Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM NOVEMBER 2015 40 Elly Valas Retail Views I recently had the opportunity to take a back stage tour of the Cirque du Soleil show Zarkana in Las Vegas. I learned a great deal that is applicable to independent retailers in our space. Cirque is not a circus—it's way beyond that. It's an experience. The acts, spaces and stories they tell combine to make Cirque the go-to place for upscale entertainment. They want all guests to have a "magical, memorable and immersive experience." In the early 1980's, Cirque du Soleil-founder Guy Laliberté was a member of a local street performing theatre troupe in Baie-Saint-Paul, a village on the north shore of the St-Lawrence River, east of Quebec City. Les Échassiers de Baie-Saint-Paul ('The Stiltwalkers of Baie- Saint-Paul'), walked on stilts, juggled, danced, breathed fire and played music. These young entertainers constantly impressed and intrigued Baie-Saint-Paul's residents. In 1984, during Quebec's 450th anniversary celebrations of Jacques Cartier's discovery of Canada, the province sought an event which would bring the festivities to all Quebecers. Guy Laliberté convinced organizers the answer was a provincial tour of what he called Cirque du Soleil and it hasn't stopped since. Like your own histories, Laliberté was a young eager entrepreneur with nothing more than an idea and his passion. But unlike some retailers, he has maintained that passion for over 30 years. At Cirque, the front-of-the-house, back-of-the-house and center stage are all designed to keep their audiences immersed in the story. From the first step into the theater customers are engaged into the individual theme of the story they're about to experience. Ticket booths, lobby lighting, and even restrooms all tell the same story. Before the show starts actors are in the theater interacting with audience members to make them feel like part of the spectacle about to take place. You have your own stories—your commitment to and activity within your community; your wide selection of quality, name-brand products to satisfy every budget; the expertise of your sales associates, installers and service department; your professional delivery and your longevity. Your success depends on the how well your showroom and your team tells that story. Does your parking lot, display, delivery truck and restroom convey a best-in-class message to your customers? Does it look cutting edge like the products you sell? Or is it dark, dim and dirty telling prospects that you may not be the best place to buy. Are your associates "costumed" in a manner that mirrors your customers and the products they come to purchase? The over 4,000 artists, crew, designers, musicians and other employees are completely immersed in the brand—they refer to it as being Cirquefied. You too can train your team members to understand, value and communicate your brand. To some prospects, the way in which you answer your telephone, return messages and respond to emails are the only clues they get as to what to expect in the store. Your delivery crew needs to be as big an ambassador for your brand as your sales team is. Like Cirque, you need to provide the necessary tools to ensure everyone's success. You don't need to provide translators for international artists, but your team needs responsive management, adequate inventory, strong on-going communication, a reasonable delivery schedule, and brands they and their customers can count on. At Cirque failure can result in a serious accident or even death. Failure in your store may mean loss of a customer—and the 250 others they influence. Cirque du Soleil constantly seeks to evoke the imagination, invoke the senses and provoke the emotions of people around the world. Shopping for bedding, furniture, appliances and consumer electronics should be an exciting and yes, entertaining experience. Working for an independent retailer should be a rewarding and challenging career. I know sometimes it feels like our stores are circuses and that you are a ringmaster, but there's a big difference between Cirque du Soleil and a circus. You'll see that difference when you rekindle your passion to provide your guests with a "magical, memorable, and immersive" experience and immerse your team members and your customers in your story and your brand. UNDER THE BIGGEST TOP RO Elly Valas is the Marketing Services Director for Nationwide Marketing Group. She can be reached at elly@ellyvalas.com or at 303-316-7569. Visit her website at www.ellyvalas.com.

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