DW's Blog

Merchandising Excellence

by DW Green — March 8, 2017

A merchant mindset goes beyond selling products

I recently read an article entitled How To Compete With Amazon. The author writes that the only retailer truly taking Amazon seriously is Walmart. Primarily because Walmart has the resources to take them on. Sounds true enough.I wonder how much time, energy, and resources retailers should give to initiating plans to compete against Amazon. Of course, it’s wise to be mindful of competitors and their offerings, whether they’re on-line or brick and mortar retailers. Though it seems pretty obvious that the choice of what to do with finite resources is to improve and enhance the retail shopping experience.It’s worth reviewing the genius of Robert Wegman in comments he made in his “I am a Merchant” speech.“I am a merchant, and I have therefore my own philosophy about merchandising: That is, to do something that no one else is doing, and to be able to offer the customer a choice she doesn’t have at the moment. This is the only reason for being in business. To my own way of thinking, this is the only way it should be. “I think that uniqueness gives one an opportunity to profit. If you are doing the same thing that everyon...

by DW Green — March 1, 2017

So much of life is about awareness

Yep waiting is annoying. I know I can get upset and annoyed when I feel I’ve had to wait too long. Waiting is a commonplace occurrence. Having to wait “for something” happens practically everyday. And for sure businesses should do their best to minimize waiting…being respectful for customers’ time.The other side of the waiting equation, the personal side, and maybe the more important side, is our personal reaction to the WAIT. For me, it’s about being present and aware of my initial and unconditioned response to the situation at hand. Rather than getting mad or upset over something that I have little control, I need to relax, take a deep breath or two, and respond accordingly. If I choose not to wait, I can leave. If I can’t choose to leave, like being in a traffic jam, I can choose to accept the situation for what is and stay calm. Resisting the natural flow of things (of life) is not healthy. I need to remember that my time isn’t more valuable or precious than yours, or anyone else’s. Easier said than done!Gaining patience can be transformative to your overall life experience. So much of life is about awareness, growth, and learning—these are the things th...

by DW Green — February 22, 2017

Employees are your greatest asset

It is vital to recruit employees whose personal values match your corporate values. Employees work best in conditions of strong value alignment—the store’s values are their values; their values are the store’s values. In this type of environment, employees don’t face daily ethical conflicts, they don’t have to tolerate a double standard for bosses and workers, and they don’t have to abide by mediocrity when they believe in excellence. Instead, employees take pride in the store’s success and its superior reputation with customers and the community. They revel in their personal growth and development in a high-achievement store culture. They enjoy being part of something special, being on a successful team, feeling connected, and taking ownership in the company. In short, employees who share your company’s values become your greatest assets—and the best marketing department you could ask for.

Changing Others

by DW Green — February 8, 2017

…spend more time gazing inward, into the one person you can change: yourself.

Given the current political climate of incivility, conflict and strife that is dominating our national landscape the notion of trying to change others is futile. At best, my hope is that we can agree to disagree, to honor and respect opposing points of view and come together on some level to improve the quality of life for ALL Americans.I would like share the following insight from Madison Taylor, co-founder and editor-in-chief of the popular inspirational website Daily OM.“If your tendency is to try and change other people, take some time to explore why you feel the need to do so.Our perception of humanity as a whole is, to a large extent, dualistic. We paint people with a broad brush–some are like us, sharing our opinions and our attitudes, while others are different. Our commitment to values we have chosen to embrace is often so strong that we are easily convinced that our way is the right way. We may find ourselves frustrated by those who view the world from an alternate vantage point and make use of unusual strategies when coping with life’s challenges. However ardently we...

by DW Green — February 1, 2017

What does your business mean?

Finding Inner Courage by Mark Nepo is an excellent book and I highly recommend reading it. In the introduction Nepo writes; “What does courage mean? How we hold this question is important. It’s interesting that the question, what does it mean? In Spanish, que quire deicer?, literally translates as, what does it want to say? The difference inherent in the Spanish view is that whatever holds meaning is alive and has its own vital authority and, therefore, demands us to be in relationship to it in order to learn its meaning. English view readies us to apprehend meaning, while Spanish view readies us to experience meaning.”Okay, interesting quote you might say, but what does it have to do with business? In a word…everything. What does your business mean? What does it mean to you? What does it mean to your stakeholders? Human beings are meaning making machines. When our relationships and our experiences are meaningful, we are confident and comfortable with our decisions, our choices and this meaningful connection enhances our overall sense of happiness and well-being.A company’s “reasons to believe” are deeply rooted in its purpose and meaning. It’s critical that a company�...

by DW Green — January 24, 2017

He’s a kook, a nut, just plum crazy!

I’ve been called a kook, a nut, crazy and a bunch of other stuff…particularly when it comes to many of my unorthodox, unconventional points of view! So it’s nice when one of my beliefs is validated by a reputable source.Monday morning I read an article in the Harvard Business Review about mindfulness…how practicing mindfulness can improve and enhance one’s ability to make better choices. I believe mindfulness is a skill that can benefit everyone and is worth pursuing. For me, mediation and or contemplation provide an access point to mindfulness.Dictionary.com defines mindfulness as “a technique in which one focuses one’s full attention only on the present, experiencing thoughts, feelings, and sensations but not judging them:The practice of mindfulness can reduce stress and physical pain. The practice of mindfulness connects us with a deeper sense of purpose and joy. We discover how to find peace during difficult times, and we learn to take inspired action from a place of heart.“One second can be the difference between achieving desired results or not. One second is all it takes to become less reactive and more in tune...

by DW Green — January 18, 2017

Stakeholders all feel the loss when a company fails.

I read in Supermarket News yesterday that “Walmart plans fivefold increase in training facilities. Walmart plans to open 160 new training academies by summer to provide training for nearly a quarter-million workers in the coming fiscal year.” Yikes! That’s impressive. And very wise!In the end it is employees who make the difference. No amount of merchandising or advertising can be successful over the long run without a dedicated, knowledgeable staff. If employees don’t support your market position or advertising claims, your efforts will be undermined.To build a company that is profitable, enduring, and able to hold its own against major competitors, managers need to foster a sense of community among employees. Above all, employees must share common values. This means recruits should be judged as much on the basis of their fit with the company’s values and principles as they are on the basis of their ability to fulfill the technical requirements of the job.People should be hired into your company with the understanding that they are there to develop their potential. You must ensure that processes are in place to assess i...

by DW Green — January 11, 2017

There is more to life than increasing its speed.

Slow It Down Man!By DW GreenSo I was reading this interesting article 12-Steps for Simplifying Your Life by Dr. Wayne Dyer. The article was about Inspiration—a state of being here and now in the material world, while at the same time reconnecting to our spiritual origins. The 9^th step in the 12 step process was “Slow Down”. I believe this idea of slowing down is HUGE. Especially in todays incredibly quick, hyper fast paced world that we live in.“Slow Down. One of Gandhi’s most illuminating observations reminds us that “there is more to life than increasing its speed.” This is great advice for simplifying your life—in fact, slow everything way down for a few moments right here and now. Slowly read these words. Slow your breathing down so that you’re aware of each inhalation and exhalation…When you’re in your car, downshift and relax. Slow down your speech, your inner thoughts, and the frantic pace of everything you do. Take more time to hear others. Notice your inclination to interrupt and get the conversation over with, and then choose to l...

by DW Green — January 4, 2017

It’s a tough neighborhood, but the scenery is great!

Nowsville is a special place in time! There is only NOW. It’s the first few days of the new year, so you have probably worked on a list of things that you’d like to get done in 2017. Drawing on the wisdom of Dr. Wayne Dyer, what if you choose to forget about making these resolutions? What if you choose to forget about deciding how you will be conducting your life months from now?For 2017, what if you choose to live in the present moment? “This day that you’re living right now is the only day you get. You can resolve to be skinny when next July rolls around, or to quit smoking next month, or to write that book you’ve been meaning to, or to embark on your overdue exercise program by the end of this year. You can go about resolving until the cows come home, and you still have to live your life just like everyone else on the planet: One day at a time. You can only live minute to minute. You can certainly use up your present moments thinking about what you’ll be doing in the future, but that doesn’t change the fact that you can only live in the now. The important question to be ask...