You may have heard one particular nugget of wisdom before, it’s one I and my guests have articulated in various ways on the podcast multiple times. It goes a little something like this:
Nobody buys on price.
We know this is true based on our on personal experiences. For me, I am much more likely to make a purchase from someone that I like, even if it means paying slightly more in terms of price.
It could be something as simple as having a friendly conversation with the person at the counter. Starbucks is a great example of this marketing principle in action.
Millions of people go out of their way to spend considerable amounts of money on their non-fat, no foam, half-caff, vanilla soy lattes each day and it’s not entirely because they like the drink. It’s because of the service they receive, the connection they get with the barista as they gradually become a regular, the attention to detail, and more.
At this point, you may be thinking “Hang on a sec, gamers are notorious for looking for the absolute cheapest price they can find!”
And that is true, their reputation is well justified. Sales of board games and hobby items on Amazon have been eating the lunch of game store owners for a long time now.
That’s why the truism of “nobody buys on price” isn’t quite accurate.
It should really be:
Price matters ONLY when nothing else matters.
If you fail to distinguish your game store in any meaningful way, your customers will default to price as their final criteria.
In many ways games are a commodity, the product is largely the same no matter where your customer buys it. Which is why it is vital to your bottom line that you bring something else to the table, something that creates a connection with your customer and gives them a reason to shop with you over your competitors.
There are a variety of ways you can create this differentiation. Some of them will appeal to your customers and some won’t, you’re going to have to try them out and see what resonates.
WOW Service
Lots of game stores offer good service, it’s pretty much the bare bones requirements of being in business. But very few offer WOW service.
Get to know your customers by their first name and encourage your employees to build that kind of relationship with them. Greet them like fellow travelers when they come back.
But top quality service is not enough.
If you want your business to be remarkable (literally, an experience the customer will tell their friends about), you need to go above and beyond for your customers. And this means more than just a friendly smile at the register.
Think about the total experience you offer people that come through your doors.
Is the space clean? Well lit? Is the merchandise organized? All those things will make an impact on your ability to deliver WOW service.
How you do anything is how you do everything.
What can you do to make sure that your customer thinks to themselves “Wow, that was great!”?
For example, imagine giving out free booster packs to Magic players for exemplary sportsmanship.
You see someone help one of their fellow players by giving them advice on their deck or teaching them how to play and you drop by and let them know how much you appreciate them being a part of your gaming community, and as a way of a thank you you drop a couple boosters on the table for them.
Rewards and incentives go a long way. Recognition is something that all people crave to varying degrees. How do you think those players would feel after such an experience?
I would be willing to bet that your game store is going to become their game store.
Specialization
Let’s say you need to remodel your bathroom. Who do you think you would rather do business with? The contractor that does everything; roofing, kitchens, patios, bathrooms, and more? Or the contractor that only works on bathrooms?
The answer is probably the specialist. You would want to do business with someone whose expertise matches what you need.
It’s the same in the games industry. You have to be able to offer more than just a cursory knowledge of what products your store carries. Your employees should be able to have a conversation about the hottest Standard deck in Magic, what techniques a customer could use to paint their brand new Chaos Space Marine army, or whatever it is that you want to be known for.
Not everyone on your team has to know everything about every product line, but you should have at least one specialist for each category.
For the mundanes, just being a local game store has assumed expertise baked into the cake. You will get some traffic just because of your position in the market, but that’s not enough for the initiated. Gamers will give their loyalty to the shop that treats them right and specializes in the game they love to play.
Focusing on a narrow piece of the market allows you to compete with generic but larger competitors and makes it easier to win business in that narrow slice you’ve carved out for yourself.
Pick something you can own and then do it extraordinarily well.
Exclusivity
Everyone wants to be part of the cool kids table, it’s just that the definition of cool will vary from person to person. The truth is we all crave recognition, especially from our peers.
Gamers are no different. We celebrate the stories of gamers that have won major events. We form bonds with people we like to spend time with. They become our friends, our team.
We even adopt game stores as our own. They become our third place, the comfortable space between work and home where we can be ourselves.
There is an element of exclusivity to that that will set your game store apart from others. The question is what can you do to accentuate that effect?
Can your customers become card-carrying members of your game store? Brand ambassadors? Can you reward and recognize their contributions to the community in a public way?
What can you do to give your customers the experience of belonging to something? Of joining a tribe of like minded people.
If you can achieve that, you’ve got something very special.
Rethink Things
Price isn’t everything. It only matters when your customer has no other way to measure your business’s value. If you can turn your game store into more than just another transaction, you won’t have to worry about becoming commoditized.
It’s time to rethink things.