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  Advertising & Promotions
“Without promotion something terrible happens…NOTHING!” —P.T. Barnum Remember the 5 “E’s” of advertising: EXPLAIN! Communicate your intentions to your customers. Events are a good way to introduce new merchandise and demonstrate old stand-bys. Have a promotional strategy in place—inform your target customer about your image; persuade your customer by flaunting your benefits over your competition; remind your customer repeatedly about your benefits so they will think of you when they need what you sell. ESTABLISH! What is your business known for? I hope that superior customer service is high on the list—along with unique merchandise, stellar salespeople, excellent follow-through, and consistency. Here’s my take on establishing a business: you can’t give too much service; there’s no such thing as too much education for your staff and customer; you must repeatedly inform your customer of what you intend to do with your business; follow up and follow through; and make doing business with your company an absolute effortless joy! EXCITE! Hold monthly events for your customers. Customers gravitate toward events that make them feel special, increase their quality of life, and offer cutting-edge trends. Whether it’s the changing of the seasons, a holiday celebration, or just a Saturday that you want to appreciate your customer make your clientele look forward to the happenings in your store. There’s lots of competition out there. Make sure you stay “ahead of the pack” by doing something different and doing it regularly. ENTERTAIN! Appeal to a consumer’s sense of fun! I say, “Elated emotions equal elevated spending!” Create a diversion in a customer’s daily routine. Help them “escape” by offering a whimsical shopping experience. Give local artists or authors free space in your store; play extreme winter sports videos in the window; turn a snowy day into a Caribbean breeze—sell sunglasses, serve lemonade, hand out plastic leis. As Anthony Robbins says, “We aren’t in an information age; we are in an entertainment age.” EMOTION! Consumers make decisions to purchase discretionary products largely based on emotion; because there is no strictly rational reason for buying something you don’t need! So remember to play on a customer’s emotion. Tap into their dreams and desires and you have yourself a sale! 
"M" is for Make a FriendAlways strive to make a friend, not just a sale. Concentrate on building relationships with your clients. I remember years ago receiving a wonderful letter from a customer who was thrilled with the service I provided him. He had come into town for a convention and I provided his group with a short speech on customer service. It was close to Christmas and I was making cookies that afternoon to send to all of my friends around the world. (They expect them every year!) After my speech he came to me to ask if he could get on my cookie list. I surprised him with two dozen of my world famous Snickerdoodles and had them delivered to his office the next week. Well, it certainly did make an impact on him. I can’t tell you how many of his family members and friends shopped with me over the next several years! Always make a friend, not just a sale. Because without customer loyalty you don’t have a business. Herewith I give you my recipe for Snickerdoodles! LISA’S FAMOUS SNICKERDOODLES Temperature: 400 degrees Mix together thoroughly… Sift together and stir in… Chill dough overnight. Roll into balls the size of small walnuts. Roll in mixture of 2 T. sugar and 2 tsp. cinnamon. Then roll in either red or green sugar crystals. Place about 2” apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned but still soft. (These cookies puff up at first and then flatten out with crinkled tops.) 
"Trends come and go but personal style stands the test of time. Find your own style and stick with it regardless of what's ‘in vogue’ for the season."When I think of women that I admire for the way they dress several leap into my mind. My grandmother was one of them—such an elegant lady, remarkably, even in her house coat! And then there were the icons of style—such as Jackie Kennedy Onassis and Audrey Hepburn. These women found their own best style and stuck to it even in the midst of the many changing tides of fashion. So many times I have seen trends that are not attractive on very many people—and yet the girls and women still wear them. Here are a few examples: tube tops, leggings, stirrup pants, bellbottoms, shrugs, midriff tops, and low-rise pants. What if, instead, you dressed for your body type, your age, and your profession, and always made a commitment to yourself to step out looking your best? I recently watched a documentary about the Big Bands and Swing dancing. One of the interviewees made an excellent point. She said that in the 1940’s we spent more time on grooming, dressing up, going out to dinner and dancing, in style—and that she felt this was a good way for people to treat each other. It showed a certain amount of respect for the company you were with. I believe she is right! Take a look at the lovely ladies below. By the way, that’s my grandmother in the big hat and white gloves!
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