HOW TO ENGAGE YOUR DOWNTOWN BUSINESS OWNERS

October 2014 Main Street Matters

Article written by Rebekka Adams, Assistant State Coordinator, Texas Main Street Program

You talk the talk when it comes to Main Street. Do you also walk the walk? Do you pop into your local businesses just to say hello or do you only enter when you are seeking something from the business?  Do you support your downtown merchants when you do your personal shopping? What steps do you take to build relationships with your merchants? 

Standard Main Street practice suggests that new managers should stop into every business and introduce themselves. But long-term managers also need to maintain relationships. And like all relationships, they can change over time, depending on the needs of the businesses. Sometimes a business owner just needs to see a friendly face and know that there is someone who can assist them if ever needed. Remember that it is just as important to stop into your local businesses on a regular basis as it is when you are a new manager. Here are some easy suggestions to engage your businesses: 

• Visit your merchants without asking for something. Make sure to pop into their stores and ask how they are doing. Let them know that you are truly there to listen to their needs. Make sure that you do not visit during their peak business hours or interrupt the flow of their business. If you are unsure of when these times are, ask them. They are usually happy to talk about their business. 

• Make sure there is merchant representation on your promotions committee. When planning for promotions, make sure you consult these merchants to make sure that your events support downtown business. Ask for merchant feedback in the planning process to make sure that your events will not negatively impact business. Don’t expect many businesses to want to be involved in the planning stage, as most businesses are too busy to attend planning meetings and make big decisions on how promotions will work. Don’t take this lack of interest in planning as lack of interest in the promotions. 

• Make it as easy as possible for merchants to participate in downtown promotions. Print flyers, bag stuffers, posters, etc. for them. Walk into their door with a roll of tape and the poster and ask if you can hang your downtown poster in a certain location and then do it yourself. If you leave a poster, chances are that it gets wrinkled, set on a back counter and forgotten, or lost. Provide your downtown businesses with balloons or signage for events. This is a great way to also engage volunteers. Make the event as simple as possible for merchants to participate. 

• Support your merchants via social media. Stop into your businesses and ask what the newest products are. Snap some photos and give that business a shout out on Facebook with an appropriate tag. They will appreciate these little gestures and will remember them the next time you ask for their support. 

• ALWAYS communicate in multiple forms. This doesn’t mean sending an email to inform. Walk in the door after the email was sent and ask them if they read it. This will give you an idea of who opens your email and who needs additional support. Some businesses do not use email. Some businesses are too busy to open all of their email. Some start reading it and are interrupted by customers. Walking in the door allows you to gauge their level of participation. If you cannot walk into the store, pick up the phone. A quick phone call will also show that you are dedicated to helping them succeed as a business. 

• You will ALWAYS have one business that doesn’t want to participate in anything. It is your job to find out where their passions lie and work on those to gain their support. Some business owners are passionate about parking issues (real or perceived problems); some love and some hate events; some have problems with neighbors; and some just need to feel like they are being heard. You didn’t know you were hired as a part-time psychologist? Well, you need to dig deep to find out what each business needs when it comes to downtown and then find ways to assist them with those problems. If you do this once, you will gain a Main Street supporter for life. This said, you cannot always please everyone, but it is always worth the effort; you may be surprised who can turn around and become your biggest champion.  

• Merchant events are a great way to get to know your businesses, but more importantly, they are a way for businesses to get to know each other. Unstructured events allow for relationships to form organically, and often creative ideas will emerge from these events. Make sure to hold merchant events when most businesses are closed so that the owners are able to get away and mingle.  

• Give merchants examples of cooperative marketing, promotion materials, and event swag from other communities. Instead of asking them to come up with original ideas, this will give them something to react to and build upon for your community. 

Show your businesses that they matter. They are the backbone of your downtown. Without them, downtown would be a desolate destination. Showcase your appreciation by supporting them in their times of need, being available for them, and promoting their businesses. And as always, with all volunteers, thank them for contributing to your historic downtown.