Guest Column: Retail masters speak to shoppers' hearts

Have you ever been in the middle of reading your favorite magazine and seen an ad that catches your eye?

You think to yourself, "Wow, that ad depicts the person I would really like to be!" Or maybe you were shopping and wondered, "How did they know that was exactly what I was looking for?"

The retail industry has really excelled at relating to their customers at an emotional level.

Behind the scenes, at retail headquarters all over the world, there are people whose job it is to make you feel like they truly understand your needs, wants and desires. They simply follow some of the fundamentals of retail design, which include:

• targeting a core group of people with common values;

• attracting them to a store or Web site through advertising and branding;

• guiding them through a carefully selected set of merchandise;

• advising them on their options and making a selection;

• making a transaction of currency;

• confirming that they made the right choice; and

• following up and asking for the next purchase.

As long as the customer continues to feel good about this process, it will continue. They will tell their friends and family, and ask other people to join in with them to frequent a specific brand or store. What if every business in the world thought about creating engaging environments - physical and emotional - for customers to buy what they are selling? What about companies like the local dry cleaner or service providers such as accountants or dentists? The "retail-ization" of goods and services is already a reality in several industries. Think about H&R Block and Pearle Vision Center, which have made traditionally nonretail services into retail experiences.

There are a few key concepts that can be drawn from the retail design process and applied to everyday business.

Target. The key here is to really understand the emotions that motivate the purchase, and then position your services, products, advertising and branding to elicit the emotion. Take a look at what investment firms are doing now with retirement planning. They are not acting as cold, stodgy bankers. They are pulling at your heartstrings to fulfill a long-lost dream of financial freedom, time with your kids and grandkids or sailing around the world.

Attract. This is where you have to dig deep. Ads and branding have to be genuine, authentic and transparent. People see right through bait-and-switch tactics, and this is where you disclose your true colors. Open your heart, and people will fall in love with you.

Environment. I'm talking about the physical environment in which the customer is immersed to help put them in the mood to spend money. Do automobile dealerships really think that a little sales desk is the most effective way to close the sale of a car?

Guide and advise. Try to give customers the information they need, not the information you know. There is a difference, and the line can get blurry. Remember "Miracle on 34th Street," when the Macy's Santa Claus sent a customer down to a different store for a specific toy? If you don't have what a customer is looking for, be the first to guide them to someone you trust will take care of them.

Transact and confirm. The transaction of currency needs to be very easy, and this is also a crucial time to confirm with the customer that they have made a good choice. Buyer's remorse can set in the moment a transaction occurs. Reassure the customer. Hint: You can only do that if you believe the product is the right one for them.

When the process is complete, don't forget to stay in touch. Send them a birthday card with a special gift and invite them back to see you. Or create special events to bring a crowd to your place of business.

It's all really simple. Just watch the good retailers, and follow their lead. They are masters at manipulating money from your wallet using your heart as the communication device.

Show your customers how much you love them. They will love you back.

Bruce Adib-Yazdi is an architect and vice president of retail and entertainment with Butler, Rosenbury & Partners Inc. in Springfield. He is an International Council of Shopping Centers Certified Design Professional and may be reached at badib-yazdi@brpae.com.