By Moe Lastfogel Director of Sales and Marketing for The Retail Observer ![]() Today’s economy has given us many chances to either make it or break it. “Some say opportunity knocks only once, that is not true. Opportunity knocks all the time, but you have to be ready for it. If the chance comes, you must have the equipment to take advantage of it.” —LouisL’Amour (American writer, best-selling author, 1908-1988) What are you doing to prepare yourself to be ready for your chance? “Learn to listen. Opportunity could be knocking at your door very softly.” — Frank Tyger (nationally published editorial cartoonist, columnist and humorist for the Trenton Times) How long have you waited for your chance? “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” — Milton Berle (slapstick comedian and show host) How will you know when it’s your turn and what will you do about it? “What is opportunity, and when does it knock? It never knocks. You can wait a whole lifetime, listening, hoping, and you will hear no knocking. None at all. You are opportunity, and you must knock on the door leading to your destiny. You prepare yourself to recognize opportunity, to pursue and seize opportunity as you develop the strength of your personality, and build a self-image with which you are able to live / with your self-respect alive and growing.” — Maxwell Maltz (US plastic surgeon, motivational author, and creator of the Psycho-Cybernetics, 1927-2003) Of all of these quotes, I feel the simplest was the strongest. Uncle Milty seems to make it very clear—build the door. But why stop there? Add a doorbell, welcome mat, and a video monitor. As far as that goes, why not a doorman, a watchdog and a tangle of bells and tin cans at your front step. You don’t want to miss your chance, nor do you want to let it get away without at least knowing that it’s there. Like a Boy Scout, be prepared, have a strong plan and know what path you want to take. But most of all don’t wait for opportunity to knock, because as Maxwell Maltz states, it never knocks—only you do. Find your door, knock, and most important of all, don’t wait for an answer, open up the door to your destiny and march right in. Only you have the power to make things happen for you. And as that swooshy shoe company states, “Just Do It”. Happy Retailing, Moe Lastfogel [email protected]
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By Moe Lastfogel Director of Sales and Marketing for The Retail Observer ![]() The benefit of offering extraordinary service In today’s world, you can no longer get by with just the basics. By this, I mean people want fries and a sundae with their burger—the works! Delivery, installation and warranties have been our fries and sundaes for years, but if we were to offer sprinkles, whipped cream, and a cherry on top with the order, how do you think customer loyalty would grow? Delivery is somewhat simple. You schedule an appointment, drop off a box, and sometimes install the product (if your state allows you inside the home)—no problem. How about offering “white glove service”? A uniformed installer, carpet runners, shoe covers, and yes, white gloves. Add a small vacuum and cleanup after the installation and boom! — the customer gets the works. How many times have you received a call from a client who did not understand how to use their new product? Video classes are a great side order. Offer once a week, bi-monthly, or monthly classes on convection or induction cooking, or roasting and baking. Many distributors or manufacturers will aid in making these video classes happen if you use their products. Offer these classes to potential customers and to those who have already purchased a product. Heck, if the order was big enough, offer tutorials from a personal chef via a Zoom lesson. This offer can also be a moneymaker if you present it as a package line item. The ideas are endless as to how to make the customer’s experience different from that of the box store. That’s one of the biggest advantages you have as an independent retailer. Think outside of the box and add that cherry on top of the sundae to make your customer think that they’ve just received the best product offering ever. Let’s face it: a box is a box; it’s how you present it that makes it—and your business—special. Happy and Safe Retailing, Moe Lastfogel [email protected] |
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December 2021
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