Sales Tools & Advice


Business 101 | How To Sell Advice | Merchandising Know-How | Mystery Shopping | PR / Marketing Know-How | Retail College | Sales Know-How | The Ooops Files |

Business 101

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Article Thumbnail Human Resources: Is your performance management system producing mediocrity or excellence?
Aug 27, 2010
When was the last time your performance appraisal system was overhauled? If the current approach has been around for more than five years, it’s probably time for a revamp. Here’s where to start.
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Article Thumbnail Social networking, mobile email influences business marketing
Aug 4, 2010
Statisticians have been analyzing the impact of email, mobile devices and social networking on consumer buying habits. Like trying to capture lightning in a bottle, they’re trying to pinpoint the value of these mediums to influence purchasing. See what the numbers have to say and what it could mean to your business.
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Article Thumbnail Business Solutions Forum: How did I become such a poor communicator?
Jul 28, 2010
I started my own business about 15 years ago. Recently, several employees approached me, concerned that they weren’t being kept informed about plans and results. In essence, they were complaining about my communications. How could I have gone from a great communicator to a poor communicator in a just a few years? Our Expert Network sheds some light on the situation.
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Article Thumbnail Think About It: OIWC asks, what do you need to know about finances to advance your career?
Jul 23, 2010
Even if numbers are not your area of expertise, growing your understanding of finance basics demonstrates your commitment to professional development and an interest in your company’s well-being -- two traits that are key to advancing your career.
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Article Thumbnail Are you ready to jump the firewall and create a social workplace?
Jul 21, 2010
Social network applications have been focused on the social marketplace, where companies can interact more directly with their customers. This way of communicating has permanently and profoundly changed the way we communicate. Find out how it’s on the brink of changing the way we work, too.
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How To Sell Advice

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Article Thumbnail Fitness How-To-Sell Article Finder
At SNEWS® we want to make life easier for our retail friends, so we've developed this handy article-finder -- an index of our numerous Fitness How To Sell guides for retailers. With a quick glance, you can scan the chart to find the subject matter that fits your immediate training needs. Also, you can read a summary to make sure that the article provides the info you need for the job at hand. Simply click on the article headline link to access any article.
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Article Thumbnail Outdoor Products How To Sell Article Finder
At SNEWS® want to make life easier for our outdoor specialty retail friends, so we've developed this handy article-finder chart for our numerous Outdoor How To Sell guides. With a quick glance, you can scan the chart to find the subject matter that fits your immediate training need. Also, you can read a summary to make sure that the article provides the info you need for the job at hand. Simply click on the article headline link to access any article.
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Article Thumbnail How to sell: kettlebells
Kettlebells, those cast iron cannonball-like things with handles and a flat bottom, aren't exactly new. In fact, the Romans were swinging them around their bodies in training many centuries ago, and the Russians still have "girya," or kettlebell, competitions that date back to at least the turn of the century. A former Soviet Secret Services trainer and agent, Pavel Tsatsouline, who was also a nationally ranked "girya" competitor there, has been credited with introducing kettlebells and training to the United States on a broad scale.
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Article Thumbnail How to sell: medicine balls
The medicine ball – basically a weighted ball -- is quite simple and one of the oldest fitness training aids in the world. It is a very versatile piece of strength-training equipment, especially useful for core training as well as plyometric training and can be used in everything from football-style exercises to games to sit-ups.
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Article Thumbnail How to sell: home gyms
Home gyms have come a long way since the original multi-station setups of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. When customers come into your store, many may not even realize the possibilities in styles, configurations and options. You’ll need to devote time and attention to learning your customers’ needs and space requirements, while also educating them about what’s available.
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Merchandising Know-How

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Article Thumbnail Merchandising Know-How: Creating customized displays to impact sales
Aug 11, 2010
Creating a customized display makes merchandise easy to understand and enticing to buy. Boost your ROI with these customization ideas and resources.
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Article Thumbnail SNEWS Retail College, Outdoor Retailer present Merchandising Tours@OR
Jul 8, 2010
Get visual at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market with two specially designed tours of exhibits to discover display ideas that retailers can take back to their stores and exhibitors can use to update existing booths.
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Article Thumbnail The Lizard Lounge Way: Make an unforgettable first impression with these visual hooks
Jun 30, 2010
When shoppers walk through the door, make a first impression that leaves them wanting more. You need to meet, greet and, hopefully, bedazzle rather than (ye-gad!) bore customers. The merchandising experts at the Lizard Lounge retail store offer these key visual hooks to keep customers coming back again and again.
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Article Thumbnail Retail veteran takes Rad Global sourcing agency to next level
Jun 30, 2010
Three years after starting his own sourcing business as his next step after a retail career, Erik Metzdorf has found his niche: displays. You need a display? Rad Global can find it or design it for you.
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Article Thumbnail Merchandising Tour: Display techniques from Winter Market to incorporate in your store
Jun 9, 2010
Visual display designers employ various techniques to ensure successful displays -- many of which were incorporated into exhibitor booths at Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2010. Sharon Leicham concludes our six-part series by highlighting display techniques found during the show's Merchandising Tours.
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Mystery Shopping

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Article Thumbnail Mystery Shopper: Solid selling skills, explanations steer customer to dream workout area
Jun 7, 2010
It was a Tuesday afternoon in Beaverton, Ore., when our mystery shopper decided to drop in on the Fitness Shop, a four-store chain based in the Pacific Northwest. With some extra money burning a hole in her pocket, Meg’s plan was to see how the salesperson would help her equip a workout room in her home.
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Article Thumbnail Mystery Shopper: Product knowledge, hands-on demos go long way in making sale
Apr 28, 2010
On the corner of Broadway and 7th in Portland, Ore., our Mystery Shopper spied The Mountain Shop in an older historic-looking building. With the weather warming up, our shopper wanted to track down some gift ideas for her backpacking boyfriend. Was the store up to the challenge?
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Article Thumbnail Mystery Shopper: Thin product selection, lack of fitting tools doom footwear sale
Mar 12, 2010
Our Mystery Shoppers get frustrated when they encounter an outdoor specialty store that essentially carries one brand of boots, while its well-meaning salesperson struggles due to a lack of fitting expertise and tools.
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Article Thumbnail Mystery Shopper: Easy-going salesperson listens, nails customer needs in fitness gear
Dec 14, 2009
It was a chilly, fall day in Chicago. Dark skies indicated rain was coming. The wind was blowing. And that made it a great time to follow-up on the need for some indoor training equipment for expanding a home workout regimen. Our mystery shopper hit Chicago Home Fitness to test the sales staff's skills at selling home gyms.
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Article Thumbnail Mystery Shopper: Trying to find a light in Chicago harder than imagined
Nov 9, 2009
Runners from around the globe could still be seen all over the Chicago area even days after the annual October marathon in a city that has a runner-friendly reputation and a large runner population. Since Daylight Savings Time was around the corner, we decided it was time to send our operative into a store to look for illumination ideas that would enable one to see during pre-dawn and after-work runs, as well, of course, to be seen for safety.
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PR / Marketing Know-How

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Article Thumbnail Channel Signal: What can companies learn from BP’s PR stumbles?
Jun 14, 2010
Every month Channel Signal shares some of its analysis of the major topics online important to the outdoor industry with SNEWS®. With the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the PR flacks at BP -- as well as any PR agency or corporate PR head -- would do well to notice that spin just doesn’t cut it anymore.
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Article Thumbnail PR know-how: Getting creative to boost visibility at a crowded trade show
May 26, 2010
Mix one part hockey, one part fund-raising effort, three parts organization and planning, and voila, you have a recipe for a successful effort to stand out as a brand among many others attending the same crowded trade show. Learn how Canada Goose made a name for itself at Winter Market by promoting fun.
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Article Thumbnail Brand loyalty in recessionary times…comScore's Gian Fulgoni offers valuable insights
May 17, 2010
SNEWS was an invited guest to a presentation on brand loyalty in recessionary times by Gian Fulgoni, co-founder and executive chairman of comScore. Our summary provides key takeaways that may just change the way you think about your company’s branding and marketing strategies.
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Article Thumbnail PR know-how: Successful guerrilla marketing PR primer
Apr 30, 2010
A guerrilla marketing PR campaign takes a focused plan of attack. This case study from a veteran PR company shows how its PR blitzkrieg at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games generated one company's highest online sales ever.
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Article Thumbnail Social media grows beyond tweets and friends
Nov 11, 2009
Master one social media trend and along comes another wave. But don't rest too long on your friends and your tweets. You bet there's more to come to optimize your brand's use of social media. See what new ways web marketing-savvy specialty retailers and manufacturers are finding to attract online customers and keep them around.
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Retail College

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Article Thumbnail OIA Outdoor University: The Evolving Role of the Independent Rep
Aug 12, 2010
Join Brad Werntz owner of Pemba Serves, for an insightful and educational review of the model reps in the outdoor industry have been using and a fascinating look ahead at new technologies and media habits that can broaden a rep’s reach and effectiveness while conserving their most valuable resource: time and attention. You can listen to this webinar at your convenience.
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Article Thumbnail The SNEWS View: Customers spend more with good customer service…how good are you?
Jul 16, 2010
A recent survey conducted globally by American Express found that consumers will spend more in a store that provides excellent customer service. This news should be a wake-up call for every business. How good is your customer service? Do you really know?
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Article Thumbnail The SNEWS View: Campfire tales raise customer eyebrows
Jul 9, 2010
Do you know what tales your customers are sharing about you and your business around the campfire at night? They could be good, or much scarier than you ever imagined. It's up to you what stories get swapped and how it affects your business. We listen in.
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Article Thumbnail SNEWS Retail College, Outdoor Retailer present Merchandising Tours@OR
Jul 8, 2010
Get visual at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market with two specially designed tours of exhibits to discover display ideas that retailers can take back to their stores and exhibitors can use to update existing booths.
Read Story | Comment on this story | Go to all Retail College articles
Article Thumbnail OIA Outdoor University: Converting to a new POS system
Jul 7, 2010
Juggling new products, pricing changes, promotional programs and inventory shifts can be a daunting challenge for small shops or mega-retailers alike, and changing POS systems or updating tools to keep up is complicated. In partnership with Outdoor University, SNEWS has a special webinar just for you that you can listen to at your convenience.
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Sales Know-How

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Article Thumbnail The SNEWS View: Customers spend more with good customer service…how good are you?
Jul 16, 2010
A recent survey conducted globally by American Express found that consumers will spend more in a store that provides excellent customer service. This news should be a wake-up call for every business. How good is your customer service? Do you really know?
Read Story | Comment on this story | Go to all Sales Know-How articles
Article Thumbnail The SNEWS View: Campfire tales raise customer eyebrows
Jul 9, 2010
Do you know what tales your customers are sharing about you and your business around the campfire at night? They could be good, or much scarier than you ever imagined. It's up to you what stories get swapped and how it affects your business. We listen in.
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Article Thumbnail The SNEWS View: Is your store one of the best stores to shop for practically anything?
Jun 18, 2010
How does your store stack up against the stores 30,000 Consumer Reports readers deemed to be “the best places to shop for practically anything?” SNEWS presents ideas that you can use to ensure your store stands out for the right reasons by looking at what customers did not like during their shopping experiences for the Consumer Reports story.
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Article Thumbnail OIA Outdoor University: Selling to Women – PMS (Product, Merchandising, Service)
Kim Walker, founder and president of Outdoor Divas, presents a compelling webinar on PMS (Product, Merchandising, Service) to give your staff the tools to make the shopping experience of your store's female customers unbelievable!
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Article Thumbnail SNEWS Sales Tools & Advice Article Finder
We at SNEWS® want to make life easier for you, so we've developed this handy chart to help you find our many Sales Tools & Advice articles published since 2003. From Mastering Basic Sales Skills to the psychology of consumers, we have something for everyone in the SNEWS Retail College Sales Training Classroom.
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The Ooops Files

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Article Thumbnail Passing the buck with no resolution -- a customer service ooops at Necky!
Jul 14, 2009
If you don't think customer service is one of your company's most important customer acquisition and retention assets, read this tale carefully! Rutabaga and a loyal customer navigate the choppy waters of Necky's customer service channel, trying to find resolution with a defective boat.
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Article Thumbnail Oops! file: Schwinn blows customer service call
Jan 20, 2006
The "Oops File" relays ridiculous stories, some that stem from customer service experiences, from the business world -- embarrassing incidents that could have been avoided if people had just used their brains. These tales may entertain, but they also serve as a reminder that any business should always strive for excellence. This one takes a look at a frustrating call one of our reporters had with "customer service" at Schwinn.
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Article Thumbnail Oops! file: A periodic look at slips, bumbles and stumbles
Dec 10, 2005
The "Oops File" relays ridiculous stories, some that stem from customer service experiences, from the business world — embarrassing incidents that could have been avoided if people had just used their brains. These tales may entertain, but they also serve as a reminder that any business should always strive for excellence.
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Featured Content
Human Resources: Is your performance management system producing mediocrity or excellence?
Aug 27, 2010
Read Story | Comment on this story | Go to all Sales Tools & Advice
OIA Outdoor University: The Evolving Role of the Independent Rep
Aug 12, 2010
Read Story | Comment on this story | Go to all Sales Tools & Advice
Merchandising Know-How: Creating customized displays to impact sales
Aug 11, 2010
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Trend Reports
Outdoor Retailer Summer Market ’10: Products that are The New, The Cool, The Quirky too, Pt. 2
Aug 30, 2010
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