The threat of online competition may seem intimidating to brick-and-mortar small businesses.

But retail consultant Bob Phibbs, in a new six-minute promotional video, shared advice for brick-and-mortar retailers about the frame of mind they need to compete against online sellers. Customers who drive to your store when they can order merchandise on their home computers deserve your full commitment to meet their needs.

Here are highlights:

• Blaming your slow sales on online sellers or the COVID-19 pandemic are excuses for not having sufficient commitment to sales for those who visit your store.
• Customers who drive to your store when they could have shopped online intend to feel better when they leave your store than when they stepped onto the sale floor. “What you’re selling is hope,” Phibbs says.
• Phibbs continues: “Hope is your North Star.” He says focusing with customers on buying merchandise that makes them feel better makes more sense than passively waiting for customers to walk in and complaining about online competitors.
• Phibbs wraps up his advice: “Don’t just settle for feeling crappy” about not having better sales. Train your sales crew to be curious, find out what the customer wants to buy, then dedicate themselves to make the sales connection. Retail is about more than just taking orders, says Phibbs. “When someone makes that effort to come to my store, I’ve got a lot of work to create an exceptional experience for them.”