Amazon Isn’t Killing Your Business, It’s You

A few days ago, I went to the store to pick up some items after work, which was peak retail time. When I went to pay, I looked at two cash registers with cashiers and very long lines. So I opted to deal with self checkout, and when I got stuck on the particular sequence I was supposed to do to pay, the human being who in the early days of self checkout was dedicated to helping people get familiar with the checkout machine it was nowhere. to be found.

As someone who had worked in retail for years, I couldn’t believe the managers acted like people weren’t frustrated and upset about having this terrible experience in a store. What happened to the service? When did that become a thing of the past? When did it become acceptable for companies to ignore their customers’ time and experience?

As an entrepreneur, I have many conversations with small business owners about how online businesses and retailers are killing their profits, and they have no choice but to keep things clean and simple.

Amazon is a favorite business killer.

But, when I go to retail stores, I see long lines, which I prefer to avoid by touching a few things on a digital retail platform, and then receive my products, usually within hours of ordering in the comfort of my home. Who wants to go to a store to have an unpleasant experience when I can sit at home and get what I need in a fraction of the time?

Here’s my take on big bad Amazon and other global retailers destroying small businesses: No, they’re not.

While Amazon and other global companies have pros and cons, such as paying competitive and fair wages and working conditions for their employees, it’s easy to think of online retailers as the enemy because they give business owners someone else Whom to blame but themselves.

If you’re running a business and you’re not adapting to the changes that are occurring, and you think you’re adjusting by destroying the customer experience, then you have no one else to blame but yourself. You are losing your earnings because of you, not because of Amazon.

I have a question for you.

Have you ever thought about competing against Amazon and other big online retailers?

If the answer is no, why not?

If you say it’s because your business can’t compete against a trillion dollar company and if it does then you have to cheat the customer, you are wrong. Yes, you can compete against Amazon and other global giants, and you can get more customers. That is how:

1. Change your mindset: The first is the first. You have to look in the mirror and stop making excuses for the failure of your company to be innovative and adapt to no one but yourself. It is essential to do this because if you think right from the start that you have lost, then you better close shop. You have to believe that your company can excel.
2. Stay in your lane: I am an entrepreneur and I have more than seven brands. One of the most important things we do is stay on our path. We are not all things to all people. We choose niches for brands and we are relentless in being the market leader. Amazon has thousands of products and continues to push into new industries such as publishing, retail, and now healthcare and even education. Do you want to beat Amazon? Focus like a laser in a niche.
3. Develop a purpose: If you search Amazon, it often has hundreds of thousands of similar products, like shoes. No one is going to go through that, but if you are a shoe retailer and you discover specific value to your customers for buying shoes from you (for example, a higher purpose), people will patronize your store. Amazon is not looking to create a consumer story to have a positive impact. However, other brands have overlapped to make a difference in their products, and that’s a competitive advantage your company would have over a giant like Amazon.
4. Customer service:A competitive advantage of my brands over my competitors is exceptional customer service. You can crush even Amazon if you provide something that seems to have gone out of style: extraordinary, live customer service where people can talk to another human being who cares about their customers’ experience. If you want to drive consumers into your store, think about how you can serve them and treat each person as a unique individual.
5. Experience: This goes along with the previous point. Think about the experience you want to provide your customers. Do you want them to queue at your store (something that won’t happen with many people) or to walk into a fresh, modern (with lots of technology) and fun experience? Think about the customer experience from the moment consumers see your brand, to the point of sale and beyond. Customer experience is the reason why Amazon is a global giant; they are fans of getting to know their customers.

If you want to continue to claim that your business cannot compete with Amazon or other online retailers, then close shop. You are right. However, if you want to get out of your way and run your business successfully in the 21st century, then get to work. There is a lot of ocean, and even small fish swim alongside the giant whales. You can’t be afraid of him.