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| Providing You Tools To Make More Money! | October/November 2010 |
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Greetings!
I hope you had a great Thanksgiving with family and friends. We visited friends and was happy not to cook and have a day off from "retail". It is always nice to reflect on how blessed we all are no matter how trying it seems at times. The blessing of just living in America with all the freedoms and possibilities can be overwhelming. I sometimes even joke that it is terrible living in America because we has so many opportunities and only a finite amount of time. All kidding aside, personally, I am so thankful for my family, my friends inside and outside of our industry and all the people prior, present and future that make my freedoms possible.
It has been real hectic since the Ultimate Profit Explosion Boot Camp. We had 3 large events and one show since then and I have been trying to get this newsletter done for a long time. I apologize for not getting it to you sooner. See below for an update and the dates for the next Boot Camp.
It's that time of year again. Make sure you sign up for the VDTA/SDTA show in Vegas. It is the best place to see all the manufacturers under one roof and to meet a whole bunch of successful dealers that can help grow your business. They have negotiated great rates with the hotel. If you can, try to get the Club Level. You can get breakfast there and evening snack for free. Even better, the Club Level Lounge is a great place to meet and talk to other dealers.
I will be teaching a class at VDTA on February 23rd from 11:30am to 12:30pm in room S227 called "5 FREE Secrets to Getting More Customers That You Can Use Now!" I will also be sharing what I did to get 247 people to come into my store in October alone. Don't miss it!
This has never been a super busy time of year for us but there is an up tick in sewing machines. So I am never excited in the whole idea that I should be in the red until Black Friday. I need every Friday to be Black Friday and so should you. Advertise now. People are buying. This is the only time of year that we do run ads in the newspaper but special sales or direct mail should work better now.
Till next time, Always Be Solving, Howard J. Anderson Long View Retail Consulting |
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Tip of the Month  In this economy it is more important than ever to make sure your customers remember you and keep coming back. Even someone who absolutely loves you and says how great you are will eventually forget about you if you don't continue to make them feel special.
TIP OF THE MONTH: Put in place a system to reward your best customers in many ways often.
Make them feel welcome and appreciated. Reward them for referring customers to you. We spend lots of money attracting new customers but often there is a better return on your investment to invest in your current customers. It is easier to get someone who knows and likes you to buy from you than a total stranger.
You could track your customers with a simple card file or make it as complex as you want, but keep them coming back. Here are a few ways that you could make them feel special:
- Give them a special discount.
- Give them a $5 or $10 certificate to spend like cash in your store.
- Send them emails or call once a week.
- Call them on their birthday.
- Give them a special discount on their birthday.
- Have a private invitation only party for your top customers.
- Give them a meal at a nice restaurant.
- Mention them in your newsletter.
- Brag to other customers about them.
- Send them a hand written thank you card.
- Send them a thank you present: flowers, chocolate.
- Send them a thank you card for referring a customer to you.
- Reserve a seat for them at an event.
- Let them use a loaner machine if theirs is in for service or for a class.
- Create a club for them with special perks.
You know your customers and your business so I can't tell you what to do for your customers but you know. Take the next few minutes and make up your list. It will pay you back ten fold! |
A Positive Attitude Is Good for Your Health and Your Business  There are few who would deny the link between physical health and state of mind, and going about life with a positive attitude not only keeps you healthier but, of course, also makes you happier into the bargain. This can only flow over to your business also. Here are a few tips on things that you can do to stay positive and increase your quality of life. 1. Live each day as though it is your last, with passion and vitality. Not only will you feel better in yourself, but also your attitude will rub off on others. You customers will want to do business with you! 2. Revel in the little things and live in the moment. Stop to smell the flowers. Notice the sunset. Appreciate every moment of happiness instead of looking ahead for the next. Be happy that a pain in the neck customer even came into your store. 3. Take control of your life and your business. Instead of leaving your life to fate and then reacting to situations that have turned out badly, be proactive and take control of the outcomes that you desire. 4. Don't dwell on what you don't have, but develop an attitude of gratitude for what you do have. Even on the worst of days, there are lessons learned. 5. Don't waste opportunities. You live in America! There is opportunities everywhere. Life is too short for regrets, so be brave and grab all the great opportunities that life puts your way. 6. Don't take life or yourself or your business too seriously - always hang on to your sense of humor and, especially, learn to laugh at yourself. It makes things go so much easier. |
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Boot Camp Feed Back  "I've been implementing some of the ideas from boot camp so far. We're quickly building an email list and I've been in contact with my customers using icontact. I've been using it to send offers and newsletters with video and already getting some response. We've received our royalty rewards packages about 3 weeks ago, set them up, and already surpassed our 150 names to get our deposit credited. In fact we are about double that." Stephen Sprague
"Well worth my time. There is so much powerful information and great ideas. I have already signed up to come to the next Boot Camp. Thanks you so much!" Carla Plant
"So much information and so little time... what to do first? My first boot camp but hopefully not my last. Thanks to all of the presenters and especially Howard for all of his hard work! Can't wait for 2012!" Susan Bodan  "Many other professionals; doctors, lawyers & CPAs have required continuing education to stay licensed in their profession. This Boot Camp is our industry's continuing education and should be required for those who want to stay in business. If you don't come, you won't know how much great information you missed." Tom Proctor
 " I am putting the finishing touches on a three page sales letter that I am going to send out to non Miele customers in my database and to other potential new customers. I can't wait to see how it works but I never would have even thought of doing this if I hadn't gone to the Boot Camp. I just need time to put all the great ideas I heard into place. Can't wait for the next one!" Kevin Valenta
Those of you who attended or even those who did not, send me your success stores or struggles that you are having so I can share it with others. We all learn for each other. |
You're Never Too Old to Learn 
For most youngsters, it feels as though the race is on to acquire valuable qualifications while they are at school and college. For a variety of reasons, however, some find it more difficult than do others to apply themselves to the task of learning at this stage in their lives.
Education, though, does not have to take place solely between the ages of four and sixteen. Nowadays, there are endless adult education courses that can be taken on a full- or part-time basis, and many of these reward students with formal qualifications. Evening courses, for example, are provided at what is usually a minimal cost to the student, and these, of course, allow adults to improve their education and qualifications without their studies interfering with their normal working lives. In addition, where the course relates directly to employees' work, employers will often be happy to contribute toward the cost and/or allow the necessary time off work. Online study courses are widely available too, and these typically allow individuals to work through their courses at their own speed and so are ideal for mature students who need to fit their studies around other responsibilities.
Adults generally have different and stronger motivations for learning than youngsters, and in many ways their life experiences greatly enhance their learning capacity. Even if you weren't the world's best student in your teens, it is never too late to learn and you can still achieve great things now. |
People Changed Their Business in Three Days! 
If you missed it by all accounts the 2010 Ultimate Profit Explosion Boot Camp was the best one yet! Working in the trenches in my own stores every day gives me the insight needed in selecting what is presented at the Boot Camp. In the three days of the event there where too many high points to share all of them with you but I wanted to give you a brief overview of what the attendees experienced. And it truly was a great experience.
The event started by defining the five main things that a responsible business owner should be actively doing while running their business. They should be constantly educating themselves and their employees, aggressively diversifying their business, never rely upon "1" way of doing anything, be focusing on getting the "right customer" and taking personal responsibility for their success or failures.
Throughout the event there were exercises where the attendees could work on their business, identifying areas that needed attention and time to work with others on finding solutions. There was ample time to share ideas with other dealers and to ask them for help. I feel that that is one of the biggest bonuses of attending the Ultimate Profit Explosion Boot Camp. There were hundreds of years of experience in the room and all were willing to share their experience with others. This was definitely a group of the smartest people I know in this industry.
We all like to see other dealer's stores. My kids used to hate it when I stopped into sewing and vacuum stores when we were on vacation. Tom Proctor from Vacuum Hospital in Chapel Hill, NC did an awesome job of showing some fresh new store design and ways that could make anyone's store look better and sell more products. Tom shared many store pictures. One store he showed was a new store that had a lot of displays from Ikea. It was beautiful and truly a unique store. His talk was a lot of fun and there were lots of questions, comments and suggestions from the group.
We all see ourselves as so busy that we don't have time for vacations or to do the things we need to do. Bob Holdsworth put on a two hour workshop that was very interesting, He showed us why and how to get control of your business and live life on your own terms. Bob started by asking if we or a love one got sick and needed our help, what would we do? Everyone in the room said that they would do what they had to do so that they could take off work and help. Here's the question that we all need to ask ourselves. If we can do it then ... why can't we do it for ourselves or when we need to do something important for our business? He got us looking at our personality and thinking about our lives and our business in a different way.
Everyone agrees that the biggest problem we have is in finding and keeping the right employees. Even though the Boot Camp was only a month ago, from what I learned from Barry Shamis, I was able to de-hire two so so employees and hire three new great ones. He has been teaching a totally different way of looking at the process of hiring for over 35 years and it works!
 The two biggest things that are shaping and changing our world is social media and video. There were extensive workshops on both at the boot camp. We all need to address these two huge issues. The first was to explain what they were and why we needed it in the sewing and vacuum industry. The second was actually seeing it in action. Ron Sheetz helped Bernie Holmstock record a live video, put it on the web and by the next day had page one ranking on Google. Julia Kline opened all of our eyes on what Social Media was all about and showed us what we needed to do to get up to speed with the new media.
Another amazing thing was when Keith Lee showed up with three huge binders of 3D direct mail sales letters just for Sewing and Vacuum stores. It had more than 50, done for you, three step sales letters with 3D samples. All you had to do was to put in your store name and mail it. It was like an encyclopedia for sales promotions that you could use in your business for years to come!
The biggest game changer that will work even in a down economy made all the attendees jump up and take notice. I would love to tell you about it but I couldn't explain it to you here. I will be sharing it with you at the VDTA Las Vegas show this year. Be sure to come to the show and to my class. If it is like the class I taught last year there will be standing room only so get there early. I have two huge new things to share with you. They are so easy to do that it is scary.
You have no idea how much you missed by not attending this year's boot camp. I have barley brushed the surface of what was learned and shared at the Boot Camp. There was so much more that went on. Being business owners we rarely have friends that really understand what we are going through. One of the hidden benefits of the Boot Camp is that when you share great things with your peers you forge friendships that can last a lifetime.
People who had been to previous Boot Camps said it was much better than past ones. I am committed to listen to the feedback that I am getting from the attendees and improve on the Boot Camp every time. Some have attended all of the Boot Camps and have already signed up for their fourth Boot Camp. Are you going to join them next time or miss out on one of the greatest opportunities to grow your business that you will ever have? Don't be left out and disappointed again.
The next Ultimate Profit Explosion Boot Camp will be on May 21-23, 2012. You have plenty of time to plan early to attend. Anyone who is serious about the sewing and vacuum industry should attend. No joke! |
Procrastination - the Thief of the Work/Life Balance 
We have all heard the saying "Procrastination is the thief of time," but in stealing time, the act of putting off until tomorrow what we could do today can also ultimately leave us dipping into our valuable leisure time to complete the tasks that should have been carried out during working hours - and vice versa.
Procrastination can become a deadly habit that causes us to lose control of time and end up having little to show for ourselves in any area of life. Here, therefore, are a few simple tips to help overcome any inclination to put off the "must dos" in favor of the "nice to dos."
1.Prioritize your tasks.
2.Break down your activities into chunks, and then set yourself deadlines for each.
3. Use a planner to write down your daily tasks, and make it your goal to stick within the time limits that you have set yourself.
4. Keep your planner handy and refer to it often throughout the day to ensure that you stay on track.
5. Minimize distractions. If you are inclined to become distracted by what is going on in your inbox, for example, then only open it up at the time allotted for dealing with e-mails.
I know that when we work retail it is very hard to schedule the time to do something but if you do the most important things first, you will be on your way to getting more done. |
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On the Lighter Side:
Psychiatrists vs. Bartenders:
Ever since I was a child, I've always had a fear of someone under my bed at night.
So I went to a shrink and told him . . . 'I've got problems. Every time I go to bed I think there's somebody under it. I'm scared. I think I'm going crazy.'
'Just put yourself in my hands for one year,' said the shrink. 'Come talk to me three times a week and we should be able to get rid of those fears..'
'How much do you charge?'
'Eighty dollars per visit,' replied the Doctor.
'I'll sleep on it,' I said.
Six months later the doctor met me on the street. 'Why didn't you ever come to see me about those fears you were having?' he asked.
'Well, eighty bucks a visit three times a week for a year is an awful lot of money! A bartender cured me for $10. I was so happy to have saved all that money that I went and bought me a new pickup!'
'Is that so!' With a bit of an attitude he said, 'and how, may I ask, did a bartender cure you?'
'He told me to cut the legs off the bed! Ain't nobody under there now!'
SCREW THOSE SHRINKS.. GO HAVE A DRINK & TALK TO YOUR BARTENDER! |
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Ad of the Month  This type of ad can be run any time. It is commonly called an evergreen ad. You could ad a coupon with money off or a special offer and a deadline. That would make it more trackable and create more urgency. I wanted something that would address come of the "tree huggers" in our area. So far we have sold 6 machines off of this ad. Here's the formula because I know you are dying to ask how I came up with my estimate. Take the number of households in your area times 2 vacuums per household divided by 10 years. This is assuming that their vacuum will last 10 years. As you know, many do not. 141,000 households X 2 = 282,000 vacuums divided by 10= 28,000 Click here to see the ad. |
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Why People Fail A Series of No B.S. Articles from Dan Kennedy
 
Two Sword-In-The-Stone Secrets
How To Make More Money Than Ever
When Others Are Stymied And Struggling
By Dan S. Kennedy
My newest book, No B.S. Wealth Attraction In The New Economy is all about making yourself magnetic to money, in part via different approaches to marketing. Here's some insight into that process...
Last year I bought a 1972 AMC Javelin. I already own a '63 Lincoln Town Car convertible. I don't have them as investments or to show; just to drive around during the summer. I didn't need two summer cars. In fact, I had to rent a garage for the second one. Then this year, I bought Dean Martin's 1986 Rolls-Royce, which has only 19,000 miles on it and is nearly showroom new. It's not that I haven't been affected by the recession and by anticipation of economic damage to come from the President's policies (mis-guided or sinister - your choice) and the big tax target he has painted on my chest. There are some things I might have bought that I stopped myself from buying precisely because of those realities. But I bought these because I wanted them.
What does this have to do with you, since you don't deal in classic cars? Plenty. It reveals two "sword in the stone secrets" of marketing and selling in any circumstances, but especially in tough times. You may recall the Arthurian legend, or at least the Disney version: mighty knights could not pull the sword from the stone with muscle and brawn; only one young, much less muscular boy pure of heart and strong of mind could command the sword. If you were prospering by "pushing" products and services on anybody breathing during the boom, you've probably now found that muscle doesn't matter. Something different is required, for success with advertising, marketing selling; for attraction of prospects, customers, clients.
A fact about money. Whatever money is in circulation is always in motion, moving constantly from one person to another like bees flitting flower to flower, attracted not by happenstance but for definitive reasons that can be managed. At the moment, there is, admittedly, money withdrawn. Some is sitting on the sidelines; private capital on strike; money hiding in what one of my clients, a business coach to 4,000 financial advisors, calls "coffee can portfolios." Middle class spending reduced by restricted access to credit. Affluent spending reigned in as much by feeling need to show respect for others' recession as by financial reality. So yes, there is a little less money in motion. But there is also a lot less competition for it. Tens of thousands of retail stores closed in 09, and that is continuing this year. Thousands if not tens of thousands of real estate agents, insurance salespeople, etc. have gone into hibernation or off ledges. An even bigger number in every business category just aren't trying. They believe effort or investment; advertising, marketing, promoting futile, because they deny the reality of money in motion, and the few times they've tried recently, they haven't been able to budge the sword in the stone. So there are orphaned customers, neglected prospects, discouraged and listless salespeople, foolish business owners stopping all outreach to try waiting out a New Economy evolving. Thus, there is actually more money in motion for you than anytime in over a decade. So, here are the two secrets you need:
#1: No matter what, each and every individual will buy when what is offered is perfectly, precisely aligned with his greatest, highest, burning brightest personal interest, desire or need. The individual in this situation will buy without price resistance or hesitation.
#2: To prosper, you need only (a) be certain you aren't wasting time on the bottom 20% who really can NOT buy anything but bread crusts and water, and (b) align whatever you sell with someone's greatest, highest, burning brightest personal interest and invest in presenting your business only to individuals for whom it is aligned with their greatest interest. And, a bonus #3: there is somebody whose highest personal interest can match what you sell. Plenty of such somebodies.
In order to be a good prospect, by my criteria, a person must have a need or desire for which he is profoundly and urgently interested in - preferably seeking - an answer to, and must have the financial ability to buy my answer to it, at my price. I have other criteria specific to my businesses and you should have other criteria specific to your business. But this is universal, foundational criteria. Important note: without great clarity about the 'who' you want as prospect or customer, you are playing "blind archery", a fool's game.
This is why I bought the $30,000.00 Javelin and $70,000.00 Rolls-Royce but talked myself out of an $8,000.00 closet remodeling project we actually needed in one of our homes - however, at the Home Show, had a very astute closet remodeling company owner or sales professional stopped yakking about their design awards, quality wood, guarantees, and deals and discovered that a very important wedding anniversary was coming up and talked about surprising my wife with something unexpected inside a box wrapped to look like another piece of jewelry, there would have been a closet bought, without a second thought! If I were running the closet company, I'd get lists of affluent neighborhood residents, and busy doctors and other affluent professionals, having spouse's birthdays or wedding anniversaries each month and send them persuasive sales letters about 'the gift she'll appreciate every day. Flowers perish. Fine jewelry worn occasionally, hidden away most of the time. But this gift....' (Yes, such lists are available.) All this requires making yourself a much more sophisticated marketer. A choice. But know this, for the foreseeable future, trying to dislodge that sword with brute force won't work. I'm all for work. But the cliché is true now more than ever: working harder won't get much. Working smarter is essential. The smart goal is perfect alignment of what you market or sell, probably re-positioned and more creatively presented, with the passionate, urgent interest of a group of reachable prospects, to the exclusion of all others. In other words, be about something really meaningful to somebody, not about "stuff"; your product, your service.
The WHY PEOPLE FAIL articles are provided by Dan S. Kennedy, serial entrepreneur, from-scratch multi-millionaire, speaker, consultant, coach, author of 13 books including the No B.S. series (www.NoBSBooks.com), and editor of The No B.S. Marketing Letter.
I HAVE ARRANGED A SPECIAL FREE GIFT FROM DAN FOR YOU including a 2-Month Free Membership in Glazer-Kennedy Insider's Circle, newsletters, audio CD's and more: for information and to register, click here. Articles © 2010/Glazer-Kennedy Insider's Circle LLC. All rights reserved.
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