Memorial Day Weekend is here. Woo hoo! It's the official start of summer, my favorite time of year. Fire up the grill, crank the summer music, and take advantage of the opportunity to make it a great experience for your customers and staff. That will lead to higher sales.
Here are seven ways to do just that.

1. Summer plans. Inquiring about your customers' summer plans is a powerful way to foster a deeper connection with them. This builds rapport and provides valuable insights that your staff can leverage to enhance the customers' experience and increase conversion and average ticket.

2. An open-ended summer. It seems like everything is open over the summer, as should your staff's questions. I recently visited a store where every question the staff asked was a closed question. Not surprisingly, that store also reported struggling to engage customers. Never underestimate how much closed-ended questions are costing you.

3. Summer games. You can always have a fun competition at the beach or in the store. (I would avoid games in the store that use a racket.) Three of my favorites are also the easiest. All are streak competitions. How many customers in a row can an employee physically engage a customer with a product? Another is how many customers in a row can they learn three things about them. The last one is how many customers in a row will make a purchase. Have a small prize for the winner of the day or week.

4. Summer concerts. Do you have a local concert or another exciting event your staff might enjoy this summer? Consider rewarding their hard work by purchasing a couple of tickets, and someone on the staff can win them in a raffle. If the store hits its goal, everyone who works gets an entry into the drawing. After a couple of weeks, you can have the drawing. This motivates your team and shows your appreciation for their dedication.

5. Summer bonus days off. One of the hardest parts of working retail is missing events with family and friends. I know some owners and managers are reluctant to let employees trade shifts. However, allowing this flexibility can significantly improve staff morale and job satisfaction, leading to a better customer experience and increased sales. I like to encourage it so people can have a better summer. Consider giving staff members who cover for other people some store credits or some other benefit for helping out their colleagues.

6. Summer drinks. Many of you offer customers drinks, which is a great way to engage them and keep them in the store longer. I love having the staff serve the customers rather than asking them if they want one. Never underestimate the mental quid pro quo of giving something to your customers before and during shopping.

7. Summer fun for you. Finally, let's talk about you getting time away this summer. You need to enjoy the summer as well. Spend precious time with family and friends. Permit yourself to take time off. Not be in constant communication with the staff. If you're a seasoned owner, you should be able to work less without losing sales. If you're not, let's talk. I have a coaching program to help you make that transition.

“Summer breeze makes me feel fine.”.....and so does a great summer customer experience and a winning sales day.

So let me ask three questions:

1. Are your summer drinks more about hydration or intoxication? Yes…I heard many of you say, “Yes!”

2. Is your store’s summer vibe more like Margaritaville, Kokomo, or the Jaws theme song?

3. Which of these ideas can you implement now?