Each individual who walks through your door is a new customer, whether it’s her first visit or her hundredth. Every time a person stops in, that visit represents new potential for a sale and an opportunity for a fresh impression, which is critical to every purchase.

The first two thoughts your customer has are: “Does this store have what I am looking for?” and “Where would it be?” Whether your customers are looking for the latest issue of SageWoman magazine (www.sagewoman.com) or an expert opinion on ways to read tarot, both should be relatively easy to attain. The last thing you want is customers distracted by clutter, dirt, or lack of staff. These obstacles can derail a purchase almost instantly, and it is not likely you would get a second chance. After all, bad reviews tend to travel faster than good ones.

With the thousands of stores I have visited and all the store owners I have met around the country, one retailer’s statement still impresses me: “Act like you have company coming.” Keeping your store attractive and inviting is just like sprucing up the house when Aunt Tillie is 10 minutes away. Take a run through your store in the morning and imagine that same urgency to create a positive impression.

Eyes wide open
Look around and ask yourself: How does my store rate visually? Have I purposefully decorated or just placed items on a shelf? Once you have your answer, it’s time to ask an outsider. Ask an artistic friend—or one who is an avid fan of Home and Garden Television (www.hgtv.com) —to come in and give suggestions on improving the look and feel of your store.

Now that you’ve gotten a second opinion, get a third … and then a fourth. Ask your staff, your friends and family, and most importantly, your patrons. What do your customers think about the products you currently carry? Put out a fish bowl and some pretty paper for suggestions, and promote a monthly gift certificate drawing for those who fill it out. (This can also get you started on or expand your current mailing and emailing lists.)

If your store is a place you want to be and you are happy there, your customers will feel the same way. Make it a comfortable place to do business. Resale-shop furniture is a great place to start, but don’t stop there. Coordinate—re-paint, re-cover, and re-claim—and make your design purposeful.

On display
Displays should be eye-catching, fresh, and relevant to your customers’ current needs. For instance, if you hear the local plant is planning layoffs, make a “New Job” display with a free brochure on how to do a meditation ritual and a practical resource guide for that specific situation. Create small, themed displays twice a month.

Empty or half-filled displays will get you nowhere. Looking picked over is just as bad as looking cluttered. Move dwindling displays out, even if you have to rearrange and shorten up your store. Who knows, that new space in the back may be the perfect place for a reader, counselor, or another revenue-generating service.

Pay attention to which displays give you the quickest turnover for your products. Is it because they are hot-selling spots or hot-selling items? Rotate items regularly—it is amazing what your regular customers will find when you rearrange stock. It will look like you just unpacked a whole new shipment of merchandise, and I guarantee it will increase your sales.

Clean it up
Everyone feels more welcome and at ease in a tidy space, so make your store is “mother-in-law” clean. Look underneath things; sit where your customers sit; look around as though you are waiting for someone to greet you. You want to see polish and shine.

Don’t forget the loo. As silly as this may sound, taking care of the restroom will make your day go better. A disorderly, dirty, neglected bathroom will clutter your spirit, as it is the one place you can be alone for a moment and collect yourself. If the restroom is a stressful environment, you will retain that stress. If you have to use the area for extra stock or supplies, think about curtaining those items off from your moment of solitude. This is doubly important if you allow customers to use your restroom. If the bathroom is unappealing, you may very well lose a sale.

Create good flow
Clearing energy is something that should be done regularly, especially after specific circumstances such as a dramatic customer or an intense situation. Take care of your store’s energy and smudge often. Keep a candle lit, burn some incense every now and again, and don’t forget to clear your crystals (they can pick up a lot from your customers and staff).

Along with the spiritual feeling of your store, you need to consider the physical layout: Does your floor plan reflect customer traffic flow? Are there any road blocks in their path? Is everything flush against the wall like a row of soldiers?

Out with the old
When was the last time you did a thorough cleaning in your store? Celebrate the beginning of a fresh new year by tearing down and throwing things out. Faded, discolored products will make new items lose value in the eyes of customers. Get them off that prime-selling shelf and into the clearance area.

Hold a “New Year Clearance” sale for anything dented, old, or discolored, but make it look cute and wonderful so customers feel like they are really getting something amazing. Be sure to advertise the sale though postal mail, email, and the local paper’s event listings. Draw customers in by giving deep discounts to inspire purchases. Retail psychology tells us that customers will spend what they think they saved on sale products on regular priced products. Buy One, Get One Free (BOGO) is a retail phenomenon and should be considered one of the best sale strategies for clearing merchandise in a hurry.

If you are going to discount an item more than 60%, give it away instead to a paying customer. Make it fun: let $50 purchasers pick from an odds-and-ends bin, or create a “Free to Good Home” basket. The good will generated from actions such as these is immeasurable.

Please come in
Give yourself a fresh perspective and a new understanding of your own store by visiting it though your customer’s eyes. Think about what you expect, desire, and need when you walk into a store, then provide that to your clientele. And remember to welcome each person like a treasured visitor in your home. That is, after all, what your customers are—the heart of your business.

Jacki Smith is the founder and president of Coventry Creations (www.coventrycreations.com), home of Blessed Herbal Candles. Her 15-plus years of experience in the New Age market have taught her many valuable business techniques; she publishes a monthly e-newsletter blending standard business practices with the unique path of spiritual development.