MACHINES AND HOT DOGS
- Yes, I know they're not related. So why are they in your store?
Pinball machines attract kids to hang around while driving off young
mothers with children. Hot dogs give off grease that ends up
affecting the taste of your ice cream. Know what business you're in
and stick to it!
DIABETIC ICE CREAM - This is
not a popular view but then I'm a diabetic. I have no business
eating any dessert with sugar in it or any product that would tempt
me towards sugar. I am a small (though vocal) minority that cannot
be successfully catered to. Tubs of Diabetic ice cream will sit in
the dipping cabinet for weeks longer than your regular ice cream.
They begin to look unattractive and will then drive down the overall
appearance of your other ice cream. If you must sell Diabetic ice
cream, try to limit the number of flavors.
FLAVOR OF THE DAY - Stores
that run a flavor of the day find that they have to carry a very
large inventory of flavors. How about a compromise and feature a
flavor of the week. Some of my customers are even advertising the
flavor of the week on their internet sites. A great way to get
people to log onto your site.
USED EQUIPMENT - A great idea
if well thought out. If you have two dipping cabinets and one goes
bad, you're still not out of business. If the hardening cabinet goes
down on July third, you might have to wait until late August to get
a new one - you're out of business! Buy wisely.
I'm sure you also have plenty
of observations from your time in business. If you have a favorite
tip that you would care to pass along, please e-mail me at
ETFREEZERS@GMAIL.COM. |
