[tweetmeme]To kick start this game plan with your sales team, a Product Orientation should be planned. This Orientation can be as formal or informal as you see necessary for your store, but the main goal either way should be to get your team educated on all your products. Whether you are selling footwear, soap, telephones or toys, there are always details to learn about that will help enhance your products in sell-thru. A few key things to consider include:

1. Have a reference spot dedicated to product knowledge for your associates to refer to. This could be a bulletin board in your stockroom or a binder filled with product information – or both. Identify key highlights on products that should be among the top details for them to share with customers. For example, if a new product has recently replaced an old product, identifying what makes the new one better would be critical in communicating to customers.

2. Create a list of “How To Share” details for your associates to reference. This list should give easy conversation openings into how they can share product details with customers. Aside from direct questions being asked by the customers, associates should initiate these conversations to help encourage sales. An example is, “We recently received this (name product here) and have found it’s (name specific feature here) to be very effective in (name purpose here).”

3. Give your associates challenges to meet in regards to educating themselves and educating customers. If you don’t set the bar high for them to reach, they won’t know how far they should go in terms of learning and sharing. Some associates will naturally want to learn new product details and in return, they will likely share these details with customers. But many associates need an extra push – and that push needs to come from you.

The goal of educating your team is not just to make your job harder and their days busier, but to gain additional sales as a result. Informative associates equal informed customers. Clients will become more educated on your overall product assortment and in return, more sales will be made. There is nothing more satisfying than a customer returning to a store after being given a great product sales pitch and saying, “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that product you showed me.” Your reward? Sales. More money. Happy customers. Satisfied employees. The list can go on and on! So what are you waiting for? Start educating and start selling!

There are three options that you can offer your customers that support reusable shopping bags. They include:

1. Sell Reusable Shopping Bags- If you sell reusable bags, you not only support the green movement but also can make some money doing so. A few favorite reusable bags that Retail Minded love include:

Earthwise Bags -  You can customize these for your store! http://www.earthwisebags.com/ourstore.html

Envirosax – These offer great styles and scream style! http://www.envirosax.com/

Neela – Chic and modern with tons of sizes! Insulated styles available, too! http://www.neelabags.com/

2. Customers Use Their Own Bags – Encourage your customers to use their own reusable bags. For every purchase made that they use their own bag, offer them an incentive that thanks them for being “green”. One incentive idea is to have a small punch card and for every fifth or tenth purchase made where they used their own reusable bag, you can offer them a percentage off their next purchase. This is also a great way to support customer loyalty. Another idea  is to give them an immediate discount, even if it’s just a small 5%. Decide what’s right for your store and then promote these details. Tell the media, put up store signage and have fun being green.

3. Pack and go – No bag? No problem. Many purchases are small enough to fit into a customer’s purse, pocket, or hands (even without a bag). In the same signage you use to support using their own reusable bags, let them know that no bag is okay, too. Make sure you identify that you are supporting the environment in your efforts.

Ultimately there will be a customer who wants to use a plastic or paper bag provided by you, the store owner, for their purchase. You should always have a bag available for them just in case, however paper is much better for the environment than plastic. 

By encouraging reusable bags and using signage, telling the media and having your store employees verbally communicate your store preference in regards to bags, most of your customers will learn to respect your store ways. And if this doesn’t do it alone, share these details with your customers:

1. Did you know each year 12 million barrels of oil are used to produce plastic bags?

2. Plastic bags are not biodegradable, and 96% end up in landfills for eternity.

3. Animals can choke to death when they mistake plastic bags for food that they find in their wildlife environments, including oceans, lakes and forests.

Finally, be persistent. This is a movement to support long term, not temporarily.

1. Customer Service Skills

In retail, no matter what sector of retail, it is essential that employees excel in customer service. Among the important customer service qualities that retail employees should have  include the ability to calmly interact with customers under all kinds of situations, including stress. Whether you are dealing with a frustrated customer or a disruptive customer, employees who can effectively react to various situations in the retail enviornment are very valuable for stores to have. In addition to dealing with more stressful situations, it’s also great to have associates who excel with client relationships. Their customer service skills can enhance your business in many ways, including financially and socially.

2. Time Management Skills

Anyone who works in retail knows there is a lot to be done. The list is endless regarding what there is to do. When looking for employees, it is beneficial to find people who thrive being busy and can balance many different responsibilities. In addition, being interrupted is common in retail. You can start a project thinking there will be no foot traffic in the store for awhile and then all the sudden you can get slammed. Understanding this comes with the territory is important for employees to respect.

3. Flexible Working Hours

Store hours should accomodate all consumers, not just  those available during the day from 9 to 5. Because of this, having retail associates who are able to work after 5pm and during the weekends is essential. It’s also a good idea to bring up holiday working hours during your employee interviews so you can anticipate what your staff’s availability will be during holiday seasons.

4. Ability To Take Some Heat

Believe it or not, it takes tough skin to work in retail. Hearing “no thanks” or sometimes even just a big, loud “no” from customers can often hurt one’s feelings. There will be times when associates will have to deal with upset customers and respect store policies despite wanting to. It may mean headaches and tears for some, while others let these situations bounce off of them and move forward. Make sure to discuss these types of situations with your associates so you can help plan ahead  for these potentially upsetting situations later.

5.  Willingness To Take Ownership

Great retail associates should be able to “own” the situation they are in. Good or bad, they should be able to proudly represent your business and deliver outstanding service. If questioned later about something, they should have confidence in their actions and likewise, it’s important you have confidence in them. That said, this takes time to earn. But looking for associates who  you believe will “own” their responsibilities is important for your business to thrive since you can’t always be the face of your business.

What other characteristics do you believe retail employees should have? Let us know. Please comment below.

 Why should my business accept credit cards?

[tweetmeme]Credit card acceptance is a time-tested, proven form of payment worldwide.  As a retailer, you need to offer your customers as many ways as possible to pay you.  With the increase in debit cards skyrocketing nationwide, consumers are finding cash as more of an inconvenience.  A customer with a debit or credit card is more likely to purchase additional products and services, because they have quick and easy access to additional funds.

 Application Process For Business Owners

 Similar to applying for a small business credit card, merchant services is underwritten as a line of credit.  Your business accepts credit cards that your provider assumes are valid and not fraudulent.  In the event that a card is not legitimate, the provider stands to lose that money, providing that the merchant is no longer in business or has opened a fictitious account.  In the small business world, the owner’s credit is taken into consideration when deciding whether or not to approve the merchant account.

 Read the Fine Print

 Just like any other industry, there will always be bad companies and dishonest people.  The merchant services industry is no different.  Read what you are signing and take your time.  Industry standard is a three year contract with an early termination fee.  Additionally, if you are going to make a decision to purchase or lease your credit card equipment, make sure you understand the benefits and drawbacks of each option prior to making a decision. 

 Choosing a Provider or Changing Your Current Provider

 If a representative comes in off the street, was not referred by someone you know, or is with a company that you have never heard of, be cautious.  There are thousands of ISO’s (independent sales organizations) that act as resellers for large processing companies.  They are nothing more than middlemen, who will end up costing you more in the long run.  If you are shopping around for a new provider, speak to a representative who can give you a statement analysis and not vague generalities about home much money you will save by going with them.

By following these simple guidelines, you will generate additional revenue, save money and increase customer satisfaction.

Contributed by Mike Gianfrancesco, Gianfrancesco is an Assistant Vice President and  Senior Merchant Specialist for Bank of America, Small Business Merchant Services. He can be reached at – Office: 312-992-4538 Mobile: 312-371-6027 Fax:  312-453-6161 or michael.gianfrancesco@bankofamericamerchant.com.

One of the best ways to take advantage of this potential bump in profitability is through email marketing. Email is a very effective way to bring highly-tailored messages to specific audiences. And since many people are prone to read into the gifts they receive from a significant other, it gives you an opportunity to use Cupid’s arrows to target your customers and prospects.

Following are 10 things you should do, beginning today, to make sure your Valentine’s Day doesn’t pass with a lot of empty promises and wilted dreams.

1. Start now! It’s less than a month out from the big day so best to start compiling your copy, imagery, offers, etc. now. You don’t want to inundate your recipients by email, but a rough schedule could entail:
a. Email 1: Wednesday, Jan 20th: Initial offer
b. Email 2: Wednesday, Feb 3rd: Offer Reminder
c. Email 3: Thursday, February 11th: Reminder 2 – “Three days left `till Valentine’s Day!”
d. Email 4: Wednesday, Feb 17th: Thank you follow-up email to all customers who took advantage of the offer. Say thank you and extend another offer to these loyal customers.

2. Use a Valentine’s Day template with a nice balance of valentine-specific copy and imagery to get people in the mood and thinking about the event.

3. Segment your list. Split out your list by gender. Send female oriented offers to the guys and male oriented offers to the ladies.

4. Make sure your offer is compelling. Most people are still paying off their bills from the Christmas holiday season, so make sure the offer is affordable and is compelling enough to encourage them to act.

5. Partner with companies who offer complementary services or products for an offer that can’t be ignored. Example: Spa services and floral shop (walk away from your spa treatment with a dozen red roses), Restaurant and flower shop (have a bouquet of flowers ready at the table when you arrive), etc. Get creative as the possibilities are endless!

6. Target a special email to people who bought from you last year around Valentine’s Day with an even better offer for this loyal audience.

7. Make it easy for people to take advantage of your offer. If fulfillment is to come to the store, give clear directions or a store finder link, if by phone, make phone numbers prominent, or if online, make the button or text link stand out in the email. Printable coupons or promo codes always work well.

8. Help spread your message to more people by using forward-to-a-friend functionality.

9. Use email to promote a special Valentine’s Day draw to win a prize – to collect emails and grow your email subscriber list.

10. Send a Happy Valentine’s Day email postcard to show customer appreciation. Thank loyal customers by providing complimentary redeemable points (if you have a points program) or a free gift for Valentine’s Day.

The Valentine’s Day colors may officially be red and pink. But follow the tips above and you’re sure to be seeing green by the end of the day.

Contributor Wendy Lowe is director of product marketing for Campaigner (www.campaigner.com), the email marketing solution that enables organizations to have highly personalized one-to-one email dialogues with their customers, measure how they respond, and analyze those responses to interact in a more intelligent, automated way – resulting in more profitable relationships. Campaigner is provided by Protus, provider of the highest quality Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) communication tools for small-to-medium businesses (SMB) and enterprise organizations, including my1voice, the cost-effective, feature-rich virtual phone service, and award-winning MyFax, the fastest growing Internet fax service. Wendy can be reached at wlowe@protus.com.

There are many ways to do this, but the most effective is to directly tell your consumers that they are getting more than what they are paying for. An example of this may be if you offer a service, such as a hair cut, and give a “complimentary” addition to that service, such as  a free blow dry or leave in conditioner treatment. When selling a product, you can offer “complimentary” gift wrapping on all items, or possibly a free gift with purchase of specific items. The key is to make sure your audience is aware that these extra incentives are not extra in cost, but simply part of their purchase. To help promote this and make it even more effective, you should attach a cost to this extra something so that your customers truly feel like they are getting something for free. By saying that something is “valued at $20″ and yet they are getting it for complimentary with their purchase, they feel as if they really got a deal. While it may be about the price to you, it’s about the overall value to your customer. A client’s perspective needs to be that she got something for $50 when really it could have been $75. Remember that the overall value perceived is the overall value obtained by your client. No price tag can tell you otherwise.

When promoting value, be sure to make your complimentary incentives, gifts with purchase and more easily recognized by your customers. You can do this both verbally and in print. Make sure your sales team communicates these values to your customers, but also promote them in advertising and signage. Finally, keep your value priced items or services in place as long as you can. The marketplace is tough, so adding value to any purchase goes a long way these days!

1. Have a customer appreciation party in the new year. Not only will this bring customers back to your store, but it will also remind them after the holidays that you haven’t forgotten about them just because the season of shopping is over. Truly be grateful for their business and let them know this. Make the evening about them!

2. Send out thank you cards.After any purchase, if you have the customer’s contact information, send a hand written thank you. This simple, old fashioned gesture is neglected way too often these days and yet still greatly appreciated. Make sure to tell your customers exactly what you are thanking them for.

3. Give an incentive off their next purchase with the purchase of something now. This not only shows them you value their business, but it will also encourage them to come back to your store again.

Remember to explain why you are thanking them. Explain to them quickly yet concisely the value in their shopping local and supporting your business. These gentle reminders don’t have to be grand, but they can still go a long way.

Setting Up Gift Cards Within Your Store Management System

The key to controlling when gift cards are purchased and then later used is essential. There are two main ways to do this as a small retailer, but the point is to make sure it’s being done. Your choices include:

1. Implement and self manage  your gift card program within your own store. This is often the most effective in cost for stores with only one or just a few doors total.

2. Invest in a software or support from a company that controls these details for you. If you have many associates, a busy online store, multiple store locations or simply want the most effective way to get this done, this is your option. One company to consider is Card FX, www.cardfxdirect.com, a direct marketing company designed to support retailers with gift card programs and more.

Which ever choice is right for you, make sure you are recording and tracking the following:

1. When the gift card was purchased. Include the full date, including month, day and year. State this clearly on the actual gift card as well as in your tracking records.

2. How much the gift card was purchased for.Include this in both written terms and numerical amount in your records as well as on the actual gift card. An example of this is what you would see on a check. For example, Fifty Dollars and no cents & $50.00. Make sure this is duplicatd for less opportunity for misinterpretation, error or theft.

3. The gift card number, which should be singular in the sense that no other gift card will have this number.This should be recorded on your end as well as clearly identifable on the gift card. If it is your first gift card issued, the number may be “1″ or if you prefer “101″. Either way, keep track of the numbers in order from each gift card purchased.

4. Identify any rules that may apply to the gift card. If you have multiple stores and yet the gift card only applies to one of the stores, make sure this is clearly stated on the gift card. Any details that may come up as a potential problem later should be avoided by outlining these points to your consumer in advance.

5. If there is an expiration date to the gift card, make this known on your gift card as well as in your store tracking system. It’s also a good idea to let the purchaser of the gift card know this, as well. As a small business owner, it’s important to control the dollars coming and going out of your store each year on a tight budget. By enforcing an  expiration date, this helps you do this. Otherwise you may deal with gift cards coming when you have new management, new rules and new expectations. There are rules to this, however, that the government enforces per state. Learn more here regarding what is required by your state law, http://www.consumersunion.org/pub/core_financial_services/003889.html. 

6. Once a gift card is redeemed, make sure to document that it has been used. Note if it has been used in full or only partially. In addition, when possible include reference to the receipt of the purchase made with the gift card.

Benefits Of Gift Cards To The Retailer

It is pretty clear what the benefits of a gift card is to the receiver, but to a small boutique owner, online store owner or any other small business owner, the benefits are not always so clear. A few reasons to consider going through the steps to get a gift card program implemented for your store/s include:

1. Gift cards offer the opportunity for new customers to be introduced to your store.If someone receives a gift card and is unfamiliar with your store, they now have a reason to become famialir with it.

2.  Gift cards bring repeat business to your store. By having at least two visits occur from the purchase of one gift card – the first visit being at the time of purchase and the second visit being when redeemed – you have the opportunity to sell even more than just the value of the gift card. You could sell additional products or services at either time that exceed the value of the gift card.

3. Gift cards give people something to think about. When you receive a gift card, it’s fun to think about how you will use it. This adds excitement to the shopping trip for the consumer and often brings additional sales as a result.

4. When the size, color or style just doesn’t work out, gift cards always make a great option for the gift giver. Why waste  the opportunity for a sale when a gift card always works?!

Finally, make sure to make your gift card enticing and fun by making it look great. Don’t just xerox some gift cards on stock paper and call it a day. Take the time to make them look like something special. Use your store logo, colors and image to enhance the card and package it neatly and nicely. While you don’t need to invest a ton here to make this happen, find a way to still get it done affordably by  being creative. Visual impact goes a long way in retail and doesn’t skip past gift cards!

Have other thoughts or ideas on why gift cards are important for small retail owners? Let us know! Please comment below.

In independent research conducted by Retail Minded, 100 female consumers between the ages of 19 and 30 voted in favor of store loyalty versus brand at a difference of 71 to 29. The same research was conducted with 100 female consumers between the ages of 31 and 55, with their preference being brands at a split of 63 to 27.

Based on feedback and comments collected during this research, many of the consumers had similiar viewpoints on a few key issues, including price, customer service and quality.  This included:

1. For the majority of consumers, price matters despite the store or the brand. Most consumers are willing to consider other options, whether store or brand, for a significant savings.

2. Customer service can impact a consumer’s decision to buy something despite store, brand or price. Outstanding customer service may not always be recognized with sales, however most consumers will remember great customer service and return to a specific store as a result.

3. The quality of a product is not always an influence on the consumer. This depends on the consumer, however is considered more as consumers get older. Preference to style is preferred over quality for the majority of those researched by 22%.

As a store owner, it’s important to acknowledge you can support customers with both loyalty to your store and loyalty to brands you sell. Wholesalers and brand representatives need to recognize that they can support retailers in helping promote their brand through product knowledge and other selling tips. This can increase brand awareness and ultimately help build brand loyalty. Finally, understanding how consumers decide on their purchases can influence how you can support them. Whether store loyal, brand loyal or a new customer with no loyalty established yet, each consumer can teach us a lesson as retail and wholesale professionals. Making sure to stay in touch with who your consumers are can add value to your business, whether you are a store or brand. And hopefully, along the way, you will fall into some favorite lists of your customers!