February 2011 by FOCUS ON FASHION RETAIL

FASHION

Fashion Experts

recommend the following trends for

Rachel Rachel Roy (Macy’s)

Calleen Cordero

6 7

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Spring-Summer 2011

Calleen Cordero

American Rag (Macy’s)

FASHION

Young Contemporary

The Trend: CULTURE CLUB A fresh and flirty attitude gives way to a nostalgic ambiance of florals, stripes and quirky prints in faded color families, popped by vibrant hues. The trend lends itself to atypical pairings and a mixing of print and pattern. Easy and effortless spring dressing references lady-like 70’s silhouettes of new rompers, maxi skirts and dresses paired with layers of chambray and crochet. Key colors include muted greens, browns and purples with bright reds and yellows.

Style & Co (Macy’s)

KEY ELEMENTS Crop tops, full-fit trousers, fresh floral prints, crochet vests & cardigans, bell-bottomed denim, maxi dresses, printed shorts.

The Trend: TOUGH LOVE Mischievous moods channel an air of punk styling and military characteristics; rich, saturated colors pair back to washed neutrals. Full-fit trousers worn with cropped tops offer a mood of luxe grunge. Moto vests become the new layering piece, looking great when paired with highwaisted shorts and utility inspired shirtings. Look for apparel and accessories in pale gold, smoky blue, clover green, deep plum and dove grey. Alfani (Macy’s)

KEY ELEMENTS Moto vests, high-waisted shorts, cropped screen tees, utility shirting, controlled volume tops, printed pants, denim jackets.

Donna Soft

The Trend: DAY GLOW Playful acidic pops and synthetic hues lend themselves to bold and spontaneous color clashes. New techno native and electric ethnic patterns offer newness to easy high summer dressing. Fresh conversational prints in crop tops and oversized tanks pair well with color saturated denim and soft high-waisted shorts. Brighten up your wardrobe with raspberry rose, Irish green, scarlet reds, lively blues and yellows anchored by zinc grey.

Style & Co (Macy’s)

KEY ELEMENTS New rompers, tie-dyed tees, vintage inspired screen tees, pop-art prints, all-over conversational prints, printed denim shorts, Aztec patterns. Young Contemporary Hot List:

« « « « « « «

Crochet Tops Crop Tops Full-Fit Trousers Maxi Dresses and Skirts Moto Vests Printed Shorts Rompers

Emilio Pucci

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FASHION RTW and Accessories The Spring 2011 seasonal color message is heavily inspired by reflections mirroring the ocean’s multi-hued surface. Watery tones of aqua, turquoise, teal and marine illustrate the key palette. The reassuring calmness of pale blue, mixed with the vibrancy of bolder shades, injects new life into classic patterns this season.

Mary-Kyri

KEY ELEMENTS Soft constructed sport coats, slim suits, fitted dress shirts, bow ties, narrow neckwear, linen, cotton blends, tropical weight wools, peak lapels, double breasted, printed wovens, updated rugbys, fine gauge knits, hoodies, stripes, gingham checks, subtle plaids, geometric patterns, treated nylons, washed leather, updated boat shoes, canvas sneakers.

The Trend: URBAN ISLAND Take a fashion voyage to an urban island where a neutral palette is the landscape and the horizon is populated with dense shades of green. Sophisticated utility is the message with tonal hues of tan, wheat and sand playing against the uniformed preciseness of varied shades of green, olive, moss and kale, resulting in a “wear now” approach to seasonal dressing.

Lella Baldi by Mary

Rachel Rachel Roy (Macy’s)

KEY ELEMENTS Slim suiting, flat front trousers, narrow neckwear, neutral dress shirt and neckwear combination, tropical weight wools, silk, cotton, linen, subtle plaids, peak lapels, utility shirts and pants, desert boots, loafers, canvas sneakers, messenger bags, fabric belts, rolled sleeved shirts, slim cargo pants, paper finish nylon, drawstring detail.

The Trend: THE RAINFOREST This trend is inspired by the lush and tropical environment imagined deep within a “rainforest.” Vibrant color like raspberry sorbet, tigerlilly, classic green and lemon chrome anchors this bright palette. Look for exotic florals and ethnic patterns to collide together resulting in an energetic fusion of newness for wovens, neckwear, swimwear and flip-flops. KEY ELEMENTS Floral patterned wovens, bold colored polos, tropical patterned t-shirts, colored cargo pocket shorts, reworked paisleys, board shorts, square cut trunks, fitted polos, sleeveless t-shirts, leather sandals, color blocking, tie dye, water inspired abstracts.

Rachel Rachel Roy (Macy’s) 8

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Clara Kasavina

The Trend: EARN YOUR STRIPES Spring 2011 salutes the return of stripes as the season’s key pattern message. Look for bold color combinations and repositioned horizontal/

FASHION vertical placement to lead the charge. Also important are ombre inspired and space dye effects, which all work at achieving top honors on the season’s newest neckwear, dress shirts, t-shirts, polos, belts, socks and swimwear.

Taccetti

KEY ELEMENTS Floral patterned wovens, bold colored polos, tropical patterned t-shirts, colored cargo pocket

Ideologie

Material Girl (Macy’s)

Hammitt

Ideologie

Donald J Pliner

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Gianmarco Lorenzi

Drap

Casadei

Francheska

Donna Karan Ted Baker

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Trends for Spring-Summer 2011

FASHION

« « « « « « «

FASHION

« « « « « « «

Vicini

Macy’s

ICE Iceberg

Igi & Co

Mare

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FASHION Men’s and Young Men’s The Spring 2011 seasonal color message is heavily inspired by reflections mirroring the ocean’s multi-hued surface. Watery tones of aqua, turquoise, teal and marine illustrate the key palette. The reassuring calmness of pale blue, mixed with vibrancy of bolder shades, injects new life into classic patterns this season.

Brecos

Soft constructed sport coats, slim suits, fitted dress shirts bow ties, narrow neckwear, linen, cotton blends, tropical weight wools, peak lapels, double breasted, printed wovens, updated rugbys, fine gauge knits, hoodies, stripes, gingham checks, sublte plaids, geometric patterns, treated nylons, washed leather, updated boat shoes, canvas sneakers. Take a fashion voyage to an urban island, where a neutral palette is the landscape and the horizon is populated with dense shades of green. Sophisticated utility is the message with tonal hues of tan, wheat and sand playing against the uniformed preciseness of varied shades of green, olive, moss and kale, resulting in a “wear now” approach to seasonal dressing. Slim suiting, flat front trousers, narrow neckwear, neutral dress shirt and neckwear combination, tropical weight wool, silk, cotton, linen, subtle plaids, peak lapels, utility shirts and pants, desert boots, loafers, canvas sneakers, messenger bags, fabric belts, rolled sleeved shirts, slim cargo pants, paper finish nylon, drawstring detail. This trend is inspired by the lush and tropical environment imagined deep within a “rainforest.” Vibrant color like raspberry sorbet, tigerlilly, classic green and lemon chrome anchors this bright palette. Look for exotic florals and ethnic patterns to collide together resulting in an energetic fusion of newness for wovens, neckwear, swimwear and flip-flops. Floral patterned wovens, bold colored polos, tropical patterned t-shirts, colored cargo pocket shorts, reworked paisleys, board shorts, square cut trunks, fitted polos, sleeveless t-shirts, leather sandals, color blocking, tie dye, water inspired abstracts.

I.N.C. (Macy’s)

Ted Baker

Spring 2011 salutes the return of stripes as the season’s key pattern message. Look for bold color combinations and repositioned horizontal/vertical placement to lead the change. Also important are ombre inspired and space dye effects, which all work at achieving top honors on the season’s newest neckwear, dress shirts, t-shorts, polos, belts, socks and swimwear.

Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 1

FASHION

« Nicola Benson

Kebo

Slade Wilder (Macy’s)

Teva

Roberto Guerrini

December 2010

FASHION

« Ted Baker

Kioss

Tremp

Tommy Hillfiger (Macy’s)

Fabi

Mauri

December 2010

CONSUMER BEHAVIOR

Shopping: Why We Love It and How Retailers Can Create the Ultimate Customer Experience. Part 1/2

By Pamela N. Danziger. Excerpts for the book.

Shopping Gives People Pleasure The hot new trend in the study of consumer preferences and behavior is neuromarketing. Neuromarketers study the physiology of the brain as marketing and advertising messages and brand choices stimulate it. Marketing companies all across the country are hanging up shingles to delve into brain physiology and translate findings from brain scans to branding strategies. Nevertheless, you don’t need to hook shoppers up to wires and electrodes or study them with a magnetic resonance imaging scanner to figure out that shopping activates powerful pleasure centers in the brain. All you have to do it talk to consumers, like these passionate shoppers: • “I love everything about it. I love to buy stuff, but I sometimes feel guilty when I buy stuff that I really didn’t need. But fortunately I can afford it. I love to shop.” • “I love to shop. It’s therapeutic when I’m stressed out. I just go browse. I can go [shopping] for three hours and not buy anything, but I know where to buy the next thing the next time.” • “I love to spend money. I just love to shop and buy things.” • “I like Internet shopping, but I’m a very tactile person. I’ve got to feel it and touch it and see how that color looks, so I don’t think it will ever replace actually going shopping and having the experience.” • “I love to go shopping with my shopping buddies. I love to socialize and spend time with my friends shopping. We often go to lunch at the mall and browse some of the stores. It is a fun little hobby.” 18

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CONSUMER BEHAVIOR • “My husband is a shopaholic more than I am. He loves to shop. We’re building our new house and he is busy picking out paint colors and furniture and carpet and stuff like that that guys normally hate to do, but he absolutely loves it.” While I am sure the fledgling science of neuromarketing, also called neuroeconomics, will provide valuable insights about consumers in the future, for now we still have plenty more to learn about shoppers just by using the traditional methodologies of psychology and behavioral studies. What is missing in the neuromarketing approach to consumer research is how to translate learning from brain scans and MRI images into actionable marketing and retailing strategies. One of the pioneers in the new science, Read Montague of Baylor College of Medicine, conducted a study to test whether consumers prefer the taste of Pepsi or Coca Cola and how their taste preferences translate into brand preferences. He found that people preferred the taste of Pepsi up until they learned that the one they didn’t like as much was Coke, and then their brand preference changed to Coke. This research is interesting, but it doesn’t provide any guidance to the Pepsi people about how to get people to buy more of their product. The good old-fashioned research approaches that probe people’s motivations work better in giving insights marketers and retailers can use. Major national retailers like Nordstrom, The Apple store, Saks Fifth Avenue, Aerosoles, QVC, Barnes & Noble, and Target evoke powerful consumer emotions, as do small independently owned stores, like Charleston’s Tiger Lily Florist, Atlanta’s Boxwoods Gardens & Gifts, Atchison, Kansas’s Nell Hill’s, and Rapid City’s Prairie Edge. These stores share specific attributes, what I call the pop equation, that make people love to shop in them and with them. Throughout the pages of this book, you will learn more about the motivations, desires, and passions of shoppers; the characteristics of stores that evoke passion in their shoppers; and how to put these insights to work to transform your stores into a retail experience your shoppers will love.

People Love to Shop in Stores that Love Them Back “He liked to like people, therefore people liked him.” Mark Twain While many people enjoy shopping, get a thrill shopping for bargains or something really special, and shop for fun and recreation—I call these people the passionate shoppers—not all shoppers love shopping in all stores. What makes people love shopping in a particular store and makes them passionate about the experience in that store is that the store, in a very real sense, loves the shoppers back. By a store loving its shoppers back, I mean the store itself is passionate about delighting the customer. The staff shows a passion for the shoppers in the way they serve them and care for them. The © FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail

design of the store shows passion for the shoppers’ pleasure. The merchandise selection shows it. Everything in the store and in the experience of shopping in the store is designed to romance and entice the shopper. A shop that pops is one that puts the consumer first before anything else—it is passionate about the customer. This results in the customer being passionate about shopping there. The stores that offer extraordinary shopping experiences are also the ones that are truly consumer-centric in all aspects of their operation. In turn, shoppers pay back these consumer-centric stores with a passion that is overwhelming. They love to shop there, so they shop more often, spend more time in the store, and as a result spend more money. They love to tell their friends about shopping there, so they become retail store evangelists sending out powerful word-of-mouth messages that entice more people to shop in the store. It is viral marketing of the retail variety.

Shoppers don’t love a store simply because they love the merchandise they carry. They love astore because it touches them personally and emotionally. What is really important to understand about shopping today is that shoppers focus on the total shopping experience. They don’t love a store simply because they love the merchandise they carry. They love a store because it touches them personally and emotionally. Sure they connect with the merchandise at some level, but what really evokes passion is the retailing experience. This shopper who loves shopping at Nordstrom says it best, “I love Nordstrom’s, that’s my favorite. The customer service is great. It’s the best, because

they’re there if you need them, but they’re not hovering. And I love the music. I love how they have the piano and the classical or the pop music playing. It’s just a nice atmosphere. It’s clean. It’s well organized. They have space between the rows. You’re not all jammed in there like at Macy’s or somewhere where you can’t turn around. It’s just a pleasant atmosphere. It’s a pleasant experience going in their store.” Note that she doesn’t say a word about the merchandise or the brands, she only comments about the display of the merchandise.

This shift toward the shopping experience marks the biggest change to occur in the retailing landscape over the past century. This shift toward the shopping experience marks the biggest change to occur in the retailing landscape over the past century. A shift away from retailing as a business of selling more merchandise—a products-based business—into a business that creates shopping experiences for the consumer—a people-based business— with the objective of selling stuff purely as a consequence or end result of that experience. Retailers, large and small, who operate on a national scale or out of one store front, and those who sell over the Internet, through catalogs or host party plans, must embrace this experiential shift.

Everything About Shopping Has Changed “The best way to predict the future is to create it” Peter Drucker Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 1

CONSUMER BEHAVIOR three (or more) decades of the 20th century, however, the number, selection, and diversity of retailers has exploded. People have more places to shop and so they can be more discerning about where they want to spend their valuable time.

So much stuff fills most people’s homes that shopping increasingly is less about what they really need and much more about what they want and desire. Along with the rapid expansion of places to shop, retailers have less and less truly unique things to offer the consumer because American’s standard of living has risen to such heights. So much stuff fills most people’s homes that shopping increasingly is less about what they really need and much more about what they want and desire. Throughout most of the 20th century, the business of retail at its root did not fundamentally change. A retailer, for most of the last hundred years, would look for a good location, hang up a sign, go out and buy a bunch of products at wholesale that they could sell at retail, and then arrange all the products they bought in the store for the customers to come and buy. Shoppers largely bought into this model and expected retailers to scour the world to find the products they needed and make them available at a reasonable price. While many individual retailers have come and gone, the fundamental principles of the retailing business have remained pretty much the same as for those early retailing pioneers like Misters Gimbel, Fields, Wanamaker, Sears, and Woolworth. However, dramatic changes have been afoot in the retailing landscape over the past thirty years or so that are rendering that old retailing business model obsolete. At its root is a shift in the role and expectations of the shopper. No longer contented to simply accept what the retailer thinks they want to buy; shoppers today are demanding more from the retailer than simply a wider selection of more stuff. Today the shopper wants more —lots more—when he goes shopping. Way back when, people needed to buy material goods and they didn’t have a lot of choices about where they could buy them. Therefore, the few retailers that were out there made a valuable contribution to the commercial landscape and American consumers’ quality of life. In the last

I Don’t Need another One Of Those, But I Sure Do Want It! Because it is largely want and desire not need anymore that drives American consumers in the marketplace, retailers have to appeal to shoppers’ emotions. They must focus on new and original ways to entice the shoppers to spend more money on more stuff that they really don’t need. Unfortunately, to the detriment of the balance sheets of entirely too many retailers, they have “dumbeddown” the ways that they entice shoppers to one simple factor: cheap price. They have followed the lead of Wal-Mart by playing that one note over and over again. While shoppers get a kick out of finding good stuff for less, that isn’t their only source of joy when shopping. As a result, many shoppers get fatigued with so much emphasis on discount shopping and turn toward a desire for more luxury in their shopping experience.

Increasingly success at retail is less about what the retailer has to sell and more about how they sell it. This is the new experiential paradigm shift in shopping. It is because of this experiential shift toward shopping for wants based upon emotions and away from needs that the retailers’ job has gotten so much harder. It isn’t enough anymore to find great products and price them right, because now it is

more than products that stimulate shoppers to buy. With shoppers’ desire taking the lead, the shopping experience turns toward the psychological realm, an area where executives trained for traditional retailing have little expertise. Retailers must learn how to appeal to the shoppers’ psychology throughout the entire selling process. This will become even more critical in the future as success at retail will continue to shift toward how well retailers play to the emotions, psychology, and feelings of the shopper. Increasingly success at retail is less about what the retailer has to sell and more about how they sell it. This is the new experiential paradigm shift in shopping.

The Past—The Present—The Future of Retail • 1980s The Decade of the Mall—This was the time when mall developers littered the retailing landscape with big, bulky enclosed malls. The novelty attracted shoppers and they passionately patronized these behemoths of retail. • 1990s The Decade of the Discounters—During this decade the concept of mass-merchant discounting took hold with the explosion of WalMart, Costco, the dollar stores, and all the rest of the off-priced retailers on the national scene. As recently as 1995, Wal-Mart was just a regional department store chain. • 2000s The Decade of Luxury—In this first decade of the 21st century, fickle shoppers got tried of “how low can you go” pricing and instead turned to stores that offered greater and greater luxury value at a reasonable, though not necessarily the cheapest, price. Thus the boom in luxury retailing got into full swing, with retailers like Target, TJ Maxx, and Kohls offering luxury for the masses; Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus presenting luxury for the classes; and retailers Coach, Ralph Lauren Polo, and Estee Lauder offering luxury for everyone in between through their range of branded full-priced stores, department store boutiques, and discount outlet stores. • 2010s The Decade of Experience—What’s next for retail is shoppers’ new emphasis on the experience found in the store and the shopping environment itself. With the explosion of shopping choices over the past thirty years, shoppers have virtually anything and everything they could want literally at their fingertips through the Internet. In the next decade of retailing, the experience of shopping becomes the focus.

Pamela N. Danziger is a nationally recognized expert in undertanding the mind of the consumer. She founded Unity Marketing in 1992 as a marketing consulting firm for marketers and retailers that sell luxury goods and experiences. A highly sought after keynote speaker, Danziger has addressed large conference audiences, including Global Luxury Forum, Global Shop, National Retail Federation, etc. She has appeared on NBC, CBS, Fox News and CNN and is frequently called upon by the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Businessweek, Forbes, USA Today, Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Women’s Wear Daily and other business and consumer publications for commentary and analysis. She holds a B.A. Degree in English Literature and a Master of Library Science degree. In recognition of her ground- breaking work in the luxury consumer market, Pam received the Global Luxury Award presented by Harper’s Bazaar for top luxury industry achievers in 2007. She is also the author of three books on consumer psychology and behavior. For more information, go to www.unitymarketingonline.com or email her at pam@unitymarketingonline.com 20 1

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ENTREPRENEUR OF THE MONTH

Top 3 Lessons from Ted Turner CNN Founder “You can never quit. Winners never quit, and quitters never win.” - Ted Turner Robert Edward “Ted” Turner III (born November 19, 1938) is an American media mogul and philanthropist. As a businessman, he is known as founder of the cable news network CNN, the first dedicated 24-hour cable news channel. In addition, he founded WTBS, which pioneered the superstation concept in cable television. As a philanthropist, he is known for his $1 billion gift to support UN causes, which created the United Nations Foundation, a public charity to broaden support for the UN. Turner serves as Chairman of the United Nations Foundation board of directors. After being expelled from University and divorced by his wife Turner’s life took a turn for the worse when his father killed himself. Only 24 years old, Turner took over the family business, an outdoor advertising company that was deep in debt. Nobody believed he could turn it around. Seven years later, Turner Advertising was the largest advertising company in the southeast. Turner then put his attention to television creating Turner Broadcasting Station (TBS) and Cable News Network (CNN), the first all-news cable network. Initially, CNN was not well received and it struggled to turn a 22

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profit for its first five years. As of August 2010, CNN is available in over 100 million U.S. households. Globally, CNN programming airs through CNN International, which can be seen by viewers in over 212 countries and territories. Called “Terrible Ted”, “Captain Outrageous”, and “The Mouth from the South”, here are three action items you can implement in your business from Ted Turner.

Action Item #1: Don’t Surrender Every entrepreneur will at some point face moments of doubt with their business. Is it worth all the effort and long hours? Should you keep doing this even when people around you don’t believe in your business? Here’s Ted Turner’s advice: “All my life people have said that I wasn’t going to make it. They laughed at me when I started with CBS. They laughed at me when I started CNN. They laughed at me when I bought the Braves. They laughed at me when I bought the Hawks. They laughed at me when I bought MGM.” “You can never quit. Winners never quit, and quitters never win... Watch me. I’m like a bulldog that won’t let go... Why do you think my own racing yacht is name ‘Tenacious’? Because I never quit. I’ve got a bunch of flags on my boat, but there ain’t no white flags. I don’t surrender. That’s the story of my life.” © FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail

Action Item #2: Set Goals Beyond Your Reach Take a look at the goals that you’ve set for yourself. Are they motivating? Does reading them over get you excited to start the day and get to work? Running a business can be a grind and it’s easy to get lost in the day to day activities and lose sight as to why you started the business and what your bigger picture is. Aim high with your company. Have an ambitious vision that will inspire you and the people around you to give their very best. Employees, suppliers, customers, the media, and investors all want to be a part of a business that is going to change the way we live and work. Be one of those companies! According to Turner: “I like to do things that are bigger than me... You should set goals beyond your reach so you always have something to live for... Do something. Either lead, follow or get out of the way.”

Action Item #3: Work Like Hell Nobody will tell you that starting or running a business is easy. Successful companies are created by an entrepreneurs who are passionate about making a difference in their industries. They put in the time to make a unique product or service, market it effectively, overcome the

hurdles that are put in their way, and eventually achieve success. You have to be smart about how you work but you also have to work hard. Ted Turner is an admitted overachiever and a workaholic. He frequently put in 18 hour workdays, slept most nights at CNN headquarters, and CNN staff regularly saw him leave his office to grab a cup of coffee in his bathrobe. Staff regularly worked six or seven days a week alongside Turner, with one worker claiming, “[Turner] was much more than a cheerleader. He was the kind of guy you’d want to run through a wall for.” Acknowledging that “the best way to lead is by example”, Turner inspired his staff to work just as hard as him to achieve their common goal. Here is Turner’s final piece of advice: “CNN came out of my heart and soul. In 20 short years, by all the surveys, we became the world’s most respected news source. The New York Times had been there for 100 years. We did it in 20... Early to bed, early to rise, work like hell and advertise.”

True Story Turner is a well known philanthropist and has committed many of his assets to environmental causes. In addition to his $1 billion gift to support UN causes, he owns more land than any other American and uses much of it for ranches to re-popularize bison, amassing the largest herd in the world. Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 1

ENTREPRENEUR OF THE MONTH

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TRADE SHOWS CALENDAR FEBRUARY - MARCH 2011

FEBRUARY

DATE

EVENT

LOCATION

Jan 30-Feb 1

CHICAGO MEN'S WEAR COLLECTIVE

CHICAGO, IL

•

1-3

THE NEW YORK SHOE EXPO (FFANY)

NEW YORK, NY

3-7

ATLANTA APPAREL MARKET

3-4 3-7

MARCH

•

ATLANTA, GA

•

ACTION SPORTS RETAILER ASR

SAN DIEGO, CA

•

SIMM- SEMANA INTERNACIONAL DE LA MODA

MADRID, SPAIN

PHONE •

THE MEN'S SHOW - DALLAS COLLECTIVE

DALLAS, TX

•

WSA SHOW

LAS VEGAS, NV

•

7-9

•

• •

•

LONDONEDGE/ LONDONCENTRAL

LONDON, UK

MERCEDES BENZ NEW YORK FASHION WEEK

NEW YORK, NY

11-13

AUSTRALIAN SHOE FAIR

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

•

14-16

FN PLATFORM

LAS VEGAS, NV

•

14-16

FAME

LAS VEGAS, NV

14-16

ACCESSORIESTHESHOW

LAS VEGAS, NV

14-16

MODA LAS VEGAS

LAS VEGAS, NV

14-16

MRKET LV

LAS VEGAS, NV

•

14-16

PROJECT

LAS VEGAS, NV

•

14-16

MAGIC

LAS VEGAS, NV

•

14-16

POOL TRADE SHOW

LAS VEGAS, NV

•

14-16

ENKVEGAS

LAS VEGAS, NV

•

14-16

KIDSHOW

LAS VEGAS, NV

14-17

OFF PRICE SPECIALIST SHOW

LAS VEGAS, NV

•

14-17

WOMENSWEAR IN NEVADA- WWIN

LAS VEGAS, NV

18-21

NEW ORLEANS GIFT AND JEWELRY SHOW

NEW ORLEANS, LA

18-23

LONDON FASHION WEEK

LONDON, UK

19-21

THE ATLANTA SHOE MARKET- TASM

ATLANTA, GA

19-22

FAME

NEW YORK, NY

19-22

ACCESSORIESTHESHOW

NEW YORK, NY

19-22

MODA MANHATTAN

NEW YORK, NY

20-22

FASHION COTERIE

NEW YORK, NY

20-22

SOLE COMMERCE

NEW YORK, NY

22-24

THE CHILDREN'S GREAT EVENT SHOE SHOW

ELIZABETH, NJ

•

WWW.MMART.COM WWW.FFANY.ORG

•

(404) 220-3000

WWW.AMERICASMART.COM

•

(949) 226-5744

WWW.ASRBIZ.COM

44 20 78 86 30 00

WWW.SEMANAMODA.IFEMA.ES

• •

•

★★★ N/A

•

(214) 655-6100

WWW.DALLASMARKETCENTER.COM

(818) 379-9400

WWW.WSASHOW.COM

•

44 (0) 116 289 8249

WWW.LONDONEDGE.COM

(212) 489-8300

WWW.IMGWORLD.COM

•

613 9654 7773

WWW.AEC.NET.AU

(818) 593-5000

WWW.FNPLATFORM.COM

N/A

•

(212) 686-4412

WWW.FAMESHOWS.COM

★★

•

(212) 686-4412

WWW.ACCESSORIESTHESHOW.COM

(212) 686-4412

WWW.MODAMANHATTAN.COM

•

N/A

★★★ N/A

★★★★ N/A

★★★ ★★

•

(212) 686-4412

WWW.MRKETSHOW.COM

•

(212) 951-6654

WWW.PROJECTSHOW.COM

★★★★

•

(818) 593-5000

WWW.MAGICONLINE.COM

★★★★

•

(877) 554-4834

WWW.POOLTRADESHOW.COM

•

(212) 759-8055

WWW.ENKSHOWS.COM

•

(305) 598-7019

WWW.LINGERIESHOW.CC

★★★

•

(262) 782-1600

WWW.OFFPRICESHOW.COM

★★★

•

(702) 436-4081

WWW.LINGERIESHOW.CC

★★★★

•

(630) 241-9865

WWW.HELENBRETT.COM

N/A

44 0 20 7636 7788

WWW.LONDONFASHIONWEEK.CO.UK

N/A

•

(706) 923-0580

WWW.ATLANTASHOEMARKET.COM

•

(212) 686-4412

WWW.FAMESHOWS.COM

•

(212) 686-4412

WWW.ACCESSORIESTHESHOW.COM

•

(212) 686-4412

WWW.MODAMANHATTAN.COM

•

(212) 759-8055

WWW.ENKSHOWS.COM

•

★★★ ★★★★

•

FASHION SHOW •

★★★

(312) 527-7759 (212) 751-6422

FASHION SHOW

•

FOCUS' RATING

•

10-17

WEB SITE

•

FASHION SHOW

6-8

23-25

Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 1

7-9

•

★★

★★★ ★★

★★★ N/A

★★★★ ★★★ N/A

•

(212) 759-8055

WWW.ENKSHOWS.COM

•

(718) 769-4251

WWW.TCGESS.COM

•

(415) 868-8882

WWW.ISPOCHINA.COM

N/A

•

(248) 661-4590

WWW.MISHOESHOW.COM

★

ISPO CHINA

BEIJING, CHINA

•

MICHIGAN SHOE MARKET

LIVONIA, MI

•

1-3

CHINA SHANGHAI INTERNATIONAL HOSIERY PURCHASING EXPO- CHPE

SHANGHAI, CHINA

•

5-7

(CAPSULE)

PARIS, FRANCE

6-8

CHILDREN'S CLUB

NEW YORK, NY

6-9

MICAM SHOEVENT

MILAN, ITALY

•

6-9

MIPEL

MILAN, ITALY

9-10

CHICAGO SHOE EXPO

13-15

Feb 28-Mar 1

This issue is brought to you by:

•

N/A

★★

21-54451978

WWW.CHPE.COM.CN

•

(212)206-8310

WWW.CAPSULESHOW.COM

•

(212) 759-8055

WWW.ENKSHOWS.COM

•

39 025 84511

WWW.MICAMONLINE.COM

•

39 025 84511

WWW.MIPEL.COM

CHICAGO, IL

•

(312) 943-3800

WWW.CHICAGOSHOEEXPO.COM

MODACALZADO+IBERPIEL

MADRID, SPAIN

•

34 91-772-3000

WWW.IFEMA.ES

13-15

SHOE MARKET OF THE AMERICAS (SMOTA)

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL

•

(786) 331-9000

WWW.SMOTA.COM

14-16

FOCUS

LOS ANGELES, CA

•

(213) 630-3616

WWW.CALIFORNIAMARKETCENTER.COM

★

14-16

TRANSIT- THE LOS ANGELES SHOE SHOW

LOS ANGELES, CA

•

(213) 630-3616

WWW.CALIFORNIAMARKETCENTER.COM

★

15-16

METROPOLITAN NEW YORK SHOE MARKET B&STA

EDISON, NJ

•

(212) 564-1069

WWW.BOOTSHOENY.COM

16-18

GDS INTERNATIONAL EVENT FOR SHOES & ACCESSORIES

DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY

•

(312) 781-5185

WWW.MDNA.COM

16-18

MODE SHANGHAI

SHANGHAI, CHINA

•

24-27

SOUTHWEST SHOE EXPO

DALLAS, TX

•

24-27

SAPICA

LEON, MEXICO

•

• •

•

N/A

WWW.MODESHANGHAI.NET

•

(214) 675-2176

WWW.DALLASMARKETCENTER.COM

•

(477) 152-9000

WWW.SAPICA.COM

N/A

★★ ★★ ★★★★ ★★★ ★★ ★★★ ★★

N/A

★★★★ N/A

★★ ★★★

Show dates and locations were accurate at the time ★ Awful of printing and subject ★ ★ OK to change without notice. Please contact ★ ★ ★ GOOD venues directly for ★ ★ ★ ★ Awesome the latest information. FFR’s ratings are based on reports from our correspondents, contributors, vendors and retailers who attended these events. Ratings reflect people’s opinion of show organization, traffic, convenience and value for attending /participating businesses.

LEGEND

Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 1

TRADE SHOW TIPS

18 HIDDEN RULES OF TRADE SHOWS by Mike Thimmesch. Used by permission of Skyline Exhibits www.skyline.com

Hidden rules govern almost every area of our lives. They guide our behavior and expectations, yet are rarely written down for us in neat little books. For example, there’s the 5 Second Rule: When a piece of food falls on the floor, you can eat it if you pick it up within five seconds. There’s the High Heel Rule: if a woman is taller than her date, she is less likely to wear high heels. And there’s the Full Moon Rule: On days with a full moon, there are more crimes committed and babies born.

Uncover the 18 Hidden Rules of Trade Shows Trade shows also are governed by similarly hidden, yet immutable rules. You may have already run up against them without realizing it, or discovered them through arduous experience. Since forewarned is forearmed, here are 18 hidden rules of trade shows:

The more words you put on your trade show display, the

The larger the crowd of people already in your booth, the

The person who complains the most about the value of

fewer times they will be read.

more other people will want to visit your booth.

trade shows is usually the one who knows (and tries) the

The more fun trade show attendees have in your booth during the show, the more serious business you will do after the show.

The effort each booth staffer puts forth increases as the

Your best booth staffers are usually the ones who talk the

The longer a booth staffer stretches out their break, the

Carpet belongs on the floor of your trade show booth, not

The better-looking the booth staffer’s shoes, the more

The more years you exhibit at the same show, the more

The more the trade show leads holder looks like a trash

least and listen the most.

on the display backwall.

likely the staffer will complain about sore feet.

you will have repeat customers visit you in your booth.

can, the more likely your booth captain will end up screaming.

The bigger the main visual image on your trade show exhibit, the clearer people will understand your message.

fewer leads they will take when they are actually staffing

The colors of your trade show display will likely be determined by: 1. your brand colors, or 2. the latest

The older your trade show display, the less innovative

The more aisle space bordering your booth, the

design trends or 3. your company president’s spouse.

trade show, the higher the level of hospitality you should

distance between them and their boss decreases.

the booth.

The greater the distance a visitor has traveled to attend a provide.

least.

The length of time to design your exhibit expands exponentially with the number of decision makers

your booth visitors will perceive your company.

more opportunities your staffers have to engage with attendees.

The faster you follow up your trade show leads, the greater the sales you will generate from that show.

involved. 26

Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 1

REFERENCE

shopping International Sizes

Conversion

Sizes for gloves, socks, and stockings are the same in both the US and Europe. Sock sizes correspond to the length of your foot. Clothing sometimes uses approximate size measures, such as XS (Extra Small), S (Small), M (Medium), L (Large), and XL (Extra Large). These letters are especially common on T-shirts. Each letter may represent a range of two or three numbered sizes. Asians should expect their large to correspond to a medium in the United States. But it is best to try on the clothing for fit, because there is little consistency among manufacturers. Men’s shirt and pants sizes are more consistent than women’s clothing sizes because they reflect the actual size of their dimensions in inches. Men’s shirt sizes measures the circumference of the neck and are mostly consistent. If a second number is listed, it is usually the sleeve length, and runs from 32 to 36 inches. Men’s pants are sized using the waist measurement and the inseam measurement. The inseam is the distance from crotch to hem. Men’s coats are measured according to chest size, measuring under the arms. Dress sizes depend on both height and figure type. A junior size corresponds to a height between 5’2” and 5’5” with a slender figure. A misses size corresponds to a height between 5’5” and 5’7” with a well proportioned figure. A women’s size corresponds to a height between 5’5” and 5’8” and a fuller and rounder figure. The women’s sizes do not correspond to bust measurements. A half size is somewhat shorter than a misses size and a bit fuller and rounder. A petite size is somewhat shorter than a misses size, with heights running from 4’8” to 5’4”. The more expensive the dress, the more likely the manufacturer is to label the dress with a size or two smaller than its true size.

29 8 Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 1

REFERENCE Men’s hat sizes measure the diameter of the hat if it were deformed into a perfect circle. To obtain your measurements, measure the circumference of your head across the forehead and just below the curve of the skull in back and divide the result by Pi (3.14159). Women’s hat sizes measure the circumference directly.

Women’s Dress Sizes US

US (L)

Europe

Italy

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

X-Small Small Small Medium Medium Large Large X-Large/1X 1X/2X 2X 3X 3X

4 6 8 1 1 14 16 18 20 22 24 26

32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54

36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58

In the US, each whole shoe size differs by 1/3 of an inch. In Europe, whole shoe sizes differ by 2/3 of a centimeter (about 1/4 of an inch). This makes the correspondences between US and European shoe sizes only approximate. European shoe sizes are the same for men and women. In the US a woman’s shoe is about 1 to 1-1/2 sizes greater than the same length men’s shoe. Infant shoe sizes run from 0 (4 inches) to 13 (8-1/4 inches). These correspond to European sizes 15 to 31. Boy’s shoe sizes run from 1 (8-1/2 inches) to 12 (12-1/4 inches). Girl’s shoe sizes run from 1 (8-1/4 inches) to 9-1/2 (11 inches). Add 1 to the boy’s size to get the equivalent girl’s size. Of course, there’s a lot of variability, so it is imperative to try on a shoe before purchasing. If the shoe fits, wear it.The Mondopoint system is the same as measuring the foot (not the shoe) in Millimeters (or Millimetres, mm.). However, some companies treat Mondopoint as Centimeters (Centimetres, cm.). So a shoe may be labeled either 240 (mm) or 24 (cm) if it is designed for a foot that is 240 millimeters long (including some wiggle room for socks). You may see mondopoint sizes with two numbers separated by a slash, e.g. 240/95. The second number is the width of the foot in millimeters. Europe uses a system that came from the French called Paris Points. One Paris Point equals two-thirds of a centimeter. The system starts at zero centimeters and increases. There are no half sizes. American size 0 is the same as 15 Paris Points.

Australia

Japan

6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 22 24 26

5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27

Women’s Blouse and Sweater Sizes US

Europe

32 34 36 38 40 42 44

34 36 38 40 42 44 46

40 42 44 46 48 50 52

Girl’s Shoe Sizes US & Canada UK Europe Japan

9.5 8 26 14.5

10 8.5 26.5 15

10.5 9 27 15.5

11 9.5 27.5 16

11.5 10 28 16.5

12 10.5 28.5 17

12.5 11 29 17.5

13 11.5 30 18

13.5 12 30.5 18.5

1 12.5 31 19

1.5 13 31.5 19.5

2 13.5 32.2 20

2.5 1 33 20.5

3 1.5 33.5 21

3.5 2 34 21.5

4 2.5 35 22

9.5 7 8 41 6.5 25.5

10 7.5 8.5 42 7 26

10.5 8 9 43 7.5 27

12 9.5 10.5 44 9 28

13 10.5 11.5 45 10 29

14 11.5 12.5 46.5 11 30

15.5 13 14 48.5 12.5 31

10 1/8 25.70 257

10 1/4 26.0 260

10 1/2 26.70 267

10 3/4 27.30 273

11 27.90 279

11 1/4 28.60 286

11 1/2 29.20 292

Women’s Shoe Sizes US & Canada UK Australia Europe Mexico Japan

5 2.5 3.5 35 21

5.5 3 4 35.5 21.5

6 3.5 4.5 36 22

6.5 4 5 37 22.5

7 4.5 5.5 37.5 23

7.5 5 6 38 4.5 23.5

8 5.5 6.5 38.5 5 24

8.5 6 7 39 5.5 24.5

9 6.5 7.5 40 6 25

Women’s Foot Sizes Inches Centimeters Mondopoint

9 22.80 228

9 1/8 23.10 231

9 1/4 23.50 235

9 3/8 23.80 238

9 1/2 24.10 241

9 5/8 24.50 245

9 3/4 24.80 248

9 7/8 25.10 251

10 25.40 254

Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 1

REFERENCE Hat Sizes

T-Shirt Sizes

US (Letter)

US -

Europe

X-Small (XS) Small (S) Medium (M) Medium (M) Large (L) X-Large (XL)

6 6.75 7 7.25 7.5 7.75

54 55 56 58 60 62

US (Letter) US - UK Small (S) Medium (M) Medium (M) Large (L) X-Large (XL) X-Large (XL) 2X-Large (XXL) 2X-Large (XXL)

34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48

Europe 87 91 97 102 107 112 117 122

Men’s Shirt Sizes

Europe

9.5 10 10.5 11 11.5 12 12.5

39 40 41 42 43 44 45

Men’s Shoe Sizes US & Canada UK & Australia

Boy’s Shoe Sizes US & Canada

Europe

Japan

11.5 12 12.5 13 13.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5

11 11.5 12 12.5 13 13.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5

29 29.7 30.5 31 31.5 33 33.5 34 34.7 35 35.5 36 37 37.5

16.5 17 17.5 18 18.5 19 19.5 20 20.5 21 21.5 22 22.5 23

Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 1

Europe

14 14.5 15 15.5 15.75 16 16.5 17 17.5

4 14.5 15 15.5 15.75 16 16.5 17 17.5

36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44

Men’s Suits, Coats, Sweater Sizes

Sock Sizes

3 10

US & Canada

3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 10.5 11 11.5 12 12.5 13 13.5 14

2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 10.5 11 11.5 12 12.5 13 13.5

Europe

30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52

40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62

Men’s Foot Sizes

Europe Mexico 34 35 35.5 36 37 37.5 38 38.5 39 40 41 42 43 43.5 44 44.5 45 45.5 46 46.5 47 47.5 48.5

US & Canada

4.5 5 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 10.5 11 11.5 12 12.5 13

Japan 21 21.5 22 22.5 23 23.5 24 24.5 25 25.5 26 26.5 27 27.5 28 28.5 29 29.5 30 30.5 31 31.5 32

Inches Centimeters Mondopoint 8 7/8 9 9 1/8 9 1/4 9 3/8 9 1/2 9 5/8 9 3/4 9 7/8 10 10 1/8 10 1/4 10 3/8 10 1/2 10 5/8 10 3/4 10 7/8 11 11 1/8 11 1/4 11 3/8 11 1/2 11 5/8

22.54 22.86 23.18 23.50 23.81 24.13 24.45 24.77 25.08 25.40 25.72 26.04 26.35 26.67 26.99 27.31 27.62 27.94 28.26 28.58 28.89 29.21 29.53

225 229 232 235 238 241 245 248 251 254 257 260 264 267 270 273 276 270 283 286 289 292 205

MASTERING SALES SKILLS

You Make the Call

So how’d you do? I hope that these examples have provided you with additional techniques for selling on the floor. Remember, the more techniques you learn, the better chance you’ll have at winning the game, or in retail terms, closing more sales.

By Harry J. Friedman

ast month you were given the chance to play my new selling game. I gave you an assortment of scenarios, not unlike those you experience in your stores every day. You were asked to make the call, giving your best judgment on how to handle the customer situation. Here’s another chance to play the expert. Read the following situations, and determine how you would handle the sale based on what you know. When you have finished, read on to see how I would have handled the sale. Have fun.

A personal customer of yours comes in to buy again. He is one of your best customers, but he has a difficult time making a decision, thus taking a great deal of your time each time he comes into the store. The store is really busy right now and you just don’t have as much time to help him decide on a new wardrobe. How could you speed up the process?

A customer is trying to make a decision between two bedroom sets. One retails for $4,500 and the other for $3000. He originally wanted to spend no more than $3,000, but seems really interested in the more expensive set. He keeps pressing you to tell him which one is the better buy. What is your goal, and how do you accomplish it?

3 4 32

Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 1

A customer is putting you through the ringer to get the best price possible on a particular piece. You cannot possibly go any lower on this particular one. What is the best way to convince the customer and close the sale?

Scenario #1 Some customers have a hard time making up their minds. That’s okay, I’m sure you remember a time when you couldn’t make up your mind and you wished someone would just make the decision for you. Since he can’t make up his mind by himself, the time has come for you to help. Confirm his choice by commenting on what a wise selection he has made and re-emphasize the benefits that you know he is looking for. The fastest way to handle the problem is to close the sale. When you close the sale, you are taking all of the pressure off of him to say he’s going to buy the item. In essence, you are assuming that he is going to buy. At this point, he will either buy the item and probably be very relieved, or you will have to handle an objection. At least you will no longer be static in the presentation. S: “Hi Jeff, good to see you again. Are you ready to buy the wardrobe today?”

Scenario #2 Your goal is to sell the bedroom set he is really interested in, without adding any of your own considerations about the fact that it is $1,500 more than he stated he wanted to spend. You accomplish this by creating value in that set. Pointing out the special or unique features and benefits he will receive with the more expensive set will do the trick. Remember to never compare sets by pointing out that one is a better buy than the other. After all, he may be interested in the $4,500 set, but after investigating he may discover that he really can’t afford it and may settle for the original set. If you had tried to sell the more expensive set by knocking the other set, chances are you would miss the chance of making any sale at all.

C: “Well, I just can’t make up my mind. Can you show me the choices of finishes I have again?”

Each item should be sold on its own merit. You can, however, point out which special features and benefits of each set will meet his needs. If your goal is to sell the $4,500 set, demonstrate the benefits of that one.

S: “Sure. You know, I’ve thought about what you told me and I really feel the pine will best suit your needs. I think it is the perfect choice, giving you a beautiful design and sturdy

S: “Actually, both bedroom sets are great. It really depends on which one will better suit your needs. One of the nice things about this ($4,500) set is. . .” (Give a

feature, advantage, benefit and grabber for that set.) C: “Why is it so much more expensive?” S: “Those special features I showed you require special workmanship and material, so it’s more costly to produce and is reflected in the price. Certainly you can appreciate the fine quality, right?”

Scenario #3 Let him know that you are willing to go the extra mile for him. Tell him you’re willing to make a call to your boss to find out about a lower price. Go to the back room (even if just to comb your hair) and come back with the explanation above. While you are gone, he is hoping so hard to get the price that he is further committing to buy the set. When you show that you have tried, he will, most likely, close the sale himself. S: “I’ve told the owner that you are a good customer and that I’d really like to do better for you, but he looked up the pricing on this particular set and it really can’t go for less. I am already to the bone on the price. It really is a great one. What do you say, do you want to go for it?”

Scenario #4

The goal here is to find out how much she knows about the set already. If she has been shopping for some time, she may now be ready for an easy close. If this is the case, it’s your opportunity to give her the presentation that will put her over the edge to close the sale. Once you find out what features are important to her (this may require more probing than in the example), begin your demonstration on those related features. S: “That is a great looking set. Tell me, how long have you been looking at it?” C: “I’ve been looking at it in a few stores for a month or so.” S: “Great. What special features about it do you like the most?” C: “I really like the size of the dresser drawers. They’re deep enough that I wouldn’t have to stuff everything in.” S: “Yes, the oversized drawers really do make it easy to keep your things. Did you know that another nice thing about it is. . .” (Explain another feature, advantage and benefit relating to its look.) So how’d you do? I hope that these examples have provided you with additional techniques for selling on the floor. Remember, the more techniques you learn, the better chance you’ll have at winning the game, or in retail terms, closing more sales.

Harry J. Friedman is an internationally acclaimed retail consultant and CEO of The Friedman Group. Since 1980, his retail sales and management techniques have been used by over 500,000 retailers worldwide. He is retail’s most heavily attended speaker and widely read author, with articles published over 500 times in national trade magazines and his best selling book No Thanks, I’m Just Looking! now in it’s 9th printing. He has also developed scores of retail training programs, retail’s most popular management seminars, and has contributed to the success of many of retail’s best-in-class organizations. For a FREE subscription to his monthly On The Floor Journal enewsletter, information on upcoming retail seminars, training programs, or on-site consulting, call 800-351-8040 or visit www.thefriedmangroup.com.

A customer asks you to show her a particular item that you have in stock. You haven’t seen her in your store before, but she has obviously looked at the item before. How would you take her into a demonstration?

construction. How did you want to pay for it?”

Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 1

MASTERING SALES SKILLS

You Make the Call

By Harry J. Friedman

3 4 32

Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 1

C: “Well, I just can’t make up my mind. Can you show me the choices of finishes I have again?”

S: “Sure. You know, I’ve thought about what you told me and I really feel the pine will best suit your needs. I think it is the perfect choice, giving you a beautiful design and sturdy

S: “Actually, both bedroom sets are great. It really depends on which one will better suit your needs. One of the nice things about this ($4,500) set is. . .” (Give a

Scenario #4

construction. How did you want to pay for it?”

Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 1

HUMAN RESOURCES

HUMAN RESOURCES Are you struggling with questions like these? n Why do just a small percentage of our salespeople produce most

Does “the 80/20 rule” describe your sales team’s performance?

If “the 80/20 rule” (where 20% of salespeople produce 80% of sales) accurately describes sales performance in your company (even though the actual ratio may be 70/30, 60/40, 90/10, or even 95/5), don’t feel bad. You have a lot of company! Plus, research has shown there are valid reasons for these sales performance differences.

n n

of our company’s sales? What makes top sales performers different from middle and bottom performers? How can I stop being fooled during interviews? What can I do to help struggling salespeople make the largest possible improvement in their performance?

Research Finding 1 In their book, Now, Discover Your Strengths, Marcus Buckingham and Donald Clifton report that great managers and average managers have different expectations for their employees. According to Buckingham and Clifton:

AVERAGE managers assume that “each person can learn to be competent in almost anything”. GREAT managers assume that “each person’s talents are ENDURING and UNIQUE”.

by Alan Rigg

If anyone can learn to be competent in anything, then anyone should be able to learn how to sell, right? That seems to be the position taken by most sales books, CDs, and training programs. The unspoken promise is that if someone invests the time, effort, and money required to learn the skills they teach, they will (eventually) succeed in sales. Unfortunately, there are countless examples of salespeople who fail. Think about the salespeople you know personally. How many of them are struggling to make their quotas? Why are they struggling?

n n n n n

What if the “great manager” point of view is correct?

There is nothing more frustrating than paying for people who don’t perform. And, there is no function in a company where poor performance has a bigger impact that it does in Sales!

Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 1

Is it the state of the economy? (If other salespeople are making their numbers, blaming the economy won’t earn much sympathy.) Is it because they don’t work hard enough? Is it because they don’t have enough product knowledge? Do they need to work harder on their selling skills? Do they need more coaching from their manager?

What if everyone cannot become proficient in sales? What if success in sales requires a unique set of talents?

Research Finding 2 Herb Greenberg, Harold Weinstein and Patrick Sweeney report this very conclusion in their book, How to Hire and Develop Your Next Top Performer. After comparing the results of hundreds of thousands of assessments with actual sales performance measurements, they reached these startling conclusions:

“55% of the people earning their living in sales should be doing something else” and “Another 20% to 25% have what it takes to sell, but they should be selling something else” © FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail

Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 1

HUMAN RESOURCES

HUMAN RESOURCES Are you struggling with questions like these? n Why do just a small percentage of our salespeople produce most

Does “the 80/20 rule” describe your sales team’s performance?

n n

AVERAGE managers assume that “each person can learn to be competent in almost anything”. GREAT managers assume that “each person’s talents are ENDURING and UNIQUE”.

by Alan Rigg

n n n n n

What if the “great manager” point of view is correct?

There is nothing more frustrating than paying for people who don’t perform. And, there is no function in a company where poor performance has a bigger impact that it does in Sales!

Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 1

What if everyone cannot become proficient in sales? What if success in sales requires a unique set of talents?

Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 1

HUMAN RESOURCES Wow! These are some sobering statistics! They say straight out, in plain English, that more than half of all salespeople are never going to make it in sales. Another quarter have some chance of accomplishing sales success, but only if they find the RIGHT job selling the RIGHT kind of product or service. Why aren’t these poor sales performers “weeded out” during the recruiting process? A key reason why companies suffer from 80/20 sales performance is their hiring decisions are based entirely on SUBJECTIVE information. Consider the following:

What are resumes? They are a job applicant’s subjective description of his or her capabilities and experience, written for the sole purpose of convincing the reader to invite the applicant to an interview.

What happens during an interview? Interviewees attempt to answer questions in a manner that makes the best impression. Meanwhile, interviewers form personal opinions about interviewees’ qualifications. According to Lou Adler, author of Hire With Your Head: \

“More errors are made during the first 30 minutes of an interview than at any other time. Emotions, biases, perceptions, stereotypes, and first impressions are powerful human forces that profoundly affect individual judgment.” I’m NOT suggesting that subjective information is useless. Subjective information is a valid and valuable component of any “people decision”. With that said, if decisions based solely on subjective information produce an undesirable result 80 percent of the time (remember the 80/20 rule?), doesn’t it make sense to consider adding quality objective information to the mix? How can you OBJECTIVELY determine which salespeople have the talents required to succeed in YOUR company’s sales position(s)? One change that makes a big difference in sales recruiting success is specialized sales assessment tests that capture specific, OBJECTIVE information about salespeople and sales job candidates. I’m NOT referring to personality or behavioral tests like Myers-Briggs or DISC. These types of “communication style” assessments are useful for personal development. However, they are NOT effective for predicting whether or not an individual will succeed in sales. To accurately predict whether an individual will succeed in sales, an assessment test needs to extract information in the following THREE CRITICAL CATEGORIES:

1. Cognitive (brain function):

❧

How rapidly does the individual learn new information? This talent is of particular importance if your company has a broad portfolio of products and services and you want your salespeople to sell the entire portfolio. How precisely and effectively does the individual communicate, both verbally and in writing? If your salespeople author a lot of proposals and/or e-mails, the quality of their writing will definitely impact their sales performance! How strong is the individual’s talent for asking insightful questions, picking out important pieces of information from the answers, and using this information Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 1

❧

to construct additional questions? This talent is critical for effective sales opportunity qualification.

❧

How strong is the individual’s talent for learning how to manage effective return on investment (ROI) conversations with prospects and customers? This talent is critical for increasing close rates by creating a context for price discussions.

How sociable is the individual? Do they enjoy interacting with others? Do they build rapport with strangers quickly?

❧

Can the individual successfully direct his or her own activities, or does the individual require frequent input and direction from a sales manager to stay on track?

❧

How will the individual respond when things don’t go their way? Will they start to whine and complain, or will they be able to “shake it off” and maintain a high level of productivity?

❧

How strong is the individual’s desire to be liked? Will they be able to maintain a “win-win” focus, or will they give away the store?

❧

How competitive is the individual? How

2. Behavioral:

❧ ❧

How energetic is the individual? How easy will it be for them to consistently maintain the level of productive activity required to achieve their sales targets? How effective is the individual at convincing prospects and customers to “get off the dime” and take action?

Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 1

HUMAN RESOURCES confident are they in their ability to compete successfully?

❧

How emotionally tough is the individual? How do they respond to rejection?

❧

How dogged and determined is the individual in pursuing opportunities and overcoming roadblocks that arise during the sales process?

❧

Will the individual follow through on their commitments?

❧

How success oriented and outcome focused is the individual? Are they able to stay focused on the desired end result, or do they let themselves get bogged down in details and other distractions?

3. Interests: In order for sales assessment tests to accurately predict future performance, the individual’s interests must be taken into account. Does this scenario sound familiar? You hire a salesperson that looks and sounds like a worldbeater. They seem to have all of the talent in

ENTREPRENEUR TIPS the world. When they come on board they hit the ground running and generate impressive results during their first few months on the job. However, over time their performance starts to decline and no one can figure out why. A common reason behind this type of performance decline is the salesperson doesn’t ENJOY the activities involved in selling! An individual can have every talent required to achieve top sales performance. However, if they don’t “get their jollies” from the activities involved in selling, it is unlikely they will perform very well for very long.

❧

Is the individual Internally or Externally motivated? Internally motivated salespeople are capable of directing their own activities effectively. Externally motivated salespeople require frequent direction and support from their manager to stay productive.

❧

How effectively will they Prospect? How aggressively (and consistently) will they pursue new opportunities?

❧

How effectively will they Close Sales? How willing are they to ask for orders?

Is the individual a Hunter, a Farmer, or a Hybrid? Do they prefer to pursue new business, do they prefer to manage existing customer relationships, or are they capable of performing both functions effectively?

❧ How willing are they to comply with Process, Procedure, and Administrative requirements? This includes updating records in your company’s client relationship management (CRM) system and providing timely and accurate forecasts and sales opportunity pipeline updates.

❧ Is the individual a Consultative salesperson, a Relationship salesperson, or something else? Selling style can make a huge impact on sales performance!

Will they be a good Team Member? Will they work cooperatively with their fellow sales team members, expert and support resources, and other departments?

When you have ALL of this information, you can predict these critical sales characteristics.

❧

Sales performance expert Alan Rigg is the author of How to Beat the 80/20 Rule in Sales Team Performance: A StepBy-Step Guide to Building and Managing Top-Performing Sales Teams, and the companion book, How to Beat the 80/20 Rule in Selling: A Step-By-Step Guide to Achieving Top Sales Performance. His 80/20 Selling System™ helps business owners, executives, and managers end the frustration of 80/20 sales team performance, where 20% of salespeople produce 80% of sales. For more information and more FREE sales and sales management tips, visit http://www.8020sales.com.

Twitter’s platform has enabled Moxsie to amass a loyal following of indie fashion-philes while still being a small company .

Moxsie

@moxsie San Francisco, CA

Discover Independent Style http://shyop.moxsie.com Shop Next Season Now http://first.moxsie.com customerservice@moxsie.com 1-877.2MOXSIE http://shop.moxsie.com

Moxsie started using Twitter as a voice of expertise for fashion trends, but have grown to use their @moxsie account as a place to converse with their followers about a variety of topics: products they sell, cutting-edge trends in fashion, and peeks in to unique parts of the industry, all while getting to hear what their customers want.

Twitter Strategy: Provide exclusive access Moxsie has used its @moxsie Twitter account to redefine fashion trend discovery by allowing everyday people direct access to cutting edge apparel in realtime. A concept previously reserved exclusively for fashion designers and industry insiders, Moxsie has used Twitter to provide its followers with premier access to a multitude of indie fashion labels.

Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 1

t the New Year, most people look to the future. But as entrepreneurs, we should be thinking about the future all year long. Staying on top of trends that affect your business, your customers and your industry is crucial to keeping your company competitive. Here are 10 tips for keeping up on trends.

1. Read voraciously.

Read all you can about your industry, your market and the world in general. Regularly keep up with industry trade publications and websites; national, regional and city newspapers; influential bloggers and business thought leaders.

2. Get involved in your industry.

Join industry associations, attend their events, take trainings and participate in online communities. Associations work hard to keep their members abreast of trends, so take advantage of their expertise.

3. Network.

Get to know people in your industry-and outside of it. Regularly meet and talk with colleagues, partners and clients about trends in their businesses. These conversations are sure to spark ideas.

4. Keep in touch with your customers.

Social networking tools like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter make it easier than ever to find out what your customers think and want. Are they staying at home more? Spending less? Cooking more? All you have to do is ask.

5. Monitor your business.

case study

ENTREPRENEUR TIPS

moxsie Moxsie Right now we’re covering Dolce Vita’s Spring collection. Stay tuned for that romperl;) Hashtag us with #buyerchat. @mialove10 1 Nov

Real-time Discovery The @moxsie account uses media to engage its followers as well. By tweeting photos of new merchandise, designer’s latest product lines, recent shipments, and fashion photo shoots, the Moxsie team shares a back-stage peek with the Twitter community in realtime. Via Twitter, Moxsie also gauges people’s reactions to new styles via @ replies. Their followers are rewarded with exclusive access to a side of the fashion industry not usually seen. In addition to sharing links to the Moxsie online online retail store, Twitter has enabled the company to create a unique Best Tweeting Practices: Keep Customers Engaged • Use photos and videos to engage your followers and help share your unique perspective • Leverage those who follow you to help guide your Twitter-focus as a company • Ask your Twitter community what they would like to see and hear from you and your business • Announce new product updates and real-time information to your followers • Provide back-stage access that your followers typically wouldn’t see

Use tools like financial projections and business dashboards to measure business benchmarks and spot trends. Which products are selling, and which aren’t? Are supply costs rising or falling? Tracking trends over time helps you predict potential problems-and opportunities.

6. Study statistics.

Government agencies compile mountains of statistics that can help you pinpoint trends in demographic groups, regions, industries and more. The National Bureau of Economic Research, the U.S. Census Bureau and Fedstats websites are great places to start.

7. Observe your competition.

Visit their locations and websites; follow them on Facebook and Twitter. What new initiatives, products or services are they launching? Are they targeting new markets or expanding to new regions.

8. Get out of the office.

Regularly go where your customers congregate--whether that’s the local restaurant row, mall or office park--and observe what people are doing, wearing and buying.

9. Think outside the box.

Get beyond your own industry, market and region to learn what people in unrelated fields are doing. Read news from Japan or New York City. Visit sites for skateboarders or commodities traders. Learning about trends in other “worlds” will spark new ideas for your own.

10. Think long-term.

Trends differ from fads, so don’t get caught up in “what’s hot now.” Think beyond today to how a current trend might affect your industry one, five or 10 years down the road.

Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 1

HUMAN RESOURCES confident are they in their ability to compete successfully?

❧

How emotionally tough is the individual? How do they respond to rejection?

❧

How dogged and determined is the individual in pursuing opportunities and overcoming roadblocks that arise during the sales process?

❧

Will the individual follow through on their commitments?

❧

How success oriented and outcome focused is the individual? Are they able to stay focused on the desired end result, or do they let themselves get bogged down in details and other distractions?

❧

How effectively will they Prospect? How aggressively (and consistently) will they pursue new opportunities?

❧

How effectively will they Close Sales? How willing are they to ask for orders?

❧ Is the individual a Consultative salesperson, a Relationship salesperson, or something else? Selling style can make a huge impact on sales performance!

Will they be a good Team Member? Will they work cooperatively with their fellow sales team members, expert and support resources, and other departments?

When you have ALL of this information, you can predict these critical sales characteristics.

❧

Twitter’s platform has enabled Moxsie to amass a loyal following of indie fashion-philes while still being a small company .

Moxsie

@moxsie San Francisco, CA

Discover Independent Style http://shyop.moxsie.com Shop Next Season Now http://first.moxsie.com customerservice@moxsie.com 1-877.2MOXSIE http://shop.moxsie.com

Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 1

1. Read voraciously.

2. Get involved in your industry.

3. Network.

Get to know people in your industry-and outside of it. Regularly meet and talk with colleagues, partners and clients about trends in their businesses. These conversations are sure to spark ideas.

4. Keep in touch with your customers.

5. Monitor your business.

case study

ENTREPRENEUR TIPS

moxsie Moxsie Right now we’re covering Dolce Vita’s Spring collection. Stay tuned for that romperl;) Hashtag us with #buyerchat. @mialove10 1 Nov

6. Study statistics.

7. Observe your competition.

Visit their locations and websites; follow them on Facebook and Twitter. What new initiatives, products or services are they launching? Are they targeting new markets or expanding to new regions.

8. Get out of the office.

Regularly go where your customers congregate--whether that’s the local restaurant row, mall or office park--and observe what people are doing, wearing and buying.

9. Think outside the box.

10. Think long-term.

Trends differ from fads, so don’t get caught up in “what’s hot now.” Think beyond today to how a current trend might affect your industry one, five or 10 years down the road.

Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 1

RETAIL 101

RETAIL 101 they become unhappy with one retailer there is another retailer or website waiting to take their place. Ultimately your return and exchange policy needs to meet or exceed the customer’s expectations. The expectations are set by your industry’s standard and your market position. If you’re a low cost provider in your industry a customer will rarely expect you to have the most liberal return policy. If you’re a high touch/high service retailer a customer naturally expects a more customer friendly return and exchange policy. Failing to meet your customer’s expectation will result not only losing that customer but it can also greatly impact your reputation in the market. Exceed their expectations and you not only create loyal customer advocates but can actually become known as a “Nordstromlike” place to shop. Whether your policy is liberal or narrow, it’s critical that it be well communicated. It should be posted at your cash wrap counter, as well as on your receipts and/or in a bag stuffer. Failing to adequately communicate your return and exchange policy leads to disappointed and unhappy customers, often times creating hostile situations.

By Doug Fleener

or some unknown reason I attempted the impossible one year, buying my wife a purse for Christmas. The minute she unwrapped her present, I knew it was going to join my long list of “it’s the thought that counts” gifts that missed their mark. I had bought the purse from a locally owned retailer at the nearby mall. After waiting for the post-holiday crowds to subside, my wife and I headed off to the mall to return the purse and take care of other assorted returns and exchanges. After easily returning a couple of ill-fitting sweaters at a department store, we went to return the purse. Much to our dismay and disappointment, we learned that the retailer has a very limited return policy, forcing us to exchange the purse for store credit rather than our desired refund. Even more frustrating was the fact that despite several phone calls and visits on our part, there was never a manager available to discuss our dilemma. Long story short, I ended up exchanging the purse for some unwanted products, swearing to never ever shop at that store again. And I’ve been true to my word and I’ve been telling friends and family not to shop there either.

customer satisfaction and loyalty, vendor relationships, and employee satisfaction. Let’s review each area for how it’s influenced by the return policy and vice versa.

them by their vendors. The more lenient key vendors are, the more lenient retailers can be. This is an area where retailers often make rash decisions on their return and exchange policy.

1. Sales and Profits:

They may have a very successful policy that helps their market position and drives their overall business but when one customer abuses the policy they quickly change it. Every retailer should have a good estimate of what the actual impact is on their bottom line. The desired status is an exchange and return policy that balances driving topline sales without too much pressure on bottom line performance.

Return and exchange policy are not easy for retailers to create or manage. They vary from retailer to retailer and differ often based on the product offer. For example, consumer electronics retailers cannot offer the same return policy as a clothing retailer. Determining the appropriate return policy is an inexact science but the results of that policy impact many parts of a retailer’s business, including sales and profits,

More often, the impact on the bottom line is felt by product returns and exchanges that can’t be passed on to the vendors. The result of these types of returns and exchanges is an immediate and negative impact on profits. These are the ones that sting the most and so have the most influence on what the return policy will be. It’s also why so many retailers align their return and exchange policy with what’s made available to

4 0 Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 1

This is by far the most difficult element to balance with a return and exchange policy. A policy that is too strict, especially compared to that of a competitor, and retailers can adversely impact their top line, which impacts their bottom line. Circuit City tried a few years ago to implement a very stringent 15% restocking fee on all returns. Customers rebelled and Circuit City’s main competitor pounced on the opportunity. Best Buy ran advertising emphasizing how much more customer- and return-friendly they were. Circuit City not only lost market share they’ve never recovered but they had to cancel the restocking fee to boot. Having a return and exchange policy that’s too severe is often a silent business killer. Customers may not tell the retailer that it’s one of the main reasons they don’t shop in the store but retailers need to understand that it can be a contributing factor.

It’s important for retailers to create a holiday-specific return and exchange policy. Most customers expect that any non-perishable products purchased during November and December be covered under a fairly liberal holiday policy. Most national retailers’ policies include the ability to return or exchange purchases up to thirty days after Christmas. While many independent retailers struggle to match this timeframe, failing to do so can cost them sales and customers. It is the best interest of most retailers’ to have the most liberal holiday policy possible and leverage it to their advantage.

Retailers often miss the opportunity to turn unhappy customers returning or exchanging products into loyal advocates. It’s important to train employees to approach returns as an opportunity to delight the customer rather than approaching as a dreaded duty. When a customer enters the store with a return they should be met and greeted by an employee before they get to the cashwrap counter. Employees should be empathetic to the customer’s situation and never hostile. They should be trained to ask the customer questions to identify why the product didn’t meet their needs, listening carefully for opportunities to create a satisfied customer. Employees are often too quick to give the customer a refund and miss the fact that a customer may be better served by showing them a different product. Most important, they should be trained on saving the customer and not, like so many retailers training on, saving the sale.

3. Vendor Relationship: In the late 1980’s and

A retailer’s return and exchange is just that, the retailers, and it should not be enforced at the vendor’s and manufacturer’s expense. Retailers need a healthy and mutually beneficial relationship with their vendors and manufacturers. It’s appropriate for you to work closely with them to create your policy and build into that policy what they can and cannot do. It’s not appropriate to attempt to send all returns and exchanges back to them if it is outside their policy and guidelines. Many retailers when returning products forget the golden rule; do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

4. Employee Satisfaction: The area most often overlooked when considering the impact of a retailer’s return and exchange policy is employee satisfaction. Employees bear the brunt of a customer’s displeasure with either the policy itself or the way the policy has been communicated. Conversely, if the retailer has a liberal return policy the employees will also benefit. Making sure the employees have good guidelines for applying the policy is important. Creating a decision making guide can help employees understand what they can and cannot do. Empowering your staff to represent your store is very important. Criticizing their decisions after the fact without offering any guidelines can negatively impact employee morale. If employees are not applying the guidelines and policies that have been put into place then it’s important to coach them on how to do so. Undermining them, especially in front of the customer, is inexcusable. Success comes from not only educating your

customers but your employees as well. One of the hardest things to teach employees is to not take it personally when a customer is upset about the return and exchange policy. Because of their pride and loyalty they have to their employer, employees often personalize what’s taking place. It’s important that they understand that returns and exchanges come with being a retailer and their goal is to balance the customer’s expectations and the store’s policies. Your return and exchange policy can be a strategic competitive advantage for you that differentiates you from your competition. Lands’ End does just that. Their “Guaranteed. Period” policy has always been an unconditional one that reads: “If you are not completely satisfied with any item you buy from us, at any time during your use of it, return it and we will refund your full purchase price.” Lands’ End leverages that policy in their stores, website, and catalog channels. The result is a very dedicated long-term customer base. If a retailer is going to have a liberal return policy it’s a mistake to not use it to their advantage. . If a liberal policy doesn’t result in either more topline or more satisfied customers, it’s probably costing the retailer profits. Another choice is to have a policy that matches your competition. While it won’t differentiate your store, it won’t disappoint your customer base. Rarely, if ever, should a retailer ever have a policy that falls short of their competition’s policy. Only those retailers who offer a considerable price advantage can get away with offering a limited return and exchange policy, and even those retailers will still find themselves disappointing customers. Balancing sales, profits, customer expectations, vendor policies, and employee satisfaction is never easy. It is safe to say that the more liberal your return and exchange policy can be, the happier your customers and employees are. The flip of side is that too liberal a policy and you’ll see your profits dwindle away. Striking the balance is never easy, but then again, no one ever said retailing was easy. If it was, it wouldn’t be as profitable.

Doug Fleener is a veteran retailer with over 25 years of hands-on retail experience with world-class retailers including Bose Corporation as well has owned his own retail store. Fleener is now president of Dynamic Experiences Group, a Lexington, MA-based retail consulting firm that works with retailers to improve their customer experience and profitability. He is also a speaker and author of the book, The Profitable Retailer: 56 Surprisingly Simple and Effective Lessons to Boost Your Sales and Profits. Learn more at www.dynamicexperiencesgroup.com

2. Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty:

While your return and exchange policies may have some influence on the customer’s purchase decision, it greatly influences whether or not the customer making a return or exchange will remain your customer. Most customers have almost infinite options of where to buy. When © FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail

early 1990’s, retailers used liberal return policies to win customers from their competition. While customers loved this new approach, it created big headaches for vendors. Retailers became used to sending their vendors all of their returns and just passed through to them the increase in returns caused by the loosening of the policies. Vendors and manufacturers, seeing their profits eroding, revolted. Over time, retailers and their vendors and manufacturers have balanced out the needs of the retailer’s return and exchange policy with what the vendors and manufacturers can offer the retailer.

Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 1

RETAIL 101

By Doug Fleener

customer satisfaction and loyalty, vendor relationships, and employee satisfaction. Let’s review each area for how it’s influenced by the return policy and vice versa.

them by their vendors. The more lenient key vendors are, the more lenient retailers can be. This is an area where retailers often make rash decisions on their return and exchange policy.

1. Sales and Profits:

4 0 Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 1

3. Vendor Relationship: In the late 1980’s and

2. Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty:

Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 1

✄

LEADERSHIP

Focus on Fashion Retail is a direct mail business magazine, distributed ONLY to targeted audience. If you have received this copy of FFR with the mail, it’s because your business’ description matched the criteria set by our advertisers. Please fill out the marketing survey below to be included in our database for a chance to receive FFR occasionally, regularly (or never again) - depending on marketing preferences of our advertisers (US retailers only).

If you wish to receive FFR regularly by subscription, filling out the Marketing Survey portion is optional

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By Dale Carnegie & Associates

Advice for a FREE SUBSCRIPTION: Ask our advertisers or your vendors to pay for your subscription! If your business is important to them, they may agree to by pay for your subscription from their marketing funds.

Business Name:_ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Mailing Address:_ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ City:____________________________________________________ State:______ Zip:______________________________________ Phone:__________________________________________________ Fax:_ _______________________________________________ Name:_ _________________________________________________ E-Mail:_ _____________________________________________

MARKETING SURVEY

Please fill out this form completely, answering ALL questions. Incomplete or inaccurate entries will not be considered. I certify that I am: oA Retailer__________________(signature) / oNot a Retailer If a retailer, please tell about your store:

his article is for managers that will focus on leading teams, promoting engagement, and motivation. As economies are beginning to emerge from the global recession, it is more important than ever to ensure employees are engaged. To ensure your organization can take advantage of the recovery, you will need to pay extra special attention to leading your teams and putting yourself and your team in the best position to succeed. Leaders respect and value the differences in others. In times of uncertainty, you accept that your available human resources are your only sustainable competitive advantage. When the people you lead don’t perform at acceptable levels, you must sometimes exert your influence. Sometimes you don’t have authority to make them perform better. In those situations, you must often accept whatever they give you or try to find ways to influence or inspire them to improve their performance. There are five primary reasons people underperform. Understanding the reasons behind nonperformance is the first step to using your abilities to influence others effectively and without resorting to manipulation.

Reason:

I don’t know what to do... Solution: Educate — If people don’t know

what to do, you can get them what they need to get past this obstacle. Show people what they need to do by building a strong foundation for their performance during new employee orientation and the on-boarding process or later during education and development opportunities.

Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 1

Specialty:

oMen oWomen oChildren

Age Group:

oInfants And Kids oTeens o20-30 o30-45 o45+

Retail Price Point: oDiscount oBudget ($20-40) oModerate ($40-70) oUpper Moderate ($70-120) oLower High End ($120-$200) oHigh-End ($200-$400) oLuxury ($400+)

Reason:

I don’t know why... Unless people clearly understand what they need to do, they will make mistakes or allocate their time to the tasks inappropriately.

Reason:

I don’t know how to do it... Solution: Train

— When they don’t know how, you can get them the practice and skills they need to begin to perform better. Training is the answer. Take people through the step-bystep process of performing tasks and explain how the correct execution of those steps creates success for them and the organization.

Reason:

I don’t believe I can... Solution: Coach — This area reflects your

confidence in their ability to perform. It is important to show them that the job can be done and that they can do it. Coaching is not just a matter of cheering your employees on, but of helping them see why they have been selected to perform the task or why they have been appointed to the team. Instill in them a belief in themselves and the confidence to use past successes as a stepping-stone to future opportunities.

Solution: Vision

— When other people don’t see the reason behind your directions, you need to get their support to move forward. This is often a trust issue. A senior leader’s vision for the organization is a good start, but employees also need to know how they fit into that vision and why their organizational processes are critical to accomplishing the vision.

Reason:

I don’t want to... Solution: Motivate — This is the most challenging reason people underperform — when people know what to do and how to do it, but they are not motivated enough to do it or they feel they have a better way. Sometimes people even try to sabotage the process to slow down changes. In this situation, you must use your influence to get results. Motivation is the key. If people know what to do, how to do it, believe they can do it, and know why they should do it, non-performance must be due to some other barrier that may not be immediately discernable. Look at how the organization is inspiring its employees. Are they being kept busy without knowing how their activities relate to the organization’s mission or vision? Inspired employees have the internal desire to achieve the vision. © FFR- Focus On Fashion Retail

Store Type:

oIndependent oBoutique oDept. Store oChain Store 1-5 Locations oChain Store 5+ Locations

Merchandise:

oShoes Only oApparel Only oAccessories Only oAll

Type:

oDress oCasual oAthletic oComfort/Slippers oSpecial Occasions oWestern oDance oMedical oShoecare/Footcare oUrban oEthic oBeach oGothic/Alternative/Other_________________________________________________

Best Selling Brands__________________________________________________________________________________________ Notes About Your Store_______________________________________________________________________________________

•

Your Primary Business Sources (describe): o Trade Magazines_________________________________________________________________________________ o Consumer Magazines_ ____________________________________________________________________________ o Trade Shows_ ___________________________________________________________________________________ o Internet oCatalogs How Do You Find New Merchandise?: oAt Trade Shows oResponding To Ads oSellers Contact You At Trade Shows You: o Know Exactly What You Need And Who Sells It o Know Exactly What You Need But Don’t Know Who Sells It o Just Looking How Frequently Do You Purchase Merchandise For Your Store?: o Every Month oEvery 3 Months oEvery 6 Months Your Average Purchase Is: oLess Than $1,000 o$1-5k o$5-10k o$10k+ Your Priorities Are (Please RATE, 1 is most important): oPrice oFashion oBrand o‪Quality oOther________

RETAILER: Please name your 3 biggest headaches to which you want to find a solution: 1._ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 2._ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 3._ _____________________________________________________________________________________________

What do you would like to see in trade magazine?_ ________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• •

• • • • • •

Any Suggestions/ Comments to help FFR to become more helpful to your business?____________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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LEADERSHIP

If you wish to receive FFR regularly by subscription, filling out the Marketing Survey portion is optional

SUBSCRIPTION

Send a check/money order ($30 for USA subscribers) along with your address and contact information to our office. International orders- please contact office for rates.

By Dale Carnegie & Associates

MARKETING SURVEY

Reason:

I don’t know what to do... Solution: Educate — If people don’t know

Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 1

Specialty:

oMen oWomen oChildren

Age Group:

oInfants And Kids oTeens o20-30 o30-45 o45+

Retail Price Point: oDiscount oBudget ($20-40) oModerate ($40-70) oUpper Moderate ($70-120) oLower High End ($120-$200) oHigh-End ($200-$400) oLuxury ($400+)

Reason:

I don’t know why... Unless people clearly understand what they need to do, they will make mistakes or allocate their time to the tasks inappropriately.

Reason:

I don’t know how to do it... Solution: Train

Reason:

I don’t believe I can... Solution: Coach — This area reflects your

Solution: Vision

Reason:

Store Type:

oIndependent oBoutique oDept. Store oChain Store 1-5 Locations oChain Store 5+ Locations

Merchandise:

oShoes Only oApparel Only oAccessories Only oAll

Type:

•

• •

• • • • • •

CLASSIFIED ADS Help wanted to develop sales teams and infrastructure of a growing skincare company. Looking for savvy business-minded people who have leadership potential to help expand this new multi-million dollar company throughout the United States. Global expansion to follow. Position Type: Full and Part Time Location: U.S. & Puerto Rico Only Salary Range: Commission plus bonuses - unlimited earning potential REQUIREMENTS FOR CONSIDERATION: Requirements: Must be self-motivated, team players and doers, dependable, have excellent communication, leadership and organizational skills. Must be willing to learn company’s sales, management and compensation strategies. Contact: Debi at http://www.skincarepartners.info

Sales Manager Faconnable is an international leader in the world of high end men’s and woman’s fashion. We are a 60 year old Brand with an impressive history that began in the South of France. With the introduction of our new brand Faconnable Jeans, we are seeking an experienced Sales Manager who will focus on the sales and development of our new business. The ideal candidate will have an extensive knowledge of sportswear/jeanswear, will have a roll your sleeves up attitude as well as being a team player. You will also assist with the planning, merchandising and development of the jeans business within the US market. The best candidate will have an entrepreneurial approach to managing their business. You will be a self starter with at least 5 years experience and must be able to hit the ground running…

Please submit your resume and salary requirement to resumes@faconnable.com

4 4 Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 1

Line Offered Experienced Independent Sales Representative wanted for established highly successful and motivated women’s fashion forward shoe company. Must have proven growth track with independent and regional retailers. Territories: Southwest, and Southeast. Compensation based on highly motivated footwear experiences. Send Resume to: info@josephgriffinshoes.com

The Footwear Industry Insiders Network is FREE to footwear & related products professionals worldwide. Already more than 1,800 have joined, making it one of the fastest-growing, industry specific groups to cover all areas of expertise from design, manufacturing, wholesale, retail and more. www.footwearpros.ning.com

BUYING! Let us help you clear out your closeouts, overstocks, returns and cancellations. Please email me at: info@richlan.net

Chair of Fashion Marketing and Management/Luxury Fashion Management SCAD Savannah seeks candidates for chair of the fashion marketing and management department. This leadership opportunity is for the undergraduate fashion marketing and management program, and the graduate luxury fashion management program. Qualified candidates should have a terminal degree or its equivalent in fashion or a related field, or an M.B.A. in addition to broad, documented experience in the fashion business. Excellent skills in wholesale, retailing and fashion marketing and management are required. Professional recognition is essential. The successful candidate will be joining a highly creative, motivated and exciting team that is creating the next generation of fashion buyers, product developers, retail and wholesale merchandisers, and marketers. Strong skills in the areas of retailing, fashion marketing and management, design, concept, innovation, illustration, sketching and CAD are highly desirable. Collegelevel teaching experience is preferred.

Joanna Ellis

T: 912.525.5534 - Fax: 912.525.5222 jlellis@scad.edu - www.scad.edu

RICHLAN INTERNATIONAL SALES

WANTED:

VP - Inventory Management (RETAIL) The VP - Inventory Management will direct merchandise planning, store planning & allocation functions for a women’s vertical specialty retailer. MUST HAVE: • 8+ years progressive experience in RETAIL planning, allocation and inventory control; • Prior management experience; • Exp with Specialty Retailer; • Bachelors Degree; MBA a plus; Position is based in Boston, MA EMail resume to kathy@ekjobs.com or kathleen@kreisler-associates.com

New Fashion Designers Bloomingdale’s has instituted its first ever designer open-see for women’s ready-to-wear and accessories. Burgeoning designers are encouraged to visit the flagship’s Fashion Office on the first Friday of each month, on a first-come, first-served basis. Please bring a maximum of ten apparel pieces. We applaud the store’s effort to seek out new talent and promoting young designers, a smart move especially in this difficult economic climate.

Bloomingdale’s Fashion Office, 155 E 60th Street, 11th floor,

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