A Simple Step Can Improve Your Business Dramatically. How? By Making Things More Convenient for Your Customers. By Gary Christensen

Last Saturday, we went for a bike ride, looking around at yard sales. You can learn a lot by "being a customer" and looking at how others do business. I could talk about what we found and the bargains at yard sales, but that's not the subject here.

Instead, let's take a lot at how those "small business people" were presenting their wares and if they were more interested in getting customers or making things convenient for themselves.

Many businesses, I've noticed, tend to "scare" customers away or make it otherwise very difficult for customers to buy. How? By being more concerned about their own convenience.

For example, you look up a company's number in the directory and call them only to get a recording, taking you through a series of choices ("press one if you want more information, etc). It takes time to listen to all their choices and when you do press a number, you get still more choices. Is that convenient for me or for them?

Or has this ever happened to you? You call a business on the phone and get their hours so you can go there later in the day. But when you arrive, you find a note on the door saying "Out to Lunch" or "At a Meeting" and that they'll return in one hour. Convenient for them, not for you.

Many businesses use Fax-on-Demand. You call from a fax machine, punch in a code number and get a document sent to your fax machine. Sounds convenient. But what about those of us who don't have a fax machine? If I wanted that document, I'd have to go out to a store to find a fax machine that will accept faxes. Do they want customers or convenience?

This is NOT to say you can't have both. Lots of modern tools help make our lives easier and more convenient. There's nothing wrong with that. But think about it--Are customers being turned off or chased away because YOU want a business that is more convenient for YOU?

Back to the yard sales: Some people had displayed their items on tables, with spaces for people to walk between them. They had signs and balloons out front. Their sale items were all marked well, they smiled at passer-bys, etc.

Others had their items on the floor or on the ground. They had chairs set up for themselves and were relaxing in them, talking among themselves. They had no signs or balloons. Their items were NOT nicely displayed or easy for US to look over.

Some sellers were obviously more concerned with their own comfort and convenience and NOT really interested in attracting customers or making sales.

Is shopping at your store, ordering by mail or at your website Customer Convenient? Are you doing what you can to make sure your wares are appealing and attractively displayed? Is it easy for customers to find you? To talk with you? To get information quickly and easily?

Maybe you can have your friends visit your place of business. Have them call your number from another number. Let them order from your business and give you a report.

Look at your business from the customers viewpoint. Do some investigating. And, while you're at it, why not give out "comment cards" so you can get input from your customers. That's the best way to stay "customer friendly."

Gary Christensen is a freelance columnist and self-published author of eight books and more than 100 original reports. His newest report, "How to Use Dealers to Multiply Your Business" is yours for the asking at the address below. Or get it by email at Gapach97@aol.com. "HomeMoney Newsletter" is free and also available at the above email. Gary distributes articles for writers and columnists each month on the 26th. Your two pages of text mailed to 95 publishers for $25. Write to Gary Christensen, 999 N.W. Sycamore Ave, Corvallis, OR 97330.