Get Smart!     

Retailers have a hard job!  And, they wear so many hats—visual merchandising expert, trend and purchasing authority, employee relations manager, inventory control veteran, social media maven, product and financial whiz.  They must know how to take care of their customers’ needs and they have to stay current on technologies that can help them grow their businesses.    They must  invest in “intellectual capital” whenever they can.

At the NSS, we deliver this by way of diverse educational sessions that are intensive but short, leaving plenty of time to shop the exhibit floor.  We begin with the Future Conference opening morning, a 2-hour program featuring Seth Godin as keynote, followed by a stellar panel.  Then, each day of the Show, retailers can choose from programs concentrated on three areas: product and retailing trends, social media and marketing, and the lucrative bridal market.  All speakers are leaders in their fields and these programs are NSS exclusives.  These events require registration to attend.  Periodically also each day, are Daily Demo’s sponsored by Greetings etc. in the Demo theatre – 45 minute presentations that will inspire ideas to bring back to the store.  These are open seating.

Seeing the vast variety of new products, placing orders, networking - each plays such a powerful part in the National Stationery Show experience. So, too, does great education to support your business objectives. 

And speaking of education, a quick word to our valued Exhibitors, who are busy preparing their collections and planning their displays… In addition to the programs above, which you are welcome to attend, we have customized programs for you, too.  Take note of the pre-show seminars we provide, as well as the seminars on site Saturday, Sunday and Monday mornings at 8am.

So, plan now to build a program or two into your schedule - it's a smart thing to do!

My best, 

Patti Stracher
Show Manager

Registration for NSS 2011 - Please Take Note of Our New Process 

Registration for the 2011 National Stationery Show is now open, and requires your attention this year.  No longer will we automatically mail badges to past attendees – instead, this year everyone is asked to pre-register to receive an e-badge.  The easy, new registration process can be completed in less than 3 minutes, and aims to simplify the experience by providing buyers with the opportunity to not only register for the Show, but also select and purchase events and seminars at the same time.  The e-badge sent after acceptance of your registration can be brought to a badge print terminal at NSS, and quickly printed for immediate access to the Show floor.

For qualified buyers, the pre-registration process still provides complimentary registration.  For those registering onsite, a $50 fee will apply.  To avoid this fee, register today here! 

Already registered for NSS 2011, but need to add programs and/or events to your registration?  Just click here to add them to your existing registration. 

Meet the 2011 NSS Education Faculty:

This top-notch team of experts will lead the NSS educational seminars. Attendees: Please click here for program descriptions and to register. Exhibitors: Please click here  for program descriptions and to register.

Meryl Hooker and Rob Fortier, Rep Relationships 101: Finding, Recruiting & Retaining a Winning Sales Force, Saturday, May 14, 2011 8:00 am Maximize Your Sales Mojo: In-Booth Strategies to Win Customers, Write Orders and Grow Your Business, Saturday, May 14, 2011, 10:00 am (Exhibitor Program)

Sarah Schwartz, Editor-in-Chief, Stationery Trends, Top Product Trends to Watch:Sunday, May 15, 2011, 10:00 am

Rio Phior, Chief Creative Director, Sagon-Phior Brand Communications, Mastering E-Commerce: Transform  Your Website Into a Powerful Marketing and Sales Tool: Sunday, May 15, 2011, 12 noon.

Millie Martini Bratten, Editor-in-Chief, Brides Magazine, The Bridal Customer Now: New Insights Into How She Shops and What She Wants, Sunday, May 15, 2011, 4:00 pm  Sponsored by

Patricia Norins, Publisher, Gift Shop, Social Media Marketing, Monday, May 16, 2011, 8:00 am (Exhibitor Program)

Darcy Miller, Editorial Director, Martha Stewart Weddings, Design, Color, Culture and Lifestyle Trends Influencing Today's Bridal Couples: Monday, May 16, 2011, 10:00 am

Rafael Mael, Marketing Strategist, Brand Launcher, Maximum Social Marketing Results in Minimum Time!  Monday, May 16, 2011, 12 noon

Patricia Norins, Publisher, Gift Shop, Creative E-mail Marketing Strategies to Boost Business: Tuesday, May 17, 2011, 10:00 am

Kathy Krassner, Owner, Krassner Communications, Top Stationery Retailers Talk Top Trends: Tuesday, May 17, 2011, 12 noon

Barry Matus, Development Solutions Global, Offshore Sourcing, Tuesday, May 17, 2011, 8:00 am (Exhibitor Program)

Exhibitors wishing to attend buyer programs may do so by contacting Natasha Davis.

Put it on Paper: The Importance of Pen and Ink in the Digital Age
NSS Second Annual Future Conference
Seth Godin opens as Keynote

A serious discussion about the future of the stationery industry in the internet era is the content of the second annual National Stationery Show Future Conference on opening morning, May 15th. Best-selling author, marketing entrepreneur and founder if Squidoo.com, Seth Godin, will serve as Keynote.  This, followed by a panel discussion entitled “The Analog is Mightier than the Digital – Believe It!” The panel will be moderated by Pam Danziger, founder of Unity Marketing, a boutique market research firm specializing in consumer insights for marketers and retailers, offering a unique perspecitve on 'why people buy.' Seeking to imagine the analog/digital relationship as a continuum rather than a divide and offering helpful advice and solutions for stepping into the online world while maintaining a successful "analog" retail store, esteemed panelists include Maria Sebregondi, Senior Vice President of Moleskine, Maude Standish, a trend forecaster from The Intelligence Group, a youth-focused consumer insights company dedicated to identifying emerging movements in popular culture, and translating that information into relevant knowledge for companies, brands and institutions; Harold Kyle, co-owner and co-founder of Smock Letterpress and Bella Figura; Eliza Browning, a seventh generation family member and Director of Crane Digital at Crane & Co.; and Nole Garey, founder of the premiere paper blog Oh So Beautiful Paper and Holly Bretschneider, President and Chief Style Officer of Salutations, an award-winning stationery, invitation and gift boutique in Charlotte, NC

“Brick and mortar retailers, in particular, have multiple opportunities to benefit from the ideas that will be presented.  Social media marketing, a branding website, an online retail option – all of these can positively build consumer awareness, broaden services to their current customers and ultimately grow their businesses.  All of us in this industry have a considerable stake in their success and the National Stationery Show is the appropriate context to have this conversation,” said Patti Stracher, the Show Manager.”

The Future Conference is an exclusive program presented at the National Stationery Show.  The Conference takes place May 15th from 7:30 – 10:00 AM.  Click here to register for tickets. 

National Stationery Show Partners With BizBash to Build Event Planner Participation 

Expanding the attendance of social, corporate and philanthropic event planners from across the country is at the core of an exciting partnership between the NSS and BizBash media, adding to the breadth of attendees that visit the Show and diversifying the business development opportunities.

“This partnership is a perfect match since so many NSS exhibitors offer a range of event ready quality products for planners,” said Richard Aaron, BizBash president.

“The Show provides the format for event planning professionals and specialty paper and lifestyle gift manufacturers to source both product and design capabilities, network and learn.  Ultimately our role is to bring like-minded professionals together in a setting that inspires unique relationships to form and businesses to prosper,” said Patti Stracher, show manager.  "This partnership serves this purpose beautifully and we are privileged to partner with Biz Bash and its extensive network."

Founded in 2000, BizBash is the leading trade media for the event industry. BizBash publishes magazines and e-newsletters, hosts websites, and produces tradeshows and award shows for corporate event and meeting professionals, event marketers, and sales, public relations, fund-raising, and human resource executives. BizBash.com complements the print magazines by offering the latest event news and information. BizBash serves event planners in Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami/South Florida, New York, Orlando, Toronto and Washington.

Three Lessons Learned From Nordstrom
Rafael Mael, Marketing Strategist, Brand Launcher

"When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years."  -  Mark Twain

As a business owner, you're expected to know a lot. But you can't know everything. What you can do is learn from everyone around you - and all you need to do is listen.

I recently hired a new assistant. Jillian is extroverted and upbeat, and she came to Brand Launcher following nine years at Nordstrom.  After a few weeks of having Jillian in our office, I had learned a lot about Nordstrom and what goes on "behind the shelves" in their stores. 

Here is one of Jillian's stories. There are three brilliant lessons buried in this quick anecdote—see if you can spot them...

"I was the assistant sales manager in junior shoes for less than a month when I got a call from the athletic shoes buyer. He introduced himself and challenged me, 'What's going on with athletic shoes? There are 90 Nordstrom shoe departments in the country, and you're #87!'
“I hadn’t even looked at the numbers.  Once it came to my attention, though, I was determined to do something.

"I found out which Nordstrom stores were doing best - it turned out they were Seattle and Chicago. Then I called the managers of those stores and I asked them, 'What are you doing differently?' It turned out that there were some pretty simple things that separated us from them.

"In Nordstrom’s shoe department, every salesperson always brings out four pairs of shoes. That's the rule, and our sales team was doing it. But when a customer came in and asked for black pumps, our salesperson was bringing out four types of black pumps. That wasn't a smart salesperson - that was a lazy salesperson. Because, at best, the customer bought a pair of black pumps.
"What we started doing was bringing out different styles of shoes, and always a pair of athletic shoes. "Look, here are a couple of pairs of pumps. But I also noticed you're wearing sneakers now, so why don't you try this pair on, too? What do you think?"
"I showed the sales team how easy it was, and I got them fired up. And it worked! That's what took us to the #1 sales increase in athletic shoes within the company."

There were three solid business lessons in that story - three ideas that you should be applying, too. Did you catch them?

Lesson #1 - Learn to trust your people. In the corporate hierarchy, the athletic shoe buyer was layers above a new assistant sales manager. But he called Jillian and asked her what she thought should be done - and she turned the situation around. Of course, you can't abdicate final decisions to your employees. But actively solicit feedback from your team, and you'll be surprised at the ideas and solutions you hadn't thought of yourself.

Lesson #2 - Learn to ask your peers for help. Jillian didn't know how to fix her store's sales on her own. So she turned to the managers of the more successful Nordstrom stores to find out what they were doing right. As a business owner, you don't need to reinvent the wheel.  Mine your network and ask for good old-fashioned advice. You'll gain new insights and avoid landmines. And don't forget to pass it on - share your own lessons-learned with others, too.   

Lesson #3 - Learn to do more. It turned out that all it took to boost shoe sales was to start bringing out different shoe styles - creative salesmanship and a good application of cross-selling, to be sure. But it goes deeper than that - it's also a lesson about doing more than the customer asks for. It's always easiest to do the minimum. If the customer asks for a card, you show her a card; if she asks for a gift, you show her a gift. But you can do better - find out who the recipient is, ask how the product will be used, and make creative recommendations. It all starts with an attitude of always, always doing more.

Rafael Mael is Marketing Strategist for Brand Launcher, a marketing strategy firm based in Baltimore, MD. His seminar “Maximum Social Marketing Results in Minimum Time will be held Monday, May 16, 2011 at the NSS.
 

 

How's Business? (Part one of a two-part series)
By Kathy Krassner, Krassner Communications

So, how's the stationery business doing these days? To find out, I asked the four veteran retailers participating in "Top Retailers Talk Top Trends" – a panel discussion that I'll be moderating this May at the NSS. Providing their insights are Holly Bretschneider, owner of Salutations in Charlotte, NC; Harriett Malmon, owner of Francis-Orr in Corona Del Mar, CA; Melinda Morris, president of Lion in the Sun in Brooklyn, NY; and Daniel Mulhern, owner of M Milestones, Inc. in New Canaan, CT.

Q. How has the economy affected your store and/or your buying?

Daniel Mulhern: I've changed my buying habits to reflect merchandise purchases closer to the business needs. I don't purchase goods because I just love them. I'll bring in merchandise knowing that the my inventory level has to match my client's buying needs. Months like January, February, July and August are months that little buying will be needed due to reduced traffic and client demand. I order closer to the holiday and/or season. I also stay on top of sales trends and buy back into a bestseller within a few weeks of its initial sales. (This is when a POS system can pay you back in making smart decisions.)

Holly Bretschneider: I buy much more conservatively now – out of necessity. Gone are the days when I could order many styles and many units and have confidence that they would sell. I look for things that are different and special, but not too far outside of the mainstream.

Harriet Malmon: I would say that business was definitely down for a while; however, 2010 was on the rise – particularly December. As for my buying, I've been much more careful than in the past. I felt it was most important to keep the shelves looking full, offering adequate choices to the customer; but I did not have the depth I might have had in the past. The store had to have the appearance of abundance, which I believe inspires people to buy.

Melinda Morris: We certainly were more careful with merchandise buying. We placed more frequent, small orders as opposed to larger orders. We also stuck more closely to standbys and favorites and didn't take as many chances with new product lines.

Q. How has the economy affected your customers and what/how much they're purchasing?

Holly Bretschneider: My customers are buying much more conservatively. Impulse buys are nowhere near what they used to be. The majority of my customers need to see the value and the "special" nature of the item before they will spend their money on it.

Melinda Morris: Price is key, and our customers are much more price conscious than before. Budget-minded clients are really working harder to get the best bang for their buck.

Harriet Malmon: We are fortunate to be in an affluent area. People held back for a couple of years, often because they were feeling unsure about the future. By last fall, many of our customers were ready to relax a little. They knew that they were going to survive the crisis and wanted to get back to normal. That being said, we definitely have been doing fewer parties than in the past.

Daniel Mulhern: My clients have reduced their individual spending habits due to the economy. I have been extremely careful when assorting my store. I have changed the percentage of inventory that would be considered expensive and increased the level of inventory that is less expensive. For example, I've assorted my store with 20% expensive, 60% moderately priced and 20% inexpensive items. The biggest change is in the hostess and birthday gift area. The average hostess gift is now $20 to $25, when before they could range from $25 to $50.

(To be continued in the next issue of PaperClips....)

Kathy Krassner, owner of Krassner Communications, is an industry expert who currently serves as Director of Communications for the Greeting Card Association as well as Editor-at-Large for Gifts & Dec magazine.


 

The 21st Century Bride

A new, multi-dimensional learning experience for the wedding industry debuts March 28, 2011 in Northern NJ, co-produced by Local Traffic Builder’s Brian Lawrence former Stationery Show Advisory Board member and Greetings Etc. columnist.  Accessible either by physically attending or through live video stream, more than a dozen nationally known industry speakers at The 21st Century Bride, will integrate their talks to discuss building a strong personal brand, efficient and effective use of social media and examining both classic and new marketing strategies to best attract the 21st century bride.