How to Build your Database In-store (without being pushy)
Most small businesses don’t have a database problem—they have a collection problem.
Building a database in a bricks & mortar store isn’t complicated, but it is often not done very well and if that’s the case, you either don’t collect enough customers, or the data you do collect isn’t usable.
One of the blockages that can cause slow growth in the customer database in a bricks & mortar store is quite simply the team members. They may feel awkward about offering it, they don’t think it’s important, or they feel like they don’t have time.
They feel like they’re asking for something personal, or they don’t want to “bother” the customer. So they either skip it altogether or ask in a half-hearted way.
But here’s the reality:
If they’re not offering it, they’re doing the customer a disservice.
Your database isn’t just valuable to your business, it has value to the customer too.
They hear about new products first
They get invited to events
They don’t miss out on promotions or sales
They stay connected to a business they already like
They might even get discounts or special deals
If a customer has chosen to shop with you, there’s a very good chance they want to hear from you.
So this isn’t about your team asking the customer for a favour, it’s about offering the customer a benefit.
LAZY SELLING = POOR RESULTS
I see this all the time in retail stores when I’m at the counter ready to buy something. The conversation goes something like this:
Them: “Are you a member?”
Me: “No.”
… and that’s the end of that conversation. I pay and off I go.
Or:
Them: “Are you a member?”
Me: “No".”
Them: “Do you want to be?”
And I look at them blankly because I don’t know if I want to be. I don’t know the benefits, what’s in it for me? So I say no because it can’t be that great if they’re not telling me about it and…..I pay and off I go.
That’s just lazy selling and it really grinds my gears.
If your team doesn’t explain the value of being on your database, you can’t expect the customer to say yes and hand over their contact details.
In this case, either the team member hasn’t been trained properly, or they’re not engaging with the process the way they should.
YOUR TEAM NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND WHY THE DATABASE MATTERS
If your team doesn’t believe in it, they won’t ask the customer properly…or at all.
But don’t go straight to blaming the team member; look to yourself first as to whether you trained them properly.
You need to ensure they understand:
Why the database matters to the business.
How it drives repeat customers and sales.
Why accuracy is critical.
What’s in it for the customer.
And yes, it also matters to the team member. A strong database supports a strong business, and strong businesses provide job security for that team member.
If you are absolutely confident that you have trained the team member fully, watched them to make sure they follow the steps correctly, and that you have explained all the reasons for building the database (beyond, “because I told you so”) and they’re still avoiding asking or not engaging with this part of the role, that’s not a training issue, that’s a bigger performance issue.
IT’S HOW YOU ASK THAT MATTERS
There are simple techniques that can dramatically improve your success rate when collecting customer details in store.
It’s not about scripts—it’s about:
Confidence
Clarity
Flow
For example, asking:
“Can I have your email address?”
is a closed question. It gives the customer an easy out. It’s easy just to say no.
Whereas a more natural, confident approach flows as part of the interaction. Let’s see if I can explain in writing, but also make note so myself to do a podcast one day to demonstrate this.
Here’s how the conversation would go:
You: “Are you a member of our loyalty program?”
Customer: “No.”
You: “Well, if you join you earn points that you can spend later, plus you get special invitations to our events and we send out discount vouchers as well.” (This is you selling the sizzle - words like discount and special invitations are great to include.)
Customer: “That sounds great.”
You: “Ok, let’s get some details. First name… last name… email address…”.
Note here that you’re not asking for the details in closed questions, you’re not actually asking questions at all. You didn’t say, “Can I have your first name?” Instead, your tone is essentially asking the question but your words are just expecting a direct response. In fact, that’s what it’s called - direct response.
You say ‘First name’ in a warm, positive voice, they say ‘Sarah’. You say ‘Last name’, they say ‘Smith’. it’s done in such a way that it’s almost automatic for them to reply.
It’s subtle, but it works.
It feels normal, expected, not pushy and it’s easy for the customer to respond.
This kind of approach is faster, smoother, and far more effective at getting results.
COLLECT THE RIGHT INFORMATION (IN THE RIGHT ORDER)
Not all information is equally important to you so when asking for it, prioritise what you need first, and what you want second.
For example, your most valuable contact detail from a marketing perspective is the email address and so ask for that first, before phone number or anything else. You do this just in case they start to question why you want all of the details that you do.
Other useful information includes:
Name (for personalisation and search)
Suburb/postcode (for location-based business planning)
Phone number (it’s a benefit to the customer as it often makes searching them quicker and they get to receive occasional SMS campaigns with amazing offers - remember, sell the sizzle).
Think about what you will actually use, but also plan the process of training your team to ask in a particular order.
SPEED, CONFIDENCE AND ACCURACY ALL MATTER
Collecting customer details should feel:
Quick
Easy
Natural
Your team should:
Move efficiently without rushing
Stay friendly and engaged
Keep the process smooth so it doesn’t feel like a burden
And most importantly: It has to be accurate.
There’s no value in collecting details if they’re wrong, we’ve discussed that in the previous blog so, as you know, one incorrect letter in an email address and you’ve lost the ability to contact that customer entirely.
Collecting information accurately is a skill and it can be taught.
Train your team to naturally repeat back segments to the customer as they type email addresses. Most customers will break an email into segments as they say it so as it’s just a matter or repeat it back in each soundbite. And, if needed, at the end either repeat it back, or just confirm a section you’re not sure of such as ‘Does that have au on the end?’
Give your team the confidence to check the spelling of someone’s name, that’s important. Even the most simple names can be spelt many different ways. Mine is Kathryn, but could be Cathryn, Catherine, Katherine. Even simple names aren’t obvious like Matt could be Mat, Karen could by Karyn, or Mark could be Marc,
Repeat back phone numbers, that only takes a second to confirm.
The difference between a business that grows a strong database and one that doesn’t is rarely the system, it’s the approach.
There are simple techniques that can significantly increase:
The number of customers who sign up
The accuracy of the data collected
The overall value of your database
But they need to be:
Taught
Practised
Reinforced
ONE FINAL THOUGHT
Your database will only ever be as strong as the way you build it.
If your team isn’t confident asking, it won’t grow.
If they don’t understand the value, it won’t be done properly.
And if it’s not done properly, you don’t have an asset, you have a missed opportunity.
“The best time to start building your database is on the very first day that you open your door. The next best time to start is NOW!”