Feb. 27-Mar. 5
BUYING Vision Expo East 2022 is back in NYC (Mar. 31–Apr. 3) at the Javits Center. Start your prep by plotting out a class schedule. Leave large blocks of time between classes for meetings with reps, beginning with those for lines you don’t currently carry. Plan right and you can accomplish several months’ worth of work in a few days, while also picking up a ton of new professional knowledge. (And don’t forget to stop by the INVISION booth!)
DISPLAY Write a “designer profile” for each brand of frames you carry. Keep each on “cue cards” stored near each line so your sales associates are ready to tell the story behind the brand.
Mar. 6-12
OFFICE Review your phone use. According to a study done by John Marvin of TSO, too many receptionists spend too much time dispensing information that should be available on your website and they aren’t even converting genuine enquiries into appointments in more than one out of two cases. (See John’s column at invisionmag.com/022201.)
MOTIVATION Cultivate happiness: Good feelings boost your immune system and reduce stress. Yes, we’re making a case for a March Madness store pool. The NCAA basketball tournament starts on Mar. 13.
MARKETING Identify your VIP customers. These are the people who bring their bowling teams in on referral. Make sure your staff know who they are and when they’re coming in. Adjust your personal schedule for them to ensure they get extra personal attention, says industry consultant Bob Levoy.
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Mar. 13-19
STORE Get in touch with your electric utility. Many offer free energy audits, giving you ideas on how to cut your consumption.
Mar. 20-26
EVENTS Start working on a summer pop-up. Scope out country fairs. Even tailgate parties. Consider working with a single frame vendor to get extra support.
END NOTES Adjust your will to appoint a “digital executor.” You don’t want to be paying automatic eBay fees or sending out Facebook friend requests long after you’re dead. Authorize the person to access your log-in information and spell out what you want done with each account, whether it’s providing access to loved ones or business partners or deleting it.
