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Skincare Spotlight Continued from page 96 Internet is not going to kill retail, but we [our industry] might kill retail." He also recommended we all do what he does, which is MBWAOPS (he likes acronyms): Management By Walking Around Other People's Stores. "I go to other people's stores, find out what pisses me off and make sure we don't make the same mistakes," he shared. His favorite mistakes from other people's stores include: • Being asked "debit or credit?" when he hands the cashier an American Express card. Since when does American Express do debit? • The inquisition at checkout: ZIP code, phone number, email address, blood type … Online, at the very least you receive a nice promotional code as a reward for giving up your email address … • Automated checkout. It never works. Enough said. • Boutique staff that is not wearing anything to identify them as boutique staff. • Scripted faux greetings: "What can I help you discover today?" How do you answer that? After making the audience laugh in a way that proved we'd all had similar miserable experiences in stores, he proposed some rules of how we can instead delight our customers. After all, they've probably all forced themselves off of their couches and into their cars, braved traffic and circled to find parking to do business with us. • To stay relevant, you have to make her feel good. Quoting a fashion designer, he reminded us, "Women [and presumably some men] want to look taller, younger, thinner and more beautiful." If you can make her feel any of the above, you have won her over. She wants you to boost her confidence. • Make your environment feel good, feel therapeutic (again, here the rise of yoga and wellness was mentioned). Keep the personal element. People identify with people, not ingredients. • Be interested. Ask her questions. Help your customers figure out what they want even if they don't know which question to ask. The team at C.O. Bigelow does phone follow-ups. The doctor doesn't do that. The Internet doesn't do that either. • Be interesting. Constantly refresh your shelves and your displays. Ian referred to this as "organized chaos." He advised, "Move things around in your store as often as you would change your homepage." Make her learn something every time she comes into your store. This means you have to be educated about the products you are selling. • Know your product. Touch the right person with the right product. Know your ingredients, but don't oversell. • Know which product. Have an opinion. The C.O. Bigelow curated selection of products is a collection of the team's favorite things. Make it easy for her to choose. Earn her trust. • Be a destination, not an obligation or an infestation. Enough said. For the final laugh, Ian reminded us that "it's pretty damned crowded on that Google highway." Brick and mortar is not dead yet! ■ Ada S. Polla is the president and CEO of Alchimie Forever. She is the co-creator of her family's Swiss-based skincare line, which she launched in the United States in 2004. Her skincare knowledge and business skills have yielded double-digit annual-revenue growth for the brand. She holds an MBA from Georgetown University and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University. the universal skin cleanser CLEANS: ONE Cleanser gently removes eye and face makeup, dirt and perspiration without stripping moisture from skin. PROTECTS: ONE Cleanser creates a moisture shield barrier against dehydration HYDRATES: ONE Cleanser puts moisture into skin MULTI-TASKS: ONE Cleanser is for the whole family. Soothing makeup remover, luxurious shave lotion and sulfate/suds free moisturizing cleanser for everyone. $35 Retail 888 761-2256 truepromisebeauty.com orders@truepromisebeauty.com 118 August 2013 | beautystorebusiness.com