Category: manners

Advertisement Ideas: Diversity Is A Necessity!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Diversity Is A Necessity!!!

 In a sports apparel, accessories, and memorabilia store diversity is a necessity. Many entrepreneurs of these type of stores get caught up in what they like that they do not diversify their offerings and as a result lose sales. The key is to see what is selling and to order accordingly. I saw a store where it appeared that FSU Seminoles items were outselling University of Miami Hurricanes items at a 2 to 1 ratio yet the entrepreneur of the store insisted on stocking up on Hurricanes items. This same store had only 3 hats for Notre Dame where Notre Dame is one of the top-selling schools in America. The key to having a successful sports apparel, accessories, and memorabilia store is to have a diverse selection of teams that the consumer is seeking with full size runs. If you have one item that is selling well  make sure you are replenishing that item regularly so that when a customer comes looking for it you have it so you can make the sale.

Advertisement Ideas: Ways to Create Diversity!!!

One way to create diversity is to look at your Point of Sales Reports and see what are your top sellers and to stock items for those teams. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Diversity Is A Necessity!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Action, Action, We Want Action!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Action, Action, We Want Action!!!

 If you are going to succeed in any business especially in the retail business you must commit to becoming an action taker. Over the years I have  approached many new business owners as well as experienced business owners who are opening a new location to ask them about their strategic marketing and advertising plans as I have become quite astute at promoting local businesses.  I am always surprised by the response of I haven’t set up a budget for that or I spent so much on the build out and opening that I don’t have money to advertise. My look on my face usually says it all when I hear this as it shows a wow you got to be kidding me look. In today’s day ad age I am bewildered by how many so-called business people lack the basic principles to build and grow a business.  When I work with entrepreneurs I am brutally honest and I peel back the onion so as to see where we can overcome the blockages that are keeping them in the lack mode instead of the abundance mode. Most times I find it that it is their lack of organization and inability to take proper action as they have an attitude as I am the owner and I am doing my way and I know what I am doing. When in reality they have put up the money but had no realistic plan to market to attract and keep customers. I have witnessed many tines a business owner fly by the seat of their pants only to lose those pants.  If you open a business and you do not have a daily, weekly, or monthly action plan you are destined to struggle. If you open a business and do not take input from your employees who have experience you will continue to struggle. The key is to be an action taker and understand that the day you think you know everything is the day you begin to lose everything.

Every action you take should be guided by the concept of positively affecting your business. The first action you need to take is getting to know who your customer base will be and then marketing to that customer base. The next action you need to take especially with a retail store is what you will be known for as a business.Previously I wrote about having a unique selling proposition and this concept is very important to the success of your business as you must ask what is it that I want to be known for when attracting new business and retaining old business.  It is great to have a diverse product offering but make sure you are too diverse.  Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Action, Action, We Want Action!!!

Advertisement Ideas: The Power Of Goodwill!!!

Advertisement Ideas: The Power Of Goodwill!!!

 In business there is a very intangible component that is hard to measure called goodwill. It is a simple act of making your customer happy or serving the community. It is hard to measure as some goodwill is done without fan fare and you never know the power of goodwill until it someone mentions that they heard about what you did for a charity or how you went out of your way for a customer. The power of goodwill is amazing and can lead to increased brand awareness and revenue. In sacrificing a profit today by doing goodwill you will increase future profits.

The other day I had a customer come into Sinbad Sports located at 2164 S. University Drive in The Tower Shops next to Best Buy in Davie, FL and they asked about The Nike Vapor Knit Gloves as their son needed gloves to match his school uniform. I told them they are normally $100 but I could sell them to them for $75. They came back the next day and bought the gloves. The following day one of the players teammates came to the store and bought a pair. I gave him the same deal. Now word is getting around and I anticipate selling The Seahawks gloves out. In giving a little I was able to move a product that had been stagnant. It is in extended goodwill and extending excellent customer service that you drive sales. Remember people will forget what you said or did but they will remember how you made them feel. In extending goodwill to all you create customers who will share their positive experience and thus you will exceed your revenue goals.

 Recently Sinbad Sports hosted Reshad Jones, Safety of The Miami Dolphins. As a result we had a few footballs to give away. One was presented to the winner of a contest we sponsored on WQAM and another was given to The Divas For The Cure of The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Pembroke Pines to use in a fundraiser. As a result of this goodwill we received some publicity that drove people to come to the store to shop. In doing goodwill the word gets a round and people begin to support your business. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: The Power Of Goodwill!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Spending Your Money Wisely!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Spending Your Money Wisely!!!

Slipping money to the right individual at a restaurant in order to ...On of the things I have noticed from entrepreneurs while working in The Sports Apparel and Memorabilia Industry is how ineffectively they tend to spend money.  I have  seen this happen in many businesses as the entrepreneur will buy items that he or she likes thinking they will sell and they do not leaving them with what I call dead merchandise.  I witnessed one entrepreneur buy a Dolphins Pool Table and then tell employees he didn’t have funds for items that customers were requesting. I thought wow here you have a pool table that is going to be hard to sell when you could have bought items that were being sought after and turned then into cash flow quickly and turned a profit that would have been frequent and consistent. I witnessed one entrepreneur who refused to put up a website with his  memorabilia and then stopped paying rent and as a result was forced to dissolve his business and settle with the landlord and then change names and relocate. This same owner still doesn’t have a website and guess what isn’t making the sales as he should be. I have always said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Spending Your Money Wisely!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Do You DWYP?

Advertisement Ideas: Do You DWYP?

Over the years I have taught about the concept of deliver on what you promise (DWYP), which is a key aspect to having a successful and thriving business. So many times over the years I have dealt with people who have forgotten this principle and a s a result have struggled in their businesses. The key factor is to know what you can do and then to deliver on what you promised. I recently had someone make a spelling mistake on a custom jersey that I ordered and told me they would send another one this was done in June. Several calls have been made and I have been told it is being sent and that they sent me a free jersey that was spelled right. They made the decision to send a free jersey with the one I ordered I didn’t ask for a free jersey. I still haven’t received the corrected jersey. What do you think happened when I wanted another jersey? I went to a business that has always delivered what they promised and guess what? My order was filled with the correct spelling and an excellent quality jersey. I tell this story to remind you of the importance of delivering what you promised. It is important to make sure that all your customers are happy and that you do the right thing.

Remember in life there is no try so when you make a commitment honor that commitment and if you can not honor the commitment then find a solution. So many ties people will try to cut corners and a s a result will find themselves without a way out thus making it impossible to deliver on what they promised. I recently had a situation where a business owner was hosting an event and one of the people who was supposed to come and sign autographs was a no-show leaving a customer without items signed. The business owner cashed the check and thought they would get the person to sign and then send the customer the signed items. This was in May and the person who was supposed to sign still haven’t signed the items. I suggested to the business owner that he simply write a refund check and send the items back and in the future wait for the event to be over and of someone doesn’t show simply repack the items with the payment or if the customer paid by credit or debit card simply do a refund. It is important to honor your commitments and if there are other parties involved don’t make promises.  In another instance a business owner was given a custom framing order and misplaced the item to be framed and finally located the item and will be able to complete the order but it took 3 months and needless to say the customer is unhappy. When you do business with people you need to ask yourself am I delivering what I promised?

 

 

Advertisement Ideas: More From The You Have to Be Kidding Me File!!!

Advertisement Ideas: More From The You Have To Be Kidding Me File!!!

As I watched my Facebook News Feed and saw all the comments about Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton I began to think are you f-ing kidding me out of all the people in The United States this is the best we can do. One promises to bring jobs back to American but manufactures most of his clothing line overseas and the other says oh I have the country’s best interest in mind when she leaked important secret documents. I am surprised by how many people have been bamboozled by these two but them again I shouldn’t be because The American Public has become like sheep and have allowed others to dictate their lives. If you or I did what these two have done we would be in jail. Then again it all comes down to the way things are and the way things should be being two different things. Ask yourself come election day what your alternatives are and don’t thing that voting for an alternative candidate is a throw away vote as it will be making a statement that you have had enough of this and will not take it any more.  I have  watched their ads and I think again you have to be kidding me as they are trying to disparage one another instead of showing viable solutions to the issues facing us today. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: More From The You Have to Be Kidding Me File!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Always Be Closing!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Always Be Closing!!!

The language might be a bit harsh but the message is very important because if you are not closing deals and continuing to create new customers/clients while retaining your existing customers/clients you will find yourself chasing money and feeling unfulfilled. Everywhere you go you should make it a priority to share who you are and what you do with people as you never know where business may come from thus sharing is a vital component to your success. Make sure you stand out in all you do and always be closing.

Advertisement Ideas: The Steps To Always Be Closing!!!

 The first thing you must do to become a great closer is you must believe that you can close. So many people leave money on the table simply because they do not make the ask.  Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Always Be Closing!!!

Advertising Ideas: Why Be Normal?

Advertising Ideas: Why Be Normal?

I believe God wants you to know…

…that normal is not something to aspire to, it’s something
to get away from.

Jody Foster said that, and she was right. Never settle
for normal. Never. Normal is not natural. Extraordinary
is natural. Who do you think you are, anyway…?

What will you do today that is extraordinary? Plan it.
Think it through. And do it. All the angels in heaven
are waiting. And even if you ‘fail’, it will have been an
extraordinary effort. That qualifies as extraordinary.

As I reviewed my email  and the above message I began to think why be normal?  As I began to think how this related to business I thought about those who are above the norm in their marketing and promotion and those who are still conforming to traditional methodologies. I have found those that stay ahead of the curve and are forward in their thinking are the ones who have the most success while those who conform to the norm lag behind and try to play catch up. If you truly want to grow your business and increase your revenue you must be willing to take risks and stand out while getting away from what is considered normal.

 

Many that read this blog on a regular basis know that I am a proponent of doing things differently. An example of this is my wearing this jersey with the purple Chuck Taylor Converse All Star Sneakers that say BEAT CANCER With the New Era Relay Cap. I do this so I stand out and can start a conversation that will lead to people want to do business with me and supporting the cause. Today at WRPBiTV while taping my TV Show, The Anything Bucket, which airs on www.wrpbitv.com on Tuesday at 6:30 PM a guest commented about my sneakers and I was able to share with her the story behind the sneakers and The American Cancer Society Relay For Life. It is when you stand out that you can open up doors that other wise would have been shut. As you step outside of the norm and do thing differently you will begin to see that you grow both personally and professionally.  I was wearing my purple sneakers out one day and a young lady stopped me to ask where she could get a pair and I said I made them at www.converse.com  and I told her my story and she gave me a $5 donation for The American Cancer Society Relay For Life. I gave her my card as well and told her about me working at Sinbad Sports located at 2164 S. University Drive in The Tower Shops next to Best Buy in Davie, FL a few days later she was in the store buying a hat for her dad. This is why you must find different ways to share who you are and what you do with others for you never know how sharing will lead to business. Continue reading Advertising Ideas: Why Be Normal?

Advertisement Ideas: Do You Have Plans?

Advertisement Ideas: Do You Have Plans?

 I am always amazed when I ask a business owner what their marketing plan is and they say I don’t really have on.  I am amazed because when you begin a business you must be prepared to advertise and market your business. Once you make your plan and you implement the plan you also have to evaluate the plan. So many business owners are missing opportunities and leaving money on the table because of their failure to plan.  I recently encountered a business who hired a sign spinner to direct people to their location but did not have a physical sign visible from the parking lot on the building and wondered why the foot traffic was not as much as he anticipated. If you are going to effectively market your brick and mortar business you must make proper signage a priority so people can find you.  In all you do in your business especially when it comes to marketing you must plan your work, work your plan, and make adjustments along the way. In my 25 years of working with businesses I have seen many owners who did not plan and as a result did not succeed. As you open your business daily ask yourself what will I do today to let people know who I am and what I do and why they should do business with me today.

When you open up your business daily ask yourself how am I going to build brand awareness and how will I increase revenue. In today’s evolving market where the consumer is more and more educated you need to have a plan for them to do business with you instead of with your competitor. It is when you create brand awareness and stay on top of the consumers mind that you increase your revenue. The more you know about your target audience and the area you do business in the more successful you will be.  The key is to stay one step ahead of everyone else so that when people here your name they do business with you instead of with your competitor. Having brand awareness and good visibility in the market place is crucial to driving business. There are many elements to plan for in order to be profitable in business.
Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Do You Have Plans?