Sandy Seitz - PMA - Jackson, MI - www.pmai.org

Hi Bill and Chris - PMA has put together a great group of materials that Members can use to promote National Photo Month. There's even a contest offering a Weekend Trip for Two.

Celebrate National Photo Month

Draw traffic to your store and celebrate National Photo Month this May! Get on board with the National Photo Month Weekend Trip for Two Photo Contest*, sponsored by TakeGreatPictures.com and PMA! This extensive public relations campaign gets consumers to embrace the joy of photography and to look for participating retailers with National Photo Month point-of-purchase displays.

To enter, consumers will upload their best spring and summer photos to www.TakeGreatPictures.com, whose editors will then pick the best entry. The winner will be interviewed and photographed at their local participating photo retailer - this could be you! Encourage your customers to enter, and your store could be highlighted on www.outdoorphotographer.com, www.pcphotomag.com, and www.TakeGreatPictures.com, and in Photo Industry Reporter, PMA magazine and Newsline International.

AJ Jenkins - Star Photo - Anderson, Indiana - www.starphotopro.com

Hi Bill,

This is hardly new, or exciting, however...

We all need to step back, and look at how we treat our customers, even the ones who could be classified as "annoying".

Do we act glad to see them? Do they feel welcome in our store, the people themselves, not just the money? Do we greet each customer?

A "Hi how are you today?" doesn't cost a penny, but can set a friendly mood for the entire transaction.

Even an acknowledgement when they walk in of "Hi, I'll be with you in a moment." shows an interest. We've all walked in stores, spent 5 minutes and walked out without ever dealing with an employee. We walked in for a reason, and left without it being resolved.

How many of our "potential" customers have walked into, and out of our stores without our ever knowing why they were there?

Jill Miller - www.scrapbookstyles.com

Ok Bill,

Here's my second submission for this year. The concept is to sell photo books and then sell a photo keepsake created from a page of the book.

I used HP's expandable print at home photo books and simply reprinted the pages that I wanted to use to create the photo keepsake. This could also work with bound books and reprints of the individual photos as an add-on order. All of the projects below took less than 5 minutes to make and used 5 or less supplies.

It's a little long so if you want to reduce the years list to just those months with accompanying photos, go right ahead. These are all family photos with permission to reprint releases.

Here's the list:

• Wedding and Baby books run all year with framed photos or scrapbook pages
• January - Year in Review book and photo calendar
• February - Sweethearts book and photo keychain or mug
• March - Easter or Home sweet home book and photo lampshade or Easter basket (see below)
• April - Blooming Garden book and photo flower pot or garden apron (see below)
• May = Memorial Day - heritage book and framed family tree or clock (see below)
• June - School memories book - photo school art portfolio
• July - Travel themed book - photo beach pail or photo mini suitcase (see below)
• August - Lazy days of summer book - photo canvas bag
• September - Back to school photo book and photo mouse pad
• October - Colors of Fall outdoor book and leaf press book (photos on cover)
• November - Gratitude book and framed family portrait
• December - Holiday memories book and photo tree ornament or photo candle

Grins,
Jill Miller

We're big believers in attending the Divisional Meetings. You share concepts and concerns with the people in our industry who are the most like you, because they're playing in the same league. And the meetings aren't as crowded as national and international shows. Heck, with some of them you can get home in time to sleep in your own bed that night.

April 29, 2008 - PMA New York/New Jersey Metro Division Spring Meeting - Creating New Profit Centers Under Your Roof Fort Lee Doubletree Hotel, Fort Lee, NJ - Click here for more info

May 6, 2008 PMA New England Division Spring Meeting Business Improvement Expo Holiday Inn Select, Woburn, MA - click here for more info

May 30 - June 1, 2008 PMA Dixie Division Annual Meeting Quality Inn, Meridian, MS more info

May 31, 2008 PMA Northern California Division Wine Tasting Social and Dinner - Murphys, CA - more info

September 13-14, 2008 PMA Northern California Division Annual Meeting and Tabletop Show "Veni, Vidi, Visa" (I Came, I Saw, I Shopped!) Cache Creek Casino Resort, Brooks, CA

October 3-4, 2008 PMA North Central Division Annual Meeting Riverwood Inn, Otsego, MN

October 10-11, 2008 PMA Pacific Northwest Division Annual Meeting Seattle, WA