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Good Morning,
“A mind is a terrible thing to waste” is definitely a wise saying. For our industry, “An uneducated business is a cause for concern” is a wise saying. The reality is that there are not enough quality education opportunities for the owners, managers, and staff of small businesses.
When one of your retailers decides they need to learn more about cashflow management, where do they go for the information? If they want to learn more about merchandising concepts, whom do they ask? Who is going to teach them about how to create a staff education program? Where will they learn how to plan their advertising? With any aspect of gaining additional knowledge about how to become more profitable, where will they go for this help?
What if you could do something that would help them to improve their business? What if you could help them and in doing so, create a situation where they become more loyal to your organization? And even more, what if you could do this and make money while helping them?
We have created answers to these questions that will actually work. Please read on as I explain the details. In a moment, I will get back to the money making part. Let me share with you how we created this and why. Over the last decade you and I have been exposed to many different formats of education for retailers. Unfortunately, all of them have been tools that companies have wanted to copy from large businesses, insert the information that is specific to small business, and then sell to retailers.
While I have looked at more of these than I can count, they just will not work. The needs and requirements of large business will not work for small business. During this same time frame we have been hearing, and closely listening, to organizations like yours so that we could keep our search on target for just the right product – we never found it.
Instead of thinking that these companies would eventually adapt their product to the needs of small business, we turned our attention to creating the solution that would be just right for your retailers.
The answer did not lie with our finding the right product. The answer was in creating the format that was right for retailers and then looking for the appropriate support services. Again, it was not to be found. We then turned our attention to look at how many different components were necessary to deliver an educational format that would work correctly for our retailers.
We found that it took nine software programs to create something that would work. Nine software programs were necessary to put education in a format that we have proven to be the right solution for retailers. The solution is to create a format that is totally unique to retailers. The format we have created solves these concerns:
* Participants do not have to commit to pre-assigned times during store hours.
* Participants do not have to tie up computers and phone lines at the store.
* Participants do not have to have high-speed Internet connections.
* Owners and managers are able to accurately measure the participation and the results of their staff members.
* New employees can join the program at any point in the program without being behind.
Let me share with you the details of how this program will benefit your retailers. We have created two tracks. Each track has nine sessions that are delivered over the course of a year. The first of two tracks is designed for the staff. The staff topics are:
Everything speaks – Everything you say and do speaks to customers
Mastering the sales technique – The basics of being a salesperson
Art of the telephone call – How to engage the customer on the phone
Reading the customer – Can you read the body language message from a customer with regard to their buying
Cross selling skills – 8 ways to add to the sale and 8 ways to close a sale
Advanced selling skills – Taking sales to the next level
Displaying your talents – How to make displays and merchandising better
Advertising that works – 25 ways to increase repeat and referral sales
Translating features to benefits – Selling is more than reading labels
For owners and managers we have:
Successful business traits – Learning the secrets of the top retailers
Creating a pricing strategy – Finding ways to have maximum margins and a “competitive price” image
Basic financial understanding - Things the accountant never tell retailers about their financial statements
Creating a staff education program - A pattern to create an ongoing successful staff education program
Knowing how to control inventory - Understanding “open to buy”
Budgeting and cashflow management - The most important management tool
Utilizing educational exercises and incentives – Making these ideas increase sales
Branding and marketing – Identifying your target customers
Advertising, marketing and promotion – How to create your annual plan
Each of the nine topics in these two tracks are packaged in a unique format that is designed to maximize results. In each of topics the store receives two CD’s. The first CD is an audio presentation of the topic. The second CD is a video presentation of the topic. I have enclosed samples from one of the topics from the staff track.
Each participant listens to the audio track at their convenience, and watches the video CD on a PC. The two tracks can be reviewed over and over.
The participant then visits a website which we create for your organization. They take a 20 question multiple-choice assessment with the results being e-mailed to the owner or manager of their store. The e-mail tells them which questions were answered correctly and incorrectly, along with the date and time that the participant took the assessment. This program is guaranteed to produce results and comes with a money-back guarantee for all of your retailers.
This is not a standardized product that simply has the name of your organization on the cover. Instead, each audio and video are custom made for your organization. The examples given in each topic are specific to your retail niche and the name of your organization is sprinkled throughout the session.
We can even change from the topics we have suggested to those that you would deem most important for your retailers.
While that customization would be sufficient, the label of each CD and the cover of the case that contains each track are created just for your group. Truly, this is a unique branding and marketing opportunity for you.
I did however promise you an opportunity to create revenue for your company from this joint effort. And, there is more than one opportunity! The first is a 10% rebate from each of your retailers that participate. The owner track is $499 for each store including four assessments. The staff track is also $499 for each store and includes four assessments. Additional packs of five assessments can be purchased for only $59.
Another forty-six opportunities for you to create revenue are with the vendors within your industry. As your organization promotes and signs up your retailers for these educational programs, the vendors will surely want the opportunity to join you. They will see this as an occasion where they can deliver their message to your retailers in a one-on-one situation.
Their message can appear on the cover of the CD case for each track. Their message can also appear on the cover of any of the eighteen CD’s. Their message can appear on the assessment page for any of the nine topics. And their message can be included in any of the nine audio or video topics.
As I mentioned, there is an owner and staff track. This means there are ninety-one situations where you can allow a vendor to participate. To maximize these ninety-one opportunities we allow you to set the price for these advertising exposures. Your organization keeps 50% of all the advertising revenue your vendors provide.
So, what is the catch? What do you have to do to make this work for you? Our arrangement works like this:
We will create for your organization the promotional material to help you sell this educational tool.
We will also create samples of the CD case and the eighteen CD’s.
We will distribute for you the monthly material to each of your retailers that participate in the continuing education program.
You promote the two programs to your retailers.
You promote the two programs to your vendors.
You process their payments, take your percentages for sales and advertising and then submit the balance to us.
Your investment is a $700 payment for us to secure the web address and produce the artwork for the marketing pieces, CD case and eighteen CD labels.
Your retailers will because you are making the commitment to help them become better owners, managers and staff.
Your vendors win because they gain additional exposure to their valuable customers.
You win because you gain valuable non-dues revenue.
I invite you to review the enclosed audio and video CD’s, and call us today. We will be glad to help you put all of this into action today. You and your retailers will both be glad you did.
Sincerely,
Tom Shay, CSP
P.S. Does this program really work? Here is a note we recently received from a store owner:
Dear Tom,
Just sending you a short note to let you know how much I am enjoying your BioGuard Continuing Education Program. I have been in retail for over 20 years and after that long you begin to think you know how to sell to everyone. This program has given me a good refresher course on selling strategies along with a lot of new and useful information. I have just finished Track 4 and I can't wait to get into Track 5.
Thank you for your insight on selling and the fun way you get the point across.
Debbie M.
Vernon, NJ
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