Interview with Ryan McAnally: Wilson’s Office Supply

Check out how this local retailer revamped its practices to stay competitive in a rapidly changing industry.

In 1989, Richard Wilson opened Wilson’s Office Supply in Huntsville, Alabama. The company, which stocks local businesses with everything from sticky notes to desks, relied on a mix of cold calling, networking and catalog sales to drum up clients. And it was a success—Wilson’s Office Supply was known throughout the area as reliable, honest, customer-driven and quality-focused.

But back then, retail was vastly different from the way it is today. Now, even national stores find it difficult to compete with online shopping and constantly-shifting consumer trends. And local businesses, including Wilson’s Office Supply, have an even harder time remaining viable.

In 2016, the store completely revamped its business under the guidance of marketing director Ryan McAnally. He explains the scope of the undertaking, saying, “We began to reshape our outdated format of doing business, which mostly consisted of cold-call selling, hardcopy catalogues and old graphics.” Now, the business uses modern marketing tactics, including analytics, social media, an e-commerce website and blogging.

To ensure that Wilson’s Office Supply’s local customers weren’t put off by the change, McAnally focused on nurturing those relationships while modernizing the company’s methods. “Yes, we blog. Yes, we sell right on our site and, additionally, through Facebook. Yes, we incorporate many useful, modern tools of the trade. But, we remain local by establishing and maintaining human-to-human interactions, which organically began our company’s growth. We don’t send our callers to a robot—we communicate often through email and by phone. And, we see and speak with our clients face-to-face and send out special notes and fun things in their boxes, which they’ve come to love and eagerly expect,” he says.

However, a complete overhaul of sales tactics and marketing weren’t enough. Online shopping and national competitors make it difficult for local businesses to compete with pricing. For most, things like price matching and cuts just aren’t realistic. So, McAnally made sure the brand’s message noted this and explained why their prices were higher. And why they were worth it. “We strive to keep prices low enough to compete, but at times we simply can’t strip our margins much further. We are a small, local business and we do have tangible advantages over other competitors. So, we focus on our other strengths and build strength in other areas where we can,” McAnally explains.

To aid in Wilson’s Office Supply’s shift, McAnally turned to a host of tools. “Buffer is my top favorite social media automation software. I can write up to 10 posts, for free, across multiple platforms and schedule when the posts will be delivered to my audience. Our site is powered by Wix.com, which incorporates many user-friendly tools to help the modern entrepreneur,” he reveals.

For other small businesses looking to stay relevant in the swiftly changing retail industry, McAnally offers this advice: “Learn from others who have already been there—it’s the best/easiest way to leap ahead! They’ve been there already, so why not learn from their failures and successes?”

Want to see how this local retailer manages their online store, web presence and content marketing? Check out their website, follow them on Facebook or read through their business-focused blog.

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