Shoptalk - Expert Retail & Customer Service Consulting

Store Image: Time for Rethinking? What would your merchants' reaction be if someone said, "Excuse me, your image is showing?" Would they be proud or embarrassed about their store image? Think about it. They may have been in their stores for a few years upon opening, most merchants undoubtedly had a grand plan for a dynamic store. Click here to download a full printable version of this article using Adobe Acrobat.	Internal Customer Service Ask a group of retailers about their greatest daily challenges and, invariably, chief among them will be employee turnover and morale. The ripple effect of this "silent sabotage" impacts virtually every area of a business, severely altering the sales and bottom-line results. Click here to download a full printable version of this article using Adobe Acrobat.	5 Steps to Reaching Your Goals I am often asked, "What one strategy do you consistently recommend when consulting with a new specialty retailer?" The answer is simple: Set goals for your business, yourself and your staff. Too often I see a very lackadaisical attitude about this topic. Clearly one of the fastest ways to energize your business... Click here to download a full printable version of this article using Adobe Acrobat.
Miles on Main Street Reprinted with permission by the Virginia Main Street Newsletter During this past year, I have had the exciting opportunity to spend many days and countless hours with Virginia Main Street retailers from Marion to Berryville, Radford to Franklin, Staunton to Winchester, Warrenton to Rocky Mount, Orange to Martinsville, Waynesboro to Culpeper, and ending in Lexington. Miles and miles on Main Streets! My visit in each town consisted of... Click here to download a full printable version of this article using Adobe Acrobat.	Anniversary of the Stars To say that today's workforce is complex and gives each business owner many challenges and opportunities would be an understatement. The ever-changing nature of today's business climate requires some "re-tooling" of management skills to be successful in both gaining and retaining a talented workforce. In my consulting practice, I am urging today's manager to focus on celebrating the successes of... Click here to download a full printable version of this article using Adobe Acrobat.	Invest in Jest Retailers spend countless hours and enormous resources in developing successful strategies and tactics that will position their businesses for continued growth. However, only the truly innovative companies have embraced the "fun-day-mental" attitude that humor in the workplace is a powerful tool for both recruitment and retention. Countless books and studies support the notion that fun and humor are an important part of the most productive... Click here to download a full printable version of this article using Adobe Acrobat.

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