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Feb 17 2012
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business, entrepreneurs, independent retailers, retail, small business

Retail Groupies Enjoy Benefits

Laurel Tielis

While you don’t get to say “I’m with band,” there are a myriad of other rewards you get by becoming a retail groupie. When you join groups–whether buying groups or community groups–you grow your influence and increase your business.

Both kind of groups give you backup. As an independent, you’re always going it alone. As you well know, while there are advantages to being the decision maker, there are also challenges.

The best thing about owning a business is the ability to be nimble and quick; you can choose to do something without having to take it to a committee. But on the downside, when you make a choice, it’s all on you; no one’s got your back. When you become a member of a group, you keep your power but find allies. For most of us, that’s of major importance.

More Power, Less Stress

What are the key reasons to join a buying group? On the financial side, first and foremost, you’ll be able to purchase products at a lower price point. When it comes to payments, the clout of the group often leads to longer standard terms, and better discounts for prompt payments. Then there’s the possibility of co-op advertising, which means you get the word out at a lower cost. And should something go wrong (and things do), you’re not in charge of fixing it; there is a dedicated person to handle claims and save your sanity.

On the emotional side, being part of a buying group gives you the opportunity to get feedback from others who are in your industry, but who are not competitors. You can exchange everything from ideas about how to go forward to solutions to problems that are holding you back.

Raise Your Profile, Increase Your Sales

Becoming a member of a community organization–whether it’s the chamber of commerce,  the local chapter of a major nonprofit, or a home-grown charity that speaks to your business or your personal life–raises your profile and increases the level of trust others in the group feel toward you. The well-known formula for increasing sales and building business applies–Know you, like you, trust you, means people will buy from you. So joining any of these kinds of groups will help you do good and do well, a winning combination.

A bonus is you’ll meet other small business owners and learn about how collaborative and cooperative each is; that will give you excellent information about whether or not you want to partner with someone on a business event or a promotion.

Joining groups allows you to reach out to others while maintaining your independence, and isn’t that what everyone is looking for? How do you feel about groups? Have you had success by teaming up with others? Are there other, better ways, you get backup and support?

If you want more ideas about bringing in business while running a business, I can help. I’ve been a retail reporter at Women’s Wear Daily and Home Furnishings News, a columnist at the Miami Herald and a correspondent at People.

I’ve also handled the marketing and public relations at major corporations and small businesses. Need a speaker or a consultant? Connect with me at LinkedIn, or follow me on Twitter @laureltielis.

You can also get in touch at Ask Laurel (one word) at laureltielis.com. For easy and effective ways to bring in more business, read Ka-Ching! How to Ring Up More Sales.

Copyright © 2012 Laurel Tielis

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Jan 22 2012
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retail, business, small business, independent retailers

Retail Reversals and Rallies

Laurel Tielis

What’s greater than an electric company’s power surge and more forceful than a hot flash? The power of the people combined with the power of the purse.

With social media, consumers have a voice. And whether it’s the fight against SOPA, the Occupy movement, or retail arrogance, what they’re using it to say is, “I’m mad as Hell, and I’m not going to take this any more.”

Brands that don’t get It, will get it where it hurts. Look at Netflix, Bank of America, and Verizon. Not since the Three Stooges has there been anything so dopey. But while the Stooges were funny, these companies are sad.

As for Amazon, nobody likes a bully–whether it’s in the schoolyard or on the business playing field, Amazon showed it didn’t care at all about the little guy, which was an opportunity for everyone else to say they did. 

Successful Companies Understand Consumers Count

Today, the companies that will be around tomorrow, understand that  it’s a conversation between brands and consumers. Businesses can no longer make decisions without taking consumers into account.The Internet, and social media, make everything visible. There are no secrets. Everyone knows who’s naughty and who’s nice, and they respond accordingly.

That said, companies can make mistakes and learn from them. I think these two “retail rallies” have the potential for customer engagement and retention.

Some Retail Rallies

Target missed the mark when it overpromised and underdelivered on the Missoni collection. But now it’s back with The Shops of Target, a new promotion set to begin May 6th, where the retailer will be teaming up with five small businesses from across the country for a six week run. This is a win for customers who will be able to purchase special items, its a win for the boutiques, whose products will go out to an enormous audience, and it’s a win for Target–if the company executes it properly.

Walmart is also showing that it understands how to engage and retain customers. It made a good start when it brought back layaway for the Christmas season, and now it’s got a great promotion underway called Get on the Shelf. The company has created a contest open to anyone with a product that fits its product categories. Contestants need to submit an online video, and voters will select the three winners. Their products will be sold at www.walmart.com. The grand prize winner will also have his/her products sold in selected stores.

It’s an enormous opportunity for small business owners, it’s a great way for Walmart to position itself as a champion of the little guy, and it’s fun for the rest of us.

If  you want more ideas about bringing in business, I can heIp. I’ve been a retail reporter at Women’s Wear Daily and Home Furnishings News, a columnist at the Miami Herald and a correspondent at People magazine.

I’ve also handled the marketing and public relations at major corporations and small businesses. Need a speaker or a consultant? Connect with me at LinkedIn, or follow me on Twitter @laureltielis.

You can also get in touch at Ask Laurel (one word) at laureltielis.com. For easy and effective ways to bring in more business, read Ka-Ching! How to Ring Up More Sales.

Copyright © 2012 Laurel Tielis

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Jan 14 2012
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business, entrepreneurs, independent retailers, retail, small business

Have You Got a Big “BUT”?

Laurel Tielis

Two weeks into the new year is a great time to get started on making changes. After all, by now you’ve moved on from holiday-mode to really getting down to business.

Having a big BUT though, will get in your way. It’s the kind of thinking that is as unhealthy for your emotional well-being and business success, as obesity is to your physical health. When your mind substitutes BUT for ”sure,” or “good idea,” it gets in the way of your going forward. Here’s a simple test to see if you suffer from big BUT syndrome.

Do Any of These Excuses Sound Like You?

  • Social media seems to work for other people BUT….
  • Networking seems like a good idea BUT….
  • I know blogs bring in business BUT….
  • The store down the street wants to cross promote BUT….
  • I’d like to plan an event BUT….

Happily, there are ways to get past that big BUT. To maintain the weight analogy, dieters go wrong when they think in terms of the total amount of weight they need to lose, rather than thinking of losing weight one pound at a time. In the same way, it will be simpler, and you will be more successful, if you think about going forward one step at a time.

Simple Ways to Get Past that Big BUT

If you haven’t yet committed to social media, try choosing one form–maybe Twitter–to get familiar with. The sign up is simple, and you can start by following other people in your industry. Watch them to see what works for you. Then try tweeting those kinds of things yourself.

Networking is a great way to get ahead in business, and an easy trick to being successful at it is counterintuitive. If there’s a networking event that appeals to you, go on your own and get there early. That way, you’re sure to have it pay off.

By being one of the first arrivals, anyone else who’s there early will be eager to talk to you. By the time the mass of people arrive, you’ll be in conversation and comfortable in the crowd. People will come up to you to ask you questions, and guess what? You’ll have the answers.

Blogging is another good way to bring in business, and you don’t have to write lengthy posts to have a successful blog. Just like you curate the items you sell in your store, you can curate articles you’ve read online, write a quick synopis of each, and add the link. By sharing valuable information, you’ve taken a small step and made a big difference in your business. You’ve become an authority and as you know, people want to do business with authorities.

If you’re tempted by the idea of cross promoting, and you’re also interested in planning an event, combine the two for maximum results. Again, take baby steps. Try teaming up on a single, simple event like a coffee hour or a wine and cheese party, to see just how useful it will be to go further. Like the lottery though, you can’t win if you don’t buy a ticket. So go for something with little down side and lots of potential.

This year, everyone’s moving toward green. Give yourself the green light and move forward. Take a risk; get a reward. Here’s to losing your big BUT and increasing your bottom line.

If you want more ideas about bringing in business, I can help. I’ve been a retail reporter at Women’s Wear Daily and Home Furnishings News, a columnist at the Miami Herald and a correspondent at People magazine.

I’ve also handled the marketing and public relations at major corporations and small businesses. Need a speaker or a consultant? Connect with me at LinkedIn, or follow me on Twitter @laureltielis.

You can also get in touch at Ask Laurel (one word) at laureltielis.com. For easy and effective ways to bring in more business, read Ka-Ching! How to Ring Up More Sales.

Copyright © 2012 Laurel Tielis

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Jan 08 2012
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You Can Quote Me on That

Laurel Tielis

Keeping your Twitter stream relevant and fun, your website up to date, and your newsletter entertaining as well as informative, is less of a challenge if you take advantage of the wit and wisdom of others–especially celebrities. And yes, you can quote me on that.

You might be surprised at just how many well-known names have talked about business, retail, stores, and shopping. Take billionaire Warren Buffett: “I buy expensive suits. They just look cheap on me.” What an opportunity for anyone involved in the menswear business or any image consultant to comment on that, and ask their followers to help the poor guy.

One of my favorite lines, and perfect for anyone in home furnishings or design is Oscar Wilde‘s reputed death bed quote: “Either this wallpaper, goes or I do.” (I’ve also read the quote as “Either this lamp goes, or I do.”) In either case, it gives you an opportunity to have some fun with you followers. You can ask them for their favorite quotes, or for what they would most like to change in their homes, and so on.

Rita Rudner offers some sage advice that’s useful to anyone in the jewelry business or in the bridal industry. “I think men who have a pierced ear are better prepared for marriage,” Rudner says. “They’ve experienced pain and bought jewelry.” Follow up by asking questions like, Hey guys, What would make the shopping experience easier for you?

Cameron Diaz is clearly a foodie. According to the actress: “I can spend hours in a grocery store. I get so excited when I see food, I go crazy. I spend hours arranging my baskets so that everything fits in and nothing gets squashed. I’m really anal about it, actually.”

Groceries, supermarkets, and gourmet shops should find food for thought in that remark (not to mention therapists!). Even better, it’s too long for one tweet, so you get the opportunity to send half off at a time. You can play up the fact that at your store packers do a great job with all items, but especially fragile ones. Or ask fellow tweeps what foods feed their fancies?

Stand-up comic Jay London weighed in with “I saw a stationery store move.” Anyone who makes or sells paper products can play off the joke–I’ve seen a house fly, a horsefly and a dragon fly–or take advantage of it to talk about the best-moving items in their business.

Parenthood star Lauren Graham shares these thoughts about shopping: “These days,” she says,  “I have to be extra nice in stores. It never fails that whenever I look as bad as I can possibly look or I am sort of cranky because the store is out of something, that is precisely the time when someone one will recognize me and say: ‘I really like your show.’” Would that all customers get Lauren’s message about the importance of being especially nice in public, and that all merchants take the time and put out the energy to keep shoppers sweet!

Got a quote you’d like to share? Can I quote you on anything in the business world? Tell me, and I’ll pass it along.

If you want more ideas about bringing in business, I can help. I’ve been a retail reporter at Women’s Wear Daily and Home Furnishings News, a columnist at the Miami Herald and a correspondent at People.

I’ve also handled the marketing and public relations at major corporations and small businesses. Need a speaker, writer, or  consultant? Get in touch at Ask Laurel (one word) at laureltielis.com.

You can also connect with me at LinkedIn, or follow me on Twitter @laureltielis. For easy and effective ways to bring in more business, read Ka-Ching! How to Ring Up More Sales.

Copyright © 2012 Laurel Tielis

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Jan 02 2012
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Retail Moves from Bricks to Clicks and Back Again

Laurel Tielis

SAN FRANCISCO–Arkadi Kuhlmann, President and CEO of ING Direct, was in Union Square last week to launch the online bank’s new 17,000 square foot cafe, its eighth brick and mortar outlet.

While you can”t make a deposit or a withdrawal, you can grab a cup of Peet’s coffee, take advantage of the Wi-Fi, and enjoy face time with others.

Not only that, the bottom level of the three-story space is set up so that small business owners and non-profits can host meetings, free of charge, for as many as 40 or 50 people.

Why move from clicks to bricks? Isn’t business going in the opposite direction? As Kuhlmann put it, “People feel very disconnected; there’s a need for connection.” It makes sense, and it works out in dollars. ING has found that deposits have increased by about 10 percent in the cities where they have a physical presence.

Understanding the consumer is the secret of doing business today. People want what they want, where they want it, when they want it. The easier you make it for them, the more they’ll do business with you. If your goal is a successful business you need to be available instore, online, and via mobile.

Arkadi Kuhlmann, ING Direct with blogger Laurel Tielis

This is a good lesson for independent retailers, who have been resistant to selling on the Internet. And to be fair, getting started has been expensive and time-consuming.

Luckily though, as it’s become more important to have a website, it’s also become cheaper and easier to acquire one. In addition to eBay and Etsy, which have been around for a long time, but are clearly not right for all retailers, there now are a wealth of inexpensive ways for small business owners to sell online.

If you want to easily and inexpensively create a storefront with the look and feel of your four-walled store check out Goodsie.com, Shopify.com, Storenvy.com, and Weebly.com. If you’re interested in joining with other small business owners in your area, there are sites like UrbanSwipe.com in Albuquerque, and Shoppista, com, which I wrote about last year, in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Got merchandise you’re ready to move at a discount? Sales site LittleIndependent.com can help. If you’re in the bridal business, take a peek at NearbyRegistry.com, scheduled to open this year.

If you started with bricks, it’s time and past time to move to clicks; and as ING Direct has shown, clicks profit when they connect in person. Success today means taking advantage of every possible place and manner to sell your products and services.

If you want more ideas about bringing in business, I can help. I’ve been a retail reporter at Women’s Wear Daily and Home Furnishings News, a columnist at the Miami Herald and a correspondent at People magazine.

I’ve also handled the marketing and public relations at major corporations and small businesses. Need a speaker or a consultant? Connect with me at LinkedIn, or follow me on Twitter @laureltielis.

You can also get in touch at Ask Laurel (one word) at laureltielis.com. For easy and effective ways to bring in more business, read Ka-Ching! How to Ring Up More Sales.

Copyright © 2012 Laurel Tielis

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Dec 04 2011
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How to Use SMS Marketing to Build Your Business

Laurel Tielis

You know how to KISS, don’t you? Of course, that means keep it short and simple (sweet helps, too), and it applies beautifully to SMS marketing–short message service or text marketing. SMS is an easy, effective, and inexpensive way to increase sales. That makes it especially good for independent retailers and entrepreneurs, people who don’t have a lot of time, money, or staff to help get their message out.

SMS is not only easy, effective, and inexpensive, it’s also great for Type A personalities, which tends to describe most independents. That’s because there’s an immediate response to your message, so you know if what you’re doing is convincing or needs to be rethought.

The Skinny on SMS Marketing

SMS marketing is sending out, or broadcasting, an ongoing series of advertisements about your business in the form of text messages. As you know if you text regularly, you get just 160 characters in which to tell your story. So you have to get really savvy in keeping it succinct while setting up a sale.

Mark Twain said, “I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.” Writing tight looks easy, but it takes time. SMS marketing should appear to be spontaneous or on-the-cuff, but like any other ad, you have to craft a quality message.

5 Message “Musts”

1. Every message must be well thought out.

2. Every message has to offer something that’s of interest to the recipient–What’s in it for them?

3. Every message needs a Call to Action. Do you want them to like you on Facebook? Come into your store? Buy your product or service? Ask them to and offer something in exchange. The more you target your call, the more you get exactly what you want.

4. Every message has to create a sense of urgency. Give recipients a specific time frame to respond. You might say “in the next two hours,” or make something available to the first 20 or first 200.

5. Every message needs to allow people to unsubscribe or opt-out. That way, they don’t feel invaded, spammed, or stalked.

Once you establish your writing style, you can start building your SMS list. Essentially, it’s the same as getting customers to subscribe to your email list. They opt-in when you offer something they want–a prize for the right answer to a question you posed, the privilege of being first to shop your sale, or a discount on a purchase. Then you keep up a flow of messages about business in general and your business in particular.

When you give people access, team it with information about the industry, and add the bonus of special benefits for them, you increase engagement and sales. That’s a win-win situation.

Please share your SMS marketing tips, tricks, and successes.

If you want more ideas about bringing in business, I can help. I’ve been a retail eporter at Women’s Wear Daily and Home Furnishings News, a columnist at the Miami Herald and a correspondent at People magazine.

I’ve also handled the marketing and public relations at major corporations and small businesses. Need a speaker or a consultant? Connect with me at LinkedIn, or follow me on Twitter @laureltielis.

You can also get in touch at Ask Laurel (one word) at laureltielis.com. For easy and effective ways to bring in more business, read Ka-Ching! How to Ring Up More Sales.

Copyright © 2011 Laurel Tielis

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Nov 27 2011
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business, independent retailers, retail, small business

Lights! Camera! Sales!

Laurel Tielis

I could tell you about the excitement in the air at San Francisco’s Westin St. Francis Hotel, when they unveiled a Christmas chateau complete with railroad. Or I could describe the glowing eyes of the children, and the enthusiasm of the adults at the  Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill, because of the life-sized gingerbread house and the visit from Santa.

In either case, essentially what I’d be doing, is drawing you a word picture.  So wouldn’t it be simpler, and more effective, to show you?

People are tuned in and turned on to the visual; they get great pleasure from seeing things. If you want to convert lookers to buyers, at your website, through your social media, and in your store itself, play the game of show and tell.

Take pictures of your store and your merchandise.  Show photos of your staff, and most importantly,  satisfied customers. It doesn’t have to be a big deal. You can simply snap shots with your smartphone. You can even use it to make videos, which you can then post on YouTube, as well as on your website.

Good photos can even bring you media attention. I love the story of  how one smart small business owner got her store in front of two million readers without paying a penny, and got a website for the same amount of money.

Several years ago, an article in the Small Business section of the Wall Street Journal focused on the steps an Indianapolis retailer was taking to shore up seasonal sales. Impressed by the good-sized feature with several photos about gift, bridal, and home furnishings store, Charles Mayer & Company, I called the owner, Claudia Ryan, and asked her how she did it.

Claudia confessed she’d been interviewed twice for a feature, but the story was stalling. Finally, the reporter asked if she had good pictures of her store. Savvy enough not to say “no,” she queried back, “When do you need them?” then immediately called friend, and professional photographer, Mary Kissel. saying, “How would you like a byline in the Wall Street Journal?”

Mary saw the value of a credit in the country’s most-widely read newspaper, came right over and took the shots that sold the story. As for the website, Claudia’s son, a college student, set it up simply by using revolving photos of the elegant merchandise.

You, too, can tell your story and  sell your store by showing potential customers you’ve got what they need. Got some photo tips? Please share them here.

If you want more ideas about bringing in business, I can help. I’ve been a retail eporter at Women’s Wear Daily and Home Furnishings News, a columnist at the Miami Herald and a correspondent at People magazine.

I’ve also handled the marketing and public relations at major corporations and small businesses. Need a speaker or a consultant? Connect with me at LinkedIn, or follow me on Twitter @laureltielis.

You can also get in touch at Ask Laurel (one word) at laureltielis.com. For easy and effective ways to bring in more business, read Ka-Ching! How to Ring Up More Sales.

Copyright © 2011 Laurel Tielis

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Nov 20 2011
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Mobile Holiday Season Sales Set to Skyrocket

There’s no doubt that multichannel shopping is on the rise. As for mobile purchases, the Mobile Marketing Association is forecasting a very merry Christmas for the industry, projecting a whopping 62 percent jump in the number of people who’ll purchase presents through their phones, rather than visit retailers’ brick and mortar stores.

Are the m-commerce predictions hype, hope, or actually going to happen this Christmas season? Other questions come to mind as well. Just how big an increase in the actual percentage of people who’ll shop using mobile will that translate to, and who are the shoppers who are most likely to take advantage of buying this way?

What the Numbers Mean

To begin, currently mobile shopping makes up less than 10 percent of total retail sales. So if the 62 percent increase occurs, it means the number of people buying via smartphone or tablet would jump to 16 percent this year. That’s a nice number, and when you add it to overall online sales, it becomes even more significant.

Who are the buyers? GigaOM reports the percentage of mobile shoppers in terms of age: 19 percent are 26 to 34 years old, 22 percent are 35 to 44 years old, 25 percent are 45 to 54 years old, and 16 percent are 55 to 64 old.

According to the site, these shoppers are getting more comfortable increasing their buy using mobile devices, with more than 70 percent of men surveyed saying they’re willing to spend more than $300 on an item.

Why Mobile is on the Rise

Why are more people open to shopping on mobile devices? Retailers have made it easier for them to do so. Connections are faster, and larger size type face and images make it simpler to see what’s on offer. The all important buy button is bigger as well.

Because mobile shopping has become easier and more effective, many shoppers waiting on line to checkout on Black Friday this year, will be tempted, and will probably fall to temptation, by promotions from online merchants.

The Gilt Groupe, for example, which usually promotes their sales at noon, is showing no guilt at offering shoppers waiting to buy at retail outlets, mobile deals at 6 a.m. Cranky people who’ve been up for hours, will have the opportunity to quickly and easily score shopping specials. Other websites are planning to compete with brick and mortar stores on Black Friday as well.

It’s enough to make anyone move to mobile. And people who’ve been having a rough year aren’t looking for any more obstacles to get in their way. Add to that, people are devoted to their smartphones. Why wouldn’t they be? Small and sleek, they do everything from take pictures, replacing cameras, to tell time, replacing wristwatches.

I think mobile shopping is clearly the way of the future, and the future begins this holiday season. What do you think?

If you want more ideas about bringing in business, I can help. I’ve been a retail eporter at Women’s Wear Daily and Home Furnishings News, a columnist at the Miami Herald and a correspondent at People magazine.

I’ve also handled the marketing and public relations at major corporations and small businesses. Need a speaker or a consultant? Connect with me at LinkedIn, or follow me on Twitter @laureltielis.

You can also get in touch at Ask Laurel (one word) at laureltielis.com. For easy and effective ways to bring in more business, read Ka-Ching! How to Ring Up More Sales.

Copyright © 2011 Laurel Tielis

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Nov 13 2011
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Holiday Sales are Bullish at Pet Shops

Laurel Tielis

It’s a funny old world. Retail analysts are predicting that holiday sales will be more ho-hum than ho ho ho, and a lot of Christmas giving will be self-directed. But there’s a major exception; polls are showing people are planning to spend more this year on gifts for pets.

Many of these are the same folks who are concerned about high prices for commodities–from filling their gas tanks to putting food on the table–but they’re not cutting back when it comes to their feathered, finned or  four-legged friends.

And savvy pet shop owners are taking advantage of their desire to cater to their “best friends,” by  offering premium products. So while well-known pet food brands are far from suffering, for everything from puppies to guppies, people are willing to pay more.

As a retailer, what can you learn from this?

People want to feel good about themselves. One way they do it is by giving themselves small treats, like buying a daily latte. Another way they do it is by taking care of others.

And as much as people pay for pet products or presents, it’s still a small sum in the face of the cost of presents for people. Plus, pets are non-judgmental, so it’s easy to buy for them. They don’t point out that something is the wrong size or not their favorite color. Heck, they don’t even care if their holiday gifts don’t arrive on time.

Christmas Gifts photo, Kelvin Kay, en:user:kkmd

 If you’re buying for your pets, you don’t have rush the season. There’s no need to push back from the Thanksgiving table to head to a store to make a purchase. You can show solidarity with store employees, who won’t have to work on a holiday on your account. Prices are pretty consistent year-round, so you don’t have to wait for Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, or Cyber Monday.

You can do your Christmas shopping any day, and kick back and enjoy the holidays themselves. Those are my thoughts on the upcoming retail holiday season. How do you feel about it?

If you want more ideas about bringing in business, I can help. I’ve been a retail eporter at Women’s Wear Daily and Home Furnishings News, a columnist at the Miami Herald and a correspondent at People magazine.

I’ve also handled the marketing and public relations at major corporations and small businesses. Need a speaker or a consultant? Connect with me at LinkedIn, or follow me on Twitter @laureltielis.

You can also get in touch at Ask Laurel (one word) at laureltielis.com. For easy and effective ways to bring in more business, read Ka-Ching! How to Ring Up More Sales.

Copyright © 2011 Laurel Tielis


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Nov 06 2011
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business, retail

Speed Up Sales By Using QR Codes

Laurel Tielis

In addition to sushi and bonsai trees, we can thank the Japanese for QR codes, those black-and-white patterned squares that have become ubiquitous.They were created in the 1990s by a subsidiary of Toyota, to track cars as they moved down the manufacturing line.They’ve been popular for some time there, but have only recently begun to be used in the U.S.

They’re not all that different from the barcodes used on items in the supermarket, or from those on the back of books. What makes them more valuable though, is that they offer far more information in a similar amount of space.

Why All the Hoopla Now?

QR codes have finally come into their own because they’ve have moved from the province of the manufacturer or retailer, to that of the consumer. Mobile apps have made them customer centric. A shopper on a smartphone downloads a free app, like Red Laser, then uses it to snap a picture of a code, et voilà, the phone screen displays a wealth of information about a product or a service.

If you’re a retailer, as you’ve already discovered with barcodes, this offers both positives and negatives.The downside is that armed with all that information, shoppers can quickly and easily find the same merchandise you’re selling elsewhere, and possibly at a better price. Which of course means, they’ll buy elsewhere.

But the upside is a stronger one, especially if you own a brick and mortar store. QR codes let you sell your merchandise 24/7.

Benefits to Retailers of Using QR Codes

For example, a window shopper out for a late night stroll or a pet owner up early taking care of Fido’s needs, attracted by a display can easily find out out more about what caught her eye by simply scanning a QR code. That means, even when you’re not officially open for business, you can still be selling.

You can also use them to create customer engagement, and possibly loyalty. When shoppers text your QR code, you can give them a discount coupon, or a free sweepstakes entry in exchange for their information.

Want to promote your business without making it so obvious that no one will want to use the product? Rather than run an ad all over a T-shirt or a coffee mug, a simple QR code, especially one inserted cleverly into a picture, will get the word out about your business.

No matter what you retail, you can use a code to fine tune the information you want to share about your merchandise. If you sell food or drink, you can include a recipe in the code. Apparel sellers can include a tip about how to dress for success. Own an art gallery? Give some information about the artist, or the particular piece, on a QR code.

They’re inexpensive and easy to produce, and can be used on walls, windows, print ads, giveaways, social media sites, kiosks, or wherever you’re imaginative enough to place them. They can even be used as a part of, or  in place of business cards.

When you’re ready to move to the next level of business, I suggest you check out QR codes.

If you want more ideas about bringing in business, I can help. I’ve been a retail eporter at Women’s Wear Daily and Home Furnishings News, a columnist at the Miami Herald and a correspondent at People magazine.

I’ve also handled the marketing and public relations at major corporations and small businesses. Need a speaker or a consultant? Connect with me at LinkedIn, or follow me on Twitter @laureltielis.

You can also get in touch at Ask Laurel (one word) at laureltielis.com. For easy and effective ways to bring in more business, read Ka-Ching! How to Ring Up More Sales.

Copyright © 2011 Laurel Tielis

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