Sales Strategies Need Creativity

Resourceful Marketing

Terrill Riley-Gibson has worked what some might see as a retail miracle, selling exclusive items for the home and garden from a shop tucked away in a quiet Sydney suburb. In just two years of business, Balcony Living has become a successful destination store, and Riley-Gibson has won a swag of awards, culminating in the 2006 Champion of Champions New Business of the Year (New South Wales/ACT). Yet, apart from printing, she has spent no money on advertising or marketing.

Her resourceful approach was obvious even before the shop opened. "While we were renovating, I had no signage," she says. "I covered the window with bits of paper like bricks then gradually removed them one by one so people could start peeping in. We only put up the name in the last week, that really aroused curiosity." Riley-Gibson had been actively looking for a niche market when she noticed how many new developments there were in her local area, all with balconies. With such a clearly defined target market, it made sense to drop brochures into letterboxes. From the outset she was very strict with branding, ensuring that every communication is consistently clean and crisp and features her distinctive colours.

Every month she holds a free soiree in the store, inviting customers to meet a guest designer, florist or artist, or to preview a new product or range. Anyone who brings someone new is entered into a draw for an attractive door prize. She’s also meticulous about building her database of customer details. Subscribers receive a regular newsletter and each week she contacts 10 or 15 customers, sharing news and offering more of her personal service.

"Women like being treated like a princess, and many peoplewant to touch, feel and smell before they buy," Riley-Gibson says. "I provide a really special gift-wrapping service, and I’ll throw a little something extra in with a big sale. Because I live above the shop I can also walk the talk by showing customers how things look in my home. I’ll even let them take items home to see how they look in theirs. I have always known that this business needed to be driven by service, not by price."