WINTER 2006  Ingenuity Merchandising and visual display—the icing on the cake! It can be the reason your customer stops by your store first before making a purchase—just to see what you're up to! Think of a retailer that has inviting front window presentations—what makes you want to enter the store? Inside you find beautifully presented merchandise groupings and spectacular arrangements that make you want to buy the entire display. It's all about drama, spectacle, and theater! Ingenuity is defined as "skill, cleverness, inventiveness, and originality." Well, a skill can be learned. If you need a jolt of cleverness take a class; hire a consultant; shop the competition; look through some magazines. We are all creative. Sometimes we just need a little push. Here are some ideas to get you started: How about live mannequins in your windows on a busy weekend? Light your windows with the color of the holiday—orange at Halloween, red and green for Christmas, pastels at Easter, or red, white and blue for the Fourth of July. Hang pictures mounted on foam board of smiling people having fun using the item you have displayed—families of snow skiers and one lit pair of skis; ballroom dancers and a pair of women's stilettos spotlighted on a glass brick; football fans and a basket of tailgate picnic fare; kids playing hockey and a pair of ice skates. Keep your windows clean and well lit; have a theme and a focal point; use color; grab attention, make a statement, send a message. You can't make a sale unless you can get the customer through your door. So be bold!  "R" is for Recognition Do you know your customer by name? Are they married? What's their spouse's name? Do they have kids? How old are the kids and what are their names? Do you know your customer's birthday or anniversary dates? Did they recently receive an award for which you can congratulate them? Build a relationship with your customer by always acknowledging them. And any time of year is a good time to thank your customers for their patronage. Pick up the phone and personally invite them to an event. Mail cards and handwritten thank you notes. Send flowers when necessary. Give discounts if appropriate. Simple gift cards are a nice accompaniment to a birthday wish. More than money, power, prestige, or promotion what a person really wants is recognition. Remember—without customer loyalty you don't have a business.   "You must dress for the job you want even more than for the job you have." If you are pursuing a conservative field for your career, such as accounting, banking, money management, law, our government or judicial systems, politics, mortgage and title, it may benefit you to dress less trendy and more classic in your workplace. These industries tend to be more conventional. Always adhere to your company's dress code, of course; and when putting together your work wardrobe keep in mind these few simple suggestions. What your boss should and should not see: They should see your smile—they should not see your tongue stud. They should see your shining hair and attractive earrings—one earring per ear is sufficient for making a statement. Your boss should see a blouse in a beautiful color or print, enhancing your face—they should not see your cleavage. Your boss does not need to see black chipped toe polish in stiletto sandals with any type of sparkling trim; gladiator sandals or clunky 4-inch platforms; stiletto mules that noisily clip-clop across the office floor. They would, however, like to see a beautiful leather business pump or slip-on that enhances both your outfit and your stature. There is no need for your boss to see any skin between your navel and the top of your pants. The boss is not interested in seeing your lower back tattoo. Your boss does not need to see the undergarments you have chosen to wear with your outfit, for any reason—either above the top of your pants or skirt, outlined through your garment, showing under your inappropriate see-through blouse, or worn as an accessory. Save it for after 5pm. Rely on your intelligence, people skills, organizational skills, and strength of character when moving up the ladder in your career. Professional presence through attire is just one more egg in your basket. Don't let a trendy and inappropriate work wardrobe send the wrong signal. I am a daughter of the Lone Star State—the great state of Texas. My family is still in Fort Worth (Cowtown) and as is the case with many people and their home town I miss certain aspects of it. In the springtime when the bluebonnet flowers blanket the hillsides; the fat stock show; Bluebell ice cream and chicken-fried steak. So I thought I'd include my favorite highlights of Fort Worth for any of you who might find yourself in Cowtown. And yes, that's me in the above picture on that longhorn. My good friends Sandy and Chris faithfully stood beside me as I launched myself on its back. It was indeed a thrill! The Fort Worth Stockyards Just north of downtown at Main and Exchange you'll find the Fort Worth Stockyards. A must for any tourist in this town you'll find good food, souvenirs, authentic ranchwear, authentic cowboys, country music, two-stepping, a rodeo, and a cattle drive. Cowtown at its finest! Go to www.fortworthstockyards.org for all the latest information. Stockyards Championship Rodeo & Pawnee Bill Wild West Show 121 E. Exchange Ave. Fort Worth, TX 817-625-1025 A championship rodeo every Friday and Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. in the Cowtown Coliseum. Billy Bob's Texas 2520 Rodeo Plaza Fort Worth, TX 76106 817-624-7117 www.billybobstexas.com The world's largest honky tonk. The building now known as Billy Bob's was built in 1910 as an open air cattle barn. It now provides fun for 6000+ people with everything from a concert stage and dance floor to a casino and live bull riding arena. Check the website for upcoming concerts and events. The Fort Worth Herd 121 E. Exchange Ave. Fort Worth, TX 817-336-HERD www.fortworthherd.com Witness a longhorn cattle drive through the streets of Cowtown. Daily, 11:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Joe T. Garcia's Mexican Restaurant 2201 N. Commerce St. Fort Worth, TX 817-626-4356 www.joets.com In a tiny house on July 4th, 1935, this Mexican restaurant opened. It had a 16-person capacity. It quickly became famous for enchiladas and paper-thin handmade tortillas. Today the restaurant is much larger but people still wait in line for the food. The menu consists of three items: enchiladas, beef fajitas, or chicken fajitas, with all the trimmings, served family style. Stop by early, stop by late—but be sure to stop by! Downtown Fort Worth www.sundancesquare.com Sundance Square is 20 fabulous blocks of downtown Fort Worth where people work, live, shop, and dine. A place for wonderful events, lots of good music, beautiful hotels, and the arts. www.basshall.com Bass Performance Hall is located in one full city block encompassed by Commerce, Calhoun, and 4th and 5th Streets, in the historic Sundance Square district of downtown Fort Worth. The 2,056-seat multipurpose Hall is characteristic of the classic European opera house form. Be certain to check out the event calendar if you're coming to town. This is a beautiful hall with superb acoustics for experiencing everything from ballet to comedy to Lyle Lovett and his Large Band. Angelo's Barbeque 2533 White Settlement Road Fort Worth, Texas 817-332-0357 www.angelosbbq.com What trip to Texas would be complete without world class barbeque? I have been known to carry pounds of Angelo's ribs back with me to Colorado on the plane! Slowly smoked, fall-off-the-bone barbeque with a smoky and not-to-sweet sauce. Since 1958. National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame 1720 Gendy Street Fort Worth, Texas 817-336-4475; 800-476-FAME www.cowgirl.net "The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame is the only museum in the world dedicated to honoring women of the American West who have displayed extraordinary courage and pioneer spirit in their trail blazing efforts." Trick riders, barrel racers, bronc riders, and general trailblazers in both life and on the range are all honored here.       Disneyland! In all my days I had not made it to Disneyland. So it's fitting that for their 50th anniversary I would finally climb aboard Space Mountain, ride through fighting pirates, take a dive with Luke Skywalker, and top the Matterhorn! But even more thrilling than the roller coasters was hugging my hero, Tigger. My good friend Theresa told me before I visited Mickey that I "...could not act any bigger than my shoe size." She was right. I never topped 8 all day long! It goes without saying that if you have not been to Disneyland it is never too late. It's good to take the kid in you out to play occasionally!       Deep Sea Fishing in Kauai Please visit Spring 2006 in my past Travel Tips section for more information on this beautiful island!       See previous tips, including travel destinations, here. < Back to Top ©2011 Duncan & Duncan Enterprises LLC P.O. Box 4164 •  Evergreen, CO 80437 •  303-512-7638 •  fax: 303-674-5356