Idea #1 - Make sure your customer always has what they need to be successful
Jerry Harmen, Madison Photo Plus, jerry@madisonphoto.com

   Customers always need more film and batteries - especially around holidays and events. We put the following in our newsletter to remind them. No sense beating around the bush, just get straight to the point. No misunderstandings that way.
   From our December e-Photo Newsletter for Photo Summit and Madison Photo Plus Camera Stores:
   REMEMBER TO CHECK YOUR CAMERA AND FLASH BATTERIES. THEY ALWAYS WORK UNTIL THEY GO DEAD! FRESH BATTERIES AREN'T NECESSARILY GOOD BATTERIES - it depends a lot on how they've been stored before you get them. They could be stone dead in the package. REMEMBER TO HAVE MORE FILM, TAPE, AND/OR MEMORY THAN YOU THINK YOU'LL NEED! Every year we hear from people that they ran out.

Idea #2 - Feedback on salespeople filling customers' needs
Mike Woodland, Dan's Camera City, Allentown, PA - mwoodland@danscamera.com

   Just having read the very insightful note about staff feeling comfortable "selling" I thought I'd pass on a situation we have run into repeatedly.
   With all of the new services digital labs offer we have several different pricing structures. Some of our staff was working through loop holes to get customers lower prices by using services that weren't really intended for what the customer asked for. Example - we have a print from print service for making copies of photos. On that service we charge more for prints than on our DigiPrint service (prints from digital cameras)
   So some of my staff were suggesting customer have their photo scanned to floppy then use the DigiPrint service to save money. This is more work for us for less money, and likely a lower quality print for the customer. The staff felt they were doing the customer a disservice not to use the lowest price possible.
   I have an outline of a presentation I gave at our morning meeting to get them to better understand how we set-up pricing and the need for them to follow the appropriate service. Several staff were using the logic - "well it's still a 4x6 piece of paper from the same machine...why charge more?"

   I just thought the concepts fit with what already posted.

   Editor's Note: send an email to editor@mccurryassoc.com if you'd like an email copy of Mike's notes in a Word document file. His closing line is "To the customer it's an image, not a piece of paper" 

Idea #3 - Sometimes old ideas are the best ideas
Jack King - Camera World, Charlotte, NC - cworldnc@bellsouth.net

   While in college I worked behind the camera counter of a large traditional old time dept. store that had been in the same downtown multi-story bldg. for about a hundred years. While there, I learned some "true-isms" of retailing that still work today. Although, we all surely know these, sometimes we forget the little things, so I will point out some that come to mind.
   If an item is not moving, MOVE IT. In other words, you can do something as simple as taking that digital camera that has been stuck to the shelf too long and not being picked up by salespeople and position it where your hot Nikon or Canon has been sitting. If you have six pre pack displays of film getting dusty in the back, stack them by your entrance door where customers have to see them coming and going with a warehouse special sign.
   When our low- priced Promaster compact binoculars slowed in sales, I took them out of the locked binocular case and put them in a small dump bin on the photofinishing counter and watched customers buy them all. If your Gadget bags look static, change where you have the little bags and where you keep the backpacks.
   And like the dept. store, you too can create a bargain basement. In the back corner of my store we have an 8 ft. folding table, covered with stuff and junk. Every trade in camera and lens gets stripped of straps and filters and caps and these are tossed into bins and boxes on the table. Also goes broken cameras and lenses no matter how bad. Nothing goes in the trash can. I, as well as my salespeople, are constantly amazed by people happy to pay us a couple of bucks for a vinyl case for a 2X tele-extender that's 20 years old. Regulars shop the section weekly and students will spend 30 minutes trying to find a retro strap. 

   Need an excuse for a trip to New York City?
   Bill McCurry will be speaking at the NY/NJ Metro Division PMA Meeting, Tuesday, February 11, 2003 at the Fort Lee Hilton. Bill's topic is "Selling For Profit After The Sale Is Made", how you can maximize each sale and turn every customer into a life long relationship with repeat and referral business. If you want tourist info for The Big Apple, including theater, sporting events (no, no Giants playoff tickets in case you 49er fans were wondering) just drop us an email, editor@mccurryassoc.com. It's a great time to visit The City and hotel/airfare rates are good! Plus, the evening with the NY/NJ Metro PMA Division is one you'll remember as fun and impactful for your business.

   We hear from reliable sources there will be a NASCAR event in Las Vegas the same time DIMA/PMA is going on. Folks in the know suggest you get your hotel and air reservations now, before the economical rooms/flights book up. If you're uncertain whether or not you will attend, just go! If you're in Imaging, you have to be at PMA 2003. And come improve your marketing results with Bill McCurry in these sessions -
   > Saturday, March 1 - 1:00 - #D53 - Digital Marketing for Retail in Tough Times or Super Effective Digital Marketing without a lot of cash
   > Immediately following at 2:30 on Saturday - #D63 - Marketing Idea Exchange - bring an idea to share and take away actionable ideas for immediate profit improvement.
   > Monday, March 3 - 7:00 - 9:50 - N5 Guerrilla Marketing Night School - Each attendee will receive a copy of the NEW Digital Guerrilla Marketing book