The Retail Doctor Blog

My mom used to tell stories about my middle brother. He was so rambunctious that when the phone rang, which was just...

You can’t open a webpage, a newspaper, or turn to your video channel without someone somewhere coving the story that...

A lot of retailers write me about their fears. Fear of not doing enough to gain market share. Fear of not having the...

Imagine if this was your retail business: “Given our view that Bed Bath & Beyond was unable to post positive comps...

Wondering how to prepare your store for the holidays?

Online mattress company Casper is opening 200 stores across the US; online consignment store ThredUp is planning...

I was tired after my 12-hr journey to get home. I called and ordered a pizza from the local Italian restaurant....

Retailers often ask me, How can I bring more customers to my business?

As I walked past a Brookstone in an airport one Sunday afternoon several years ago, a guy was clearly teaching his...

In the Broadway musical Hamilton, the character Aaron Burr offers this advice to the fast talking Alexander...

Amazon’s website crashed as Prime Day 2018 kicked off. How does Amazon crash when people order from them 24/7 365...

Amazon is the company retailers love to hate. Amazon’s arms continue to weave and curl around your customers.

And...

Ever written an email or text to a retail business and didn’t get an answer within a day?

Aversion to selling is everywhere in retail.

This past week IHOP created a tsunami of publicity when they teased they were changing their name to IHOB. A few...

As 250+ Bon Ton stores go out of business, the Wall Street Journal caught up with their former CEO Tim Grumbacher...

When I was putting myself through college, one of my first jobs was in retail sales at the Broadway Department Store...

Have you passed on retail sales training because for you either didn’t think it would work or you had a bad...

A lot of retailers are looking for ways to draw shoppers into their stores.

The one common denominator when it comes to retail sales is...people. And how those people interact with each other.

As a motivational speaker, I travel a lot and encounter customer service mistakes all the time.  

If you're paying attention to the doom and gloom associated with retail, it might seem that the exuberance of online...

Management has the ability to make or break a team of retail employees. Too strict and few will want to work for the...

I was staying at the Midlands Park Hotel in Portlaoise Ireland and walked into the restaurant to have breakfast. I’d...

I was with a friend who was looking for a new pair of sneakers yesterday at Dick’s Sporting Goods. He found an...

Looking for ideas to keep employees busy?

In the retail world, customer service often matters more than the price tag. When people find the perfect fit,...

They say you have to spend money to make money, but you also have to save money to make money. 

Retail brands are in trouble. Even top brands like Nine West and Bon Ton have gone belly up.

Your retail business...

When was the last time you had a negative customer service experience?

What is the current state of the retail industry? To no one’s surprise, most retailers see customer service as their...

This past week, Starbucks announced they were closing 8000 of their US locations for bias training after a manager...

A question I’m asked frequently is how to select the best POS system software.  It’s important because a point of...

When I was selling cowboy clothes in the Santa Monica Place mall back in 1982, I received a call. “I’m Kris...

Did you ever watch the Sopranos episode where Richie racks up a massive debt? Tony takes over the business and racks...

A great downtown has a thriving independent retailer community working at the top of their game. New businesses open...

I love checking out art museums on vacation. I usually meet the docent because I stand too close to the artwork and...

The big news this week was that Toys R Us took the final step to close all 735 of their US stores and put 33,000...

When I was first starting out, one of my first jobs was as a janitor and shipping clerk at Slavick’s jewelers in...

Back when I was a kid, I had a coughing fit at a concert. My mom looked down at me, grabbed her purse, and gave me a...

A local business group asked me to present for half a day. It was a typical group of small and medium-sized...

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...

Let’s be honest, a lot of people are afraid of retail salespeople. For that matter, they are afraid of anyone who...

The days of trying to make shoppers buy something are gone. Even if you still try to use old school closing...

Do you remember what it was like when you started your first retail sales job? The joy of finding out how you could...

Last week I wrote a rather scathing review of my recent visit to The Ritz-Carlton in New Orleans.

I was standing naked, covered only in a towel and yelling down from the second floor of the men’s spa at the...

Time and time again, retailers return to this blog to learn how to sell more in retail. Yes, I have a lot of tips...

Another year has closed. For some, it was record-breakingly good.

One thing that is true across the board, last year...

As a retail consultant, speaker, and trainer for some of the best retail brands in the world, I get on a lot of...

It’s the day before Christmas Eve. I love this time as a retailer.

All the planners have purchased - with their...

How can brick and mortar retailers compete against online retailers to get their fair share of holiday shopping?...

How does weather affect retail sales?

You can’t open a webpage without seeing a new charge of sexual harassment or the downfall of some powerful man in...

The first week of December can be the calm before the storm.  Your seasoned retail employees know what is in...

Many news outlets scrambled over the weekend to pull together every fact they could to show the retail apocalypse –...

In April of 2016, my blog 5 Ways How to Raise Your Retail Sales Associates' Conversion Rate was shared almost 5000...

Most every retailer's looks at their employees as their most expensive operating cost.

A lot is being written about customer engagement in retail.

How retailers are trying to engage shoppers to their...

Are you looking for how to improve sales for your store? In this article, I look at role-playing in five fundamental...

I was buying a small electronic item when the cashier asked me, “Do you want to buy the extended warranty?” I...

My buddy Steve had a neck pain and had been researching a pain-relieving pillow for weeks.

There will be five Saturdays between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. Maybe that's why the National Retail...

Looking for a strong way to promote your business and how to attract customers? Are you an AMEX cardmember looking...

During a recent road trip, I stopped at a country store that dated back to the Revolutionary War. Creaky wooden...

Imagine that you’ve just stepped into a retail business that has been operating at a loss for over a decade.A retail...

Shoppers respond to a human trusted advisor more deeply than to any webpage.

Most retailers promote from within and while that can be good for morale, many times, it is bad for business.

Greeting a customer is the most important thing you can do right...or wrong in a brick and mortar retail store. I'll...

The other day a friend and I checked out a new restaurant in my neighborhood. At 6:00, we were the only ones in the...

Today’s blog is not about retail sales training. Or marketing. Or attracting customers to your shop.

It’s about how...

Whether you are about to open a retail store or have been running one for years, if you don’t have a marketing plan,...

For years we’ve heard that employee expenses are driving retail profit margins down; as a result, labor hours were...

In 2001, Tim & Cynthia Holliday took a gamble:  They purchased Children's World, a struggling children’s uniform,...

A New York Times story today shared Saks has turned the entire second floor of their New York City store into The...

Every Friday I answer your questions in a Facebook LIVE video. This past week many questions revolved around the new...

I had finished speaking in San Francisco and was checking out the retail scene when I came across a smallish men’s...

What to do when your retail employees are standing around and your store is not busy...

You probably don’t mind them...

I used to handle all the franchise training for a coffee chain. I encouraged new franchisees to tell their employees...

With lower foot traffic, retailers are desperate to get a handle on the top retail trends to see where their...

Your success as a retailer depends on increasing your units per transaction (UPT) and conversion rates. The only way...

This is a retail strategy post with many items for smaller retailers as well as some for larger retailers...

One of my first clients was a coffee roaster, and I remember the owner recounting a story about retail management...

Shoplifting and employee theft are on the rise; they make up what retailers call "shrink."

I have been a loyal Nordstrom shopper for decades. It was the pinnacle of cache to buy from Nordstrom. Exclusive....

Michael Kors received a lot of attention last week for announcing they would be closing about 125 retail stores over...

A study warned recently that up to 7.5 million retail jobs could be gone in the coming years due to automation. For...

I had been hired in my business consultant role by a guy looking to open a new store.

After assessing the location...

People often ask me, “How many hours does it take for retail sales training?”

Online retailers are jealous.

One of the best things you can hear in a retail store is, “I was just walking by and spotted this and I had to have...

Brick and mortar stores have the ability to surprise and delight. So does a downtown shopping area.

I received a tweet from Susanne Wolf in January of this year accompanied by the photo above. It read, “Thanks to you...

We now value the worth of something by how picture-ready it is. I got caught up in it myself while staying in Los...

Are you struggling to get more sales? Looking for how to sell more in your store? You can either watch a 90 second...

On Monday, Ralph Lauren announced they are closing their flagship Polo store in New York City as part of a drive to...

Retail sales training for associates has to be more than to hammer employees over the head about facts, facts, facts.

When I was working with a retailer a few years ago, I observed a new hire as he was brought into the back office. He...

There is nothing sadder than going by one of your favorite boutique retailers and finding an empty store with a sign

Online retailers are coming after every single brick and mortar retailer.  

Many retail stores offer the same or similar products as you do.

And anything is available online.

If the only...

I‘ve been an in-person retail sales trainer for upscale retail brands and I’ve helped them achieve extraordinary...

Today’s RetailWire discussion revolved around Brian Kilcourse’s shopping trip. The proprietor of Judi’s of Nevada...

Many decades ago, when I was first starting out as a commissioned salesman, I had a very good customer, Richie.

Wow, yesterday’s post “It’s Time To Raise Your Prices – Even Though Everyone Will Tell You Not To” got a lot of...

Time management isn't for accountants - it's for everyone.

If you own a business, you have had to terminate employees. You had assessed their behaviors and found them taking...

My first job was as a janitor in a dry-cleaning store. One rainy Thursday I had cleaned up the break room like I...

I train a lot of retail stores how to sell using a fairly detailed process. You can’t just wing it. If you're...

How to attract customers? That is a frequent question to my retail consultancy.

I was walking around Manhattan after I had finished speaking at the First Data Main Street Matters event when I...

Personality styles have fascinated salespeople since the Greeks first identified them as the 4 temperaments.

Retailers have always been at the mercy of the yearly calendar. As the seasons change, the climate of the market...

Bad customer service could best be summed up by Lily Tomlin’s character Ernestine, “We’re the phone company; we...

The opportunities for coaching retail employees are huge and exemplified in this brief story...

Trust is one of the building blocks of sales, retail employee management and economic life as we know it.

Life in...

Garden centers or nursery stores should be the best places to find great customer service.

Imagine you’re at home with most of the lights off watching Game of Thrones. You’re enjoying a nice glass of red...

Excellent retail customer service is dependent on your employees. Here are fifty of my blunt reminders for both...

There was a time when great merchandising was a valuable tool in a retailer’s arsenal against competitors.  Now it’s...

Online retailers and discounters have taken their toll on many brick and mortar stores. Macys, JC Penney, and Kohl’s...

It’s been said that a brand is a promise of an emotional payoff of a purchase.

I’ve spoken to several jewelry and luxury retailers lately and I’ve also been commenting about luxury sales and how...

Luxury has come to a crossroads.

What once was exclusive and in high demand is now regularly discounted.

You know where so many retail salespeople go wrong?

What an item is worth and what an item is priced at are often used simultaneously in many retailers’ marketing...

This is a post for retailers with physical stores competing with online shopping and technology that threatens their...

I write hundreds of blogs per year all focused on how to grow retail sales, attract new customers and improve...

After Christmas Day is over, retailers may find themselves wanting to rest.

But you can't.

You have one mission: to...

I recently did a review of my website and marketing materials. While it was a bit tough to look at some of the...

Many retail brand managers, store owners, and managers are shaking their heads in frustration trying to figure out...

Customer reviews are very influential and can increase your sales more than marketing with a paid ad but can be hard...

Looking for effortless retail sales...

I can’t tell you how many people ask me to speak at a whole seminar on tricks how to close a sale.

I always wanted to be the great uncle. You know, the one who really made something special for a kid during the...

Why are children always excited and happy around Christmas or Hanukkah?

It’s the beginning of the holiday season and retailers are all over the map with their holiday retail sales figures.

Holiday retail sales crunch time is days - not weeks - away.  Twenty-three years ago today I was planning the most...

For the past year, we have had an anxious cloud form over us because of the Presidential campaign.

When I was starting out as a retail manager, I had a new sales guy who was killing it two weeks in a row. Everything...

There’s an old adage that goes something like you can’t put new ideas into a full bottle; you need to empty it to...

It’s been said it costs seven times as much to attract a new customer as it costs to retain an old one. This post...

This is a post for retailers who hire part-time employees yet avoid students. It’s also for students looking for...

A lot has been written about the gamification of employee training.  The idea is the short-wins you get from a game...

It’s mid-October.

Let’s be frank when it comes to hiring and training seasonal retail employees...

It's that time of the year ...

Time for the leaves to change...

Corn mazes to sprout up...

Pumpkin spice latte...

...

I sat next to a young woman on a plane to Chicago the other day. She was on the second leg of a trip home from...

While I love to speak to retailers and train them how to sell better in their stores, I have another passion for...

The holiday season is about to begin and every retailer is glad for it because cash flow will seem to get better....

Back in October of 1982 I wanted the new Honda Prelude. It was Car of the Year. It was in limited demand. Since I...

Looking for free or low cost marketing ideas for your retail small business? Facebook Live video has provided you a...

You’ve probably heard it said of someone, “They could sell (snow, ice, a refrigerator) to an Eskimo,” or something...

The big news this week was that Wells Fargo fired 5300 employees, about 2% of their workforce, after admitting those...

Have you stopped to consider the power of visual merchandising - dressing your windows in retail?

When employees leave – either because you fired them or they quit by choice, their absence leaves a hole.

Retailers...

Ever seen HBO's series Sex and the City or the movie The Hangover? Those four characters in each are archetypes for...

Visual Merchandising is something many retailers feel challenged by.

What to put in the store window? What to put...

Remember the old Burger King jingle, Have it your way, have it your way?

Most every retail business owner is frustrated with their marketing costs because they don’t know how to calculate...

What is a personal brand?

I was walking Hallie Mae, my Harrier hound the other morning when I felt a pull.

She was standing still and looking...

August is a good month for retailers to pause and look ahead to the holidays and the cash flow you'll need to get...

You’ve no doubt heard how you should sell the sizzle not the steak when it comes to benefits over features in a sale.

Imagine shooting an arrow at a target with your eyes closed and a hurricane wind blowing. I doubt you would hit the...

Looking for the easy answer for how to develop the best retail sales skills?

Knowing isn’t the problem…

When I was working with a franchise startup, we were seeking a POS system that could grow with us. The winner had...

Anyone telling you a retail sales training program will work 100% of the time is very likely a liar.

I was interviewed by Becky McCray for her blog "Small Biz Survival" I'm reposting here since many readers are Main...

When I was in fifth grade, my dad took me to the Schwinn bicycle shop in Toledo and told me I could have any bike I...

You’ve heard me say the worst thing you can say when trying to sell something at the end of a sale is Anything Else?...

Trends become opportunities. That’s what I heard when I was an invited guest at IBM’s massive Amplify conference in...

Getting ready for the holidays in retail means knowing your countdown to Christmas. 

Here are Five Tips To Get Your...

This is the second of a three-part blog wrapping up my time at IBM's Amplify conference last month with tips all...

This is the final part of a three-part blog wrap up of IBM's Amplify conference covering omnichannel retailing,...

Most businesses see sales training  as a cost when it should be seen as an investment.

My interest in writing this post on Father’s day is three-fold: to remind myself of the courage of my dad’s...

Owning your own small business is a goal of many. You can be one of the few small business owners who make the dream...

You know within an employee's first 30 days whether they can do the job, right?

The biggest drain on a retailers’...

Shortly after moving into my new home, I realized one tree in the yard needed trimming. There was an owner’s manual...

I wanted to purchase a new pair of shoes so I tried Nordstrom. Three employees were each helping just one customer,...

First the bad news for retailers...

You know how I’ve included this quote from McKinsey in several of my previous...

Yesterday, the New York Times ran the story, Bargain-Hunting Frenzy Threatens Traditional Department Stores. Macy’s,...

This post is for all of you having to make a presentation to a group or do public speaking at your convention.

We’ve...

Update: The Cubs start the world series tonight. They had not won the National League pennant in 71 years until...

Everyone is busy trying to understand and predict the future of shopping and of retail in particular.

Is there some book for visual merchandising out there titled, How To Make Your 6000 Square Foot Store Look Like It...

Most businesses see sales training as a cost when it should be seen as an investment.

This past week I was interviewed for a CNBC story on how CareerCast says working retail is one of the worst jobs you...

I was consulting with a major retailer the other day. Premium. High quality. Known brand.

The retail executive...

Buying less is a concept that seemed out of style for consumers beginning with the go-go 80’s until about three...

One of my favorite songs growing up was Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway's Where Is the Love? The singer was waiting...

Brick and mortar retail stores face the daunting challenge of getting their retail associates to convert customers...

Looking for the easy answer for how to develop the best sales skills?

I was interviewed by AP this past week about how consumer spending is stuck in neutral at just 0.1 percent and how...

Stories help us quickly become engaged.  

In retail sales, that is especially important because people are loyal to...

The selling problem for most retail salespeople isn’t the merchandise.

Live video has come to Facebook much like Periscope came to Twitter last year.  There are some big distinctions...

You’ve only got one shot at training new hires in your retail store. One. You can't go back...

Whatever skills and...

When you are coming up with signage for your retail store, you must be careful you don't upset customers...

Before I share how specialty retailers can survive and thrive, a question...have you ever played Jenga?

Retailers often fear an employee quitting because it will come at the worst time: before a sale, during the busy...

If you live in the United States, you are no doubt aware that there is a presidential election going on. (If you...

I had come to Charlotte to help a business owner considering expansion.

We drove around and she showed me a location...

Retail sales training is all about finding new ways to connect to shoppers, new ways to say something so another...

There’s a lack of respect in this country.

Always be closing is an overused phrase sales managers have used for years.

It sounds great and if everyone were ...

Looking for how to get better at retail selling?

While customers often feel retail salespeople can’t be trusted,...

I can’t tell you how many people have asked me to give a whole seminar filled with tricks on how to close a sale.

I...

Looking for how to find your own self motivation? You first neet to find leverage on yourself.

Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders are tapping into a great discontent in the US right now.

Years ago manufacturers of retail products had one path – especially for more complex sales of things like luxury...

Many times, when it comes to exceeding customer expectations and failing miserably, we can't see the forest for the...

I made an orange dessert for some friends the other night. When one of my guests took a bite, his face soured; he...

A few years ago, it seemed everyone was tacking on a gas surcharge for most any product.

Retailers have tried everything it seems to get employees to sell more.

So many try to hire the natural born...

This post is for retail buyers but here's a question for you: Do you know what makes a Rolls Royce a Rolls Royce?

Have you seen those business makeover reality shows?

The shows that highlight businesses down on their luck and...

When it came to bookstores, the dirty little secret was that customers would come into the indie or chain bookstore,...

I have a confession to make...

I took the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator when I was in college thirty years ago but I...

Personality styles are so important when considering retail sales training. In fact, I have an entire course in my...

This retail sales training post expands on the four personalities presented here with an overview.

The Driver...

I was training a group of about twenty store retail store managers on personality styles.

I was highlighting the...

Only an Expressive personality could wear a dress made entirely out of meat to present at an awards show.

Only an...

While I was looking for a lawn spreader, I asked the salesclerk, “Why should I buy this one?”

He quickly answered,...

I had just left Las Vegas after consulting with a luxury entertainment group who had pampered me.

I was consulting with a new luxury client. I was going to be working on their salesfloor, so he told me I would have...

Retailers! January is the time to get your financial house in order to have the most profitable retail sales and...

In many ways, retail is a lot of moving parts and yet in others it is very simple: Treat customers as you would want...

Employee reviews are one of the most neglected tools a retailer can use to increase their retail sales.

By using...

My retail sales tips often revolve around how to sell full priced merchandise; and for good reason.

My client in Houston had ordered a town car to bring me to their office; a nice luxury perk. As he navigated the...

The finest wools and cottons for the finest luxury apparel are farmed from centuries-old farms, carded and woven in...

This a post about why customer service is so poor in everything from stores to airports.

I was in Vegas the week before Christmas. It was a coldish night around the dinner hour. The mall was anything but...

How can a retailer immediately tell potential luxury or premium customers that their retail store is a cut above? It...

This is a post about why brick and mortar retail stores still rule in a world of omnichannel. Reports of their...

Every year I release a list of my best, most popular blogs in the previous 365 days that I think occasional readers...

After Christmas sales can be the difference between profitable retail holiday sales and a bust.

Here are 8 tips to...

A friend of mine had been working with a retailer to create more of an experience in their stores.

Over a series of...

I was waiting for the snow to clear, de-icing to commence and basically to get to Florida last fall when I...

Many years ago I was working with a coffee franchise and we were looking for ways to grow retail sales.

We knew we...

I walked into a men’s boutique the other week when a young woman lurched out from a four-way rack with a small flier...

Whether the retail sales training is delivered in person by a sales trainer like myself, online through a program...

Retailers, it's the most wonderful time of the year. Or at least it should be...so why is there a debate on whether...

Retail is predictable in many ways.

The same predictable, negative, retail holiday sales stories pop up about bricks...

I recently purchased a canteen. It is detailed in leather and has intricate lacing.

Oh, I had no need for it. It...

Shoppers are opening their wallets again this holiday with the National Retail Federation predicting close to a 4%...

The Thanksgiving holiday is being celebrated today with retailers opening early and people leaving their homes to...

When I was in college, I worked nights and weekends in a department store. I was there for the the guys shopping on...

The holidays are here and I'm convinced some of you are going to have banner retail sales. Why?

Because you have set...

It's gift season.

Everyone is rushed.

Looking for a shortcut.

The magic promotion.

All of this comes from wanting...

I was speaking at the Four Seasons hotel in downtown Houston.

After I checked in late Thursday night the front desk...

I was interviewed this past week, and the host went on and on about how wonderful he thought the Apple store...

Coupons so hot you can buy them on Ebay...

20% off coupons that don’t ever expire according to BuzzFeed.

A coupon...

Looking for why it is important for employees to connect? Read on...

I was on a mission, I wanted to shop but I refused to buy anything if the salespeople didn't say a word to me. I was...

Do you ask a wall of questions before ever getting a customer excited about the possibilities in what you sell?

If...

Steve was a very good salesman.

He had enthusiasm; he had product knowledge, and he had a swagger to his...

Retailers looking for answers on whether or how to decorate their stores can come up empty. This post answers the...

Retail is separating into two camps: high priced luxury brands that give high-touch, personalized service and...

Looking for how non-verbal communication impacts sales? Your body language sends wordless cues long before you try...

Graham, a friend of mine went to a local electronics store to buy a microphone. The young sales associate took him...

One of the most basic elements of any retail sales training program is covering product features and benefits. The...

 If I go outside and point up to the sky, what will passersby do?

Look up in the air.

When they do and they don’t...

Once upon a time merchants purchased the...

Your full retail sales training is most likely more thorough and involved than for your holiday seasonal employees....

Merchandise...

Like food...

Like alcohol...

Like a lot of things ... can be good. 

Until you have too much.

Let’s stop kidding each other and be honest…

When a customers' experience in your store was crappy, they won’t be...

Have you ever gone to visit one of your favorite retailers only to discover an empty store with a For Lease sign...

A lot has been written on closing a sale, but what if you could see the warning signs you were going to crash and...

If you're at that point when you know something must change in your retail operation...

And now you’re looking for a...

This post is for the retail salesperson who isn't making his/her goals, the manager who is struggling with employee...

Retailers, are you meeting your retail employees' training needs? Are you confident you know what they are?

You...

After I posted a job notice on Facebook for a client, I received this comment, “A resume for a retail job?”

I could...

Each year I attend a conference put on by Hubspot called InBound. It is for thought leaders, marketers, agencies,...

Looking to learn how to create merchandising displays that draw your shopper's interest and sell more merchanise?...

This could also have been headlined, Why people quit your store.

When you give salespeople a terrible manager, one...

Have you ever gone to a store and purchased paint, only to discover when you get home that you have no brush?

That’s...

Sometimes customer service should be something quick, cheap, and easy.

Consider a mother who might be on a...

Let’s admit it, we are now a society of individual planets.

We’ve created our own worlds by letting in just what we...

For retail customers to let down their guard, share their desires, and get over their fears of purchasing, you must...

As one who writes exclusively about retail sales and  sales training in particular, I was curious when a potential...

I hear one thing over and over again from retailers and it's I just need to attract more customers.

Heard it before...

Have you heard of the runaway success of the burger franchise Five Guys?

What's one of the big reasons Five Guys is...

Some of the most popular questions people have for me after they join my newsletter are:

How do I get more customers...

Last night I saw the film, the Hobart Shakespeareans. It is a documentary about an extraordinary elementary school...

I was intrigued by an article in the Los Angeles Times entitled, Too Many Choices Can Tax the Brain Research Shows....

You won't find key performance indicators in most discussions among retailers. They just aren't sexy like marketing...

My parents divorced when I was 11. For a long time I felt there was something I could have done to have prevented it.

It's never easy dealing with a retail customer service issue. Sometimes it may seem like they’re looking for...

We’ve heard the drumbeat for awhile now, traffic is down in brick and mortar retail stores. The browsing is now done...

Cash flow (maintaining a sufficient amount of available cash) for small retailers is one of the least sexy topics...

Christmas in July...or August. We’ve all heard the phrase.

It’s summer and a lot of retailers are thinking about...

A lot is being written about how to engage retail customers in stores. That’s because there is a lot of interest in...

I was speaking at the Sturbridge Inn & Convention Center and I had to print something off a computer at their...

Are you doing everything you can when you are marketing your small business?

If you still use Hotmail or other free...

From the time I was in seventh grade until I graduated Glendale High, every summer I toured with my church's youth...

For a small retail shop, it can be fairly easy to train employees because you see them every day.

For a multi-store...

A quick walk through the mall shows retailers are trying to increase revenues with some fairly dramatic sales this...

Juggling customers is necessary for any retail store looking to provide customer service.

Retailers, especially those who have a large number of employees, often wonder what makes a good retail sales...

Hiring is always tough for a retail store.

As the economy improves, every retailer should look at upgrading their...

Retailers, there is a good chance that many of your brick and mortar customers and prospective customers are online.

Retailers are tripping all over each other trying to knock themselves off and create low-priced versions of...

Have a business flight for a conference or association meeting looming in your future?

Make sure you are ready for...

Not sure how you’ll make your sales goals in December retail salespeople?

Now is the perfect time for a quick...

The past two weeks, Americans have seen the shooting at another black church, the upholding of the Affordable Care...

People who sell retail have to up their game, or their brick and mortar stores will bleed customers.

And don’t blame...

Customer service. We've all heard the need for it.

We've all tried to manage it.

We've all felt a lack of it.

And...

A March 2015 survey by LoyaltyOne shows that approximately half of consumers reported experiencing a problem on...

I was recently on Michigan Avenue in Chicago where some of the most inventive and successful brands put their best...

A survey from RichRelevance found that digital capabilities that identify, track, and use location and demographics...

Showrooming occurs when customers at a brick and mortar store, after having physically touched, smelled, lifted,...

I believe the lack of service, of compassion and interest in retail are symptoms of a larger problem in our world.

...

I received a note from a reader wanting retail advice, "I was given a part-time job at a high-end department store...

When well-meaning friends ask how you are, do you answer, “I’m so busy,” and then drone on?

Have you tweeted how...

Imagine cooking a recipe and then leaving the food in the pan without serving it.

That would have wasted your time…

...

Many retailers are looking for ways to get customers to purchase their products in their stores.

I passed a retail...

Were you ever picked by a teacher to come up in front of class when you weren’t prepared to speak?

It felt like...

Retail salespeople are the public face of the company, the front lines of customer relations, and they define the...

Untrained retail employees often think merchandise sells itself.

That if a customer wants something, they’ll tell...

You’ve met her  …or him before as a customer …

The employee who knows everything.

Who condescends to help you if...

Video seals the deal to grow your market and word of mouth.

I saw a Facebook post from my buddy Tim Pratt about how...

"How can I sell more to customers?" is a frequent question from retailers of all sizes.

And it's the smart question.

Selling in a retail store means there are times you know a big sale is in trouble.

Donna Artz asked me on my Facebook

If you're looking to increase your sales, it will only come from mastering retail selling.

And that can be hard...

...

My retail sales training programs - either in-person or online - start from the idea everyone sells - whether they...

"How to approach a customer?" I’m often asked in my role as a retail consultant .

Whether that question comes from a...

I was talking to a pool builder about a client who had put in a new pool.

His client lived in a very expensive...

If you work in retail sales, you have to care more about the customer than you care about yourself.

Yes, you might...

Looking for retail sales tips because you have a luxury product or premium service to sell?

I’m not talking a good...

An upscale restaurant chain CEO called and asked me to speak to their franchisees about discounting. He felt it was...

For CEOs and hiring managers, retail employee turnover can quickly turn into a black hole that devours profits.

Businesses across the country are struggling.

Retailers are asking me what to do and what I tell them is that the...

I used to be the Chief Marketing Officer of a coffee franchise.  

My office provided all kinds of marketing support...

A lot has been written about all the ways you can get buzz for your business – from putting discounts on your...

Here are several business makeover case studies from some of the smallest retailers to some of the largest who've...

I used to think online retail sales training would be impossible to deliver in a new way. But I was wrong.

A reader asks, “My fellow salesperson scarfs up my customers between the time I initially properly greet and pass by...

Prior to his opening, I was asked to visit a franchise to evaluate his new crew. I discovered the team members were...

Macy's held their annual flower show at their flagship store in NYC this past April. It has to be one of the last...

When I was in high school, Tommy Smith showed up bald one day.

He had shaved off all of his hair and not just on his...

Imagine being in an airplane and overhearing a voice from the cockpit saying, “Just keep the nose in the air and if...

It’s great to have raving fans and it’s great to concentrate on attracting new customers to offset lost customers,...

One of my earliest retail consulting clients was a coffee house.

One day I noticed the tip jar had $5 and $10 bills...

Like a lot of people, I love Chipotle.

Selling luxury products without a discount goes hand in hand with designing a retail space to accommodate the...

Alabama has run from a divisive law after Wal-Mart stepped into the conversation by saying the law, "threatens to...

Congratulations for reading this – it means you don’t have to be convinced that training your retail crew how to...

Recently I read a quote from an analyst for Edward Jones who said, “I think we’ve reached the wall in terms of...

How do I make my shop busier?

I get a lot of variations of this question from retailers...

Like everything is...

You’ve made the big push in upgrading your retail store.You’ve curated a group of brands that make you stand out....

What is exceptional customer service?

It is making that one person in front of you feel, for those moments you are...

 I was doing a keynote speech when a retailer asked, “How can I motivate an employee?”

I replied, “The short answer...

I had a shocking call with the North American CEO of a luxury brand a few weeks ago. 

They had a bad fourth quarter...

If you've been in retail sales at all, you’ve had an experience selling to a difficult customer.

It's like...

I recently purchased a new sport coat from Nordstrom in Chicago.  

It was like a scene in a movie…

I told Wade, the...

Any retail consultant knows that more traffic to your brick and mortar retail store means more sales.

But when...

Whether they’re looking for a retail sales job for the summer, a second job, or a new career, many people turn to...

Scarcity is one of the closing techniques rotten salespeople have used for years to try to make customers buy.

It...

I was on the sales floor, conducting a Retail Selling Boot Camp for a client when I came to a roadblock. I was...

When you started your retail business, you probably did everything. You answered the phone, took orders, greeted...

To improve your retail sales, you need to drop that oft-heard argument made by yourself, your friends and your...

I read a disturbing article today in the New York Times about the trend of retailers and restaurants to limit hours...

Customer service training and dental hygiene, what’s the connection?

I’ll get to that retailers…but first…

Do you...

Personality styles can make or break your retail sales training...

Imagine you were just plopped into a car parked...

It’s a long slog from Albany to Vegas, even with upgraded flights.

In the Wall Street Journal article, What’s Wrong With the Teenage Mind? Alison Gopnik takes an in-depth look at two...

It was December of ’98 I was shopping in South Coast Plaza, singularly the highest grossing per square foot shopping...

Any time weather affects a retail business, it is hard to deal with but snow is especially bad.

Deliveries are...

Cross selling is the art of suggesting additional, complementary items to someone who has already decided on a...

The three deadliest words in retail sales training are, "I get it."

They are a form of short-hand that discounts the...

Times are tough. Hard to find good help. Got it.

But wouldn't you think, if you were a retailer and wanted to make...

If you’re the CEO of a retail chain, the sales environment looks pretty scary right now.

Hardly a week goes by...

Upselling is about challenging customer preconceptions and getting them to see the value behind every product you...

Has this ever happened to you? You walk into a store you haven’t been in before because you saw something online,...

In the past few weeks I’ve received two pleas from retailers about to close.

They want to know how to attract...

I received an email the other day regarding marketing that said, “I've been doing business with Groupon and they've...

Yesterday I received this comment on my blog that was totally unrelated to that blog.

I walked into a Walgreen’s today in Minneapolis.

A pleasant young woman from behind the counter looked over at me...

While many retailers ask how to attract more customers, the better question is how to increase my retail conversion...

Want to do a better job of marketing to your own customers? Then subscribe to all your competitors' email...

I was invited by the Downtown Frederick Partnership to address their local merchants and work one-on-one with eight...

One thing that many retail sales training programs don't cover is the seasonal business.

I know because recently...

January and February are the cruelest months for retailers. It’s when the balance sheets reveal holiday demand was ...

We all judge people base on the way their code of dress.

If a guy walked into your shop and saw you dressed in white...

Merchandise on the salesfloor can look pretty but it is your money sitting there.

While you can do an inventory of...

Are you looking to increase your luxury retail sales?  While retail sales training can help, do you feel like a...

Looking for how to save money and improve cash flow in your retail store? It is important to follow some very...

This post is for any retailer looking for how to train your team on suggestive selling techniques.  When you’re...

As a retail consultant, clients come to me to help them make more sales, attract more customers and become more...

The final stage of a sale is used to suggestively sell an add-on to the main purchase.  

After the customer has made...

You want fries with that? is probably the most derided add-on question ever asked.

And at that time, the most...

Back in the 80’s when I was creating my own retail sales training techniques, I heard a sales trainer say that as...

The Internet is changing not only the way retailers interact with customers, but also the ways in which they can...

You have a customer who prefers your brands, your service and your retail store.

How do you reward that loyal...

When I was Chief Marketing Officer for the 135 It’s A Grind Coffeehouses, we opened franchise locations 3000 miles...

I was at a candy store at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport  last year that had as many products on the counter around the...

Attracting visitors to your store through occasional promotions, events, and a killer website is a great start, but...

Clearance. A fresh start that makes way for new inventory in your store.

A way to declutter your store so only the...

There are many luxury retail salespeople who have folded and settled for lower conversion rates. It is frequently...

Thirty-five years ago I got the order from the boss to go down to the store in Tustin and move everything up to the...

Lower foot falls, lower conversions, and lower margins are haunting many retailers from the biggest box to the...

Each year presents retailers with new opportunities, old challenges, and outside forces that will affect their...

A lot of brick and mortar retailers pay a lot of money for pay-per-click ads or other online marketing. They'll...

It started at a managers' retail sales meeting with my answer, “Our employees.”

The day I started to actually wash and condition my face was the day a spa esthetician made it clear that for a guy...

Before we close the book on 2014, here are some of the most popular retail blog posts from me for you in case you...

When it comes to cash flow at the end of a year for most retailers, it is very easy to be overwhelmed.

December has...

When you're out of stock, you'll need to challenge both your employees and your customers if you want to make a...

In some ways, brick and mortar retailers have a finite client base. After all, there are only so many people who can...

…”It implies being a good salesperson is something...

Luxury shoppers like special, in-person treatment during their shopping experiences.

That’s why they prefer brick...

What is the point of the first words of your greeting to a customer?

• A. So customers know you work there and are...

My retail sales training began at the feet of others.

Just like Kevin Spacey, who worked in the San Fernando valley...

I was the CMO for the second-fastest growing company two years running in Los Angeles County.

It was a franchise I...

He’s a natural born salesman.

When I hear that phrase, it is often being used as a dig. 

It implies being a good...

Do you have a bad salesperson on your retail sales floor?

You know, the one who screams, "That was my sale!"

The one...

The four weeks prior to Christmas are when all hands are on deck in a retail store.

Results from all of your buying...

Your success as a retailer depends on how well you use retail sales training to develop your retail employees.

The moment of truth arrives in a retail store as a customer asks a question but just before they get an answer, the...

I purchased a turkey mask the other day.

A silly gag item I discovered while browsing at Nordstrom in Las Vegas....

Shoppers are time-pressing and running in and out of your store not necessarily knowing what they want.

The average...

Selling a great product while providing exceptional customer service, makes up the nuts and bolts of building an...

"Hi, How are you today?"

You've heard it thousands of times shopping in the mall.

You've probably heard your...

When I was just out of college I had a couple roommates. We shared buying the groceries, each taking a turn at...

American Express Small Business Saturday is November 29, 2014.

While the day prior - Black Friday - is big chains’...

I'd been with my dad at the Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte for past several days.

The first day I walked in,...

I hear a lot of independent bricks and mortar stores saying they need to build an online store.

The expectations is...

The US Thanksgiving holiday will be celebrated this year with retailers opening on Thanksgiving and people leaving...

Before I tell you about visual merchandisng your store, a question...

How many times did you hear your mom tell you...

Ever been at a great dinner and used the salt instead of the pepper? The whole entree is ruined. This blog is about...

I was lying in a bright yellow inner tube floating in the “La-Z-River” at the JW Marriott resort Tuesday afternoon...

You’ve searched online trying to find some answers to increase your retail sales. You’ve been trying to attract more...

Have you ever tried to make a customer complaint, but been unable to?

That happened to me when I was recently...

When I was in fifth grade, I had a paper route for the Toledo Blade. My brothers gave me responsibility for a dozen...

I’ve worked in retail for most of my life.

That includes my first job as a janitor, then a regional manager all the...

I was talking to a potential client about her needs for retail sales training. She had read some of my blogs. She...

I was about to pay for my purchases at CVS when the cashier asked me, “Do you want to update your account with your...

Google “How to sell protection plans” and you’ll get lots of results – none of them good…

While customer numbers are down in many stores, retail is not a number of visits game.

Talk to any C-level executive...

Apple just showed off their new IPhones and their new Apple Watch.

I’ll admit, I’m a bit of a techie, so I tuned...

Back-to-school time is here.

If you're like most retailers, you might think it is time to market 25¢ pencil sets and...

Retailers are trying to keep up with the price-cutting frenzy of competitors, extreme-couponers and daily deal sites.

It was during a huge clearance sale shortly before the holidays. The rack sign read 3 shirts for $20. A woman held...

Where do you think retail marketing starts? No, not a coupon or your website. It's by showing how much care you give...

I have a confession to make…

I don’t know it all.

I know, I know, for a Driver personality like me, that’s a big...

When I worked in the coffeehouse business, we were trying to come up with a way to show franchisees and their...

One of the most asked questions during my appearances on MSNBC's Your Business have revolved around timing a new...

There’s a boom of shiny objects out there for retailers to play with, from iBeacons that will deliver coupons to...

Trying to increase retail sales in a quiet retail store is impossible...

I can tell a great retail...

While writing my book, the Retail Doctor's Guide to Growing Your Business (Wiley,) I had lunch with Roger Leithead...

When I was looking to move away from the crowded, noisy, dusty freeways of Los Angeles, I checked out the green...

Websites have progressed to become the most important marketing tool for any retailer, small or large.  

Many retailers are being forced by their vendors to sell high-priced products at low-margin right now for a variety...

I write and speak alot about retail sales training because it is the only way, in this age of discounts, to grow...

Back in 2009, I sat next to a golf sales representative while flying to Chicago. He told me the golf industry was...

Retailers often ask me for the magic bullet; that one thing that will make them a lot of money.

In a word, it is...

Retail traffic is slowing.

Holidays for retailers means more chances to engage shoppers and more chances to lose shoppers. Fueled by technology...

I believe in commissioning retail salespeople.

Whether that means employees get an hourly rate and a percentage of...

Recently, Gap raised their minimum wage for their retail employees to $9 an hour for all of their brands; next June,...

Retailers keep surprising me.

The music is pumped-up in their stores to try to fill the quiet, sterile environment...

Helping new employees succeed in your retail store is best accomplished with retail sales training that offers...

Starting a new business can be one of the most rewarding experiences of a lifetime. It can also be the most...

Wondering how to market your retail business without discounts?

When retailers decide to get away from couponing, a...

As a retail consultant, I've examined how your customer's buying cycle is predictable. As the economy has gotten...

You’ve probably seen me rail about poor signage choices on TV, or you’ve read my Facebook posts with pictures of bad...

It was at the the end of a day-long retail sales training program I was conducting with a group when one of the...

Online reviews mean your small business reputation is now exposed in a variety of places across social media.

While...

A retailer must be extremely aware of their pricing strategy to ensure that their pricing is done accurately and in...

Ron Johnson, formerly with JC Penney, ending retail sales commissions for his staff in fine jewelry, shoes, window...

I’ve had a small business bank account with Bank of America for over twenty years. When I had setup the account,...

How your employees should be greeting a customer is a frequent topic among retailers.

Recently, RetailWire discussed

When I was first starting my retail consultancy business back in the 90's, independent retailers dreaded the arrival...

The truth is, Millennial generation employees leave managers, not companies. If you are wondering why you can’t keep...

Advertising is your face to the world. It is how you tell others who may never have heard of you about your brand.

...