W. Frank Dell II, CMC

Performance bonuses can be a good incentive tool, but only when set up and administered correctly. Having everyone's payout based on how the total company performs is rarely a good idea. The total company approach is to encourage everyone to work together, not just their area. When a company...

For many retailers, an in-store clinic is just about renting space. This is not unlike supermarkets having in-store banks. The issue is, can the retailer profit most from renting space or selling products? There is a logical relationship between a clinic and a drug store but not a convenience...

From a legal point of view, social media is no different than any other media. If information is not to be communicated outside the company, this applies to social media as well. All that should be required is to remind associates that this applies to social media. The more...

The issue of sales commission is not as simple as yes or no. Commissions are associate incentive systems which must be align with type of merchandise and target consumers. Just ringing up the purchases should not require incentives. When providing real customer service in support of repeat purchases, there...

Local manufacturing promotions are a good idea from the charity angle, but it will be limited. The first limitation is consumer goods. Manufacturers of industrial or B2B goods offer nothing consumers to see or buy. Second, many cities may have only 1 or 2 manufacturers which limits the consumer...

Junk mail is in the eye of the receiver. What is junk mail to one is advertising to another. Newspaper circulars have been a staple for food retailers, but the declining number of newspaper readers is continually reducing their effectiveness. Direct mail pieces have the same 3 second impression...

Department stores have done great with personal shoppers. Sales associates that know their clients and provide real and useful recommendations are valued by a select group. Most if not all of the high-end apparel sales use this model.

Customers use real shopper assistance for two reasons. First, they don't...

I think it is more than just love of food. For too many associates, it's a job, not even a career. How many of the associates cannot cook? My bet is half have never cooked a complete meal, excluding frozen dinners. Every one of the industry's great retailers has...

The primary customer draw for most convenience stores is Private Brand gasoline. You can only buy one brand of gasoline at a location. The problem for many convenience stores is in the supply chain. Most are supplied from wholesalers and they don't have the volume for a good Private...

In the '90s we had no clear direction as to what product categories consumers would buy online. The consumers were mostly early adopters and 90% would leave the web site during checkout. Today there are more consumers experienced with online purchasing, better web sites, and a recession causing consumers...