What is it going to take?

Long View Newsletter

Providing You Tools To Make More Money!

September 2011

Articles In This Newsletter

Help!

A Secret

Let's Get Serious

Hi (Contact First Name),

This is my 57th email with Tips of the Month and ideas that I have shared with you on how you could make your business more profitable over the last few years. Hopefully you have mined some useful information from them. Hopefully you are not one of those who scans them and can't see how it would work for you. I can tell you from the feedback that I have gotten that it will work for you but only if you work at it. What is it going to take for you to try?

About 5 years ago I decided to get super serious about running our business and making a profit. Now, our business is growing and is more profitable when few in our industry are. Last year we were up 36% with one manufacturer and this year we are up an additional 28% so far over last year. I know some of what I am doing will work for you. Not everything. I've missed my fare share of pitches, but made enough hits that it could change your business forever. Are you serious about your business?

The greatest satisfaction that I get is when I receive an email that says "Thanks for the idea. I tried it and it worked!" But I know that a lot of you don't try and need more hands on, intense practice and training. I've seen it with my own eyes and with my own actions. We hear an idea and that is where it stays. My intent for creating the Ultimate Profit Explosion Boot Camp is to have a three day Think Tank for our industry put on by dealers not manufacturers. A place for you to associate with winners and to grow your business. It has evolved and has become better each year. 2012 is going to be the best yet.

This year the Ultimate Profit Explosion Boot Camp will be all about dealers sharing success stories with dealers then working on how it will work for you. Let's face it. There are many great business people in this business that we could all learn from. People that do it every day. The Boot Camp will be about creating as many action plans as possible for your business that you can take home and implement right away. We have limited it to two outside presenters that will be putting on workshops, rather than speeches, on how you can improve your business.

If you look at the big picture of our industry, it has taken some big hits. In sheer numbers alone we are a declining and dying industry, we just don't know it. There have been lots of big players and small ones close with few new ones opening. We have had major turmoil with suppliers. If you just look at numbers and trends alone your business is doomed to fail if you don't take it seriously. On the flip side, I have always said we have a great industry that has a great future. Just this morning I had a customer come in for Hoover Y bags and go out with a Miele Cat and Dog. We have all done it. You can turn $16 sale into $700 sales but you have to have a plan and you have to do it every time. How much better would your business be if you just turned one customer a day into a new machine customer?

You can control your own destiny. You have a choice as to whether your business fails or makes it. It is no fun starting over in a new field. It's no fun looking for a job or having a boss. There are too many closed sewing and vacuum store in our industry. I don't want yours to be one of them.

Think about your business. Are you poised to thrive or close over the next few years. If you want to thrive, how are you going to do that? Would it be helpful to have mentors to help you. Are you "ALL INTO YOUR BUSINESS" or are you just waiting for the other shoe to drop?

Here is my challenge to you. If you want to remain in this industry and be the winner that I know you can be or just want to make more money, attend the Ultimate Profit Explosion Boot Camp. You have my word that I will make it well worth your time and money. My guarantee is that if you are not totally satisfied with the event I will give you three times your money back. You will be the judge, jury and executioner. This is the fourth and final Ultimate Profit Explosion Boot Camp. I know, but all good things must come to an end. I have had hundreds of happy attendees and only one refund.

Now is the time to sign up. The more people that sign up now the more time I will have to prepare for you with more exercises and ideas that I am using that work in our industry. Don't wait. Click here to sign up. If you can't pay for the Boot Camp now, email me and I will work out payment terms for as low as $25 a month. I am committed to having you there. This is your last chance. Don't be disappointed again. Click here and GO FOR IT!

Next Newsletter I will share my ad that has worked every time I go to the well. Don't miss it!

Till next time, Always Be Solving,

Howard J. Anderson
Long View Retail Consulting

PS: If you are doing well, you have an obligation to share with the others in the industry. Let's face it, you can always do better and helping others is a great way to sharpen your sword. We are never too old to learn! If you would like to serve on one of the panels at the Boot Camp, please let me know. We all do things that others can benefit from. Click here to be considered to attend as a panelist.

Tip of the Month

Help! I Need HELP!

So we have all heard that you need the right people on the bus and the right people in the right seat on the bus. In this Tip of the Month I want to concentrate on how to choose the people you first put on the bus.

If you are like me, if they have half a brain and I like them, I think I can turn them into a superstar by my superior training skills. Well what a disappointment that can be. To know that someone could be a superstar if only they would listen and learn.

Do you have the right number of employees and are they doing exactly what you want them to do? Or are you cringing every time one of your staff opens their mouth? Are you thinking "Why didn't they say that?" or "I told them to do "Y" if that ever happens?" Do you feel like you are on another planet speaking another language?

You are not alone! I feel that way every day. I have studied our business and I know what works. I try, I teach, I correct but still stuff happens. The question is why. Why don't employees follow direction? Why don't they think the way they should? It may not be their fault or your fault. They just may be the wrong person for the job.

Just because unemployment is close to 10% doesn't mean that it is any easier to get good employees. It is not. In the next few newsletters I will be addressing this and other problems that we all have and explore ways to address them. They will also be some of the topics that we will be working on together at the Boot Camp. This is going to be the last Book Camp that I do and I want attendees to leave with some great ideas that will grow their business.

I feel one of the biggest problem that we have and every industry has is getting the right employees, in the right position and keeping them productive. The problems start in our selection process. Most of the time we are looking a month after we really need someone and then we are in a panic and will hire the first person that is willing to work for us. That is the kiss of death to any business.

One of the big things that I have been working real hard on is coming up with a system of getting good employees. It has taken me years to figure this somewhat out. In the past I thought that I could train just about anyone. What I do is simple and they would just follow my lead. Well that may work if you find the right person but that is a one in a million long shot!.

What I found works much better than panic hiring is to have a recruiting and hiring process that is the same every time and never ends. Having the exact person in mind is a great start. How will they act? What skills should they have? What personality should they have? What should their likes and dislikes be? What hobbies will they have? What work experience do you want? What type of education do they have? How do they learn? How will they respond to pressure to perform? I could go on and on but I hope you get the idea. You must know your target and you must have a different profile for each job you have. Sales, repair, stock, phone all are different people and personalities.

Look at prospective employees as candidates for a position not a future employee that you may want to hire. In your mind you must see your opening as a great opportunity with a chance for growth. A job that is valuable now and in the future. Just about anyone worth hiring should want to know that they will be able to make more money in the future. If they don't it will probably turn out to be a bad hire. As business owners we almost never think the way employees think. We have to think of what's in it for them. You may be thinking I just need someone, anyone to help me. That is a disaster waiting to happen.

In this section I will be discussing the process of sifting through candidates. I am not going to discuss recruiting because that is a huge process by itself.

Think of your hiring process as a funnel. You narrow down the field until you get the right person. Start by having them fill out your application. That is the first test. Can they follow instructions? Don't just look at their resume alone. Your application should have legal language that will give you permissions and cover other legal issues. Narrow your field down to between 8 to 10 candidates to interview on the phone. Don't waste their time or yours bringing them in for an interview. Most of the time you have a gut feeling about someone as soon as you talk to them. If you don't like them over the phone, chances are you won't like them after a face to face interview. They should be dead meat quickly. Trust your instincts.

Make up between 6 to 10 questions that you can ask them on the phone. I use six. Ask every candidates the same questions and write down their answers. This is the only way to compare, apples to apples. With the questions you will notice whether they can carry on a conversation. Are they pleasant on the phone and then have a gut reaction about the person.

One of the topics that we are going to be working on is to come up with some killer questions to ask candidates at the Boot Camp but here are some ideas for sales people:

How do you feel about being paid based on your sales or performance?
Do you like to win? How do you react if you don't?
Do you work well in an environment that has structure.
What made you apply for this position.
How would you describe your personalty?

This is just scratching the surface but is a great start. I will continue next month.

If topics like this interest you, consider attending the Last Ultimate Profit Explosion Boot Camp. Serious Topics for Serious Business Owners. Click here for more information.

A Secret Tool Inside of YouTube

By Ron Sheetz

ron sheetz YouTube is a great video server to use for posting your videos on your website. Creating a custom YouTube channel builds your "video brand" and helps prevent visitors seeing other unwanted videos on YouTube. Playlists are a tool within YouTube you can use to customize how and where videos can be posted on your site. First, post all your videos on your YouTube channel. Then create individual playlists for videos based on specific information. For example, as a vacuum shop you'd possibly want playlists titled, "Bags vs. Bag less", "Upright vs. Canister", "Royalty Rewards Members", "Disposable vacuums", "Model demonstrations" or "Testimonials.". As a sewing retailer, your playlists could be, "Bobbins", "Button holes", "Fabrics", "Needle secrets", and "Testimonials." Each would contain a series of videos specific to that subject. The videos in each playlist can then be embedded on different web pages on your site.

Clients tell me their webmasters charge an arm and a leg for each video they post to their site; or they're not sure how or where to post them. Using playlists within YouTube gives you control over your video marketing message. You can add or replace videos at will without getting your webmaster involved so it won't put you too in debt with your webmaster. This also maximizes your webpage real estate because videos are encapsulated within one video player on the page and you can control and change the order they appear. This method will only show your videos, not someone else's videos on YouTube.

The coding from YouTube need only be placed once on your pages. As you make changes in your YouTube playlists, they'll immediately be updated on your website. It's a simple and free way to post and manage your videos for an ongoing, online video marketing strategy. For questions pertaining to this month's subject submit them to me at http://www.AskRonSheetz.com

The Last Ultimate Profit Explosion Boot Camp at the Rio in Las Vegas!

You know that this is the best place for you to go for the latest information to grow your business. Now is the time to at least let me know if you are going to attend. Drop me an email and let me know how I can help. howard@longviewretail.com

Why you should come: I have been in this business going on 33 years starting in the Central Vacuum business and them branching out into retail 26 years ago opening Stony Brook Sew and Vacuums. I have been through 2 recessions and have made a lot of mistakes that I am willing to share with you so you don't make the same ones. There are also others that will be at the event with similar experience that you can use to run your business.

The event is at the Rio in Vegas, April 23-25, 2012!

Click here for order form.