Blog
Servant Leadership
Here in America, organizational success is defined by winning—often without regard to how it affects people. Employees are often described as capital. Human capital. Servant Leadership, a model that has been studied for over two centuries, defines success very...
Shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations.
Without a doubt it is the hardworking American family business that fuels the engine that drives the economy. Whether you are a family member working in the business, or a non family hired gun, understanding the special dynamics of family business is the key to...
You’ve got to be kidding me!?!?
Let me tell you, conflict is ugly and messy. I personally witnessed this last week because of a major breakdown in communication with a close family friend. The older I get, the more I come to hate conflict. But nonetheless, conflict is a part of life. There is truly...
Email Etiquette
This article by Jeff Bennett was taken from an upcoming issue of Western Retailer, a publication of the Western Home Furnishings Association. You’re doing everything right to market and brand your business. Radio and TV ads? Check. Direct mail? Yes. A Web site?...
How To Make Your Website Sell More Stuff
"If you build it, they will come." This famous line from Field of Dreams might apply to baseball diamonds, but it doesn’t necessarily translate to websites. At Grey Suit Retail, our online marketing and web development company, we design websites with many built-in...
Silence isn’t golden when your customer’s on the phone
The door opens, and in walks the customer you were working with last week…what was it they were looking at? Oh yes, the dining room suite. And you were hoping they were going to add the sideboard as well. (ring-ring) But right as they walk in, the phone rings. And...
Why Don’t You Try This?
Dr. Howard Thurman was born in 1899 in the segregated South. In 1923, Thurman graduated from Morehouse College as valedictorian. He was ordained a Baptist minister in 1925, after completing his study at the Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School. He then pursued...
Seriously?
I found the opposite end of the spectrum today at website for a furniture retailer whom we help in several areas of media. Here’s what every single page on their site says about online pricing: “Online Pricing – For a variety of reasons, including manufacturer restrictions, technical issues, and constant change, we are unable to quote prices online or by email…”
The Key to Success
“Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best of which you are capable.” John Wooden What does the late John Wooden have to do with this generation’s retailer? Absolutely nothing. But...