Business SMART:

Educating the Consumer
 

By: Dennis A. Conforto
Chairman & CEO of A-Z Media Group, Inc.

A scrapbooking store differs from a typical retail sales store in many ways. One large difference between the two is that for a scrapbooking store, education forms a large part of a plan for success. Consumer education provides multiple benefits to your scrapbooking business, from increasing sales to increasing loyalty and introducing new customers. This week, learn how to improve your current education programs or invent an education program if you don’t already have one in place.

Why educate?

An educated consumer is a spending consumer; the more you can educate a person, the more money they will spend. A customer who learns a new technique will buy the supplies necessary to complete projects with that technique at home. You might want to consider having courses that allow a customer to earn their Associate, Bachelor, Master and Doctorate Degrees in scrapbooking. Consider holding an official graduation ceremony with caps and gowns where diplomas are issued. Perhaps create a kit for displaying their diplomas at home or in an office. Take plenty of pictures of your graduating classes and post photos in your classroom and on your website.

Secondly, an educated consumer is a loyal consumer. Consumers whom you have educated are your most loyal customers. Their relationship with your store is personal to them. It is important to point out that loyalty should never be tested! Never assume that you can charge your customers more for the same products they can get at another retail store simply because you invest in education. You must never confuse loyalty and the value you must provide to your customers as a retailer.

Educated consumers want others to be educated as well. As a result, they will bring friends and family members, sometimes reluctantly, to your classes. You ought to encourage them by providing incentives when someone brings a guest to your educational classes.

Educated consumers have a sense of community. Women in these types of classes love to share personal stories found in the memories of the photographs of their lives. The stories are powerful, and in the end are the true reasons why people scrapbook.

Educational programs should be a profit center. If you’re not making a profit, then you’re not providing the consumer with the value they expect for the education you provide. While it’s true you will sell more products because of a class, remember your time and the time of your staff and outside instructors all have costs. Time is not free. Look for input from your students; how you can meet and beat there expectations when it comes to your educational services? Using your time wisely will add to your profits.

While the classes you conduct teach people how, it turns out the reason why women scrapbook is what converts them. Every class your instructors teach should start and end with a story of why someone scrapbooks. These can be stories you have received from past customers that are read out loud. However, what is even more powerful is asking the students in the class why they are scrapbookers. You will find that the class will change its tone and will become more inspirational and motivational for everyone present. Scrapbooks are reflections of life. Each scrapbook is a powerful story, and each person who expresses why they scrapbook has a compelling story that should be heard and shared.

Providing education requires a room that is versatile in how the tables and class can be arranged. I like the format that allows for smaller individual tables which can be arranged into U shapes, front facing formats or 180 degree half circles wrapping in front of the instructor. There is no one absolute right format. What is right for you or for a particular class relies entirely on the number of students and the type of class being taught.

Your store should consider having its own course curriculum divided by category, level of student and type of scrapbook. This is why you might want to consider treating your classes in the same manner as a University teaches its courses; always driving the consumer to want to learn more and proving there is more to learn. Having a degree-oriented program will help you challenge your customers to want to learn more. The purpose is truly for them to have a sense of achievement. Many of your students never went to college or received a higher education. For them, your classes can be a source of validation.

The more you work your programs and document them, the more valuable they become to those that enroll in your educational programs. Educating the consumer is no easy task for a retailer and few retailers are obligated to provide education like a scrapbooking store. If you’re going to provide education, make sure your educational programs within your store are the best of the best. That is what being business SMART is all about.