Shop Your Business Like a Customer

– Rick Segel

Have you ever acted or been in a school play? At first you feel uncomfortable, but when you finally let go and actually become the character, the easier it gets and the better the performance you give. That’s why we hear of so many actors who research their parts for months.

Acting like a customer in your own business shouldn’t require much research— after all you have been dealing with customers for years. You have heard all of the complaints, the attitudes, and the whining about price more times than you care to remember. It’s time to use it. [Get the full story]

Why Should I Buy From You?

– Kelley Robertson

Virtually every business you contact has this question in mind. To truly maximize your revenues you need give people a reason to buy from you versus a competitor. Here are a few strategies that will help you differentiate yourself from your competition. [Get the full story]

How to Open a Window of Contact

– Bob Phibbs, The Retail Doctor

In the old days sales people knew how to be friendly because they were treated better in stores than they were on the street. Nowadays with reality TV where everyone sees others belittled and the sitcoms where everyone is a wisecracking cynic, everyone is seeing the worst behavior modeled. As a result, interacting with people has become harder and our sales associates have few positive role models to guide them. As a result, the art of being friendly has disappeared from most retail. Luckily, you who are reading this are not most retailers! [Get the full story]

On Keeping the “Keepers”

Some Ideas on Staff Retention

– Don Capman

In last month’s newsletter I wrote an article on best practices in hiring. I sheepishly admitted that having been an employer for 35 years, many of those years in retail, I had been quite proficient at using WORSE practices, which cost me dearly over the years. Luckily, I am a reasonably intelligent business person who does not have an aversion to learning and, as such, have gotten much better at the hiring process. This month I would like to talk about how to keep a genuinely good employee with you for years. [Get the full story]

New Feature: Retail Pro Plug-In of the Month

Did You Know J.D. Associates has a Custom Programming Department?

Have you ever been using Retail Pro and wished that it would do something that would make your life a little easier? Well, for some clients we have already written some programs that do just that. On our web site, www.jdapos.com/solutions/custom/plugins.html,
you can download a demo version of a custom written Retail Pro Plug-in called, the Retail Pro Document Date Checker. [Get the full story]