Scoping out the competition is one of the best ways for companies to evaluate and improve their performance. Over at the Expert Business Source blog, Brad Huisken of IAS Training argues that mystery shopping is an underused tool that can help increase sales.
Huisken says you'll get the most out of mystery shopping when you observe the following areas:
- Prices: Are they higher or lower than yours? Does your competition offer more or less in terms of price points and how does that compare to what you offer?
- Customer Service: Is your competitor's customer service level higher or lower than what you provide? Perhaps there are some areas where your competition excels, and others where you’re the leader. This Use what you learn to fix what needs to be improved, or enhance what you’re already doing well.
- Product Placement: Are you making the most of your space compared to how your competition utilizes their selling floor?
- Be Inspired, Not a Thief: Huisken notes in his second column that the way to thrive in mystery shopping is to take good ideas from others and apply them to your system of doing things. For example, your competitor may do a great job with product placement, but since your store’s layout is probably different, copying it to the letter isn’t possible. Instead, he says to take the principles you like and apply them to your store.
- Extra Tip: Observing what your store does differently can help you market your unique brand aspects more clearly, and help you stand apart from your competition.
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