1. A sidewalk sale
2. Hot dog carts/popcorn/soda/watermelon feed/wine and cheese/deli sandwiches
3. Coupon, co-operative with a neighboring business. “Stop by and receive a coupon for a dozen donuts for a buck from Lou's Donuts.”
4. Aggressive markdowns of entire categories or specific brands of merchandise
5. Balloon popping events. (10” helium filled balloons with free goods or deep discounts printed on slips and inserted in the balloons.) * Suggestion: Put one or two slips that simply say, We'll give you $50 cash if you stand at the front door of the store and proclaim that this is the best shopping event you ever saw - or other comment. (Make it funny and entertaining and inoffensive.).
6. Warm and fuzzy attractive plush or live animals or item of note at the front entrance
7. Theatrical lighting that you can rent and use a colored gel in front of the light to cast on your front window or specific area of your store
8. Taped tasteful music - not a radio station unless it's a live radio event
9. Every (color) item of merchandise in the store is 40% Off ! (Specified time frame and not raised in price, prior to the event).
10. Customers wearing various articles of clothing worn into the store will be rewarded with 20% - 40% discounts on every item they purchase this weekend
11. Community related events such as the School Choir, cheerleaders demonstrating activities in front of the store
12. A window art contest. Themed water color art projects for children of a specific age group painting your windows for evaluation and awards.
13. A tall tale contest. Who can tell or write the most outrageous story? Judged by someone other than a store staff member or relative to any of the applicants.
14. “Let's take the underprivileged kids from the local society: fishing, to a movie, zoo, or the local fair.” Organized with social clubs from your community.
15. Prize give-away programs that represent multiple prizes of a mid-range price point. Make it fair and easy and not inventory of your store. (You don't want people trying to win what you could be selling!) (The items should be non-labor merchandise. No cookware or items that represent work around the house.) Small color televisions, IPods, jogger's equipment, G.P.S. devices, DVD players, CD players and the like.
16. Stop by and show us what you caught at the river/lake/pond and we'll weigh it and measure it and take your picture and post it
17. Survey forms with a legitimate “reward” connected to every submission. (Then read them and react appropriately.)
18. Early morning or late night events with legitimate markdowns of broad categories no less than 20% and up to 50%. (You may need the sales in this economy.)Scavenger Hunts in or out of the store with a suitable area for storage of what they brought back for viewing by an audience on a specific day. Awards appropriate to the event.
19. Sporting or creative events of a nonsensical nature. Pumpkin catapults, water balloon basketball, snowball distance or accuracy throwing, screwy inventions that accomplish nothing. (Make it funny and creative.) Provided you have the parking lot space or open area suitable for the activity.

You can see that there are many things that you can do to draw attention and favorable reaction to your business and yourself. These times are going to be gruesome and that requires innovation and creativity and a positive attitude and entertaining activities for the community you serve. Events don't have to be a hard sell activity with a buy now or else attitude.

You can be a catalyst in your community and get people feeling good and coming together to acknowledge what we have, instead of what we don't have! This is a time to pull together.

The simplest things often have the biggest results, and here are ten tips I recommend applying to your daily practises if you're aiming to succeed in the retail world. I appreciate that some might seem simple, but it's often the simplest of things that make the biggest differences:-

1. The Weather

   Always check out the weather, if it's sunny promote sun praising products near the front of the store, if it's raining or windy promote items that might best suit that situation. Don't think this might not apply to your business, think big this will apply to more than you expect.
   

2. Training

   When looking at staff, check out the employment service. Often there are schemes available for people with few qualifications or experience. Not only do these people often turn out to be the hardest workers, but due to giving them experience many come to you free of charge for a period of up to six months. This allows you to offset your pay budget getting the right people to the right wage, alternately if your KPI (Key Performance Indicators) driven use the lack of expenditure to increase your payroll, or store expenditure. Another plus part is often this service allows you the ability to improve trade by good promotion of your store.
   

3. Get Involved

   They say charity begins at home, however it works beyond that in retail. The more active you are in charity the more likely you are to succeed. Charity often comes with not only a feeling of wellbeing, but free promotion. In a store I had that sold Easter eggs, I got a confident sales assistant to ask customers if they wanted to buy an egg and donate it to charity (i.e. children's homes). I did the same in a different store when it came to Christmas, this time with toys and sweets instead of eggs. Each donation comes with a letter of thanks to promote in your store, and often much, much more. It's not just charity to get involved in, think projects; if your town does not have Christmas lights, then start organising a collection for Christmas. Free publicity through local papers often brings people flooding to your store to donate, once in they are more than likely to see what you're selling. A town that I raised money for Christmas lights in, my stores footfall increased over 100%
   

4. Say What You Think

   Don't agree with the general consensus if you don't agree with it; part of my reputation revolved around me standing up and announcing polar opposites to the general view. Don't be argumentative, just stand by your beliefs.
   

5. Study The Opposition

   Take time out to shop in other stores, someone else often has some great ideas that are not properly seen through, see the potential in a good idea poorly executed and harness it.
   

6. Stand Up To The Enemy

   In retail the biggest enemy you have is the shoplifter, take a harsh stand against them. Often use underhand techniques to make sure they tell their scumbag friends that yours is not a store to be messed with. My hard line with shoplifters saw not just a few, but pretty much all disappear. Forget law enforcement, have them arrested and they'll be back tomorrow. Give them a good scare!
   

7. Make Friends

   Every single surrounding retail outlet is your friend even if you sell the same product, the sooner you realise this, the sooner you'll succeed. Making friends with other shop keepers ensures word of mouth floods freely from store to store.
   

8. Handling Staff

   Reward and look after your staff, if they do well show them they do, a small gift even from your own pocket can work wonders. Consider employee of the month programs, duty management, and other incentives. At the same time beware the treacherous snake, all companies employing more than 10 staff in one store have someone that believes they can do your job, show them they cannot; and providing you do it legally if they continue to be a problem dispose of them. Life is all about making the best of things, don't tolerate someone doing malicious damage, if talking to them as a friend does not help, then get rid.
   

9. Stock

   If your storerooms have considerable stock in them you're doing something wrong, if your part of a chain find out what other stores are selling, exchange stock or look how they are selling them. Look at your store stock levels, could adding more stock promote higher sales by making a better statement? Most importantly check stored stock regularly, if you're not physically checking in stock it's often surprising how much stock is hidden by receiving staff because they don't want to promote it.
   

10. Protect Yourself

    If you have the next big idea, even if you think there is a chance it might fail make people unrelated to the business aware. Put your plan in writing, and sign it; send copies to people in different levels of the business, and send them via a trackable method. My big idea made someone else millions, don't make my mistake. Every retail manager that is worth their wage has an idea that can revolutionize a business, what's yours?

I hope this helps, if you need any questions answered why not leave me a message and I'll come back to you. But most importantly, despite the shadiness of some of my statements, always remain the right side of the law, don't misinterpret my words, everything I ever did was legal.

1. Google Base

   This choice should be a no-brainer for any online retail business. Why? Because it's free! All that is needed for Google Base is a Google account and a product feed. They provide numerous tutorials and their interface is relatively easy to use. Further, by starting with Google Base you can get acquainted with how product feeds and shopping portals work without worrying about cost. Just make sure you upload your product feed each month or your products will be removed and they will have to be re-listed.
   
   Pros: Free, Simple, Educational
   
   Cons: Tracking sales can be complicated

2. SortPrice

   SortPrice is also a good choice for any online retail business. What sets SortPrice apart is its flat monthly rate. It does not charge per click like most shopping portals. Instead, merchants pay a flat monthly rate based on the number of products they wish to sell. In addition to this, SortPrice regularly rotates their results on a given category page. There is no worrying about bidding and placement. They offer more of a level playing field where the online retail giants and the small-time “mom and pop” businesses can sell together in harmony. They have account representatives to help you set-up and maintain your product listings. Plus, they can take product feeds from other shopping portals so you don't have to make a new one just for them (unless you want to).
   
   Pros: Flat rate, Account reps, Good online presence
   
   Cons: Little control over placement.

3. PriceGrabber

   Of all the shopping portals I have used, PriceGrabber is by far my favorite. It is a little more complicated to get set up with them and their merchant interface isn't the best, but they provide results. I have a dedicated account represented that emails me regularly and calls me periodically just to check in and see how things are going. Just like any other portal, PriceGrabber has a number of sub-portals where they list their merchants' products. After my account had been going for a while, my account rep took me out of some of the sub-portals that were not doing so well for me and my conversion rate more than doubled. By far, my conversion rate with PriceGrabber is higher than any of my other shopping portals.
   
   Pros: Great service, Good presence
   
   Cons: Getting started my be slightly more complicated than other portals.

We will start by discussing things retail clerks and managers should do to succeed and retain customers. Always be courteous to customers and keep your cool. If a customer chews you out and you cannot appease him or her, walk away.

Be familiar with where every item is and how every item works. Be informed about the warranties and other details of your products and services. Give customers space by not following them around or staring at them. If you are about to pass a customer or a customer approaches you, you may ask, “Is there anything I can help you with? Is everything okay?” To show concern for customers, never say, “May I help you?”

Another crucial key to successful retailing is good presentation. The store interior and merchandise should be attractive and in good shape. Always use concise language and demonstrate your retail knowledge when interacting with customers.

Are you interested in doing personal sales or face-to-face demonstrations? If you are, you must be persistent with your approach and pitch and not fear rejection. Build a good rapport by maintaining a good appearance and hygiene, being friendly, personally engaging prospects in your demo and demonstrating adequate knowledge of your item.

Word of mouth is crucial to successful marketing. If you run a physical business, pass out business cards and flyers. If you run a web site, provide a button on each page that lets visitors recommend your site to their friends who have an E-mail address. If you issue sales letters, ask your prospects at the end of the letter to spread the word about you.

If you want to be a graphic designer or marketing manager, you must develop good copywriting skills. Good flyers and newsletters consist of things such as an exciting headline; pretty text boxes and objects and convincing text. Practice with the materials you find in publications. Expect to use software such as Photoshop, Quark, Illustrator and In Design on the job.

We will now discuss advertising. Those who wish to work in the advertising field must keep up with the news every day and be alert to changing consumer trends. To create a good ad, you must sell the marketable difference of your product or service and start your ad with an unexpected approach; for example, you should begin the ad by pretending like you are not advertising anything before you start discussing the product.

We will conclude by covering ways you can market yourself. Undergo training for as many marketable skills as you can and learn how to write good resumes and cover letters and interview successfully.

Learn to type fast and accurately. In addition to being familiar with the keyboard, you must develop patience. For example, if you must capitalize a word, you should say “Hold” after you hit the “Shift” key so you will not be in such a rush that you release your hand from the “Shift” key before you type the first letter of the capitalized word. Let's use “Asia” as an example. Hit the “Shift” key, hold it down, say, “Hold”, type an A, let go of the “Shift” key and type “sia”.

Giving speeches is another part of marketing. Rehearse before giving a speech. While giving a speech, you should smile, maintain a good demeanor and look at the entire audience. Avoid poor posture and body language. Do not blast others.

If you own a retail or Internet business, you must have good writing and grammar skills because you must write things such as brochures, articles and press releases to advertise your business, get more traffic and establish your credibility. If you want to sell and market books through self-publishing sites such as lulu.com, you must write quality content, include adequate samples and design a good cover. Use an image that looks good and evokes emotion. The image should be free of blots and letters in the title that are too hard to see. Do not use all capital letters for your title or author signature. Your title should not consist of letters that run over the edges of the cover or the edges of the cover's image.

Apply what you have learned here to employ successful marketing!

However, we do not only expect for the products and services that we buy to be worth the price we paid. Part of the money we are handing out to the retailers goes to their employees. Yes, we are paying for the services we receive as customers.

We see the taxes, the VAT and all on the receipts. But what we do not see on the receipt plays an important role in our decision to buy or avail the products/service from a retailer.

A dose of bad customer service from a high-end retailer

Scenario 1:

As a buyer, I always observe the type of service I get from the store I buy from. Just recently, I went to a high-end boutique in the metro to purchase something for myself for my birthday- sort of a gift to myself.

Of course, this high-end retailer cares for their products since they are quite expensive for ordinary folks like me. The security was tight, the sales people look smart and decent, but they also look snobbish.

So I got in, browsed around and got my eye focused on the nice bag that was just perfect for my post-birthday celebration. I browsed some more but returned to the rack that had the pink bag that caught my eyes.

I asked for the price and got a cold, snobbish answer from one of the two ladies standing by- though I wasn't sure if they were there to assist me or block the items that I was browsing. I wasn't pleased at the very least.

Anyway, I got the point. The ladies probably thought I wasn't gonna buy the bag that costs $150. But I did. Without any hesitation I took the bag from the rack and proceeded directly to the cashier to pay for it. I didn't wait to be assisted "coz I felt humiliated.

I contemplated for weeks. But I thought it would be better to leave those two ladies alone. I was planning to send a complaint to the customer service department of the store but I just let it go.

Scenario 2:

A friend of mine just told me he went to the same high-end store just 2 weeks ago. He also bought some stuff for himself and his sister. But he wasn"t pleased with the kind of gesture that the sales people showed him. They did not assist him and they showed attitude. I asked him if they were snobbish and cold with the way they treated him. And yes, they were, according to my friend.

How he wanted to get out right away but he needed to buy the items, so he just took them from the racks and paid for them right off. Without a word, he got out of the store but was feeling furious at the sales people.

Upon hearing this from my friend, I told him we should report this to the retail manager or to the customer service officer.

I sent an email to the merchandise manager of the high-end boutique telling her that the sales people in that specific branch in the metro were not polite enough to judge the customers who are coming in.

I pointed the two incidences that happened to me and my friend. And I also pointed out that customer service is important in every retail business. I also said that even if an individual entered a retail store without plans of buying anything, that person can come back or recommend to his/her friends to come to that store.

The manager was so apologetic and she wanted to know who the sales people were. I don't know their names. But I told the manager to just speak to all their sales people in that particular branch. They need to know the purpose of good customer service to their business and their customers.

Lessons Learned

• Customers will be customers. Some may buy, some might not. But the point is a customer will always bring something to your business- money, recommendation, word-of-mouth information, patronage, loyalty and appreciation.
• Poor or bad customer service exists. It could be attributed to the trainings, management and even personal issues.
• Use the feedback or contact the person in-charge. It wouldn't hurt if customers will give their opinions and suggestions to the managers. Don't fight fire with fire, but instead, be objective and positive about the situations. You wouldn't want other people to lose their jobs because of a customer's feedback.

When the company's founder Sam Walton, died in 1992, he left behind a staggering 80 billion dollars. His widow and children are now worth more than Bill Gates and Warren Buffet combined. Unfortunately most of this wealth has been accumulated through the use of deceit and manipulation. Public relations experts are kept very busy trying to keep up the appearance of a wholesome family shopping center.

Unfair Employer

Women working at Wal-Mart definitely feel they have been pushed around long enough. They have filed the largest work place biased lawsuit in U.S. history due to the sexist nature of Wal-Mart's policies. On average, female employees working there earn thirty-seven cents less on the hour than their male counterparts. And they make up ninety-two percent of the cashiers but only fourteen percent of store managers.

In 2001 they were forced to pay six million dollars for violations of The Americans with Disabilities Act, passing over handicapped applicants for more able-bodied workers. Discrimination towards African-American truck drivers has also recently surfaced as an issue of concern.

The employees there seem to have a high threshold for pain. They'd better, because Wal-Mart has some of the worst healthcare imaginable. For a family, the deductible is 3,000 dollars. And they must wait far too long for coverage. A full time employee has to work there for six months to get their policy. On top of every thing else the workers are forced to work different hours from month to month or risk disciplinary action. Disgruntled employees are easily replaced with fresh, friendly faces.

Tainted Food

From one of their filthy, overseas, illegally operating food plants straight to your dinner table…even the family dog gets a special treat in his kibble: Melamine. Melamine is an arsenic derivative used in pesticides and fertilizers. E. coli has been found in various foods including spinach and peanut butter. Salmonella has also been an issue in the Chinese factories that supply Wal-Mart's shelves. Wal-Mart has also refused to give the almost expired and excess food to shelters for the needy. They just throw it out despite the desperate need. This lack of any kind of heart is a large part of what has caused nationwide shortages in food banks. Top brass in Wal-Mart's executive branch have flagrantly flaunted their wealth and left the bottom rung of the American populous to starve to death in a free country.

Wal-Marsh

Wal-Mart loves sensitive wetland ecosystems. It appears they make a great spot to set up shop. One acre at a time they are covering up tracts of the last of the natural beauty the world has to offer with pavement and lies. And then, when they decide that across the street they would sell more paper towels, they abandon the old building, leaving it to rot. Graffiti and vandalism are inevitable. And since the next logical occupant must be a large retail style store the site never gets sold because no one can compete with Wally-World across the road.

In 2004, a swarm of lawsuits in nine states for violations of environmental laws stung Wal-Mart in the backside. They ended up paying 400,000 dollars out of court. They even have designs on your culture. They had no problem putting up a Super Center in the shadow of a two-thousand year old pyramid from the Teotihuacán Empire located in Mexico. The natives were understandably upset. You can see a Wal-Mart lurking in almost any culture in the world, ready to pounce on the people's pocketbooks. What's next, replacing the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem with the “wailing” Wal-Mart?

Pack Your Bags Mom and Pop

The days of small people with big dreams are almost over. No one can compete with those gosh darned low prices. No longer will Americans be able to achieve their goals of simple business. Even when communities rally to stop Wal-Mart from moving in, corporate terrorism and back room politics, get them in the door. As a result, people must shop there, despite their best interests. And since nobody has a choice of where to shop anymore they can't complain when some of the products they are sold turn out to be junk.

The products are so shoddy because the manufacturers are forced to compete for Wal-Mart's business which in many cases ends up with American jobs being sent overseas. Paul Krugman, a Princeton University economist was quoted as saying "Wal-Mart is so big and so centralized that it can all at once hook Chinese and other suppliers into its digital system. So-wham!-you have a large switch to overseas sourcing in a period quicker than under the old rules of retailing."

Underage workers in some of the retail giant's supplier's sweatshops have long been at the end of Wal-Mart's thoughts .The notion that utilizing another countries poverty-stricken people and those people's children for cheap labor because said countries laws don't stand against it is horrendous. Just because someone will work for a single crumb of food when they are obviously starving does not mean its okay if that's all you give them.

The Wrap Up

The bottom line is globally, Wal-Mart has dominated the retail industry. They should have been using this power constructively and with regard to the needs of others less fortunate. Instead they have mindlessly gobbled up any and all profits they can. The flaws of Wal-Mart's business strategies have been underplayed for far too long. When they go on for so long without being acknowledged, a company's bad habits seem to turn into evil ethics. This is what seems to have happened in this case. The size and strength of Sam Walton's brainchild should mandate its role as a positive influence for commerce worldwide. But instead the focus has remained solely on money. But it may not be too late for this low price leviathan to reshape its image and move forward in a positive direction. One feather in their cap is the assistance they provided in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Mobilizing a convoy of trucks loaded with relief supplies, they helped many people who had lost it all. In another move towards a softer more huggable store, Wal-Mart lowered all generic prescription prices to just four dollars. There is no doubt that this will save millions for the infirmed and elderly. This is just the kind of thing that may eventually rejuvenate their bad reputation if they don't just drop the act when the heat dies down..

In Lee Scotts 23 Jan 2008 speech entitled "The Company of the future”, He laid out a set of goals they will be striving for this year. He plans on switching over to 100% renewable energy sources in order to power their many stores. They will also be changing their product lines to include more environmentally friendly products. Employees' benefits and ethical treatment are also on the docket for this year. More rigorous inspections of food, more affordable healthcare, and a renewed commitment to reflect the diverse needs of the communities which Wal-Mart serves are all things, necessary to gain back the consumer's trust. If they can follow through with their lofty promises the public at large may rethink the image of the world's second largest company. But until proven otherwise they represent the ugliness of corporate greed hiding behind a familiar smiley face.

For these shoppers, the store's service and environment often influence the amount of time they spend in the store, which in turn determines the overall performance of the store. The longer a shopper stays in a store, the more likely he is to buy something. One may wonder as to what makes a shopper, who decides to kill a few minutes in a retail store, walk out Rs1,000 lighter but still feeling elated than ever before? Its something that may be explained by various factors but, surely, the look and feel of a store are the major aspects; they are directly related to the aspirations of a customer. It's a desirable look and feel that pampers the shoppers and, thereby, motivating them to buy .So, the big question arises : What do they desire in terms of the look and feel of a store ? What do the shoppers want?

Based on my my recent studies a visual merchandiser, here are a few things that shoppers usually look out for :-

Where's the Feeling

Shoppers love to touch and feel things. At times, the buying decision largely depends on the way a thing feels. This especially applies in case of women . As we come across a product, we tend to feel the product in every way possible, including touching, hearing, smelling and tasting. Shoppers see stores as places where they get a chance to feel what they want to buy ; it acts like an assurance factor that motivates the buying decision.

Look at me

Shoppers love mirrors simply for the reason that we all like to stop and admire our own images. Mirrors tend to slow shoppers down and look at things more closely ,thereby, resulting in a larger selection of goods to buy. Shoppers can be found complimenting their reflections with a "hey, smarty!" or a "look at me !" gesture . Shoppers love to try out things in front of the mirror, twisting from side to side to view different angles. For them, mirrors are like their shopping companions.

Eureka 

Shopping makes people feel young and lively. It brings about a feeling of sheer satisfaction of discovery : exploring and finding something new. And a shopping mall is a place where this urge to discover finds a vent . Finding something new is an exciting part of shopping. All shoppers rejoice when they find what have been searching for; especially if the product has a rare availability. Shoppers, no doubt, love to be guided towards such joyful discoveries.

Look Who's Talking

Shoppers just love to talk. A conducive environment for talking is one of the great motivating factors for shopping, not just window shopping, but actual buying. And if it's further complemented by some "easy listening" music playing in the background ,it's a shopper's bliss . The more they get to talk the more time they want to be in the store. So, stores need to ensure a minimum possible interference in shopper talking.

Here I Am

Shoppers possess an irresistible desire to be recognized and showed that they are of value and it is this innate desire that just can't be ignored. Retailers do themselves good by making the customers feel welcome as soon as they pull into the parking . Recognition gives shoppers a feeling of belonging, thereby, resulting in loyalty ; shoppers return with a “Here I am!”.

Sale! Sale! Sale!

More than anything , what shoppers want is a good deal. It is certainly no wonder that store becomes most happening whenever a sale or discount is announced. Discount and special offers pull shoppers to a store like nothing else. It's a fact that the fastest moving merchandise is from the clearance racks. Some shoppers will postpone purchasing an item until it goes on sale or presented with a smart offer that's simply irresistible .

Thus, we can say that shoppers want certain things that make them feel special and that's what they really are.We need to know, to understand, what shoppers want ,so as to meet up to their expectations.

Over ten years ago, I worked as a window display demonstrator for a magnetic window company that was based in St. Louis, Missouri. The company made magnetic windows that were installed on the inside of people's existing windows to stop drafts, noise, water and damaging sunlight from coming through. I was eventually promoted to a trainer who taught new hires to do the demonstrations at local stores. I will teach you how to present yourself as a demonstrator or salesperson in the retail field.

Be knowledgeable about your product. Read your company's product information and rehearse your presentation frequently. Always think of answers to questions your prospects might ask. Be creative when you are asked an unusual question. If you give poor presentations and cannot think quickly, you will not be successful.

Always smile at your sales job. If you stop smiling after someone rejects your sales pitch, others might think you are someone who gets discouraged easily.

Keep all necessary materials at your work station. I put ice inside my display booth to give the windows a cold, frosty appearance and feel to reinforce window drafts my prospects might have. I kept a “6x9” clipboard that contained lead-generation sheets on the booth. You should use a small clipboard to avoid making prospects think they will have to give or fill out a lot of information. I also kept customer discount coupons on hand to give everyone signing up for an in-home window inspection.

Be receptive to everyone. I once ignored a child who came up to my display booth because I was too focused on finding potential homeowners to talk with. When I approached the kid's mother as she came by, she said, “I'm not going to listen to you because you wouldn't talk to my kid.” I should have quickly showed the kid the booth.

Employ a good approach to encourage plenty of people coming your way to stop and listen to your presentation. Your approach should combine enthusiasm with respect, proximity and clarity. Approach shoppers with a smile on your face and make your pitch with firmness. You will have more trouble getting people to stop if your voice is too weak or soft.

If your product is a window, you could meet a shopper with a small window sample from your booth and say, “Good morning, Madam. Have you seen our magnetic windows? Feel how light this is.” “It is light,” she will probably say. Using an approach like this in which you are friendly and get the prospects directly involved is necessary to build a rapport and make your prospects more willing to give you the opportunity to do your presentation.

Once you begin your presentation, you must qualify your prospect. I usually began my presentation by saying, “Put your hand on this (frosty) window. Feel how cold it is.” After the prospect affirmed the window was cold, I said, “Our magnetic windows keep out cold and hot air. Do you feel any drafts coming through the windows in your house?” I mentioned the word "house" to make sure the prospect was a homeowner.

Present all the features and benefits of your product. Ask your prospects questions regarding your product and listen to them. If the prospect does not display interest during your presentation or does not have problems that can be solved by your product, thank him or her for listening to you and start approaching others.

Do what it takes to overcome objections. For example, if my prospects said they were not ready for an inspection when it was time to write a lead, I said, “You're under no obligation. Let me give you this discount coupon so that when you are ready, you will save a lot of money. What's your last name?”

Offer your prospects flexibility. As I scheduled an appointment with prospects who agreed to let my company come inspect their windows, I would say, “Would 5:00 PM or 8:00 PM be a better time for you?”

Take advantage of special shows. Events such as home shows will bring you many prospects looking to buy your product now.

Follow these steps to have more success with your sales job!

Make your displays easy to access.

It's important that your merchandise be accessible to her. A woman may navigate through your store with a baby carriage or a child in tow Are you aisles sufficiently wide to accommodate this? It's important that your displays be kept at eye level. She doesn't want to have to crane her neck to see what you have to offer. Be sure to have wide aisles in your store so she comfortably push a baby carriage along while she looks.

Make your store a lively and dynamic place to shop.

There are a variety of intangible reasons women shop in certain retail stores. It's not just price and selection that attract her. She wants to shop in a fun and personal environment where she can feel comfortable. She also wants access to salespeople whom she feels she can trust to help her make smart buying decisions. You can bring her into your store by hiring friendly, outgoing sales people and creating a pleasant, upbeat environment that makes shopping more fun and less of a chore. This is her escape from the responsibilities of her busy schedule. Make it easy for her to shop and enjoy herself at the same time.

Give her the extra conveniences she wants and needs.

Women on the move don't always have time to drive around looking for parking to come into your store. Make sure there's adequate parking close to your store. If you're open at night, make sure your parking lot is well lit. Do you have clean, easy to access restrooms with a baby changing station? These are all factors that influence a woman's impression of your store. Shopping at your store should be fun and convenient.

Make your displays easy to access.

It's important that your merchandise be accessible to her. A woman may navigate through your store with a baby carriage or a child in tow Are you aisles sufficiently wide to accommodate this? Are your displays low enough to be at her eye level? She doesn't want to have to crane her neck to see what you have to offer. Keep the aisles wide and displays at eye level and she'll love you for it.

Give her the extra conveniences she wants and needs.

Women on the move don't always have time to drive around looking for parking to come into your store. Make sure there's adequate parking close to your store. If you're open at night, make sure your parking lot is well lit. Do you have clean, easy to access restrooms with a baby changing station? These are all factors that influence a woman's impression of your store. Shopping at your store should be fun and convenient.

Indulge her with some extras.

On a hot summer day, have a glass of cold tea available for your female customers. Slip some samples into her bag when she checks out. Have someone help carry her bags to her car if she purchases a lot. Little thing like this can mean the difference between a one time customer and a lifetime customer. Get her contact information when she makes a purchase and follow up with a handwritten thank you card. Little things mean a lot to her!

Get to know a little about her.

Women like to have relationships with the retail stores they purchase from. Encourage your sales people to remember the names of your female customers and greet them personally when they enter the store. A woman will keep returning to a retail store where she feels she's being given personalized service.

Have special events and promotions designed for working women.

Sponsor a monthly "shop until midnight" event to give working women a chance to visit your store and get their shopping done. They may not have the time to shop during the week. How about scheduling fashion shows, trunk shows, and special guest appearances? This can bring in a great deal of female traffic.

Give some of these ideas for marketing to women a try and find out quickly you develop a following among your female customers.

There is an idea whose time came…left…and has come again.

This idea left in a sly manner – like a bored party guest hovering on the perimeter of a room, slipping out when no one was paying attention.

It has returned because today’s retailers know it is the essence of survival in a demanding marketplace.

This idea is – genuine customer service.

I say ‘genuine’ because there are many counterfeits out there, masquerading as the real thing.

A façade of customer service has been the norm for many years in business… but the future of 21st century business rests on this idea of genuine customer service.

Businesses in general and retailers in particular, have been counterfeiters. Counterfeiters by design…because sometimes it’s easier to put forth a semblance of customer service instead of doing the hard work real customer service demands. Counterfeiters unknowingly…because sub-standard customer service has become the norm…and many companies have maintained this level thinking it was the higher level.

Today, consumers have unlimited choice, and in exercising their right to choose, they have put the onus on retailers to perform to their expectations. They do not want to be promised one thing and be given something else.

The comedian, Steven Wright, illustrated it well when he described a customer waiting in front of a locked store. He tries the door one more time to be certain it’s locked then starts to walk away. The owner approaches at that moment…pulls out a key, and unlocks the door…The exasperated customer says to the owner,” I thought you were open 24 hours”, to which the owner replies, “yeah, but not in a row.”

Businesses cannot promise one thing and do something else…they have to walk the walk, as the saying goes, not just talk the talk.

In business, customers expect courteous, friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable staff. Every customer that enters a store wants to be treated as if they are that milestone millionth customer who is showered with attention and rewards. This is an extreme analogy but at its heart a true one.

Customers want to be thought of as special.

If retailers do not make them feel that way…out of a genuine concern for them and their needs…not a superficial flirtation with them…they will go elsewhere…if not immediately…eventually.

Something happened to the notion of true customer service during the booming 1980’s, when all a retailer had to do was throw up four walls and some shelving and blow product out the door.

Customers began to be taken for granted.

Yes, this was not unique to the ‘80’s, other times had their share of malaise in customer service…it’s just that this decade made it easier to slack off on the service end and devote the energy to the marketing/merchandising equation.

Many retailers have been guilty of this. As sales soared and firms expanded they became growth oriented…and complacent.

The feeling that ‘our customers will always be there’ has permeated the business mindset even though those words have never spoken outright.

From a young age we have all heard, maybe so often that they are just empty words: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you…

…but it is a retailers job to breathe new life into them.

It may sound old-fashioned, it may sound Pollyanna, it may sound like a Sunday school lesson, but it also sounds like the truth

It’s simple really…every customer who walks through a company’s doors needs to be treated like the sales clerk would want to be treated when they shop.

It’s an idea whose time has come again: genuine customer service. If retailers begin, and continue, to practice this principle …no army will stop them.