The next time you visit one of those big box stores, take notice of how few employees there are compared to department stores of 30 to 40 years ago. With fewer employees these days, it seems the oft-heard Can I help you? is now just another thing of the past. Dont get me wrong: This column isnt about criticizing todays stores. Instead, I want to praise todays packaging programs that take customer service to another dimension.

Weve all been taught: Clothes dont make the man, You cant judge a book by its cover, and Beauty is only skin deep. Well, when it comes to serving and selling retail customers, superficial packaging can be super; in fact, great packaging can sell a product without an employee sales pitch. Let me explain.

Ive learned in my years of working with self-storage professionals that, like those big chain stores, the cost of employees can make the difference between being in the black or the red. Still, our employees are expected to rent space to new tenants, serve existing ones, and keep the whole operation running smoothly and looking great. With all these responsibilities, they may not have the time to give retail sales their full attention.

Sometimes new employees may not know how to help customers find what they need, explain the products benefits, and close the sale. Fortunately, well-designed packaging can make all the difference in making a sale, despite all of these interfering circumstances.Packaging Pays for Itself

Modern consumer packaging has to be designed to work in a self-service marketplace. Professionally designed displays and packaging help customers find the exact products they need; assure them the contents are intact; answer their questions; and even do a good job selling the product. No wonder todays stores dont need as many employees as in the old days.

Unfortunately, the packaging of every retail product intended for the self-storage industry is not well designed, which can put a dent in any facilitys retail efforts. There are two leading causes of poor package design in our industry:

No matter the cause, poor and/or outdated packaging doesnt do anything to help sell a product; instead, it will likely weaken retail sales. But how do you judge packaging?A Closer Look

I think if youre good at sales, you can judge package presentation as it appeals to consumers. Most good salespeople have the ability to see things from their customers points of view. So, lets evaluate retail products as they might.

Take a commonly stocked line, such as the many varieties of Bubble Wrap. Does the overall design of the different products unify them into an attention-getting group that invites closer inspection? In other words, are they designed to be displayed together like Campbell Soups or McCormick Spices are on supermarket shelves?

Now look at the individual packages. Do the words or pictures convey how this individual type of Bubble Wrap is to be used? Is it a bag for china, or sheets for furniture? Is it a special design to protect corners of pictures and mirrors? Or, is it self-cling designed for convenience?

The packaging should identify exactly how a product is to be used, leaving nothing to the imagination. Customers want to make educated buying decisions. If the selling idea isnt immediately obvious, chances are customers wont ask for your help, and youll likely lose the sale. So, when you are making your inventory-buying decisions, evaluate each items packaging for informational purposes, and dont forget to judge how it complements other merchandise in the display. The idea is to draw customers to a display, allowing them to narrow down their product choices to fulfill their specific needs.

Another consideration is the brand name. Two types are helpful:

On DisplayOnce youve evaluated the packaging of your retail products, step back again and consider whether your displays are maximizing merchandise appeal. A clean display with identifying signage will attract customers to products. But to increase secondary impulse buys, you need a market-tested plan-o-gram. The best ones place secondary products alongside the most popular. For example, the customer intends to buy moving boxes and tape, but the plan-o-gram sells him on labels, markers and packing materials.All Hail Silent Sellers

Packaging design, displays and plano-grams should be the silent sellers of retail products at your self-storage center. The next time youre comparing retail products to include in your inventory, take these items into thoughtful consideration. Each should help sell the product whether or not an employee is present to answer frequently asked questions.

There isnt any point in stocking your store with merchandise that only takes up shelf space and collects dust. On the other hand, superb packaging and alluring displays might punch up retail sales beyond belief. 

Roy Katz is president of Supply Side, a distributor of packaging, shipping, moving and storage supplies. The company has developed merchandising programs for many leading companies including the U.S. Postal Service, The UPS Stores, Kinkos, Mail Boxes Etc., Uncle Bobs Self Storage and Extra Space Storage. For more information, visit www.suplyside.com.