DW's Blog

Ad Sales

by DW Green — July 17, 2018

We visited a Wisconsin retailer last week. They have three great stores! They are clean, well merchandised, and well signed. They emanate an incredible amount of positive energy! I was impressed!

“The purpose of print and digital ads is to attract shoppers to your store.”

A conversation regarding ad sales came up during our meeting. Apparently, ad sales from the front-page items of their weekly ad (17 items) account for 4% of total sales. Seems pretty good to me. However, there is no way to measure the effect of the print ad with respect to that 4% of sales. I imagine a portion of those ad sales is the result of excellent product merchandising and product signage.In my view, the purpose and value of the weekly print or digital ad is to attract customers to the store. Even ad shoppers will purchase additional items, some which may be on sale but not advertised. Less is more with the weekly ad. Fewer items with a bigger markdown will attract more customers!

Read More – Who cares about what they think?

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by DW Green — July 9, 2018

Thoughtfulness is a habit.

Thoughtfulness. A simple enough concept; yet not always easy to practice. Once mastered, however, it is one of the greatest gifts you can give; and not just to friends and loved ones on special occasions and holidays… but to everyone, always. And, as you establish yourself as thoughtful to others, they’ll go out of their way to please you back. Thoughtfulness is a habit; internalized, it becomes a way of life, a part of our being.It’s always cool when a renowned business expert validates a belief. Here’s a short article on thoughtfulness by Tom Peters.Service: on Thoughtfulness —Tom PetersI think it was the recession—the great recession, or whatever you want to call it—that really got me thinking about this. You know, when times are very tough and tough decisions have to be made, as they certainly have to be made, fundamental human decency toward one another is arguably more important than at any other time.And somehow or another, the word thoughtfulness came into my mind. And I like the word thoughtfulness. And then the next step in this process—and I’d ask you to think about this—many of you, most of you, probably have some kind of value statement. P...

by DW Green — July 3, 2018

“The more we shift the focus from our desires to wanting more for others, the richer we become.” —Wayne Dyer

Years ago, I was humbled to participate in a tribute to one of our clients in the Northwest. This year that client is celebrating their sixtieth year in business. Among others, I was interviewed, on video no less, on their behalf. I was presented with a list of questions to address by the interviewer ahead of time. As I was preparing my responses, I realized, from my perspective, what the essence of my clients company truly is.To me, our client is a humanistic company. It is a company with a soul. And from the depths of their soul, the will to give uncommon service to all stakeholders flows. This company is imbued with the joy of service, to the community, to society, to the environment, to customers, and to associates. Their core business practice is BEING of Service to their stakeholders.Their leadership believes in purpose and in meaning and the well being of its stakeholders—employees, customers, suppliers, business partners, and society. They facilitate, encourage, reward, recognize, and celebrate their employees for being of service to each other, to customers and to the communities...

by DW Green — June 27, 2018

We miss the message because we dislike the messenger.

I’ve mentioned Scott Mabry in past blogs. Even shared some of his work. I really enjoy Scott’s writing and his perspective on leadership. I would encourage you to sign up for his weekly blog posts (https://soul2work.com). His posts are terrific—I always learn from his writing. The following is a blog post from April 25, 2018, entitled TAKE A WALK. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.“Before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, when you do criticize him, you’ll be a mile away and have his shoes.” ― Steve MartinIt wouldn’t be as funny if we didn’t recognize how often people really do behave this way.Why is it so rare for people to understand and appreciate another person’s experience before judging their behavior or actions?And why is it so rare for a leader to listen to the voice of their employees or recognize the effect of their misapplied criticism?This concept of walking in another person’s shoes is grounded in ancient wisdom. Most of us embrace the idea and even more, we expect it from others. Yet in practice, it seems more a platitude than a value.I supp...

by DW Green — June 20, 2018

I’ve not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that don’t work. – Thomas Edison

“Have a mind that is open to everything and attached to nothing.”This seems like a principle to live life by. I’d like to think I have an open mind, or mostly an open mind! But then this statement isn’t about having an open mind, it’s about having a mind that is open to everything. I’m sure I’ve discounted or rejected things from either an unwitting bias or an unpleasant or unsuccessful comparable experience. A mind that is open to everything is a mind that is open to trying new and different things, and understanding a different point of view, a different way of doing, of being.I think the second part of the statement “attached to nothing” is more difficult to achieve. Why? Because what we’re attached to, is often an attachment to our identity. If I do this or that, I might look dumb, or unsophisticated or foolish or some other negative quality. Those are possible outcomes. I know I’ve looked dumb, unsophisticated, foolish and have failed to understand a different point of view. And I’m sure it cost me business and professional standing. But letting go of my identity to try and explore new things is both rewarding and satisfyi...

by DW Green — June 13, 2018

Parents are not for leaning upon.

Happy Father’s Day, Fathers!“Parents are not for leaning upon, but rather exist to make leaning unnecessary.”—Wayne DyerLetter written on June 9, 2002.Hi Dad,It’s been a very long six years since you have been gone. I love you dad and I miss you so very much. I just want you to know I think of you every day. You are a great father. You not only left a financial legacy for your children and grand children but more important you left a moral and human compass for us to live by. Your work ethic, your strength of character, your sense of humor, your selflessness, your loving commitment to your family are only a few examples of the qualities you lived by. I miss the opportunity to talk with you, to learn from you, to soak up your wisdom and your gentle and loving spirit. I’m happy you are with mom and I’m looking forward to the day when we can be together again.Thanks dad, I love you and god bless.Your number two son and namesake,DW

Read More – Art of the Compliment

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by DW Green — May 23, 2018

We live in our description of reality.

We live in our description of reality. Sometimes when I’m watching network news, I think “what the heck is really going on?” It’s like they’re reporting on two different realities. Which version is true?I read this article, What Makes You Think You’re Right, by Tris Thorp. It’s interesting. Seems there are many different realities!“Have you ever wondered why other people don’t see things the same way you do? Isn’t it baffling that you don’t necessarily share the same viewpoints or beliefs even when you come from the same family? You absorb and filter information through your own experiences, which affects your viewpoints.From a psychological perspective, you have your own internal set of core values, beliefs, memories, and quality of emotion. With every external event you experience, the information comes in and is filtered through your emotions, memories, beliefs, and values. How you “see” yourself, others, and the world you live in will be flavored by what you’ve experienced or believe to be true. What you don’t realize is that it’s only true for you. There will be an entirely different reality for another person, and another, and so on. ...

by DW Green — May 16, 2018

When you have love within you, fear cannot survive.

I’ve been thinking about writing a book; The Life and Times of a Lazy Man. But since I’m lazy, the title may be as far as I get!I receive a weekly email from Dictionary.com. Sometimes there are great words in the email. This week’s email had one of those great words. Lollapalooza. Not a word we use every day. Lollapalooza has a neat sound and the letters in the spelling look pretty cool! Lollapalooza means: an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. When was the last lollapalooza event you had in your store? How ‘bout planning a lollapalooza Friday. A series of food activities that are extraordinary!Back to being lazy, here’s my blog topic today. The myth of failure. Written by one of my favorite writers, Dr. Wayne Dyer.“This may come as a surprise to you, but failure is an illusion. No one ever fails at anything. Everything you do produces a result. If you’re trying to learn how to catch a football and someone throws it to you and you drop it, you haven’t failed. You simply produced a result. The real question is what you do with the results that you produce. Do you leave, and moan about being ...