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Maximising your potential

Sometimes I am amazed at how people are just not maximising their potential, by missing how important image can be.  We live in an age where physical appearance and perfection dominate the media and advertising, and we now naturally expect things to be more aesthetically pleasing.

This week, I have been thinking about window displays.  Why would I be thinking this, you might be wondering… well, after deciding I wanted to find a new hairdresser, I was unsure about where to move to.  I’d spent a couple of months on the look out, but couldn’t spot one that sparked my interest.  The few that I past on my travels, were dark, usually empty, with large bare windows, outdated posters… My  thoughts were that they must be old fashioned, cheap places, that might not give me a good cut.  Plus getting my hair done is a pampering experience, and should be enjoyed!

I started to get desperate, so I searched on Google.  Wow! Who knew there were so many salons in my local streets?!  I hadn’t noticed 80% of them!!  I had one a few hundred metres from my house, but it was one of those places that just didn’t appeal to me.  There was another salon around the corner, which I had never noticed, but it had a good review on Google, so I rang – no answer!  I decided I would just have to brave the one down the road, and hope for the best…

Well now… she was brilliant!  Great cut, and half the price I usually pay.  I gave her a good tip, sent my daughter in the day after, and will be taking my mum soon, too.

Imagine how much money she would have made out of me and my family, if her window display had been inviting me in??  I’ve lived here for 15 years, and the image of the salon just plain put me off.  And yet, she is a very good hairdresser.  Imagine how many other people might be feeling the same as I did?

I can’t stress this enough – window display is so, so important!!  If you are lucky enough to have a lot of passing trade, they are your biggest (and cheapest!) advertisement.  Yet I have walked past so many business who have this wonderful canvas to sell themselves on, and there is nothing to see!  What a waste!

So, if you have a window, or indeed an office where your clients visit – Consider what your potential customers see.  If you have a window, cross the street and take a look at it, walk past, drive past – see it from the passerby perspective.

Is it eye catching?

Is it dark and boring or warm and inviting?

Is it clean??!!

Is it easy to know what you sell??

Does your window sell your product?

What kind of image does it give your business?

If you think it needs some work, it doesn’t have to be expensive.  There are so many great stores nowadays, that offer cheap items that can be used to dress a window, especially now that Christmas is approaching.  If you don’t have a clue about where to start, get a friend to help, or employ someone like us to brainstorm with you, help with the set up and get you on the right track.  Think about lighting, set the mood.  If you are displaying products, make it interesting – think about different heights, textures, colours,  lighting.  Go have a look at what your competitors are displaying.  Think about how you feel about the businesses you use (and don’t use!), and why you use them.

And above all, remember – you, personally, might hate certain looks, certain colours, even just having to think about designing a window… but its all about what will attract those people passing by, into your premises to spend their money with you, instead of someone else.

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