Create a Vortex- “Your walls should be merchandised to create excitement and get attention” tell stories but lead your customers from the outside to the inside of your store.

Bass Shoes flew me to NYC to create this video for their launch on the Propel Collection to teach new associates the basics of selling footwear. I wrote the script, the story board in one week and shot the video in 2 hours. It was a rush job….but you get the message.

Shoe Dog Lesson- Suggest, Suggest and Educate
Your job as a salesperson is to educate your clients on what they need in order protect their investments, suggest add on’s that will compliment what they are purchasing, to more you show, the more you sell. It’s a disservice not to educate your customers in taking care of their merchandise…The end results will be, Your Customers Will Appreciate and Respect You and You Will Put More Money In Your Bank Account.

Shoe Dog Lesson- The 7 Key Retail Metrics to Build Your Business & Profits
1-Sales
2-Conversion
3-UPT/IPT
4-Dollars Per Transaction
5-Traffic
6-Transactions
7-Payroll

Shoe Dog Lesson- The Owners Organizational Chart
“No One Can Do It Better Than Me” some times this is how the owner of the shoe store thinks, this is the mindset that has crippled many retail businesses. Most of the chaos in the business is created by the owner of the business, controlling every aspect of the business creates instability. The Most Powerful Tool in Your Shoe Store is Your People, You hired them to fill a position so its important that you Empower them to be Effective in that Position. Allow them to create your vision, if they’re not effective then You Fire them but you must Empower and Hold Accountable. Hire Smart People!

Shoe Dog Lesson- How To Read A Shoe? Part 2…
Here I have a Weejun with a kiltie and tassel, a client walked in and I educated him by measuring his foot, looking at how he wore his present shoes and what the proper size he needed in order to double the life of his footwear. Educated the client on the benefits of utilizing cedar shoe trees.

Shoe Dog Lesson- How To Read A Shoe? Clients do not want to Be Sold, They Want To Be Educated and Advised on How to Properly Fit Their Shoes and Guided to The Right Shoes For Their Feet. This lesson will set you apart from being a sales clerk to an expert.

The 7 Shoe Dog Mindsets for Transformation – #7 The Hustle
The Hustle is all about taking Action and being focused on the money. Its what you put into your business, the sweat equity, the grind and being 100% focused on the reward. Success takes hard work, the right work and smart work. The Hustle is 24/7/365 Days…It Never Stops!

The 7 Shoe Dog Mindsets for Transformation – #6 Be An Authority
The day of being a clerk in retail is gone, retail stores that have been employing clerks are closing, just look at our industry. Clients and customers want to be educated, they want to be advised and the want an expert. You have to be an Authority, you have to lead the sales process and guide your client to the right footwear. There is a difference between a Generalist and a Specialist, Which One Are You?

The 7 Shoe Dog Mindsets for Transformation – #5 Urgency
Complacency is suicide for the independent retailer, business as usual is Death for the Mom & Pop retail business. The Sense of Urgency is the motivating factor for change and growth, if there is no urgency to transform then doom is inevitable. For example if you’re a Diabetic, if you don’t have the urgency to change your lifestyle habits then your result will ultimately be blindness, liver failure, kidney failure, stroke or death. If you’re a salesperson and you have no sense of urgency to be better or have more then you miss out on opportunities, and the desire to excel fades away. “Do today what others won’t, so tomorrow you can do what others can’t.”