This tip is specifically directed at church stores and those with coffee areas/shops. There is an errant thought process that is far to prevalent in church stores and coffee shops. It’s the thinking that says “we already have a built-in customer base in our membership…so we don’t need to do all of that!” This couldn’t be further from the truth. I have worked with churches large and small and one thing is for sure—no one is capturing all of the customers that they could; you just need a little promotional boost. Don’t take your members for granted. See them as the customers that they are and realize they cannot know what you have not told them.
Here are a few ideas that can help you get the word out to your congregation:
- Create store flyers and coupons
This is a lot easier to do than you think and doesn’t require slick glossy paper or high-end design. You can create simple flyers in Word or another similar program. An example from Dottie Poythress, Manager of the Bookmark at Johns Ferry Baptist Church, is to bag stuff flyers and coupons, send them to your mailing list, hand them out in your lobby or front door or post them on your website, Facebook and/or Twitter page.
- Take advantage of your church bulletin
Church bulletins are an easy, inexpensive way to let people know what’s going on in the store. Coupons, hours of operation and promotions are great for this medium.
- Video announcements and loops
Many churches play some type of video announcements in the lobby, prior to or during services. Take advantage of these opportunities to make people aware of your existence, special products and promotions. Since videos are visual formats, product pictures are very effective.
Mistake #3 will cover an additional area that is directly connected to this mistake. So, don’t miss it!
#2- Not Marketing To Your Church
#3- Failing To Capture Customer Information
#4- Not Maintaining Good Stock Levels
#5- Not Keeping Your Store Looking Fresh
David McIntyre
KVI
View other articles in this series
#1- Starting Holiday Merchandising and Promotions To Late
#2- Not Marketing To Your Church
#3- Failing To Capture Customer Information
#4- Not Maintaining Good Stock Levels
#5- Not Keeping Your Store Looking Fresh
I would also suggest that the reason these 4 mistakes are made is due to a lack of planning. Too often I’ve seen church bookstore staff not think about Christmas until October/November. Your holiday strategy should be planned no later than the 1st quarter of the year (the same time you debrief what worked and did not work the preceding Christmas season. A strategic plan is a must as this will incorporate all of the mistakes noted in your articles – and by planning ahead you’ll have the budget, resources and strategies in place to make this a profitable as well as joyous season.