Five minute interview of Bob Phibbs, the Retail Doctor on MSNBC by Rod Kurtz, Senior Editor of Inc. magazine on Phibbs four points retailers can use right now to alter holiday sales and get ready for the New Year.
They include website tips, being remarkable, building your list and tracking your numbers.
Succeeding in Holiday Sales
A friend of mine is a teacher at a high school in Los Angeles. Her principal announced that they had the largest graduating class ever last June with 652. It was a big deal because this was the high school’s fiftieth anniversary, so press releases were issued and everyone felt great.
The following week she found out that 120 of those 652 didn’t actually graduate, they didn’t get a G.E.D.; they were able to get something that essentially said they went to school during that time. The thinking is they didn’t want those 120 students to miss out on all the festivities.
My friend was and still is incredulous. This is a continuation of what I call the “new sports.”
When I grew up in the sixties, you either won or lost a game. Simple. Now there are no winners or losers – “everyone’s a winner.”
They don’t keep score because they don’t want to make a distinction between winners and losers. They get a trophy not because they deserve it, did anything special or won the game but – you showed up – BRAVO!
Don’t notice that you didn’t win the game. There are no consequences. There’s no problem that’s your fault. But its not just in sports…
The high school administrators say parents pressure them by saying, “My kid did the work, you have to pass them.” Administrators give in because it is easier. But ignoring reality has a price; stupid kids who can’t compete in the world.
#1 doesn’t mean anything when everyone gets the same thing. When people aren’t being rewarded, they aren’t going to do everything they can do succeed. Do you agree?
The only way for America to be competitive is to acknowledge there are winners and losers. You don’t get rewarded for bad service. You have to do a better job with the people who come in your doors, call on your phone or click on your website.
You can’t use the economy as the reason you aren’t doing better. It would be like a quarterback missing a pass and telling the coach, “It’s the weather’s fault.”
No, it still would be the quarterback who missed the pass. The skipped practices, the distractions, everything that influenced him taking his eyes off the ball contributed, but it was up to the quarterback to make the pass. Make sense?
Nothing has changed in the past five years about how you have to do your business. What has changed is we have been beaten back into a cave with fear; everything from the price of oil and credit to corn, wheat and milk is “rocketing” to new “all-time” levels.
We seem to feed on the rotten idea that something even worse is right around the corner.
That’s not what made America great and its not what we need to turn the tide on the economy. Are you getting your share?
If not, it is time for you to fight for what you do. But you don’t get a trophy for showing up. You’re going to have to change. Only if your eyes are on your customers, are you going to be able to survive and thrive.
Unlike many kids out there, you won’t get a trophy for showing up.
Are you willing to change to win? If not now, when?
Bob Phibbs is the Retail Doctor® an industry authority on customer service and sales, professional speaker. Phibbs has helped hundreds of businesses in every major industry, including hospitality, manufacturing, service, restaurant and retail. Find out more about how he can help you at http://www.retaildoc.com
How can you succeed in your holiday sales? You’ve got to be thinking ahead.
It isn’t about having enough gift wrap – though that is important.
It isn’t about making sure everyone knows where and how to change the register paper – though that too is important.
No, you need to think about who will come back for you in 2011.
So number one is to build a website so new customers can find you next year. Don’t do this yourself, hire someone – I’ve given you what’s needed in my book, The Retail Doctor’s Guide to Growing Your Business (Wiley.)
#2 is to be remarkable. That’s not adequate, that’s not OK, that means your service is so great I would crawl over glass naked to shop with you.
#3 is to build your list. That could be a physical mailing list – though that is expensive. That could be an email list or even a Facebook Fan page.
#4 is to track your numbers this holiday so you know who is doing the job. That goes for your employees, your brands and individual products.
Pay attention to these four tips now and you’ll be positioned to grow your business both this holiday season and next year.
Watch the entire three minute interview of Bob Phibbs, the Retail Doctor with Rod Kurtz, Senior Editor of Inc. magazine expand on these four points retailers can use right now.
Retail Holiday Sales Success
Bob Phibbs is the Retail Doctor, consultant, speaker and author to help any size brand or company grow their sales using his proven methods. Find out more at www.retaildoc.com
The holiday retail outlook isn’t jolly, with consumer spending down and unemployment up. But small business owners can not only make it through the downturn, but capitalize on it. Join Karen E. Klein with BusinessWeek as she questions Bob Phibbs, the Retail Doctor.
In this Smart Answers podcast, we talk about:
- How some businesses are expanding
- Internet marketing and what you need to do right now
- Getting the local media interested in your business
- And more
Dowload for free at:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=203320093
Bob Phibbs, The Retail Doctor, has helped hundreds of small and medium-sized businesses in every major industry, including hospitality, manufacturing, service, restaurant and retail.
You Can Compete: Double Sales Without Discounting
His book, You Can Compete: Double Sales Without Discounting, is the culmination of three decades of retail work highlighting a proven method every business in any market can improve the bottom line an compete successfully.
U.S. sales of previously owned homes rose a healthy 3.1% in July from the previous month. Existing-home sales increased to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of five million units, the highest since February, the National Association of Realtors said Monday. The increase was foreshadowed by a rise in the number of signed contracts in the past few months but nevertheless was stronger than expected.
“We are not yet ready to call the current levels a bottom but clearly most of the declines are behind us,” said Adam York, a Wachovia Corp. economist.
Consumer confidence for August was above Wall Street expectations and the highest since May. The Conference Board, a private research group, said its index of consumer confidence for August rose to 56.9, compared with 51.9 in July. The current month’s reading was above economists’ expectations for 53.5, according to a survey conducted by Dow Jones Newswires.
“Consumer confidence readings suggest that the economy remains stuck in neutral, but may be showing signs of improvement,” said Lynn Franco, director of the Conference Board Consumer Research Center.
Figure the doom-and-gloom sayers will find things to continue to scare us but this is indeed good news to retailers.
