Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Masks are more than, well, just masks. For consumers, they’re a ticket to visiting friends, dining out, shopping, and so much more. For small business owners, they’re the key to reopening.
Now, wearing a mask is the ‘new normal’ for business owners and customers alike. When you wear a mask, you’re protecting yourself, your employees, and your customers.
But now that your brick-and-mortar small business is reopened, it can be tricky to ask customers to wear masks at all times. Whether you own a nail salon, an eatery, or a retail shop, wearing masks can help keep your employees and your customers safe.
Here’s how to communicate your face mask policy in an approachable, effective way.
Give customers a heads up
Be upfront about your mask policy – create a social post and send an email to give customers advance notice. If they’re coming in for a personal shopping appointment or salon service, consider sending them a friendly reminder text or email the day before.
Make the message loud and clear
Whether on an informative poster or in a branded brochure, create something that explains why the mask requirement is so important… and communicates your mask-wearing policy.
Post a reminder outside your brick and mortar business reminding customers to put on their mask before they come inside. Your customers might have questions about why you’re requiring them to wear masks, so make sure you have the answers.
Use posters to remind customers at your restaurant or cafe to wear their masks when they get up to use the bathroom.
Is your salon up and running? Add a decal to your mirrors reminding customers to keep their mask on throughout their service.
If your retail shop is following mask-wearing protocols and other social distancing rules, create informative postcards that customers can grab in the fitting room, from a display table, or at the check-out counter.
Provide disposable masks to customers
Before a customer enters your business, ask them if they have a mask. If they don’t, offer them a disposable one – or, consider offering your own branded design for purchase.
Everyone is adjusting to this new way of life, and your customers are only human. Make sure they know it’s ok if they forget their mask as long as you have extras on hand.
Set the tone
Put customers at ease and make sure you and your employees are all wearing masks, too. Encourage your staff to keep a positive attitude behind the mask, and think of it as setting an example for your customers. This will help things feel more ‘normal’ and reinforce mask-wearing guidelines.
Have fun with it
The world has changed a lot in a very short amount of time…but you can still have fun in this new way of working. Put your customers at ease with a fun mask-wearing initiative.
- Set up a selfie station in your store where shoppers can take a photo wearing their mask… then encourage them to share it (and tag you!) on their favorite social channel.
- If you run a coffee shop or bakery, encourage customers to write their coffee or breakfast order on their mask.
- Award ‘most creative mask’ to a customer every day or once a week.
Masked emotions
Even in a mask, you can read customer expressions…and communicate your own feelings.
When it comes to non-verbal communication, there are several distinct emotions that come across in facial expressions including happiness, sadness, fear, surprise and anger.
Now that you’re reopening, learn how to identify some of these emotions – even when your customers are wearing masks.
Happiness: You can tell someone is smiling authentically even if you can’t see their actual smile! Look for wrinkles around the eyes and raised cheekbones.
Sadness: You can tell if someone is feeling sad if the inner corners of their eyes and eyebrows are slightly raised.
Fear: Look for raised eyebrows and upper eyelids if a client is worried or concerned.
Surprise: Gauge whether or not a shopper is surprised or concerned with raised eyes and forehead wrinkles.
Anger: Look for eyebrows drawn together.
