Blog
Idiom: Home
"There's no place like home… there's no place like home." If you keep up with our posts at The Lively Merchant, you're likely in retail. You make a living selling stuff for your customer to put in her abode. What do you really know about this place she calls HOME?...
Idiom: Selection
Your customer loves Wal-Mart. Well, she likes the idea of Wal-Mart, even if she doesn't like the company. She likes getting groceries and greeting cards, toys and toiletries, sporting goods and sportswear all at one place. Say what you will, Wal-Mart does offer...
Cultural Code
What is culture? How does it play out in family business? A culture can be defined by four foundational stones. They are artifacts, perspectives, values, and assumptions (Schein 1985, Dyer 1986) and on these, researchers agree. I'm wondering how you may view your...
Idiom: Brands
"Choosy Moms choose ________." "When you care enough to send the very best." "Quality is Job 1." Feeling adrift in a sea of selection on the showroom floor, a recognized brand is like a life raft to your customer. It's like seeing a familiar face across the room at a...
The grip and all its trappings
In a previous post I wrote about the archetypes of personality. These archetypes seem to have been imprinted within each of us. To me the key to understanding is to realize at any giving time we may be acting in the father, or hero, or faithful family dog role. Our...
Your Media Mess
David has a great presentation called "Manage Your Media Mess" that helps you get the most bang for your media buck. He was taught by one of the masters, best-selling author Roy H. Williams of the Wizard Academy. Click here to read some straight dope from Roy about...
Idiom: Preparedness
She says, "How much is this?" You say, "Well, I'm not really sure. Let me go look that up…" She was never a Cub Scout, but your customer knows what it means to "Be Prepared." She happily traded her Mini Cooper for a minivan and swapped her briefcase for a diaper bag....
The Funnel to Failure
Store owners and general merchandise managers know that good inventory management is essential to producing profits. You also know that bad inventory management can cause failure and limit profit. Soaring Inventory Strangles! Source: Outdated non-salable discontinued...
Idiom: Price
You say, "We've got the best prices in town!" She says, "That's still too expensive." Your customer will always try to use PRICE as her first line of defense, hoping that this seemingly ironclad excuse will stop any salesperson in their tracks. "It's pretty, but it's...