The Retail Doctor Blog
How To Get Your Dealers and Franchisees To Follow Your System
As a retail consultant, one of the most universal concerns major brands and franchisors ask me is, "How can I get franch...
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Driving Foot Traffic & Sales: Specialty Beverage Store Makeover Case Study of BEVS
As CEO of upstate New York’s largest beer distributor, Jeff Vukelic boasts over 100 years of family success in the spiri...
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IBM Watsonx: Where AI Meets Human Wisdom in Retail
I enjoyed being immersed in IBM’s Watsonx at the National Retail Federation’s Big Show last month. The crux of what IBM ...
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Peeking into the Future: Retail Trends in 2024 from NRF
Discover the exciting future of retail as we delve into the latest trends and innovations that will shape the industry i...
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7 Ways to Upgrade Your Retail Store Without Moving
I've seen a common misconception in my experience with retail transformations, including recent showroom makeovers with ...
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7 Big Retail Stories of 2023: Insights and Impacts
2023 was a year of unexpected twists and turns for the retail industry. From marketing blunders to economic surprises, t...
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The Perils of Passive Learning: Why Retail Needs Active Training and Impactful Coaching
Managers, have you ever shown an employee a training video or document and considered them “trained”? As convenient as t...
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Not Just Following Orders: 10 Tips To Manage Change And Produce Positive Results
As a retail shop owner or manager, it's crucial to understand that the success of any training program is not just about...
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Bringing Joy to Retail: The Art of Human Connection in Stores
The art of selling is deeply intertwined with the art of human connection. As a retail speaker and trainer with over 30 ...
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How Retail Managers Can Bring Out the Best in Evolving Times
Since the pandemic, retail manager and associate roles have significantly evolved. Gone are the days when favorable weat...
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Retail Outlook Bright for 2023 Holidays Despite Concerns
Despite economic uncertainty and inflation concerns, the 2023 holiday shopping season is shaping up to be a big one for ...
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Store Window Display Design: How To Grab Customer Attention
Just like people quickly decide if they like a stranger by the look of their clothes, when it comes to retail storefront...
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The Magic Of Retail Is Not Found On A To-Do List
Retail stores face a challenge from within. Younger sales associates often team up on tasks that could be done individua...
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Unlock Your Best Holiday Season Yet: A Retailer's Ultimate Guide to Boosting Sales and Winning Customers
Retailers face intense competition during the holidays. How can you prepare for the holidays with your crew? The key is ...
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A Guide To Mastering The Art of Retail Location
Choosing the right location for your retail store is complex but crucial. It requires a deep understanding of your targe...
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5 Ways How To Sell More By Talking Less
How do you become a good retail sales associate and move visitors from shoppers to customers? In the Broadway musical Ha...
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Hidden Forces: How To Silently Guide Your Shoppers' Choices
Attracting customers as a primary objective can be a misnomer. Many retailers look to attract customers but don't consid...
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The Dirty Truth: 7 Hidden Reasons Behind Poor Retail Store Cleanliness
Despite tens of thousands of viral TikTok #CleanTok videos, many retailers still show a psychological barrier toward cle...
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How To Regain And Keep Your Luxury Brand Legacy From Fading
The finest wools and cotton for luxury fashion brands are farmed from centuries-old farms, carded and woven in centuries...
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Defensive Selling Isn't Customer Service: Insights for Retail Managers
Defensive selling is a sales approach typically driven by a sales associate's anxiety and the assumption that a customer...
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Unifying Supply Chain Commerce: A Close Look at Manhattan Associates' Momentum Event
Manhattan Associates invited me to their Momentum user event in Phoenix, where CEO Eddie Capel introduced the theme “Mov...
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Unlock The Potential in Discovering the Perfect Business Name
Every business starts with an idea, a passion, and a name. The name must attract wary customers and establish the compan...
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Why Equating Training with Teaching Could Hurt Your Retail Business
This blog is my response to a question from a Facebook fan asking me, “What is the difference between training and havin...
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Selling Wine and Spirits: The Art of Matching Bottles with Personality Types
Buying wine, liquor, cannabis, cigars, beer, and most new foods is like choosing a book without reading it first. You de...
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New Trends in Digital Customer Service: The Evolution of Self-Service Tools
The retail industry has undergone a significant transformation, shifting the focus toward digital customer service, mark...
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Retail Supply Chain: How Sustainability Can Be Eco-Friendly & Profitable
Sustainability has become a big concern for retailers, and for good reasons. The effects of human activities on the envi...
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Retailers: How To Beat A Lower Priced Competitor, Your Vendor
Many retailers face a common problem: what do you do when you are directly competing with one of your vendors? For examp...
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Shared Business Wisdom From Fellow Entrepreneurs
One of the best pieces of advice I ever received came from Tony Robbins, “You better come up with a brand no one else ca...
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Commentary on Trends In Retail by Bob Phibbs, the Retail Doctor
I am part of the RetailWire Brain Trust, which has three discussions posted Monday through Friday. I comment on several ...
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Perfect Fit: Suitsupply’s RFID Journey
Heico Souman, Chief Architect at Suitsupply, led an engaging session at Manhattan Associates Momentum in Phoenix in May ...
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How To Reach Retail Customers Despite Their Cocoons
Let’s admit it; we are now a society of individual planets. We’ve created our own worlds by letting in just what we want...
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Effective Retail Sales Meetings: 9 Ground Rules For Success
As a retail consultant, I'm called on to facilitate brainstorming, planning, team, culture, franchisee training, and the...
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10 Ways to Master the Art of Getting Your Retail Employees to Listen
Honing your listening skills can significantly impact the success of your store. As a trained conductor, I've learned th...
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How Retailers Are Using Community Engagement To Make a Difference
Updated November 6, 2023 Retailers play an essential role in community engagement by supporting local causes, participat...
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Are You Overlooking This Advanced Retail Selling Technique?
One of the most basic elements of any retail sales training program is covering the features and benefits of the product...
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Lemonade Day: Teaching Entrepreneurship
Lemonade Day is Sun. May 7, 2023 Lemonade Day is a powerful learning experience that reinforces the importance of indivi...
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10 Ways ChatGPT Is Transforming Retail Shopping Experiences
Have you heard of generative AI? It's the technology that helps computers learn and create things on their own. I wrote ...
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What Sets Leading Retailers Apart: Navigating Unified Commerce
When I was in high school running track, I always wanted to see where my competition ranked to compare what I was doing ...
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Retail Sales Training Lessons: 25 Movie Scenes To Learn From
Movies provide some of the best training and reminders for retailers of all sizes. Here are 25 of the best sales movie s...
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10 Clever Techniques to Boost Sales Training Retention
Effective sales training is crucial for success in today's fast-paced retail environment. Training has never been more c...
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Do you Provide an Engaging Customer Experience? Take This Quiz
Published November 10, 2017. Updated September 6, 2022. A lot is written about customer engagement in retail. How retail...
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10 Simple Ways to Improve Sales Performance in Stores
With home prices falling in many areas, demand for various items sought after at stores is slowing. While there are many...
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What Is Merchandising? Displays That Move Merch [Case Study]
Ever wonder if great displays can really affect sales? We all do. AMG Strategic Advisors released the results from a hig...
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Balancing Inventory: Making Friends With Retail Pricing and Clearance Sales
Updated for relevance January 17, 2024. What is the difference between a clearance and a sale? A sale is often a specifi...
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How to Engage Shoppers in Your Store: Say Goodbye to "How Can I Help You?"
Have you ever been in a retail store where the employees all seem like they'd rather be anywhere else but there? Maybe t...
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How To Improve Your Retail Sales With Role Play
Nine powerful tips to improve this essential part of your sales training and grow your retail sales Are you looking for ...
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Family-Run Small Businesses Don't Have To Close
You can't open a newspaper, turn on the TV, or go online without seeing a story of a venerable business calling it quits...
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10 "What" Questions Retailers Ask About Retail
Updated April 4, 2024 Staying ahead in a dynamic space like retail means constantly questioning and refining your approa...
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Sales Training - 5 of The Stupidest Questions to Ask Retail Shoppers
Retailers must stop tripping themselves up, or their brick-and-mortar stores will bleed customers. Don’t blame online sa...
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Luxury Retail: Great Customer Service Example from Four Seasons
So many times when we talk about an exceptional experience, people talk about fast food or getting a botched order corre...
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Shopping for Relevance: How Retailers Can Increase Sales
With the rise of online shopping, retailers have to work harder than ever to attract and retain customers. Contrary to t...
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What Retailers Can Learn From A Hotel Makeover [Case Study]
This is a case study on one of my early business makeovers as a retail consultant. Take a look - any small business can ...
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How To Visual Merchandise And Create Killer Retail Display Windows
Visual Merchandising is something many retailers feel challenged by. What to put in the store window? What to put with i...
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5 Reasons Why Apathetic Employees Are Risky Business
An unmotivated employee can be a real headache for any retail store. Worse, instead of helping you build sales, they can...
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Retail Sales Tip: How To Keep Out of Stock From Meaning No Sale
Updated February 16, 2024. When you're out of stock, you'll need to challenge your employees and customers if you want t...
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5 Critical Skills How To Coach Retail Salespeople
Like a coach, your worth to your team and organization will be in how you help your players become better at the task at...
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Analyzing the Top 16 Retail Trends at NRF 2023
The 2023 National Retail Federation Big Show was a glimpse into the future of retail, showcasing the top trends transfor...
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7 Tips to Get You Back on Track After a Retail Training Stall
Are you feeling a bit stuck in your retail sales training plan? Maybe it feels like you’ve hit a roadblock, and nothing ...
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The 12 Worst Excuses for Not Training Retail Employees
Most CEOs, owners, and managers of retail stores understand that employee training is a key factor in improving customer...
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Don't Waste Your Time with Sales Tips That Don't Work: Here's Why
Updated April 19, 2024 Online retail sales training is becoming increasingly popular for learning and sharpening valuabl...
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Boost Customer Loyalty with These 10 Omnichannel Strategies
Increasing customer loyalty through omnichannel strategies is a great way for retailers to keep customers coming back. B...
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How To Use Powerful Questions To Engage And Sell More Customers
Using questions effectively in a retail sales presentation can be a powerful tool to engage customers and guide them tow...
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5 Tips For Setting Goals That Work For You
The start of a new year is a great time to set a new direction. Whether you had a 🔥 or 🌡️ year, prepare yourself for 2...
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Visual Merchandising: Are You Blocking Your Customer’s Path To Purchase?
Retailers, It's time to take a closer look at your visual merchandising and ensure it creates an inviting and intuitive ...
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5 Essential Cash Flow Tips for January - Boost Your Financial Health
Retailers, January is the time to get your financial house organized to have the most profitable retail sales and stress...
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11 Benefits of Mystery Shops For Retailers
Updated April 19, 2024 If you're a retailer, you know how important it is to ensure your customers have the best shoppin...
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How to Fix 2022’s Problems in the Retail Industry
The retail industry faces various problems, from overstock and theft to labor shortages and high return rates. Any CEO c...
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Celebrate Your Retail Employees With These Thoughtful Gifts
Looking for an extraordinary and inspiring gift for your retail employees? The Retail Doctor has the answer with this gi...
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10 Retail Sales Training Tips For the Holidays
The holidays are here, and I'm convinced some of you will have banner retail sales. Why? Because you have set aside the ...
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Open To Buy: Merchandise Doesn't Get Better With Age
Holding on to old merchandise can kill your profit margins. That's why learning about OTB, open to buy, is important whe...
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If You Have Fears Of A Retail Recession, Take Hope
You can’t open your browser without someone somewhere scaring you about an upcoming cataclysmic recession. A bit of educ...
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5 Cash Flow Tips For Independent Retailers In October
The holiday season is about to begin, and every retailer is glad for it because cash flow will seem to get better. This ...
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10 Easily Overlooked Customer Service Tips
When was the last time you had a negative customer service experience? Do you remember? Of course, you do! And how many ...
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How To Make Your Retail Store Instagram-Worthy
Today's retail landscape is all about being Instagram-worthy, like this space in New York City, pictured above. Consumer...
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How to Use Humor in Your Sales Presentation - the More Laughs, the More You Sell
Want to increase your sales? Try adding humor! Here are eight tips for incorporating humor into your retail store or in-...
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Can You Know If Your Marketing ROI Is Working For Your Retail Business?
Most retail business owners are frustrated with their marketing costs because they don’t know how to calculate best thei...
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5 Ways to Make Your Store a Place Employees Love
If you're like most retailers, you're always looking for ways to improve your employees' satisfaction levels and keep th...
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Employee Perks: Are You Giving Too Many or Not Enough?
Are you guilty of giving your employees too many perks? Or, are you not giving them enough? I read about a Canadian cand...
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15 Employees From Retail Hell and What To Do About Them
Updated June 5, 2023. The most important assets any business has are its employees. In retail especially, the need to hi...
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The Right Way To Handle Onboarding and Reboarding
Updated April 18, 2024 In college, I had an ill-fated stint as a server at a mall-based restaurant. Onboarding there con...
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The Case For Inclusive Hiring: Are You Overlooking The Benefits?
Updated July 21, 2023 At the end of a day-long retail sales training program I was conducting with a group, one of the o...
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4 Examples of Great Customer Service
I’ve written extensively about creating a customer service strategy, how to improve your retail customer service, and re...
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Retail Consultant Sales Training Lessons [Case Study]
As a retail consultant, I partner with clients to increase conversions, attract customers, and become more profitable. I...
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8 Ways To Transform Retail Store Displays Into Sales
Updated for relevance December 8, 2023 There are many ways your sales displays can be your silent salesperson. The trick...
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Retail Management Training: Should You Recruit Gay Men As Employees?
At the end of a day-long retail sales training program I was conducting with a group, one of the owners piped up, "What ...
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5 Ways To Ace A Quick Store Refresh Of Your Retail Merchandising
When I lived in Los Angeles, I did business makeovers for the Los Angeles Times. Now that I speak and travel more, I onl...
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How Retailers Can Keep Up With Retail Consumer Trends
Trends become opportunities. That’s what I heard as an invited guest at IBM’s massive "Amplify" conference in Tampa. I h...
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Cure Retail Disruption With A Customer-Focused Approach
A lot of money is chasing the term of disruption in retail and examining radical disruptive trends. From innovative AI c...
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Sure-fire Strategy For Selling Retail
Wondering how to sell better in your retail store? Begin by looking at your attitude toward selling... Do you think ever...
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Visual Merchandising: How To Create Retail Counter Displays That Work
Updated Nov 14, 2023 I was at a candy store at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport last year with as many products on the counter a...
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Most Product Purchases Aren’t Impulsive, So Why Sell Them That Way?
I walked into a store in California last year, and what seemed like thousands of mason jar candles were stacked on a gla...
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SalesRX Customer Success Story: Joy Lee of USA Fishing Outfitters
“In hard numbers, we were able to grow our sales this holiday season by about 20%. We broke all of our sales records at ...
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7 Ways To Get Better At Selling In Your Retail Store
Are you struggling to get more sales? Looking for how to sell more in your store? You can either watch a 90 second video...
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Dress Code For Retail Employees - Is It Still Appropriate?
We all judge people based on the way they are dressed. If a guy walked into your shop and saw you dressed in white makeu...
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Retail’s Bench Strength Is Dwindling, Here’s How To Build It Back
Updated April 23, 2024. Retailers are getting shoppers back in droves. That’s great news. This year’s expectations are c...
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How To Bring Your Downtown Retail Shopping Area To Life
A great downtown has a thriving independent retailer community working at the top of its game. New businesses open and a...
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9 Elements To Make Your Store Event A Success That Builds Retail Sales
Macy's held their annual flower show at their flagship store in NYC this past April. It has to be one of the last vestig...
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What is Customer Success? Our Testimonials for SalesRX
• Read our Customer Success Testimonials • Hear directly from actual SalesRX customers: • Check out our Google reviews M...
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9 Ways To Improve Your Body Language Nonverbal Skills
Looking for how nonverbal communication impacts sales? Your body language sends wordless cues long before you try to clo...
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What It Takes to Be an Awesome Assistant Store Manager
If you’re looking for the top skills to be a good shop assistant or assistant store manager, you’ve come to the right po...
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How to Sell: Value over Price
As prices rise and customers become vocal about the difference between what they thought something would cost versus wha...
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How To Sell Luxury Brands, Retail Products, Services
Has demand dried up for luxury brands? If you are selling to the luxury crowd, do you offer discounts to close the sale ...
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SalesRX Customer Success Story: Joy Quinn of The Spice & Tea Exchange
“SalesRX is essentially another employee. It is my cross-door sales trainer with all the content, structure, training, a...
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How To Use The Right Questions To Sell More Effectively
How do I make my shop busier? I get a lot of variations of this question from retailers... Like everything is perfect; I...
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7 Retail Display Ideas Found In Los Angeles to Try In Your Store
Customers come to your brick-and-mortar store to discover something new. They are hopeful. They want to discover somethi...
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How To Train Retail Employees to Ask for the Sale
Always be closing is an overused phrase sales managers have used for years. It sounds great, and if everyone were Alec B...
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SalesRX Customer Success Story: Jackie Hirschhaut of ICFA
“I smile when I think that several very accomplished retail management executives have come back to me and said they hav...
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SalesRX Customer Success Story: Sam Stamatiou of Wireless Zone
“The quality of customer service provided by our new hires has massively improved in a short time.” Wireless Zone’s Resu...
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SalesRX Customer Success Story: Lauren Rudeck of Robot vs. Sloth
“Being able to turn around customers who are ‘just looking,' or brushing us off and getting them to buy something and be...
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Why Have Customers Become so Aggressive and Belligerent?
We’ve all seen videos of customers being abusive to airline personnel, in grocery stores, in banks, and … also, bad cust...
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SalesRX Customer Success Story: Deanna Wallin of Naples Soap Company
“I just kick myself in the backside because I wish I had started with SalesRX so much earlier. Bob and his team are phen...
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15 Highly Effective Ways To Develop A Loyal Employee
You don't want the reason you have loyal retail employees to be because they don't ask for a raise or they've been there...
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SalesRX Customer Success Story: Phil Jones of AGCO Corporation
“In particular, I am thinking about this dealer in New York. He was probably doing right around $5 million with us. For ...
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50 MUST-ASK Questions To Choose The Perfect Point Of Sale System
Updated for relevance April 22, 2024. I’m frequently asked how to select the best point-of-sale (POS) system software. T...
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7 Retail Leadership Skills for a More Successful Retail Store
Management can make or break a team of employees, but only if they have skills in retail and leadership. Sales leadershi...
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February Retail Cash Flow Tips for Holding onto your Money
Looking for how to save money this month and cash flow tips for your retail store? It is important to follow some very s...
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Secrets To Better Selling in Retail Stores: Knowing To Notice Yourself
Updated April 19, 2024 The selling problem for most retail salespeople isn’t the merchandise. It’s noticing. It’s listen...
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SalesRX Customer Success Story: Tim Coleman of Coleman's Music
“One of the store managers told me yesterday that he took a customer who was guarded and did not want to interact and en...
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Retail Store Merchandising Ideas to See in New York [Pics]
If you’re visiting New York City soon, don’t miss these retail stores doing it right. In recent years, we have seen many...
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3 Deadly Traits That Kill Your Efforts To Attract and Keep Customers
Some of the most popular questions people have for me after they sign up for my weekly newsletter are: How do I attract ...
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SalesRX Customer Success Story: Jason Delves of Gracious Home
“We have some people that sell more individually than some of our stores do collectively. Even those guys who know how t...
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Retail Sales Tips - 5 Lies Customers Tell And How To Sell Around Them
Lies customers tell. They're rarely talked about. Maybe some shoppers feel salespeople can’t be trusted. But retailers a...
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SalesRX Customer Success Story: Tony Drockton of Hammitt
“My biggest win with SalesRX was seeing the people that would embrace it and the ones that did not. The ones that did no...
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SalesRX Customer Success Story: The Hollidays of Children's World
“Where I see the impact is when we bring a new employee in and can compare those who have followed the system successful...
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SalesRX Customer Success Story: Jill Reicks of Inspired to Sew
“It seemed too good to be true, but when I started observing interactions on the floor, team members using SalesRX techn...
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You Can’t Feel A Fact: The Analytical Sales Personality Style
When I was looking for a lawn spreader, I asked the sales clerk, “Why should I buy this one?” He quickly answered, “Beca...
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Retail Efficiency: Tips for the Creation of Best Practices
Updated April 19, 2024 Online retailers are jealous. Many retail best practices don't work online. They can't do what br...
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24 Do's and Don'ts of Customer Service by Personality Style
Personality styles have fascinated salespeople since the Greeks first identified them as the Four Temperaments. That’s b...
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How To Overcome Fear of Failure In Your Business
A lot of retailers write to me about their fears. Fear of not doing enough to gain market share. Fear of not having the ...
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SalesRX Customer Success Story: Amy Senter of Jake’s on Main
“SalesRX helped me have a record fourth quarter in an economically difficult year. I am excited to see what other result...
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How To Set A New Direction For Retail 2024
Updated for relevance December 27, 2023 The start of a New Year is a good time to assess where you’ve been and where you...
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Three Customer Frustrations About Your Retail Store
Matt, a buddy of mine, heard from one of his friends about a big electronics store closing. He wanted to finally get a l...
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Retail Customer Service: How to Switch Between Shoppers
Many decades ago, when I was first starting out as a commissioned salesman, I had a very good customer, who went by the ...
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SalesRX Customer Success Story: Lora Sigesmund of PerLora
“We would always have a sales meeting, but it was never as structured as it is now. SalesRX gives you a format for your ...
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Retail Sales Training for the Moments of Truth in Retail
The moment of truth arrives in a retail store as a customer asks a question, but just before they get an answer. The cus...
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SalesRX Customer Success Story: Steve Pulone of O'Malia's Living
“SalesRX took a good sales crew and turned them into a great sales crew.” O’Maila Living’s Results Better interactions w...
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Managing Sales Behaviors to Improve Sales Performance
Updated April 19, 22024 What are sales behaviors? They are a series of actions in a sales process: how salespeople act a...
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Retailers: Here's How to Manage Your December Cash Flow
When it comes to cash flow at the end of a year for most retailers, it is very easy to be overwhelmed. With ongoing supp...
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Commission Retail Sales: What To Do When Someone Steals Your Sale
A reader asks, “My fellow salesperson scarfs up my customers between the time I initially properly greet and pass by the...
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A 30-Minute Pre-Check to Prepare your Store for the Holidays
At this time of year, there are many holiday preparation articles about how brick-and-mortar retailers can have a profit...
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SalesRX Customer Success Story: Sondra Kirtley from Scrapper’s Edge
“The main reason I would recommend SalesRX is that it teaches you and your staff how to stand apart from the competition...
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SalesRX Customer Success Story: Eli Gurock of Magic Beans
“Our business is different because I can be confident that our customers are getting an unmatched experience every time ...
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How To Sell Luxury Retail
Published October 23, 2015. Updated August 7, 2023. Retail can be separated into two distinct camps: high-priced luxury ...
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How To Deal With The Shop Local But Buy Online Retail Trend
Every Friday I answer your questions in a Facebook LIVE video. This past week many questions revolved around the new ret...
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How Much Do You Remember From Working Retail?
Those who started working in retail these past 18 months will someday look back and remember well the long days of mask-...
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How To Appeal to the Luxury Retail Customer
Published January 5, 2016. Updated September 14, 2022. How can a retailer immediately tell potential luxury or premium c...
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SalesRX Customer Success Story: Rebecca Wierda of Leigh's
“I can't remember the last time that I have received so many phone calls and emails from customers saying what an except...
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How To Use Email Marketing Now To Increase Retail Sales In December
Updated October 11, 2023 Ready to transform December 2023's holiday shoppers into loyal patrons through email marketing?...
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SalesRX Customer Success Story: Richard Tubman of Circle Furniture
“SalesRX has helped people have fun at work. Bob is engaging to listen to, and the program was enjoyable. Straight-up sa...
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How To Determine If Your Employee Scheduling Is Too Lean
Almost every retailer looks at employee scheduling as their most expensive operating cost. I see employees as an asset, ...
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The Jobs Problem In Retail Isn’t What You Think
Much was written about people quitting and the Great Resignation. People often quit and find the grass isn't always gree...
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Retail Sales Training: Pepper Your Presentation to Remove Insecurity
Ever been at a great dinner and used the salt instead of the pepper? The whole entree is ruined. This retail sales train...
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How To Prepare For Small Business Saturday Nov 27
Small businesses have survived the judgment made about them as “non-essential” and now there is a groundswell of support...
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How to Sell More: Increase Your Sales and Revenue
“How can I sell more to customers?” is frequently asked by retailers of all sizes. And it’s a smart question. That’s bec...
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100 Totally Wacky & Weird Questions People Ask Retailers That Catch Them Off Guard—And Probably Make You Giggle, Too!
While much has been made of the Great Resignation in retail, hospitality, and other service jobs - and it is serious - r...
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Learn How to Increase Retail Sales With These 8 Pro Tips
Looking for resources on how to increase sales in retail? The key is to realize in many ways, brick-and-mortar retailers...
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How to go Beyond the Buzzwords of Sustainable Retail to Making a Difference
Trust. It’s a big topic when it comes to customers. After experiencing a pandemic that broke our trust that the governme...
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Figuring the Lifetime Value of Your Retail Customers
So many times, we concentrate on a transaction value instead of the lifetime value of a customer. When I worked in the c...
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Why Your Selling And Training Methods Don’t Work…And The Simple Fix
It has been said that no one likes to wait. Yet stores with a long line tend to attract even more people to wait because...
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How to Calculate the ROI of Retail Sales Training Programs
Updated April 18, 2024 Most businesses consider a sales training program a cost when it should be an investment. This po...
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Why Retailers Should Display Christmas Merchandise Before Halloween
Updated for relevance September 25, 2023 Why do retailers put out Christmas merchandise before Halloween? Because custom...
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Manager Training Programs - Does Your Retail Business Need An Upgrade?
Your retail business must be continually upgraded so you’re not the next casualty. And it’s probably in a place you aren...
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How and Why Retail Salespeople Should Create a Personal Brand
Updated April 9, 2024. What is a personal brand? A brand stands for something. Think Coke, not cola, or Q-Tip, not cotto...
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How to Upsell in Retail: Get Employees to Do It Effectively
When it comes to the most uncomplicated sales technique you can use to grow your average sale, nothing works better than...
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Personality Test: Are You A Driver, Expressive, Analytical or Amiable?
You're looking for my social styles personality test, and luckily, you found it. Most people discover their innate desir...
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12 Secrets of a Successful 2023 Holiday Season for Retail Managers
Taking on retail manager responsibilities is a big job at any time, but especially during the holidays. Making many peop...
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What Is World Class? Customer Service Case Study at Nordstrom NYC
It’s easy to bemoan retail right now and the lack of good customer service. Disney just closed 60 stores as of September...
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How To Avoid Going Out-Of-Business? Begin By Visiting Your Competition
One of the first things I do when conducting a business makeover is to get the owner and manager to accompany me on a vi...
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When Retailers Mistake Their Most Important Asset As A Cost
For years we’ve heard that employee expenses are driving retail profit margins down; as a result, labor hours were cut. ...
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How To Find Self-Motivation? Get Leverage On Yourself
Looking for how to find your self-motivation? You first need to find leverage for yourself. Here's my story about levera...
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What To Do When You Don’t Like To Sell
Independent retailers with one location represent 95% of all retailing in the US; yet many don’t like to sell their own ...
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7 Retail Customer Service Skills Your Employees Need to Succeed
Retail customer service skills are essential to your store’s bottom line. Skilled employees set you apart from the compe...
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5 Pitfalls of DIY Retail Sales Training in Your Store
Updated July 21, 2022 While I love speaking to retailers and providing retail sales training on how to sell better in th...
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10 Benefits of Online Retail Sales Training
I used to think online retail sales training would be impossible to deliver in a compelling way that would grow sales. B...
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How to Greet Customers in Retail Stores
Are your staff equipped with the knowledge to warmly greet customers? Do your employees know how to greet customers the ...
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7 Essential Retail Manager Skills Your Store Needs To Succeed
What retail manager skills does your store need to succeed? Managers need a host of interpersonal skills to execute a ma...
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Resolve Retail Customer Complaints in 4 Easy Steps
It's never easy dealing with a retail customer service issue. Sometimes it may seem like someone is looking for trouble,...
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To Compete With Amazon Try Adding On Instead of Discounts
Many stores are having difficulty competing with Amazon unless they use coupons and discounts which punishes their margi...
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The Disconnect of Retail Salespeople To Happiness
To succeed in retail, especially luxury retail, employees must be taught that a customer is not just another chance to s...
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Best Cross Selling and Upselling in Retail Tips
Cross-selling and upselling in retail are the foundation of raising the average ticket. Cross-selling in retail is the a...
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How to Motivate Your Retail Employees
How to motivate retail employees … It’s a subject retailers routinely ask about. My answer is always the same: You don’t...
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Retail Management: 15 Ways to Increase Profit Margins
Updated April 18, 2024. Retailers’ profit margins have been more relevant than ever lately ... It all started with curbs...
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9 Tips To Grow Your Seasonal Retail Business
One thing that many retail sales training programs don't cover is the retail seasonal business and retailers search in v...
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Greeting A Customer: Should A Smile Be Required?
How your employees should be greeting a customer is a frequent topic among retailers. RetailWire once discussed, What is...
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Working Retail Sales: How It Made Me A Better Person
After I posted a job notice on Facebook for a client, I received this comment, “A resume for a retail job?” I could hear...
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Retail Sales Tip: How to Sell Luxury Retail Without A Discount
Looking for retail sales tips because you have luxury goods or premium services to sell? I'm not talking about a good or...
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How To Combat Shoplifting, Employee Theft, and 5-Finger Discounts
Updated for relevance September 5, 2023 Shoplifting and employee theft are rising; they make up what retailers call "shr...
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They Say Retail Is Dead ...
Is retail dead? No, but brands must prioritize connection over transaction. In 2017, Ralph Lauren closed its New York Ci...
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3 Ways To Keep Your Store From Being Just A Warehouse
When it comes to customer experience, many businesses have abandoned personal contact making their stores little more th...
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5 Cash Flow Tips For Retailers In August
Whether you call it your bankroll, your finances, or how much money you have in your pocket, cash flow is its movement i...
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Suggestive Selling: How to Train Your Employees in Add-On Sales
The right add-on sales tactics drive margins and delight customers. But the wrong add-on sales techniques? Well, those c...
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How To Get Employee Sales Training To Stick
Updated April 4, 2024 Customers go online to buy—frequently replacement purchases—but go to stores to discover. That mom...
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What To Do When Your Retail Customer Service Fails Miserably
It’s been said that a brand is a promise of an emotional payoff of a purchase. I believe customer service is the level o...
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What Is a Marketing Plan and Does Your Independent Retail Store Need One?
Whether you are about to open a retail store or have been running one for years, if you don’t have a marketing plan, you...
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7 Customer Service Techniques To Increase Sales Right Now
In the retail world, customer service often matters more than the price tag. When people find the perfect fit, they're u...
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14 Ideas for Effective Retail Customer Service Training
Retail customer service training aims to create an exceptional customer experience. So, what goals do you focus on when ...
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10 Customer Service Techniques to Help You Grow Sales
Customer service techniques should be at the top of your list when you consider how to increase sales in retail. While g...
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Retailers, Take These 9 Actions In Summer For Successful Winter Holiday Sales
Christmas in July. We’ve all heard the phrase as a marketing slogan, but Planning Ahead for Successful Holidays is a bet...
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Retail KPIs: 6 Financial Results You Must Track
You won't find key performance indicators (KPIs) in most discussions among retailers. Retail KPIs just aren't sexy like ...
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Influence Customers With Retail Merchandising for Higher Sales
There was a time when great merchandising was a valuable tool in a retailer’s arsenal against competitors. Then, it beca...
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