Dote on your displays

Floor and counter displays are inexpensive fixtures that do really well in creating impulse sales. Whether made out of wood, acrylic, or cardboard, they still need to be treated like a valuable fixture. Make it a point to straighten and face the items in the displays. It is a myth to think that a picked-over display tricks people into believing that the product is hot and will soon disappear. Treating floor displays as you would any other fixture sounds like a good every Tuesday job.

Don’t repeat this Mother’s Day mistake

"Hi, I am from the local newspaper. Last year you placed an ad for Mother's Day; would you like to do it again?" Typical reply: "What did we do last year?" "Quarter page, with the headline Happy Mother's Day along with your logo and "Family Owned & Great Customer Service." Common reply:" "Ok, let's do it again." Let's say we don't. Not everyone can come up with something inspirational; I get that. I suggest you read a few Mother's Day cards for inspiration.

"Let's do what we did last year" is pretty much like banging your head against the wall over and over again. Plan today for Mother's Day 2022. Take photos of your gift and candy displays and make detailed notes on buying. The goal is not to do the same as this year but to do much better the next year! Here is a form to get you started.

Be the store where it is easy to find a card with an envelope

This year you will have the potential to sell the most Mother's Day cards you ever have. Because of travel restrictions, there will be a large number of customers who will not be visiting Mom on Mother's Day. Many will have to settle for sending a card, most likely not one from the dollar store. For now, straighten your cards and envelopes at least once a day. And starting May 4th, straighten your cards no less than three times a day.

Motivate me

During a recent zoom meeting, someone asked: "I can't seem to get our team motivated; do you have any books you can recommend?" Sure. Made To Stick by Chip Heath & Dan Heath. Don't Fire Them, Fire Them Up by Frank Pacetta. (Keep an open mind when you read that one.) Also, check out Daniel Pink's "The puzzle of motivation" TED Talk. It has 9.5M views on YouTube! Then read his book Drive.

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