What's Love Got to Do with... Anything?

During the Valentine’s hype, I went into a mall where a speed dating event was being held. I wasn’t there to participate, but to observe. It was out in the open so it was easy for me to snoop around without getting caught. I have to say, there are still some lame lines being thrown everywhere. I thought it was crazy because the whole point of speed dating for me is to set yourself apart from the rest of the thirty nine dudes. I was surprised at how cheesy lines find their way into the air.

That got me thinking. Since I got into marketing, I somehow developed this “sickness” of linking everything back to marketing and sales. So, here I was in a speed dating thing connecting everything to sales.

Sales is a lot about dating. I’m sure this statement has been said many times before. It might even be a cliché. Either way, I still think it’s an underrated example because after everything has been said and done, people still make the same mistakes. Sales associates still use the same predictable pitch; lovers still use the same stupid pick-up lines. People never learn!

As I observed the speed daters, I couldn’t help but close my eyes and cover my ears. The women were growing tired as the men kept on trying. There were 4 or 5 who stood out. They were smooth and cool and it was obvious that the women were digging them. Others were talking on and on about themselves. It was about being unique, doing things no one is doing.

I was walking in the same mall and saw a sign on a poster. It said, “PLEASE DO NOT READ!” So I went ahead and read the contents of the poster, the curious person I am. It was a print ad about eyeglasses. I didn’t notice it was posted on a kiosk that sold eyeglasses. Now, that is unique. That caught my eye in a second.

I’m not saying that daters should put a sign around their neck that said, “PLEASE DO NOT DATE ME.” I’m just saying it’s always fun to walk on the road not taken. Whether you fail or succeed is not the issue. Taking big risks may lead to big failures but on the other hand it allows one to enjoy big reward. The point is variety and innovation shakes things up. More of the unexpected and less of the cliché!

What does love have to do with anything? I’d say everything.

"Obviously everyone wants to be successful, but I want to be looked back on as being very innovative, very trusted and ethical and ultimately making a big difference in the world.” -Sergey Brin-

Finding something in Common with your Customers

You need to build trust, long before the customer commits to the product. The more we have in common with someone, the easier it is to develop a selling relationship. This is a relationship where it’s base is on trust; but the question is how do you do it?

You must find something in common with your customer; somehow a bond or trust will be formed from a shared interest or mutual acquaintance. A shared experience added within a conversation big or small but meaningful could produce positive feelings in a prospect, customer or client.

To build trust quickly in a sales transaction, all you need to do is ask a series of "open-ended, personal questions." One of the easiest ways to build rapport and trust is to get a customer chatting about something that he loves to talk about himself!

It is true that people buy from people like themselves, but, finding something in common with a keen decision-maker just takes too long in today's fast paced selling environment and is often too difficult to uncover to build the trusting relationship that actually produces sales success.

You could just ask what I said earlier, a series of questions that are open-ended, personal but straightforward questions, these could just peel of their “walls” one by one, but provided that the time and situation is favorable; a two-minute talk in a fast-paced environment is not enough to get the confidence that you would want.

People are far more interested in themselves than in you, your organization or what you are selling. But, when a customer opens up something personal about herself/himself, that's when a strong and trusting relationship is formed. Always remember, "People buy from people they trust!"

In your conversations, give questions and really listen. Listening builds trust between you and your customer. If you mostly talk during your sales presentation or sales transaction, you are talking too much! Customers do not care about your company, your marketing strategy or even about you, they only care about the product and themselves. Always remember, closing a sale is a process not a technique, so don’t rush it.

When a giant falls

I read in a news article that more and more Americans view tech gadgets a luxury especially during the global recession. More people are stingy with the money that they have. When they do purchase technology, they want that thing to last long. Before the crisis, a lot of people bought what’s been released today. But now, there is more thinking of the future and holding the money.

Americans are starting to ignore what they want, and business-minded people are starting to provide what they need. The market is gearing towards items that count. It would nice to have a new HDTV, but they’d rather stick with their four year old set.

Many of us look at it as a bad thing. Tons of people look at the crisis as a threat. Think! During hard times, this is when we should get creative. This is the opportunity to just work it out and go for anything. Trends are leaning towards recycling, repairing, and reusing. This makes repair shops and refurbish centers busy this season. I find it amusing that although more difficult, new, small businesses find their way through the cracks.

Indeed, these are different times. It seems like yesterday that we just entered the information age where all sorts of new technology were released. What use are they now, when people stop acknowledging them? Is the financial crunch just a hiccup or the start of a new culture of selling and spending? There is no telling which is true but we are soon to find out. In the meantime, entrepreneurs are doing what they can to move forward, everyone is.

POS and Its Humble Beginnings

Did you know that Retail Point of Sale systems go way back to 1870’s? It all started when James Ritty, an owner of a saloon in Dayton, Ohio got sick of losing sales due to having dishonest employees who often steal his profits. So while on a trip to Europe, Ritty` saw a mechanical device on the ship’s propeller that tracked the number of revolutions for maintenance purposes and applied the same concept by creating a cash register that would record all the cash transactions in his saloon. He and his brother worked on this idea and in 1879, the brothers patented their invention as “Ritty’s Incorruptible Cashier”.

The brothers manufactured their cash registers in a small factory in Dayton and several years later, Jacob H. Eckert of Cincinnati bought the business from the Ritty’s. He formed the National Manufacturing Company in 1881 and later sold it to John H. Patterson who continued to improve the cash register by including rolls of paper that serves as a record for the day’s transactions as well as a receipt.

In 1906, the first electronic cash register was invented by Charles F. Kettering of the National Manufacturing Company.

Several years later, more and more companies launched improved cash registers. August of 1973 where IBM introduced the first commercial use of client-server technology, P2P (peer to peer) communications, LAN (Local Area Network) simultaneous backup, and remote initialization through IBM3650 and IBM3660 Store Systems which could control 128 IBM 3653/3663 Point Of Sale Registers.

In 1979, Gene Mosher, the owner of Old Canal Café in Syracuse, New York created a POS software that ran on an Apple II, to take his customer’s orders by the entrance of the restaurant and print complete preparation details in the restaurant’s kitchen. After giving their orders, customers would just proceed to their tables and find their food waiting for them. Then in 1986, Mosher created the first graphical touch-screen POS software by using the Atari ST and bundled NeoChrome.

Seeing the need for a standard computerized POS system that would simplify the interconnection between POS devices, UnifiedPOS led by The National Retail Foundation created an initiative to combine two existing device interface standards under one specification to allow retailers freedom of choice in the selections of POS devices. And in 1996, Microsoft, NCR Corporation, Epson and Fujitsu-ICL created the first commonly-adopted standard point of sale system named OPOS (OLE for POS) and the following year, Sun Microsystems, IBM and NCR Corporation developed JavaPOS which was released in1999, both of which conforms to UnifiedPOS’s standard.

The Point of Sale systems that we are now using is way advance compared to the ones from the past. Who would’ve thought that we would be able to develop a Point of Sale system that would be able to cater to specific industries, business sizes and utilize a variety of operating systems, hardware requirements and much more? With the advancement of technology, human creativity and innovation, a day would surely come when people would develop a Point of Sale system that would surpass the POS systems we are currently using, and make a new one that is way beyond our imagination.

article prepared by Beige@LivePOS

Clicking on other profiles is not just building network connections.

The fastest growing communities (I should say civilizations) in the world today are in the internet. Social networking has truly created a new definition for “meeting new people.” Social networkers can literally grab lots of anonymous people and make hundreds their “friends” just by plugging in a message with the invitation. This is particularly useful to people who take the time to create connections for growth in their business.
So how do we get started with gathering friends online? How do we manage the expansion of our network?

Networking helps us reach a large number of people to exchange ideas, information, and feelings with. The important thing here is the word “exchange". It is, I believe, the essence of “social networking” because without interaction and communication it wouldn’t be what it is.
Think of it as going to a house party, coffee shop, mall, park, or bar. It’s a place where you meet others and sort of fellowship with one another. The difference is, one shout out in your profile will reach the guy in the farthest corner of the park, your message will get to anyone if with the loudest music in the party, and someone will listen to your question in the biggest mall. In the same way, you get to view the profile of anyone playing or strolling in that vast park.

Although, you don't go to the party to do business or to sell anything, you should introduce yourself very well; make a good impression on the people you encounter by explaining your good intentions. As this goes on you will gather more and more friends to add on to your list.

You may use your page as your business card as well, a medium to put some information about yourself, what you do, how can you help someone and include your contact info so that they can call or communicate with you anytime.

When posting, don't let everyone feel that you’re there for business. Always remember that in social functions, you don't have to talk about your business. Online marketing and social networking is all about building good relationships and self-image.

It’s about focusing on the people around you rather than yourself. So, here is a list of ways to effectively work with your network.

1. Check active profiles that hold interesting information and those. Even if their networks are not that big, you’ll feel the effects in the long run.

2. Get connected with people who have a lot of friends. It will help you to gather friends and increase your connections.

3. You can use the search boxes to find people. Entering keywords, tags or related information that you feel will work well with your profile. Use a service such as customize search to find the right person with same areas of interest. Birds of the same feather flock together.

4. Make some adjustments and check for some changes in messaging other people. Tell them how you feel, sympathize with them. Let them feel that you want them as your friend. What’s the use of friend's list if you don't consider them as your friend?

It’s not difficult to find friends on a social networking site. Stay happy communicating with them. Enjoy messaging; meet as many people as you can to build up large connections quickly, effectively and efficiently. Stay cool and enjoy!

Adapted on Twitter Network Building Tips by biloxi0625 on Gooruze.com

Establish good connections with customer through print

As I browsed through my PC this morning while researching about the best way to improve ad materials, I saw an article posted last January 21st, 2009 that will help a lot of business owners to visually connect with their Clients (In Print) in the Mindspring Design. Yeah, as small business owner, you have passion, knowledge, enthusiasm, and valuable talent to share. Expertise in the field is a must. But how can we make our past customer to come back and try any new products.

Business owners have a lot of sales and marketing strategies, but the article discusses five simple ways on how you can visually improve your marketing tools. Do some research and studying before proposing to use new ways to reach your customer. Create interesting and catchy prints that turn the head of every potential and past client to try the product.

1. Find the best tool that fits your business.

First, you need to look for the weapon that will best fit the target market. What will entice and pull them towards you and keep your product in their reminiscences? Does your company regularly come up with hundreds of different print ads for customers? Make some style in folding and add some attractive colors, change the paper. If competitors usually use sheen brochures and hand outs, try to use the web to display your product. Attach messages relevant to your business. Or, use an item that will uncover your company’s strength and competitor’s weakness. Be creative and let ideas flow. Think beyond expectations and enjoy!

2. Make it understandable.

What’s the use of eye- catching lines, clear copies or alluring incentives if no one understands the message you’re trying to convey to your customer. One of my friends received a card from a local store- it featured the store position covered with luminous prints. It’s perfectly fine to insert designs and fancy layouts, but the card was not understandable. The text was awful, printed in small fonts, all in bold letters, and very poor font type that can twist your eyes out. You would want to express personality and taste, but not at the expense of relevant messages and understandability.

3. Decide which one to use

Most customers get confused when you offer many things at once. You need to choose what weapon you’ll use. Or else, you’re business would be in peril because of the loss of interest of your potential customer. An experienced business owner knows what is the best tool and essential information that he will use from amazing photos, dynamic shapes, etc.

4. Reduce print use

Select an adaptable font style that mirror your business and stick with it. If you’re using different typefaces, you’ll come off as unorganized. Don’t do it. Consult an artist that will be able to suggest appropriate looks, designs and best ways to call for attention towards your ads. This will build up your message and bring together its look.

5. Think positive and show your competitive edge

Take a look at all your competitors’ print ad copies. Check if you see a fundamental cookie-cutter image or color in your flyers, ads or brochures. People need to instantly distinguish your differences and you’re unique offers. However, think positive, don’t be afraid to drop the clichés and let your unique approach or style come through (appropriate to the context).

These are just guidelines that you can use to manage your business, or when creating print ads for your business. And remember, you are reinvesting in your business when you take time to do little research and take or consult advice from the experts.

From Mindspring Design article “5 Ways to Visually Connect with Your Clients (In Print)

Don’t look for “cheap”

With economic turmoil experienced by our businesses, you’re probably looking for the best way to minimize cost without laying manpower off before busy months. Here are few ideas that you can adopt based on “How to Cut Small Business Costs” from choosewhat.com.

* Eliminate the Fax Machine

If you don’t have a fax machine, it means there’s no paper or toner to use. Typically the monthly fee you pay fax service for is a dedicated phone line, and you have no distance charges. Most companies especially in the specialty retail industry offer separate services for technical support, maintenance and other services that demand additional costs. Companies like LivePOS offer a system that gives a solution that significantly cuts your costs.

* Buy in Bulk

As a single business, it won’t work for you. Look for other small enterprises that may be willing to join you, and tie up in a purchasing plan. You can both benefit and take advantage of volume and discounts you wouldn’t be able to get on your own.

* Get an affordable and reasonable POS system

Some companies offer cheaper software that is not as good and effective as you should have. They don’t offer ALL-in-One system that you need. When comparing the cost of POS like LivePOS with other expensive systems that requires additional fees for different services, it is easy to see which one is the more affordable and reasonable POS system. Look for the system that offers a complete package that offers everything and looks after the welfare of your business.

* Best employee of the month

You don’t need to hire a monkey to create novelty and then pay them with bananas. Avail of the best system and reward the best employee. It shows how efficient and effective your business is. What will be the use of hiring more employees if a few can produce the same?

Specialty Retailers in Las Vegas

CSS LivePOS will be at the SPREE Show 2009 in Las Vegas Nevada

CSS LivePOS, the leader in Specialty Retail Turnkey Solutions would like to invite everyone to visit us at the SPREE 2009 to be held at Venetian Resort Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 21 to 23, 2009.

SPREE is the industry event of the year, so if you’re a retailer, specialty leasing manager or an aspiring entrepreneur looking for the newest ideas, locations or services to start or grow your specialty retail business, don’t miss this chance to be part of the FREE event that brings together the people, products and information at the forefront of Specialty Retail.

Come and check CSS LivePOS booths at booth 215, 217, 314 and 316.


For more information about the 2009 Spree Show, visit the website http://www.spreeshow.com/

SPREE Highlights Trade Shows

The company offers a suite of products that allow retailers to "completely manage their businesses remotely using any PC," he says. The suite includes key elements such as a POS/cash register component and credit card processing as well as a host of back office functions including employee scheduling, payroll and accounting capabilities.

"What makes the CSS system unique is that it's a rental, so temporary or seasonal retailers don't need to purchase expensive equipment”they can rent our system when they need it," Biton says. Because the system is Internet-based, "retailers can manage their entire business from a PC at home or with a laptop anywhere they are. That's very important for our clients, who are often traveling among multiple locations."