Make Your Shelf Talk
Raymond Padgett
Make Your Shelf Talk
Raymond Padgett
Almost half of customers say that their buying decision is not made until they get to the store. (1) They obviously have an idea what they want when they arrive, but the final decision has not been made. Great packaging in a silent salesperson for when you cannot talk to the customer, but to increase the volume of that silent salesperson, you should examine shelf talkers and other signage.
Shelf Talkers have basically the same job as packaging, but they can do a better job in getting attention and have been credited with increasing sales by 33%. (2) But it does not just stop there. Here are some of the benefits and attributes of a great shelf talker.
Draw attention to area.
Have you ever looked all over a store for the item you are looking for, but you just cannot find it? Once you ask someone you find it was right in front of you. Shelf talkers call attention the space. (3)
Break up the monotony: A good shelf talker stands out as different from the product or other items in that area of the store. (4) It makes the customer’s eye stop to see what the anomaly is, earning a few precious seconds of attention. A word of caution… if you use too many shelf talkers, they can become part of the “monotony” that gets overlooked. We recommend no more than one per gondola row.
Using noticeable colors: Like with packaging, bright colors can easily grab a person’s attention. As an expert wrote “Our eyes have the highest sensitivity towards bright yellow” (5), but other colors and combinations are effective also.
Using Powerful Words: As one source put it “Power words are proven to be an effective … tool. These are the words that excite and trigger desire of shoppers to pick up and learn more about the product.”. Some great words “Strong,” “Durable,” “Eliminate,” “Removes” and “Advantage,” and they really stand out on the shelf. (6)
Make the customer’s choice easier.
Customers sometimes have difficulty making the final decision. Shelf talkers can help solidify these choices by:
Drawing attention to features: Its well known that when customers look closely at the features & advantages of product, they are more likely to buy. Shelf talkers do just that. (7) This is especially true if the features are unique or special.
Provides information: Sometimes the packaging cannot tell the entire story. So, shelf talkers can provide extra information to attract customers. This is especially true if it has a QR code that links to an effective sales video. (8)
Make your life easier.
I know it sounds like a tall order, but great shelf talkers provide benefits for you and your staff as well. One dealer mentioned to me that he gets great compliments about the information on shelf talkers in her store.
Saves you time: Occasionally you are just too busy to talk to every customer in your store. At those times, shelf talkers can function as your “silent salesperson.” (9) But to make that happen it has to truly sell the product, featuring benefits and a call to action.
Making discussion easier: When you do interact with customers, shelf talkers provide you with a great outline for the discussions. I know we like to think that we can remember everything about our products, but my wife regularly claims I “occasionally” forget things. Truth is we all need reminders. A good shelf talker provides an outline of key features and can serve as outline for your discussion.
Educating staff: Training your staff so they can talk effectively to your customers can be a chore. Suppliers offer a variety of ways to get your staff educated about their products. We do not recommend your staff wing it in front of a customer, but a great first step to learning products is to walk the showroom floor and read all the shelf talkers and packages. It may take some time, but it helps familiarize them with the products and helps them know what to say to the next customer.
Synopsis
It is critical that you interact with visitors to your store whenever possible (click here to read our article about interacting with customers) but
imagine a world where your customer can find the product more easily, make a quicker and more informed buying decision and make it easier for you to do your job. That is the magic of shelf talkers. They are designed to increase your sales and your profits.
