I've just posted a new Freebie on my website based on the presentation I gave in January at the IDEX Show.

It's called Turning Your Customers Into Fans.

If you want to grow your business, you can use traditional marketing and advertising. But everyone knows that Word-of-Mouth is the strongest form of persuasion. And you'll get far more WOM if your customers aren't just customers, but are stark raving fans, evangelists for you.

Knowing how to turn them into fans, and how to empower that evangelism is now available for you free of charge. Check it out.

Cheers!

-Phil

Phil Wrzesinski owns and operates Toy House and Baby Too, one of the 25 best independent stores in America.  He shares his business secrets here and at www.PhilsForum.com.

Many businesses tend to focus on acquiring new customers while inadvertently failing to maintain healthy relationships with their regulars. This is only natural; it's simple to assume that once you've got a person's business then they're full aware of your products, what you're offering, and what your business is all about. This is an unsafe assumption and couldn't be more wrong. There are a variety of ways to spice up your relationship with your repeat customers. Some might seem obvious, but oftentimes the obvious is overlooked. Sound fun? Let's get to it.

For starters, get to know them. It's a simple way to cater to their desires. Customers are often more than willing to share information in lieu of a wonderful shopping experience. Data such as zip codes, shopping preferences, age, and gender all provide valuable insight into why a person might frequent your store, and more importantly, what they'd spend their money on.

It's pretty much a universally accepted truth.  Word-of-Mouth is the best form of advertising.  And most people add... "and best of all, it's free!"

Really?

If you remember from an earlier post, Roy Williams said that word-of-mouth (WOM) comes from 3 things:

• Over-the-top Design
• Over-the-top Performance
• Over-the-top Generosity

These all cost money. You either spent money on the design, on the hiring & training a superior staff, or on the stuff you gave away.

One thing that surprised me was that Roy didn't mention the WOM you can get from Over-the-Top Advertising (something you're already sepnding money on). 

When people talk about your business what are they saying?  Do you know?  More importantly, are people even talking about your business?  Have you given them something to talk about?

Roy H. Williams, aka Wizard of Ads, mentioned three ways at a recent conference to help you get WOM (word-of-mouth) from your customers.

First, you could choose to be over-the-top excellent in Design.  Your store layout, merchandising, decorating, facade and mood could be so unique and outstanding that people talk about it for days and weeks afterward.  Have you ever seen the Ferris Wheel at the Times Square Toys R Us?  That's over-the-top Design. 

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace. You've heard the names. Some of you even have accounts - personal and business. And everywhere you turn, another talking head tells you how these new Social Media platforms are going to change advertising as we know it. Yet the critic in the back of your head wonders if it's really true when they say Social Media is going to make all other forms of advertising obsolete.

You don’t need to do much advertising if your store is located across the street from the famous Wall Drug in South Dakota.  Wall Drug does that for you, promoting their famous “free ice water” and 5¢ coffee to anyone traversing the state’s highways.

For New Yorker's, Fashion Week is a holiday. Whether you work in fashion or not, you can't help but be swept up in bustle of models, shows, beautiful apparel and celebrities.
When most think of fashion labels, we think of large, international corporations, but actually most fashion designers and labels in New York are independent retailers trying to make their business' profitable like any other independent retailer.

It's not that I'm taking the lazy blogger's path today. It's that no one can give you the details better than the founder of HopeIsInTheCards himself. So, here it is. A way for retailers to brand themselves by aligning themselves with hope. To help themselves by spreading joy...er, Hope.  To benefit from the exposure of a campagin. And think of the possible networking possibilities! So, ta da!  Here is must-read media release:

Week of HOPE to launch Sept. 1 with help from retailers across America

I love Disney.

 When I speak at tradeshows or conferences, I attend the other seminars to glean more information for my own teaching.

That was especially true at the National Stationery Show (www.NationalStationeryShow.com) because the show's buyer education program offered an exceptional lineup of savvy and experienced speakers.