Study

Goals: Information gathering, knowledge, strategic business intelligence.

Description: Usually a short-term project of 1-3 months in length; could be price audits or information used by corporate offices for marketing research purposes only.

Most Used By Those Who:

1.       Need quick information about themselves or their competition to meet a specific short-term goal

2.       Have a limited budget

3.       Desire to test the proficiency of secret shopping and a chosen vendor's performance before proceeding

4.       Acquire data on an ongoing basis, but it is not used for behavior modification

Past Results Achieved:

1.       Understand the brand presence of a manufacturer in large home improvement environments

2.       Assess the encroachment of another brand into a grocer

3.       Price audit weekly in order to assure the client has the lowest priced products for circulars

Improvement

Goals: Improve the habits of front-line teams to have better customer service, salesmanship and operational accountability.

Description: These programs increase revenue and market share by reinforcing the standards and habits known to make the company successful. Training is knowledge; it is not action. Consistent measurement reinforces habits.

Most Used By Those Who:

1.       Want to increase standards at their own businesses

2.       Improve a large field of people

3.       Assure a sales process is followed to increase sales

Past Results Achieved: The success rate for clients using this option is 95%.

Targeted Improvement

Goals: Improve the habits of front-line teams to have better customer service, salesmanship and operational accountability.

Description: A savvy option for those on a tighter budget. This option shops everyone in the first half of the quarter and then re-shops only those who need greater support in the last half of the quarter.

Most Used By Those Who:

1.       Wish to provide more individualized levels of support for weaker team members.

2.       Have high-end sales professionals who will not be shopped on weekends and the last 4 days of the     month. This provides less shopping time, so we need extended periods to be able to evaluate high-end salespeople. They tend to have more flexible and varying schedules.

Past Results Achieved: Clients using this program have increased sales as much as 25% over a twelve-month period.

Secret Shopping On-Demand
(Manufacturer/Dealer/Franchise Environments)

Goals: Promote and strengthen brand; Dramatically influence sales representative recommendation rates during the selling process; Stop encroachment of other competitive brands; Understand brand impressions; Earn greater customer loyalty; Reward good brand selling habits; Hold dealers/franchisees/retailers to the Terms of their Partner Agreements.

Description: There are many aggressive programs under this heading

• Compliance
• Brand Prominence
• Salesmanship - Reveals and Spiffs
• Buzz
• Stop Sell Off

Most Used By Organizations:

1.       Not directly in charge of those selling their product

2.       Assuring customer/brand loyalty and distinctiveness

3.       Needing to ensure the brand is sold in a way that builds vs. destroys its credibility

Past Results Achieved: Companion selling rates increased as much as 52% for a total ROI of 139% and an increase in $4,000,000 in revenue.

Small Business

Goals: Study or improve business operations, customer service and sales.

Description: This program provides growing organizations the same type of program the big guys have access to. Even though the evaluations have been standardized, they are top notch and provide great insight into each business. The participant has the option to ask up to 5 custom questions for an additional fee.

Most Used By Those Who:

1.       Require less than 250 shops per year or have less than 24 locations

2.       Don't want to sign an annual agreement

3.       Just want to spot check

4.       Need to watch their cash flow closely

5.       Don't have time to set up a customized program

Past Results Achieved: More entrepreneurs know about their business and their competitors' business, giving them peace of mind and the ability to make needed changes.