Retail Ideas

Weight Loss

Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Many of you are probably going to be working right through it figuring out ways to trim the fat from your budgets for 2009.

In the spirit of a little fun, since so much of the news has been so heavy lately, I thought I would write one post with a lighter message.

This year, I have lost 51 pounds. Yes, it’s true. Why would you care? You don’t- I know that, but you might want to know how I did it because the lessons apply equally to your businesses.

So, here goes and…if you never get one more take away from me this year (which I hope you do)  please get this one: never forget the power of a personal story to drive home an important message to your audience.

In February of this year, I moved from Florida to Minneapolis. Yes, you read that right. February. That begins with the same letter as FREEZING. I moved for a client assignment. I am going to be honest-it didn’t work out as planned (not all of them do) and so I was in Minneapolis in the middle of winter with no friends, no big client and, well, you get the picture. Time to buckle down and re-evaluate. Do I move back to Florida or do I start a new life here and CHANGE the way I am living in order to move forward?

And, no doubt, many of you are facing that same dilemma in your businesses. Do you keep doing the same things with just minor tweaks or do you CHANGE THE WAY YOU ARE RUNNING YOUR BUSINESS in order to move forward? Not an easy decision. Because, just like for me, the decisions you made in the past, while based on your best business judgment, sometimes don’t work out due to circumstances beyond your control. No matter which way you look at, the raw facts are that many businesses in our industry are losing money. You took calculated, well-thought through risks-just as I did-and circumstances changed. That is life.  Now, it’s the NEXT STEPS that are critical.
Back into my story… there I was in the land of 10,000 lakes-skating, if you will, on thin ice. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)

So, I stepped back and said, “What is the one thing I can do this year that will make the biggest difference in my life and help me move forward with my business and personal goals?” And the answer was, “Lose weight.” I said to myself, “That is going to be my JOB and I am going to apply myself to it just as diligently as I have applied myself to my most successful professional accomplishments.” I got focused, clear and determined. BUT, I didn’t know how to get there by myself. I had a LOT of weight to lose.

Back to you… Does your company have a lot of “weight” to lose? What are you doing that is just NOT WORKING anymore? What are you doing that is NOT MEASURABLE and has no ACCOUNTABILITY attached to it? What are you AFRAID of? Going out of business? Losing control? Being seen as vulnerable if you are the leader? Here is my advice: GET OVER IT. You know what happens to leaders who admit they don’t have all the answers? They are respected even more because vulnerability is a lovely trait as NONE of us will ever have all the answers because we can’t predict what the next minute will bring much less the next year. Our world is just changing too rapidly right now. If  you go to your employees and say, “I don’t have all the answers, I want to really work with you to figure out how we can use ANY of the tools that are available to us that I MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT OR UNDERSTAND”-they will rally right to your side immediately. It is so rare to have a leader admit this and ask for help. It’s not easy for leaders to ask for help, but it is a REQUIREMENT if what you’re doing(eating) is not working and you can’t meet your budgets and revenue goals as a result.

Back to me…so, I joined Weight Watchers and I joined Team Fitness at my local health club. I said, “I can’t do this by myself. I need help, I need to learn from people who know more than I do about nutrition and exercise.” And, slowly, month by month by month this year, I dropped the weight. I stayed committed, focused and determined all year and have completely changed how I live my life as a result.

It has not been easy. It HAS been expensive(all of this costs money, but, let me tell you-buying size 6 clothes was the most fun I’ve had in a long time!) and it has forced me to make hard choices every single day. But….I did it. And so can you.

Now, back to you…

I know all of you are looking for ways to cut your overhead(lose weight). BUT, you must also INVEST now in those actions which will get you where you want to go. So, it’s time for a TOTAL re-allocation of your budgets into those actions that are: MEASURABLE, FOCUSED ON  ENGAGING YOUR CONSUMER WHEREVER THEY ARE AT A GIVEN MOMENT IN TIME(this is why mobile text messaging and social networks like Twitter are gaining SO much traction right now) and making sure your teams  are set up, trained and have the tools necessary to convert every opportunity into a sale  By the way- do you REALLY  know where your traffic  is coming from now- emails, the phone,  or the front door? Your front door traffic may be light, but, I suspect that your virtual traffic, if you have a decent website, is gaining weight. Does your sales team have the tools they need for immediately gratifying your over the phone or online customer’s questions?

In 2009, there are four keywords for retailers: authentic, measurable, community, engagement. Filter every advertising, marketing and sales decision you make through those four words and you will immediately see where you need to re-allocate in order to cut the fat out and become healthier and stronger than you were before. On your websites, in your literature, over the phone, in person, tell YOUR stories. The stories that make your store, your merchandise and your business ethics transparent and real to your potential customers

Back to my story..

Now, I buy organic foods and know what to eat to keep the weight off.  And, you know what? I spent a LOT LESS money on food this year-overall-than I did last year because I cut out what wasn’t working-eating at restaurants. What’s not working for you? CUT IT OUT. But, remember, what DOES WORK will need an upfront investment for a long term gain(just as I had to invest in WW, health clubs, better food, clothes, etc.)   Experiment with what produces results. Cake doesn’t. Fat free cool whip does! And, if you need help getting there, call me. I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but, having sold to high end furniture consumers  for 20 years and now having worked with over 40 retailers and manufacturers, I can help you understand how your company can benefit from my specialties-web based new social media, the internet and training and can be the “personal trainer” for you in these areas as you begin leading your company into a healthier, profitable and sustainable future.

Reality-cut operating expenses. How?

Right now, almost all of my readers are wondering how they can cut operating expenses in 2009. Budgets are being squeezed-every line item is being scrutinized for ROI. It’s all good.

And, all of a sudden, I am getting A LOT of phone calls and emails asking for help in understanding how to set up a digital marketing strategy using social networking and online reputation management tools and IF AND HOW their effectiveness can be measured. Now, part of that might be due to my last blog post here on CEO of MAJOR MANUFACTURER SAYS…,but part of it is due to my OWN use of social networking to build the reach of MY business.

Have I produced income from my efforts,  YES. Is it still a work in progress, YES. Does it take money, YES. I have to learn and keep learning from the best and buying their information takes money, but NOT MUCH and ONLY ONCE. What it does take is TIME and CONSTANT MONITORING. But, since it doesn’t take much money and I am committed to the time investment, then I am here to tell you that these tools WORK to bring you business.

Watch for a press release this week on a major mfg. who has teamed with me to implement a social networking strategy to gain marketplace traction and for product development. A leader, a visionary and a risk taker. YES!

I have been writing so much lately on this topic and thought it was important to do it for my OWN business, too, so I could see the results and BE THE CHANGE that I am asking my potential clients to be, too.

Here are the three most important things I have found out that can help you, too:

1. Building a social networking strategy, once the goals and objectives are understood, is fast and gets very fast results.
2. Marketing campaigns using social networking tools can be measured for ROI VERY easily with the right analytics tool installed on your website. This tool costs money(unlike Google analytics which is free) but EVERY campaign you launch can be measured exactly IN REAL TIME and conversions can be tracked on a minute to minute basis. Have we ever had this ability before? NO. It now exists. Your marketing and ad dollars can be instantly re-aligned to support the efforts that are driving your sales. Magical? Seemingly. Real? Yes, again.
3. Implementation of a social networking and/or online reputation management strategy costs money up front, BUT, once it’s set up, the ongoing costs are MUCH LOWER than traditional advertising. So, you are really, if you’re committed to doing things that work and are measurable,  looking at a RE-ALLOCATION of dollars you have ALREADY budgeted for traditional mediac campaigns-not necessarily spending NEW dollars that you may not have right now.

I had a call last week from a very prominent independent retailer. He said to me, ” Leslie, what I do know is that our newspaper advertising ISN’T working.” “We aren’t getting the traffic from it that we used to.” “I don’t know how to use social networking, but I know I have to DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY next year if I want to stay in business.” “Can you help us?”

My answer to all of you asking this question and having these same thoughts is, YES.

Let me share some of the things I am doing for my own business. I am using www.twitter.com for micro blogging, I have a Facebook for Business page at The Kaleidoscope Partnership and I am actively involved in LinkedIn and belong to several groups where I actively contribute to their discussions and help other people find the answers they are looking to find. I share. I am building a community around my brand.

You can do the same.

Here is something to think about… Ashley Furniture had a BRILLIANT advertising campaign called, “Who is Ashley?” Thousands of women wanted to be “Ashley” and they had huge turnouts in their stores for women vying to be “Ashley.”

Now, today, if Ashley were using social networking like it can and should be used, they would be doing this: They would have a blog called, “Ask Ashley.” They would have a social networking site called, ” Designing Your Home with Ashley.” “Ashley” would be twittering at www.twitter.com about all the latest Ashley events, products, etc. and answering design related questions. “Ashley” would be on Facebook asking all the “Ashleys” of the world to join her and post pictures of their rooms.”

You get the idea…. now, if you were Ethan Allen, you would do the same thing.. and on it goes. THIS is the power of social networking… you’re building communities of people who share similar interests around your brand.

Want to see an example of a furniture store doing it well? They are ecommerce only. Check them out: http://fansofhomereserve.ning.com/. Also, visit their website at www.homereserve.com. Make sure to see their guest comments on their website.  They are spot on. I don’t know them, they’re not my client(although that would be great if they were!) but, I’m sharing this with you because it’s SO IMPORTANT. And that’s what social networking is all about-sharing valuable content around things that matter to other people so we all win…and that’s what I’m doing here with you.

If you want to see more, learn more, you can do these things today:

1. Follow me on www.twitter.com at tkpleslie
2. Join my LinkedIn group: Social Networking for Furniture Retailers, Manufacturers and Suppliers.
3. Follow me on Facebook at The Kaleidoscope Partnership or ask to be my friend on my personal Facebook page.
4. Read my articles that I’m writing for Furniture World magazine which are archived at www.furninfo.com
5. Call me so I can help you get prepared with a digital marketing strategy for 2009 and beyond at 713.705.2482 or emal me at leslie@tkpartnership.com

I am being the change that I am trying to help all of you make… Watch. It works.

CEO of Major Manufacturer says...

CEO of MAJOR mfg. when asked what surprised him most at market, “How many of my dealers are down 30% and don’t have the faintest idea of what to do about it.”

I was the one who asked him this question when we were seated next to each other at the American Hall of Fame Dinner and this answer blew me away-both for its honesty and what it told me about the state of furniture retailing today.

So, I am going to use this post today to tell you a bit about the world of social networking through my own story and to ask you, dear readers, to hire my company to help you navigate this morass of uncertainty and consumer reluctance. I am asking this sincerely as I know for a fact-not a theory-that  social networking, online reputation management  strategies and careful data mining of your website’s analytics-properly and carefully thought through and deployed-can get you out of this mess, but I need you to work with me. Hopefully, the information I’ve given and shared freely with you over the past three years has helped you and you have seen some value from the ideas  you may have implemented.

Here is my story..in full disclosure mode. I write this column  for Furniture Today for free. I have never received any money for it nor any special dispensation from Furniture Today. No ads in the magazine, nothing. I do it because I have a SINCERE desire to help the industry where I have spent my entire professional life. I am lucky enough to work independently and to have worked, over the past six years, with over 40 retailers, manufacturers, suppliers and hundreds and hundreds of retail sales consultants. My value proposition to you is that I understand the needs of ALL stakeholders in our industry and I also happen to love to write and share my knowledge. I am a strategic thinker and PASSIONATE  about the internet, social networking and the convergence of the online and offline worlds.

I have a blazing desire to work with you professionally to show you how to navigate the world of social networking, online reputation managment and analytics. They are THE three key marketing disciplines that MUST be implemented by all of you in ‘09. These are not “maybe” propositions. Over 560 million people use some sort of social networking site on a daily basis in our world today. 560 MILLION.

Millions also look up a company’s online reputation before they ever do business with them. What plans do you have in place to capitalize on this? Most have none. NONE. THIS is why our industry  is in trouble…we are just not UP TO SPEED and it is sinking many of you. We are NOT WHERE THE CONSUMER IS. It is time to stop wondering and thinking and JUMP IN AND TAKE ACTION.

I KNOW you don’t all understand the internet. Many barely understand search engine optimization, much less social networking and online reputation management and data mining of analytics. But, it’s OK. That is why I am asking you to let my company help you. I DO UNDERSTAND and can guide you properly.

And, here is the reason why this is a smart business decision-because once you have a strategy in place, social networking tools , online reputation management tools and analytics are FREE. So, you have a one time cost of implementation and then YOU ARE DONE. Your marketing and advertising becomes a  GREATLY REDUCED line item in your budgets and your marketing, advertising and sales expenses  become much more tightly aligned and targeted to what your actual consumers are wanting from you.

Please, read that again. You will (not maybe, but WILL) greatly reduce your operating expenses while at the same time increasing your top line revenue. It is instant? NO. Nothing is instant. Is it IMPERATIVE? YES. YES. and YES. Just because you may not use these tools yourselves, understand that your CUSTOMERS and your FUTURE customers ARE USING THEM TODAY.

It is literally PAINFUL for me to watch our industry floundering and KNOW that the solution is within reach of all of you. It’s just that no one understands it(either at all or not very well) so the word is not getting out that there IS a way out-RIGHT NOW.

I  am doing all I can, for free, to help you through the writing of this column and my Technology and Retail series I am writing for Furniture World magazine(www.furninfo.com).

But, now, I feel that I have to take this one step further and ask you to hire my company, The Kaleidoscope Partnership, to help you navigate these new marketing tools so you will have the know how to pull out of this slump and survive and thrive. These tools DO work- there are case studies upon case studies available about it-but I can’t have these conversations for free-as many of you ask me to do when you email or call me privately.

So, TODAY, take action. Call or email me and ask me to help you. The sad truth is that many mfgs. and/or retailers have marketing VP’s who can barely keep their heads above water and simply don’t have TIME to understand these new marketing paradigms. I will work WITH your currrent teams to give them workshops, educate them, and help them strategize, based on YOUR market demographics, how social networking, online reputation management and analytics tools can be deployed so that 2009 will be the best year IT CAN BE for your business.

At the very least, you will know that you are moving forward and learning and, best of all, when the strategies are deployed, your customers will know it, too, and respond accordingly. Everyone wants to do business with a winner.

Still have doubts. Look at Apple, Target, Ikea. They GET IT and there is nothing they are doing that you cannot do-even if you have to do it on a much, much smaller scale due to your budget.

Give me a call at 713.705.2482 or email me at leslie@tkpartnership.com. Follow me on twitter at tkpleslie and/or ask to be a “fan” of  my business on Facebook at, The Kaleidoscope Partnership. And, if you want, go to www.linkedin.com and link in with me. Let’s work together and make this a win win for each other’s businesses. That’s how we’ll  survive and grow-by me supporting you and you supporting me through hiring me to help you understand how to use these new tools-which, again, once you get it, are FREE.

And, if you still don’t believe it…. Best Buy, Wal Mart, Toys R Us and Kohl’s have, since May,added Facebook pages for their businesses. Why? Because they recognize the value in FREE and energizing their consumers-even it it means opening up their businesses to criticism. Why? Because they’ve decided to listen and change to adapt to their consumer’s preferences-even when it’s painful-even when they don’t like it-even when it topples existing power structures or long held beliefs. They understand their consumers control their brands-they GET that they MUST enter the conversation-not control it.

The tipping point is here and now…not next year…not three budget cycles from now. NOW.