merchandisingSign Language
When you go to a trade show, your vendors immediately tell you what’s new, right? Of course they do. You can do the same. Merchandising consultant Larry B. Johnson says the best way to draw interest from regular customers is to put a whiteboard on an easel (total cost: $79) just inside your door with all of your new products written on it.
planningBuy-In Gets Results
The staff at Midwest Eye in Downers Grove, IL, were intimately involved in planning its renovation. The result was an office full of individual character, that is functionally attuned to staff needs, and, according to practice manager Pam Peters “a space we all love to work in.” Natalie Taylor, one of our 2018 America’s Finest judges, concurs: “The office’s flow is great — a separate desk for check-in and check-out, wall-mounted TV, and optical kiosks all show the collaboration of staff in designing the space.”
managementDon’t Beat Around the Bush
When you’re delivering good and bad news to employees, always give the bad news first, says Daniel Pink, bestselling author of When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing. He acknowledges this often feels counterintuitive, as many hope to cushion the bad stuff to come. “But that is wrong,” he recently told The Washington Post. “The research tells us this very, very clearly. If you ask people what they prefer, four out of five prefer getting bad news first. Given the choice, human beings prefer endings that elevate.”
techGo Gray
Worried your relationship with your phone is less than healthy? Switch your display from color to grayscale, recommends Catherine Price in her book How to Break Up With Your Phone. (This is so threatening to phone makers’ addiction business model, it’s hidden five levels deep on the iPhone: Settings > General > Accessibility > Display Accommodations > Color Filters.)
managementOn a Roll? Take a Break
According to a Columbia University study, the key to taking effective breaks is to stop even when you don’t feel like it. “Participants who didn’t step away from a task at regular intervals were more likely to write ‘new’ ideas that were very similar to the last one,” the authors explained in Harvard Business Review. So, “if you’re hesitant to break away because you feel that you’re on a roll, be mindful that it might be a false impression.”
marketingLow-Tech Loyalty
Consumers spend more at retailers with loyalty programs. But if creating one seems like a chore, borrow New Jersey pet store Maxwell & Molly’s Closet’s idea: Spend $200 and earn 5 percent off on all purchases for life. Keep it simple.