Big box stores and their online operations are incredibly easy to order from and have lightening quick delivery.
But they’re missing something that can be incredibly important to some sales. Expertise! Like how to measure a doorway, a tight turn and the space between the stairs and the ceiling before ordering a sofa.
Educational posts can help the customer spot a problem before it became a delivery-day surprise. It also showed them who knew enough to ask about the stairs.
When you pass on your knowledge to your potential customer, theycan make better informed decisions and that means fewer returns and more loyalty.
During the holidays, customers are scrolling through discounts, shipping deadlines and gift guides. Your offer may belong in that mix. So does a piece of advice that makes one of their decisions easier.
They Don’t Know What They Don’t Know
Your best advice may be something you explain so often that you’ve forgotten it’s news to customers. Think about the last time someone said, “I wish I’d known that before I ordered,” or “I didn’t realize you could help with that.”
And it doesn’t have to be rocket science. You’d be surprised what seems like “common sense” to you can be indispensable information to someone outside your industry.
A cabinet installer might show why the position of a nearby wall matters when choosing a corner drawer. A stationery shop could explain why a pen that looks great on a gift tag might smudge on glossy cards and show shoppers how to test it on a spare card. Each example helps someone see a detail they might otherwise miss.
Ask your team what customers bring back, what they call to clarify about, and what they wish they’d asked earlier. A question from the returns counter can be every bit as useful as one from a sales meeting.
Give Them Something They Can Use Today
The most useful posts give readers a small, complete answer. Show the measurement, name the question to ask or walk through a simple comparison. You can give away that answer and still have plenty of work worth paying for.
For instance:
- Free: A painter or designer can show how the same color looks on two walls at different times of day and suggest where to place sample swatches.
- Paid: Assessing the surfaces, planning the prep and doing the painting.
- Free: A web designer can show business owners how to check their holiday hours on a phone and see whether the information is easy to find.
- Paid: A website review can look at why customers keep missing key information and what to change across the site.
- Free: A kitchen shop can demonstrate how a wide serving platter and a deep bowl handle the same dish differently.
- Paid: An in-home design consultation.
- Free: A fulfillment company can publish a worksheet that helps retailers count backward from a promised delivery date, allowing time for packing and pickup.
- Paid: Reviewing a retailer’s order patterns, selecting carriers and designing a fulfillment plan.
Draw the Line Where the Work Becomes Personal
While you want to share your expertise, you don’t want to give away everything you know. So how do you know when you’ve given away enough but not too much?
A helpful rule is to teach people what to look for and give them one thing they can do on their own. When the answer depends on their space, records, equipment or goals, explain what you’d need to review and how they can hire you to do it.
That boundary can sound friendly and specific. A web designer might say, “Try finding your holiday hours on your phone without using the search bar. If they’re hard to find, a website review can show you which pages to update and where the hours should appear.” The reader gets a useful check, and a prospective client knows what they’d be paying for.
Put One Answer in Your Holiday Feed
Pick a question customers are likely to face in the next two weeks. Turn it into a short demonstration, a photo with a clear caption or a checklist they can save. Lead with the decision they’re trying to make. “Will this fit through your front door?” gives someone a reason to pause before they even see which store posted it.
Keep your sales posts on the social media calendar. Between them, give customers something they can use before they spend a dollar. When they’re standing on the landing with a tape measure, they’ll remember whose advice got them there.
Christina Metcalf is a writer and women’s speaker who believes in the power of story. She works with small businesses, chambers of commerce, and business professionals who want to make an impression and grow a loyal customer/member base. She is the author of the award-winning book, The Glinda Principle, rediscovering the magic within.
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