We're here to give you the most help, and a chance to be helpful, too.

what to ask and what to share

an interview with the owner of cloud mover spa

your staff has ears

focusing on existing customers

6 page action guide with step-by-step step suggestions to beat your newest competitor

it is easier to keep your customers than trying to get new ones. so, stop losing customers! this 7-page guide will help you learn ...and most importantly how to win them back.

this 5 page action guide provides proven techniques to successfully increase customer loyalty

it's wonderful to have so many customers in your location that they may have to wait. do you and your staff do "the right things" to keep them happy while they wait? this 4-page action guide contains over 25 tried-and-true "right things" to keep your customers waiting contentedly.

mired in a slowdown and wondering how to get more customers back in your store?

so, how do you, the small retailer, make sure your customers continue shopping at your store during tough economic times? here are 12 ideas to consider:

a difference-maker in true customer service

mri study identifies five buying style segments: * buyers of the best * swayable shopaholics * habitualized havers * conscientious consumers * penny-pinchers

things to consider before creating a myspace page for your business

microblogging is a way to keep in touch in real time with customers who want to keep in touch with you. more than that, though, microblogging provides a unique way to learnmore about what your customers are doing. is microblogging for your store?

i’m really focusing on referrals…i make a point to mail a postcard to former clients and ask for referrals, and send a gift certificate to a nice restaurant to every client who gives me a referral. patrick o. rapid city, sd- real estate

“newsletters can provide good information about the store: for example, give subscribers first notice of any in-store events, and they will have ‘first dibs’ on signing up to attend events. also you communicate changes to your store hours or policies, to make their shopping easier and more convenient.”larry n, dearborn, mi ice rink owner

“i get a lot of newsletters from craft shops with information about new products and services. the newsletter provides an opportunity to give the dates the products will arrive and some information about price, color, etc that will be of interest to consumers. the manufacturers often will provide you this information to put into your newsletter.also, i like it when email newsletters have special offers and discounts that are available for a limited time only, and only for customers who receive email. you don’t need to have an offer in every email, once every two months could work to keep people interested.mary jane, salt lake city, ut homemaker

“we use newsletters to get information from our customers. have a poll or a survey. it can be short, and even fun: where are you going on vacation? what tv show are you enjoying this summer? then post results in a future newsletter. people love taking polls.of course, always best to use a poll topic that is of interest to your audience.our customers are into new bands, especially hip-hop. we like to poll about "who's hot" in order to let them chime in about their favorites, and it also let's us get a sense of trends.”anson l , natchez, miss clothing store

“we started offering each of our customers a chance to win $250 in pet supplies if they referred another pet owner. we call it “refer a pet pal”. we have had over 100 entries/most of which are new users since we started the promotion on september 1st.evan l, topeka, ks pet store