Page 67 - Lighting Magazine February 2019

chandelier that would look fantastic over it. I am happy to send you a photo or, please come by the showroom, I would love to show it to you.”
raIse your profILe
It is important for consumers to know about your business and there are economical ways to do it. The key is to focus on education rather than being about the sale. Local radio shows would love to have someone speak about the “smart” home of today. There are also local and regional newspa- pers and publications that would love to have a contributing article from your team. Blog, publish, speak, and podcast and have fun doing it!
Here are some additional ideas:
■ Create an “experience center” that is fun, cool and informative
■ Gamify purchases or referrals
■ Make your website a resource
■ Record videos and podcasts to introduce new items, share success stories, invite customers to go green, interview experts, interview happy customers
■ Create a digital magazine
■ O er a Satisfaction Guarantee
■ Charge for upgrades and visits as they add new controls or luminaries. In most cases, an electrician is not interested in commissioning of the controls.
■ If you do not have your own team, partner with CEDIA members for installs and commissioning. Have them refer the lighting business back to you; they are not lighting experts, you are!
■ Become the Southwest Airlines of lighting retail
■ Conduct your own research by asking your reps to help you nd the products you are seeking
■ O er rewards for customers who save the most on their energy costs and interview them
Remember, customers are also evolving. They want to buy from people they feel really under- stand their lives. They care about the causes that the retailer and manufacturer supports to ensure
retail stratEgy You can change the size of the world you
play in so that you truly can be the best and own a particular niche.
that they are in alignment with their values. This is not as risky as long as the causes are to do good. I recommend that your website outlines the causes you support both in the community and nationally. Think environmental and social but, please, stay away from politics.
Know your customers and train your sta to know them. You may also wish to match up sta with similar age customers. For example:
Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) want/need higher quality light and to be able to do the hob- bies they love. They are scaling back on the size of their dwellings and replacing them with smaller, higher-end homes. Boomers consider connectiv- ity as important as any other age group.
GenX (born 1965-1980) focus on raising children and helping them not become boomerangs. They seek good work-life balance and working from home and being entrepreneurial.
Millennials or Gen Y ( born 1977-1996) em- brace technology, green causes & products, and experiences.
Gen Z (born 1996 and later) want less stu . They witnessed their parents through the Recession and saw them buy too much, which created - nancial challenges. They are concerned about the social stance of brands.
So what does the future look like for lighting retailers? Those who evolve will be in a be er po- sition to embrace technology and advancements going forward. Focus on controls and luminaires that work in harmony and can be delivered quickly. O er experience centers and educational venues that make the customer’s visit “worth the trip.” Be that place that recognizes their custom- ers and understands their needs and applications while having fun and an engaging sta . Working closely with sales reps who support you with both information and products that work together. 
Steven J. Parker,
LC is the author of Lighting the Way to North America — from Startup to EBITDA and former president of Lightech Electron- ics North America and SLV Lighting North America. In addition to being a “lighting geek,” he is licensed captain, avid scuba diver, and underwater photographer.
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