BUSINESS EDU
Strong Dive Stores Build a Stronger Industry by Suuz Martines , Owner, Scuba Do Rag Apparel, NC
Y OU’RE HOME FROM DEMA. Your feet are re- covering, your suitcase is somewhere near empty, and your head is full of products, conversations, and pos- sibilities. Now comes the part that makes the trip worthwhile: deciding what to do with what you brought home.
too. Choose a manageable selection and explain why each item belongs. A short sign that answers “What does this do for me?” gives a customer a starting point for a conversation.
You invested time and money in being there. Give at least one good idea a place to land.
You may already have everything you need for that display. A fresh arrangement can give familiar merchandise a fresh introduction. What’s in the basket? Think about what happens after a customer selects a product. Is there a useful companion item they should know about? Have they re-
What caught your attention? What did you learn? What made you think, “that could work in our store”? You invested time and money in being there. Give at least one good idea a place to land. Unpack more than your suitcase
membered the small things that will help them use, carry, or care for their purchase? Ask where they’re going, what kind of diving they’ll be doing, and what they already own. Those answers help you make a thoughtful recommendation, and they also tell you when the customer is already equipped.
Before the demands of everyday business take over, review your notes and talk with anyone who attended with you. Include the staff who stayed behind. They know the questions customers have been asking while you were away, and their observations may help you recognize which discoveries deserve attention. Which discovery could solve a recurring customer problem? Which conversation suggested a better way to present something you already carry? What did you see that could make shopping in your store easier or more interesting? Choose one idea that fits your customers, space, and budget. Assign someone to carry it out and set a date. You can build from there. Let those purposes guide a display. A customer walking into your store may be thinking about a trip, a class, an uncomfortable piece of equipment, or something forgotten on the last dive. Let those purposes guide a display that helps customers understand how your products fit their needs. “Packing for a Liveaboard” could bring together a selection of useful accessories with a simple checklist. “Make Your Next Dive More Comfortable” could introduce products that address common comfort concerns. “Small Things You’ll Be Glad You Brought” could highlight items easily overlooked when someone is focused on buying major equipment. You could even host a “How-to Hair Day.” I cannot tell you how relieved a diver becomes at our booth upon discovering that there may be a hair solution for their buddy. Because if your buddy is having an issue, it will be your issue,
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