The Retail Doctor's Guide to Growing Your Business,A Step-By-Step Approach to Quickly Diagnose, Treat and Cure
(Wiley & Sons, May 2010)

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I’m excited to share with you why my new book, The Retail Doctor’s Guide to Growing Your Business is so amazing!

What you’re going to find as soon as you open it is why you may keep repeating your same mistakes in hiring and firing and how to correct it. No, its not whether you are a Scorpio or an Aries, Left-brain versus right-brain or from Mars or Venus – its which of the four personalities you have.

You get a crash course in the wisdom that started from the ancient Greeks and is easily seen, trained and sold to today. Once the veil has been lifted, you might even understand your partner, spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend better because you’ll see their personalities in real situations throughout the book.

The first chapter shows how your aversion or embrace of financial metrics links to your personality and the easy way to deal with it, whether you live for spreadsheets (Analyticals) or detest them (Expressives.)

And when you get to the second chapter, you’re going to find out the three secret things that allow your merchandise in your store to turn twice as fast.

After that you’ll discover my seven elements of hiring only the best so you don’t hire your competitors leftovers. And it might even be controversial.

So many times people have told you to “just ask open-ended questions.” Yes? I’ll show you why you don’t want to ask “just any” question unless you know what the “A,” “C,” and yes FAIL answers are. Lose the “sell me a pen” question too because it doesn’t show much more than they Googled it and learned from one of the 600,000 sites. You want people don’t you? Not parrots! I’ll show you how to unearth the personality of any applicant quickly and fairly. And whether you love them or hate them initially, the one thing you must do before closing the interview.

You’ll even learn my trick of how to get references when the grumpy owner stonewalls you saying, “We only verify dates of employment and salary.” You’ll be shocked how easy it is to get them to help you!

That would be a lot but we’re not even halfway through!

What good is having pretty merch and the right employees if they can’t build a relationship and sell your products? Nothing, right?

That’s why I include my updated tool to make more sales: The Five Parts to a Successful Sale. You’ll never be satisfied with, “Can I help you?” again.

But let’s step back, how are you going to get your employees to be as passionate as you are about selling your merchandise? About knowing why you do what you do? How can you expect them to act and show all the fun details you know?

Many businesses take the tired, “Shadow her, she’ll show you everything you need to know.” That’s like getting a poor Xerox of a poor Xerox of a fax. Why? Because each step along the way trainers have only trained what they thought was important – not what you the owner wanted. I outline my six stages of training you can take and customize to your business whether you’re in retail or not.

But that’s not where the money takes off – its from managing a sales team. Not a bunch of slackers texting their girlfriend how much they felt American Idol wronged their bland favorite last night but a sales team. Those who you’ve hired to move your merch, share the passion of your entrepreneurship and want to make money with you. I’ll show you the best ways to reward each of the four personalities and which are meaningless.

Finally, I have to confess. As I travel across the country, I’m sick of hearing all the “social media” experts telling everyone they need to be tweeting on Twitter, posting on Facebook or signing in on Foursquare. Why is that so bad?

Well, I’ll tell ya, its just plain stupid when so many businesses have missed how the web works and have non-existent or non-performing websites from well-meaning brothers and sisters-in-law who did them a favor and built one. Or worse told them they didn’t need one.

Take this quiz right now. How many times in the last month did you respond to:
• A flier?
• A direct mail piece?
• A newspaper ad?
• A friend’s post on Facebook?
• A Google search?

If you have a heartbeat, I’d bet it was zip from the first bullet and overwhelmingly the last.

Why? Because we’re tired of having our programs interrupted, tired of another “big sale,” tired of sifting through junk mail, tired of reading day-old news, tired of pulling fliers off our windshields – in short, we’re tired.

When we go to our computers we want answers, right now and without digging further than the #1 or #2 search result. If you aren’t there with your business, you are invisible to customers who only a couple years ago would have strolled aimlessly through the mall like Cher in the movie Clueless. I’ll share with you the three common errors on websites and how, in less than an hour you can fix it.

There’s a lot more including the funny story of how a young man got even with an employer, the guy who hired one of his best employees – a young man who raised rabbits and a the heartfelt confession of shopkeeper in Michigan dealing with Survivor Guilt.

Like my first book, You Can Compete, this is a fast ride even though it is twice as thick. You can read a chapter at a time and immediately alter your course!

There’s a reason USA Today said, “If you have a retail store, you should pick up a copy of a great new book: The Retail Doctor's Guide to Growing Your Business. In this book, Bob Phibbs, the "Retail Doctor," helps you with any issue your retail business may have – from marketing more effectively, to mark-ups and price points, increasing profit and much more.”

No, there’s not an ounce of useless drivel “we must respect and nurture our customers as guests” – shoot me - you’ve heard before or the same tired selling concepts “close at every step of a transaction.”

This book is written in the real world, the world where retailers are enjoying 20-50% increases from tweaking things they are already doing right and abandoning those that, like a bad habit, haven’t served them.

A final thing, and its important. Let’s be honest, what’s missing in most cable business shows, blogs and news is hope. Hope you can be better, hope you can change, hope you can thrive. I see it in every audience I speak to these days, like parched travelers in a desert.

This book will give you the prescription for what ails you if you truly want to standout from the rest.

You can download a free chapter here.

While your competitors are looking for a magic bullet to solve their problems, with The Retail Doctor's Guide to Growing Your Business, you can be making changes that will guarantee enormous returns and financial success.

"I’ve had to start training a couple of new people and it’s something that I haven’t had to do in a few years. The four personalities test has certainly been in my mind during this process. I like that you’ve been able to link the traits through different aspects of store operation. Great, concise examples that get to the point. Some concepts are brand new to me; some are great reminders of things pushed to the back of the mind. I’d highly recommend this book to anyone thinking of starting a business or anyone who is already in business."
– Catherine Higgins, Stone Soup Bar Harbor, ME

Praise for The Retail Doctor's Guide to Growing Your Business, A Step-By-Step Approach to Quickly Diagnose, Treat and Cure:

	"DON'T BUY THIS BOOK IF YOU ARE A COMPETITOR OF MINE! – but otherwise Bob Phibbs has great advice that that will enable you to make more money and have a successful business." – Tom Sullivan, Chairman/Founder, Lumber Liquidators
	"There's no denying that retailers have taken a beating lately. But the smart ones find a way to stop the bleeding and start looking ahead for new opportunities. With his plainspoken style and real-world anecdotes, Bob Phibbs gets back to basics and provides a helpful guide for entrepreneurs determined to survive the current downturn -- and position themselves for the next big upswing." - Rod Kurtz Senior Editor, Inc. Magazine
	“Everyone knows that it is important to gain sales, but most do not know what that really takes or how to do it. This book will lead you on a journey that describes, analyzes, and provides real world examples how to really affect change with your business. If you will follow the treatment given, you’ll be rewarded with the most important measures of a businesses’ success-profits, not just sales.” Georgette Mosbacher ,CEO Borghese Cosmetics
	"Bob Phibbs presents more useful information in his typically direct and thought provoking style that challenges you to really assess the performance of your business, your employees, and most importantly yourself. We often talk about personality types in leadership training and development but it is not typically thought about in relation to the customer. Bob shows how these personality types play a role for you, your employees, and your customer; and shows how it can be most useful in looking for new approaches". - Kurt Rachdorf, Retail Operations Senior Manager LEGO US Store Operations
	"Phibbs new book addresses everything necessary to take the pulse of your retail operation so you can find the cure. Whether it's managing staff, merchandising or producing real sales it prescribes a hands-on, real world, step-by-step approach to managing your business. Good news! The Doctor is in the House." - Joseph Dagley, Yamaha Motor University
	Bob blends his extensive retail experience and his direct style to tell it like it is.  As retailers we may not always like what he says, but it’s hard to argue with the basics of running a successful business.  In a market influenced by almost endless competition for the consumers dollar, retailers need to continually ask themselves tough questions about what TRULY differentiates their offering. Bob effectively reminds us of this hard reality. Bobs analytical approach allows us to better understand the filter through which we see our businesses.  Only by adjusting our focus are we able to evaluate the true state of affairs. - Alistair Linton, Director of Retail Development Benjamin Moore Paint
	“During my 30 years in the small business arena, Bob stands out as a ‘pro’s pro’ in retail marketing. If you’re determined to accelerate your growth, his street-smart book is a must. Buy it, read it, do it!” - Steve Olson Publisher, Franchise Update Media Group
	"Phibbs no-nonsense approach to understanding your business and how to improve it is direct and refreshing.  The concept of being objective and taking responsibility for your business can quickly make all the difference between success and failure and Bob brings that to the table right from the start of this book.  Great inspiration for any business owner!" - Jeff Janke, VP Retail Alliance Programs, Hunter Douglas
	"Bob Phibbs has been my go-to retail expert for many years and his book shows why: He draws from a deep well of knowledge, presenting his advice in practical, easy-to-digest fashion. By explaining how entrepreneurs can evaluate themselves and their customers, Phibbs tailors this book to specific individual types that retailers will be quick to recognize. This is not a shallow primer, but a comprehensive prescription from The Retail Doctor." - Karen E. Klein, small business columnist, BusinessWeek.com and The Los Angeles Times
	“Nothing in business is guaranteed. However, “The Retail Doctors Guide to Growing your Business” is guaranteed to help you gain insight into the do’s and don’t’s of successful retailing.... Consider this book your survival manual to compete in the challenging world of retail.” - Dean F. Shulman Sr. VP Brother international
	“If you want to grow your business, the book in your hand right now is the place to start. Bob Phibbs is one of the top retail experts in the country; he’s not called “The Retail Doctor” for nothing. This step-by-step guide will show you – using real life examples and savvy strategies – just how to get from here to where you want to be. My prescription for small business success is to read The Retail Doctor’s Guide to Growing Your Business. - Steven D. Strauss, USA TODAY small business columnist and author of The Small Business Bible.
	"Bob’s approach is no-nonsense, and his back-to-basics philosophy is something a lot of retailers need to hear right now. I would advise keeping a highlighter handy." –James Bickers, Sr. Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com

Finally, a concise "How to" on growing your business.

Here's some of what you'll learn:

• Which personality you are and how it can help or hurt your business.
• Which reports are essential to taking the temperature of your business and which can most move the needle to profitability.
• How to solve the dilema of hiring and how to make important decisions before you ever put up a "Now Hiring" sign.
• Why one poor hiring can damage your company's reputation - and how to plan smart.
• Which social media give you the best return on your investment of time - and which are a complete waste of time.
• How to create an exceptional experience for customers that drives profits.
• Tried and true tips for converting people looking for your product into loyal customers.
• And much more....

A roadmap to your success

The Retail Doctor's Guide to Growing Your Business is the most straightforward guide to building your business you'll ever get your hands on. Order now and claim the success others are only dreaming about!

You can download a free chapter here.