I competed as a finalist for the title of Glazer Kennedy Insider’s Circle Diamond Marketer of the Year.  My friend and fellow rep Jeff Giagnocavo, actually won the contest.  This was really cool because I introduced him into this marketing organization, and he has developed his marketing so well that he won the contest.

My entry was a list of twenty one direct response marketing ideas we employed to grow our business in 2011.  If you would like to have the list sent to you, drop me an email at meroot@mikeroot.com.   If you would like more information about Glazer Kennedy and get a free 2 month trial offer go to www.freegiftfrom.com/mroot.  

I personally enter these contests as a recap of marketing efforts throughout the year and results accordingly.  If I can’t compete, then I didn’t have a good year.  But if I have good results like 2011, then it is a good review to see what worked and we should do more of it, and what didn’t work and we should do less.  The side benefit like this year is that we did plenty of good things to get us to the level of being a finalist.  

As we find ourselves at the end of the calendar year, it is a great time to reflect on what went well and what areas we want to improve and grow next year.  This contest was a good first step for me to reflect on what we did well.  Next week, I will spend some time looking at what goals we will set for 2012 when our company Furniture Sales of Mid-America celebrates its 50th year in business.   

When we talk about goal setting, one guy I have been following recently is Gary Ryan Blair’s 100 Day challenge.  If you are looking for a kick in the butt to jump start the new year, check out his program.   I started the 100 Day Program this summer and will have it finished by year’s end.  This is a very comprehensive accountability system.  If you are looking at shaking up your goal setting for 2012 try out the 100 Day Challenge for 7 days for only $10.   To get this special offer use the following link:  http://www.goalsguy.com/Affiliate/tgg.php?id=1036161

Enjoy the holidays and here’s to a happy and prosperous new year.

Last month I told you about Get Customers TV, the web TV that Jay and I are doing twice a month to highlight marketing strategies that retailers and main street businesses can use to generate new sales no matter what the economy.

Today I am happy to announce that we have launched Get Customers Right Now to be a repository of all these great tips and tricks to generate new customer business. There are three ways that retailers can benefit from the ideas we share at www.GetCustomersRightNow.com.

First, we have put together an incredibly comprehensive online marketing system that helps retailers captures leads off of their website, makes an offer on behalf of the business to attract the prospect into the store, and then automatically communicates to these prospects through monthly offers, and weekly emails. The best part about this for the retailer is that they fill in a two page form to set up the system and it will automatically bring in new business month after month with no effort. It is a completely done for you online marketing system to help manage a retailers new customer acquisition through website, Facebook, email, and mobile phones.

You can see a short demonstraton & video about this at www.GetCustomers-Online.com, or if you you want to go directly to the video please visit http://www.GCRNonline.com.

Second, we have assembled some tested, proven and trusted resources to help retailers and businesses bring new customers through their doors with done for you marketing promotional campaigns. For example, there is a turnkey mailer that reaches out to new customers in your trade area with an offer they cannot refuse. You determine the demographics of the target market including age, income, zip code — whatever you determine is the ideal customer. Our resource then identifies in this group who has a birthday each month and sends them a Happy Birthday card with a birthday “gift” / offer from your store. This will be done every month without you lifting a finger. You’ll generate extra customers form this and other incredible campaigns we have assembled under the promotions section of the website. For a shortcut go to www.GCRNpromotions.com.

Finally, we have found a number of suppliers for great giveaway products to spice up your advertising. Whether you want a giveaway that is “free for coming in” or one that will be a bit more expensive and it is “free with purchase”, we have products and ideas you can use. Do you want an American flag to giveaway for an American holiday? We’ve got a resource for you. How about a Barbeque set for summer giveaway? We’ve got a resource for you. Do you want a something special to giveaway with a certain dollar amount of a purchase to encourage a larger transaction? Use an Omaha Steak gift certificate or a travel voucher for three days and two nights in Las Vegas that can both be found on our site. For more information on the type of premiums available check out this shortcut www.GCRNpremiums.com.

We will continue to add promotions and premiums as we find new resources. These will all be highlighted on Get Customers TV. Don’t forget to signup on either site so you can recieve the web TV show when a new episode is posted.

PS. We also have a surprise video when you go to the home page of Get Customers Right Now. Check it out and let me know what you think with your comments below.

     As readers of my blog know, at the recent High Point Furniture Market I was asked to give a seminar entitled “The #1 Secret to Grow Your Business In Tough Economic Times”.  I had a great crowd and lots of questions afterwards which is always a good thing if you are a speaker.  It means people actually were interested in the topic and paid attention at 8:30 on a Monday morning of market.

     Based on the feedback from the questions as well as people that have called and asked for more information about this topic, I am going to host a follow up webinar on Thursday, evening November 4 at 7PM EST, 6PM CST, 5PM MST, 4PM PST.  You can register to be on the call at www.FurnitureSecret.com. This FREE follow up webinar will discuss specific marketing strategies that retailers should be using in today’s tough economic climate.

      As many of you know, I have spent the last several years studying top direct response marketers in other industries.  We as an industry do not do near as good a job of communicating what value we offer to the consumer.  But more importantly from my perspective, we also are talking to them in old media like TV, Radio, Newspaper and Yellow Pages rather than the personalized methods afforded by new technologies like Google, Email, Facebook, and Websites.    What I see furniture stores doing in this area is wrong.

     When compared to how direct marketers in other industries are successfully attracting customers and growing their businesses online and offline.  So this webinar will discuss various tricks and techniques to consider.  I also will offer resources to shortcut many of the challenges of implementing a new media marketing system for busy furniture store owners.

      There is a fundamental shift that has occurred in the marketing of home furnishings businesses towards new media solutions.  For this reason, furniture technology and marketing expert, Sev Ritchie, has agreed to join me as a co-host of the November 4th webinar.  Sev has a long list of industry accomplishments in cutting edge technology solutions.  Currently Sev is a partner with Leslie Carothers in the Kaleidoscope Partners, a leading provider of social media solutions to the home furnishings industry.

      A few of the topics to be discussed on the FREE Webinar include:

· Expanded Tips & Tricks To Get to listed on the first page of Google

· 9 Best Ways to use Personalization in Marketing to make it stand out

· Effective Use for Furniture Stores of Social Media Marketing like Twitter and Facebook (Sev’s expertise)

· Measuring the Investment in New Media To Get a Return – If Marketing Dollars Can’t Be Measured They Shouldn’t Be Spent!!!

· Steps To Build An Integrated Marketing System that Will Not Overwhelm  A Furniture Retailer’s Resources or Time Constraints

    The basis of the webinar centers around the strategy of how to integrate a variety of medias to simply and easily attract qualified customers to your retail business when the customer is ready to do business with you.  By embracing cost effective new media solutions, personal interaction between your company and the end user becomes infinitely simpler.

    Retailers can register for the FREE Webinar at www.FurnitureSecret.com. 

     Again, This Free Webinar will be on Thursday, November 4 at 7PM EST, 6PM CST, 5PM MST, 4PM PST 

     This Free webinar will not only help retailers grow their business in tough times, but all attendees will be entered into a drawing for a free IPAD or $500 Gift Card to be given away on the webinar.

Many people inquired yesterday about how my seminar was recieved.  The room was 80% full at 8:30 in the morning, people were taking notes, and asking questions after.  So from that regard I would consider the seminar itself a success. 

But all during market I have had people say they had conflicts and couldn’t be there.  So I have decided to do a replay on a webinar on November 4th at 7PM EST / 6PM CST / 5PM MST / 4PM PST.  You can register at www.FurnitureSecret.com.

Based on the questions I had and the interest levels of the topic, the expanded webinar  will be on

Dirt Cheap Quick & Easy Strategies To Fill Your Store With Hungry Customers During Stagnant Times.

I will go over many of the topics during my High Point presentation including  

•Expanded Tips & Tricks To Get to listed on the first page of Google

•9 Best Ways to use Personalization in your Marketing to make it stand out

•How To Measure Your Investment in Media So You Get a Return – If Your Marketing Dollars Cannot Be Measured Don’t Spend It!!!

•How To Build All This Into An Integrated Marketing System that Will Not Overwhelm  Your Resources or Your Time Commitment

The webinar will be Thursday, November 4 at 7PM EST / 6PM CST / 5PM MST / 4PM PST

Anyone who was at our seminar at the North Carolina market or who attends the online webinar will be registered for a drawing for a free IPAD or a $500 gift card.

You can register for the FREE Webinar at

 www.FurnitureSecret.com.

I will find out once and for all if it truly is “Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”

I am going to a one day Marketing Mastermind sponsored by my friend Mike Capuzzi the creator of the remarkable Copy Doodles. That will be followed by a networking get together in Mike’s suite at the Phillies game.

The trip came about because of a contest I won for the most innovative use of Mike Capuzzi’s Copy Doodles, a terrific product for anyone trying to break through the clutter in their marketing. So here’s the back story and then the campaign.

I had a meeting scheduled with a buyer to present a new bedroom set. We were to have dinner the evening before the meeting but a conflict came up and she had to cancel. Knowing that she liked Red wine, I thought of the most expensive bottle I could think of (Silver Oaks) and decided I would make up a story about enjoying that wine by myself. I knew Copy Doodles had napkins and a wine stain as part of the package so I hit on the idea of writing this as though I was at the bar.

After getting into it a bit I realized I didn’t have enough room on those silly napkins to get my message across so I went to the next morning with the concept of being hung over and needing to hand write the yellow legal pad. It was a good story that provided lots of laughs and broke the ice for an excellent presentation.

On the last page of the Copy Doodle samples, you’ll see four questions I pose that will help you make better presentations. As always make sure you leave comments below. Thanks

Today we will discuss the pros and the cons of having two major furniture markets. Additionally, we will be discussing a few elements that the markets employ which you can also implement in your sales and marketing techniques.

Being from Omaha, I have a better than working knowledge of home grown Berkshire Hathaway Company and its iconic leader Warren Buffett. As most should know, Berkshire Hathaway is a company that has the highest priced shares traded on the stock market (at one time over $150,000 for one share). This value has kept Mr. Buffett as one of the top 3 wealthiest people in the world for over a decade.
I have met several people that are original investors and are now worth millions and in some cases billions. In most cases, except for their philanthropy around Omaha, these people live their daily lives without the ostentatious lifestyle normally associated with such great wealth.
I personally know families that built marvelous businesses and sold out to Mr. Buffett. In every case they got up the next morning, went to work, and continued to run the same business with no changes in their personal work effort. These entrepreneurs turned Berkshire millionaires continued to give every bit of effort working for Warren Buffett as they did for themselves. They stand in sharp contrast to all the greed that has recently been on display from Wall Street bankers and corporate chieftains who are strictly in it for the money. The Berkshire folks I have met over the years are a much more respectable group of folks, and truly an embodiment of what has made our country great
There is no better place to get a feel of the inner workings of a Berkshire Hathaway type of company and quality of an entrepreneur that built it than in reading a brand new book entitled How to Build a Business Warren Buffett Would Buy; The R. C. Willey Story by Jeff Benedict. It is the story of how a small door to door sales operation started in the Utah countryside turned into a Billion Dollar Retailer. R. C. Willey is respected by consumers throughout Utah, Nevada, Idaho and California as well as manufacturers in the home furnishings, electronics and appliance industries.
More importantly, this is a story of a remarkable entrepreneur, Bill Child. He was the reluctant retailer that led this company from 1954 when founder R. C. Willey suddenly passed away. Bill inherited a business with no assets except customer’s goodwill, and he grew the business over time into a business that Warren Buffett purchased for $175 million in stock.
I would go so far as to say that if you are in the furniture business, the retail business, or you service any type of retail business, this is a must read book (to order go to www.TheRCWilleyStory.com). This is also a terrific book full of wisdom for the entrepreneur or small businessman who wants to grow his business over time.
There are no quick fix solutions to growing a main street business. We are not talking about becoming a Google millionaire. It takes hard work, dedicated employees, loyal customers and a willingness to try new things so that the business does not become stagnant. This book encompasses all of that plus what it takes to build a rags to riches story while still holding true to your inner convictions.
I think all my friends that are in the furniture business will empathize with many of the struggles to build a business one sale at a time. I think many of my friends working in small business will relate to the challenges and the innovation it takes to grow a profitable enterprise. And, I think many of my friends that are struggling entrepreneurs will be inspired by the success of having a lifetime of hard work rewarded.
One of the chapters that will resonate with any serious business person and can easily be incorporated into your own business philosophy is the 10th Chapter “Rules to Live By”. These are 8 common sense principles that are backed up by easy to relate anecdotes. For example, number 4 is simply put – Be Honest. I loved their saying “If you always tell the truth, you never have to remember what you said”. If Wall Street and Washington acted with this integrity we wouldn’t have the problems we have today.
In the book Bill Child is quoted as saying “The world changes. Many of the furniture companies that have gone out of business have done so because they failed to change.” We have that challenge today in the furniture business (as do many other industries) with lots of change being thrown at us. It will never be the same because “customers’ needs and expectations change”.
Whether you are a furniture rep, a retailer or manufacturer, you need to adapt to the changes or be overrun by them. I know several years ago we saw the erosion of commissions for furniture reps. We could have complained and got angry that the rep was being squeezed, but the reality was that the business has changed. We looked at the landscape and realized the large retailers like Walmart figured out a way to make a good living on very thin margins by working on volume. Consequently we designed our business with a volume model that has served us well.
Of course there are several other ways to make money including selling luxury products at a premium price to the affluent. It doesn’t matter what the model as long as you look at the landscape, determine your unique selling proposition and design your business model around serving that customer.
There are fourteen management principles and philosophies gleaned of decades of hard work and hard knocks that Bill Child lists at the end of the book. These simple ideas are worth more than a masters in business because they are easy to understand and proven to work.
Finally, in challenging times like these you can never be complacent. No matter how successful you have been, as Bill says “You can only stand on the laurels of what you did yesterday for a few minutes. Then you have the challenges of tomorrow.” There are definitely challenges and this book will inspire you to relook at your business and build for tomorrow.
I could write for pages about all the great takeaways in this book, but that would be doing a disservice to the author and to you. There are no excuses not to get the book right now. Go to www.TheRCWilleyStory.com and order the book. You will be glad you did.

Though I have met Mr. Buffett in Omaha a few times, the only picture I ever had taken with him was at an R. C. Willey store Grand Opening event in Las Vegas.