What Is The Most Important Asset Your Business Owns?

Be prepared. It’s not what you think but let’s go through the regular list of possibilities. Your location? That’s very important, but no. Your merchandise or service? Close but no. Your people? Again, important as they are the core of your business. Management or ownership also gets a no, but again a strong argument could be made for them. I know what you are thinking–it must be your core beliefs, your mission, or vision statement. I am not a big fan of mission statements, slogans or battle cries since they are never remembered and hardly used. So that also gets a no.

I could go on and suggest things like logos, business cards, ability to negotiate, and even financial resources but they would not come close to the true essence of your business. Enough of a build up—it’s your offer. Yes, your offer. What are you offering in return for your customer’s money? Every business has an offer and some are better than others. Even the government makes an offer. You pay taxes and it will protect you from the barbarians. Money for safety. A bank’s offer is that it will lend you money and you will give the bank extra money or interest. The ice cream man says give me money and I will give you refreshment.

This is the premise that Mark Joyner, the author of the book, The Irresistible Offer, the Core Business Imperative has put forward. (I recommend this book highly.) OK, so that sounds too simple. People accuse me of underestimating marketing, advertising, PR, and public opinion.   They say, “Sell The Sizzle, not the Steak”. Mark says, and I agree completely, “Selling sizzle without the steak is called a scam”.

It is how we state the offer that is key. Just being the lowest price is not the most powerful of offers. The reason is because anyone can claim that and a lot do. I will go as far as saying that it has little to do with price or quality.

Let’s look at some of the all-time great offers. The best comes from one of the most competitive industries in the world, the restaurant business, and specifically the pizza business. Dominos made a simple offer, “Pizza, 30 minutes or less…or it’s free”.  They never mentioned the quality of the pizza, which is good but certainly not the best. They never mentioned the price. Dominos has had to modify the 30 minutes offer because kids were racing around the neighborhood getting into accidents. But everyone knows it’s quick. They sell $4 billion worth of pizza.

Many companies have included the element of time as part of their Irresistible Offer. Federal Express used, “when it absolutely has to be there overnight”. WINS Radio used, “Give us 22 minutes and we will give you the world”.

Nordstrom’s went a different route by offering a new level of service by saying, “If you’re not satisfied for any reason, we’ll take it back without a receipt—No questions asked.” At the time they made this offer, it was revolutionary. This is the perfect segue to understanding that your offer should always be updated because if it’s good, it WILL BE COPIED.

In my store, we made one offer that I always thought had put us on the map and helped us become a leader in our industry when we said, “Mothers are our specialty.” We specialized in Mother of the Bride Dresses; we were NOT a bridal shop. No one at the time was making an offer of being a specialist in a niche of the market. In retrospect, it was the next line that made the Irresistible Offer. It said, “We make you look special not typical”. Back then we were the first to use it since Mothers dresses were pretty boring and mothers were looked at as “old ladies”.    I still believe defining your specialty to a defined market is one of the best offers you can make, but make sure there is a strong offer attached with it.

What’s NOT a GREAT OFFER?

• It’s not a special offer that eventually goes away.
• It’s NOT that you have been in business for 20 years. No one cares about that anymore.
• It’s not your size. Being the biggest clothing store in Boston might be good but it’s not going to make anyone one buy NOW.

The goal is to make people feel they can’t live without you or your merchandise.

Let me give the 4 questions that we all ask ourselves whenever we hear an offer.

1. What are you trying to sell me?
2. How much?
3. Why should I believe you?
4. What’s in it for me?

The first three questions appeal to a person’s logic. The fourth question is all about our emotions. Logic makes us shop, but emotions make us buy. The other quote that I love is, “People make their decisions based on emotion and then justify it with logic.”

The best guide to creating your Irresistible Offer is with the greatest headline ever written, “Get Rich Quick.” Everyone wants to get something and they want it yesterday. That offer tells the reader what they will get very clearly — they will get rich. Then it simply states the delivery time, Quick. It allows the reader to define rich and quick the way they perceive it. Get Rich Slowly doesn’t work.  A friend of mine sold IRA plans for an investment house when they first came out. He promised everyone that they would be millionaires at 60 if they started in their 20’s. He didn’t do that well because his offer wasn’t compelling enough. Of course I know a few guys who wish they had signed up now but at the time they all wanted to get rich quick.

Here come the offers:

• So let me make you an offer you can’t refuse (I never realized what a great offer that was). Let’s have a contest for the Best Offer, ending on Friday night, August 3rd at midnight EDT. I promise I will publish every single one submitted by that deadline and then we will vote on the best. The winners will all receive my new Retailer’s Essential Sign Shop software and the grand prize winner will receive a complete library of all of my business building products.
• One more offer. I have decided to change my title to better reflect what I do. As opposed to calling my self a writer/speaker, I now call my self a Business Development Specialist. Having said that, what should my offer be? Again the winner here gets the complete library plus an hour of one-on-one telephone consulting.

Let’s have some fun! Click here to enter.

The Way We Should Always Market

A Sign From The Sign Shop

Last week I wrote a piece about my new sign software package that I have been developing with a former Microsoft designer (which by the way is called The Essential Sign Shop). I discussed the importance of signs and how powerful they can be in retailing. I want to share with you NOT only the results of the survey but the steps I’ve taken to introduce this product. It is one of the best examples I could ever give you on ways to service your customers and market at the same time.

Good marketing isn’t manipulative or deceptive. It is making suggestions to an audience that is interested. I want to share my actions because these actions make up a great strategy we all can and should use.

Let’s start from the very beginning. This might be considered ancient history but it is the foundation of what I did. I created this newsletter for a specific group, independent retailers. I do however have a significant readership of small non-retail business people and others because my principles are universal. I consistently work hard to offer content that is useful. When the newsletter goes out on Monday night, it is also downloaded to my blog. Many of my readers only read my blog. Over time my list of interested readers has grown to create a sizable following. But you knew all of that and hopefully many of you have already taken those steps in your business.  Create a community of interested people. Now to the present.

I wrote a piece, with content, not just an announcement of a new product. Couldn’t you write a piece about a new product or line you were introducing in your business? Then I asked you to participate in a survey about what you would like in the new software package about signs. I even asked what the product should be sold at.  Now I know you are a very active and responsive group but I also wanted to offer a gift for your input plus an incentive to encourage as many people to respond as possible.

When was the last time you asked your customers what they thought about a new idea you were thinking of introducing? I asked the question in the newsletter but with “Ask Page” Software I was able to easily collect all of the data. I couldn’t believe the amount of responses, over 300 and still counting. Now that’s feedback. The results were as follows:

1. Make sure it’s easy to use – sign making for dummies style.
2. Something with a wizard tool that can walk the retailer through the process.
3. Make it flexible enough to make all kinds of signs.
4. The price should be between $50 and $95, although 10% of you were willing significantly more.
5. 12% of you would be interested in this product as an online service. (Something we never considered. That’s the power of asking your customers.)
6. 39% of you are willing to use the package as a downloadable. (There is a time and financial savings there. We thought about it but had no plans to pursue that idea until the feedback.)
7. I did not receive even one criticism or suggestion not to pursue it.
8. The biggest thing I learned was there was real enthusiasm for the product.

Think about it. I have 300+ opinions and suggestions about the new product. I have made some significant changes to the package just based on this feedback. How many times have we had a great idea or thought it was only to have it fail? We can even invest money without knowing what I know. Yes, you can have focus groups but this is so much easier, cheaper, and far more effective because of the quality of the people responding.

Let me sum it all up. Without being pushy or obnoxious, I learned more about my new product and customers by simply asking their opinion. Now I know what my customer wants, what price they are willing to pay, they are pleased that they received an incentive for participating, and the best part, I have 300+ people who are interested in signage and might be interested in buying the product when it’s ready.

This process is definitely duplicatable in other industries and disciplines. When was the last time you formally asked your customers for an opinion on a mass basis? A newsletter provides that opportunity. Try it, it’s powerful. The only negative (and it’s really not a negative) is that there is so much data to process, and the data is so good you don’t want to skip anything. So it will delay the launch of the product but when you can produce a better product, it’s all worth it.

So ask your customers and they will tell you what to do. For all those who responded, thank you very much and I will never abuse the trust you have placed in me. You should have already received your special report, The Retail Store Sign Manifesto, I believe you will find it interesting and it will improve your business.

Most marketers might be afraid to reveal their tactics and my response to that is why? I am proud of what I have done, I have served my customers better, and I feel good about what I have done. That is the marketing I like. Win/Win/Win. I hope you appreciate this perhaps unorthodox but effective and profitable way of looking at business.

Give Me A Sign

A few months ago I got a call from a woman who started the conversation by telling me her name and then she said, “I share your passion.”  Then the phone went dead. She was on a cell phone and she had apparently dropped the call at the worst opportune time. But in the few moments I had before she called back, I was wondering what PASSION it was that she shared. So when the phone rang again I couldn’t wait to find out. After apologizing for the dropped call she said, “SIGNAGE.”

Closest thing to a Silver Bullet

After taking a sigh of relief and glad it wasn’t anything silly or embarrassing, I realized there aren’t too many people in the world who share my weird passion for retail signage. I feel that way because it’s the closest thing a retailer has to a Silver Bullet. Stores can significantly increase sales almost immediately. So then Nancy said she has spent most of her professional life working in some part of the sign industry. I was interested.

She then explained that she had worked for Microsoft for many years and even worked on the original graphics for PowerPoint and Word. She left the company to take care of an ailing mother. She then got to the reason why she was calling me. She had read a lot of my work and was planning on attending an upcoming event. She explained that she had been developing a signage software package for retailers and wanted to use some of my principles in the program. I was flattered but then I asked if she could develop a sign package using all of my concepts and theories along with her expertise.  She agreed and that is exactly what we decided to do.

We are close to completion of The Essential Retail Sign Shop. We have sent the package out for live testing with technical people and a few select retailers for hands-on feedback. But I also want your feedback on what would be helpful to you in a retail sign software package. So I created a special page on my website just for your feedback. If you offer your opinion I will send you a Special Report I have prepared on signage called, The Retail Sign Manifesto … 47 Strategies to Exploit the Power of Signage.

This week’s tip includes some of the elements of that special report.

I’ll repeat this link at the bottom of this newsletter but if you can’t wait go here: http://www.RickSegel.com/SignShop

Signage can and will create significant increases in your business but first you need to know the different types of signs and applications for signs. Some of these are very obvious while others are not quite as obvious. But my point is how many of the obvious ones are you doing and how many of these do you even think about?  This list turns out to be too long to include in its entirety so I have had to abbreviate it. I will also be writing just a brief explanation on each of the categories due to the limited amount of space I have for this column. The Sign Manifesto goes into far more detail. (That was the tease to get you to offer your ideas and or suggestions. Even if you just share what price a product like this should sell for would be helpful.)

Excerpts from the Manifesto:

A. On premise exterior signage

1. Above the door—Most important part of your advertising initiatives. Don’t skimp here.
2. On the door — Just don’t junk it up with too many since it can detract from your business.
3. Window –From just repeating your name on the window to creating themes for every window. Framing a window can also be powerful.

B. Off premise exterior signage

1. Transit—These are the signs that are at bus stops, airports, and train depots.
2. Directional—These are signs that just give directions to your place of business such as “Next Exit” This type of sign can make or break a business.
3. Banner (town cooperative)—These are the signs that are big and can be seen from further distances. Great for big events.
4. Billboard—They are powerhouses and I feel terrible I never recommended them to retailers until recently. It creates  word of mouth advertising.

C. Threshold signs – These are the signs a customer sees within the first 10 feet of entering the store

1. Featured vendor-Who is your vendor/manufacturer or artist of the week? It’s a sales aid that makes your store more interesting.
2. Event announcements and schedules—This one is obvious but do you do it? Retailing is becoming more event oriented and this is the solution.
3. Community involvement—What are you doing in your community? Share it.
4. Store announcements-This can be anything you want it to be.
5. Pictures of all the employees and owner-This might sound goofy but it works to help create a warm fuzzy feeling
6. A map of the store-Even if you have a small store you do have different departments. Make it like a treasure map.

D. Interior Signage – This is anyplace inside the store

1. Informational/Directional-This is appreciated by customers.
2. Department Identifiers-This just informs the customer what’s being sold in a particular area
3. Community involvement signs-Same as above
4. Sell Signs/ Did You See This Sign-These are the signs that will use words or expressions such as “NEW- DIFFERENT-JUST ARRIVED-HOT- OR EXCITING” Any word that sells.
5. Price Proposition- Is it on sale, is it part of a bigger sale, is it a 2 for, or is it a permanent price reduction? This could take 10 pages alone.
6. Image Enhancement/ Brand Builders—This could be your store logo or anything that helps to enhance your brand in the mind of your customer.
7. Entertaining-Anything that is meant to entertain customers  while they shop
8. Policy Signs
9. Services Offered-This is pretty obvious and required in some states.
10. Testimonial Signage-Any sign that has a picture or just a quote about how great your store is.
11. Proud Papa—Pictures of products you are most proud of. Applies to florists, jewelers, bridal shops and business that is creating something.
12. What’s New- Any new arrival, new product, or new line to the store.
13. If you buy this you will need this—This is just a simple suggestion. It works and customers perceive it as GREAT service.
14. Reminder of things they need –Same as above
15. Markdown Section—Don’t hide them celebrate them. It’s part of retailing.
16. Comparative Shopping Signs—Show ads from competing stores selling the exact same item. Make sure your price is lower. Duh
17. Employee Motivation—Let’s not forget this powerful technique of giving positive messages to our employees.
18. Educational—Educate and become the resource not just a store.
19. Market Dominance—If you are the biggest or best in a category, tell your customers.

E. Item Enhancement Signs

1. About the vendor or designer (Bio or Picture) — Obvious
2. The Story Sign –Just a different technique
3. Why you should buy it—Spell out the benefits to the customer
4. What it will save—It’s more than just saving money today
• Time
• Money
• Stress
• Planet

Explain what you will be saving the customer and they will be more apt to buy the product.

This is just a sampling but if you just use a few of these principles you will be miles ahead of your competition. Have a great week!

Here’s the link again where you can provide me with some helpful feedback and get your complete copy of The Retail Sign Manifesto … 47 Strategies to Exploit the Power of Signage:

http://www.RickSegel.com/SignShop

Your Responses to Vendors Selling Direct Online

WOW. You guys have blown me away again. I never expected the response I received on the question I posed last week. I must be honest with all of you. I posed the question as a reality check. I get so annoyed at vendors that bite the hand that feeds them and actually sell to the customers of their accounts. But after getting taken to task by a couple of vendors, I wondered if I had become old fashioned or out of step.

Thank you for your over whelming support of my position. The numbers were running 87% opposed to any vendor selling direct, 11% said it was OK if their prices were equal or above the price at the store and no free shipping either. 2% of the responses didn’t care what the vendor did. They don’t trust them any way so why even care.

Here is a small sampling of the responses:
(When I say unknown, I mean I am not sure of the type of business or their location.)

From a Gallery in the Northeast

Each sale they make in my backyard is one less for me…

From a Gemologist in the Midwest

If a vendor needs to sell direct, perhaps there is a fatal weakness in the business model.

From a Golf Retailer in Northeast

Callaway Golf uses Shopatron, which you mentioned in a previous column.  We are enthusiastic about the Shopatron. Other than that way there is no way it can work for the retailer

Unknown

Put this down as a very strong vote for vendors selling only to their wholesale accounts, leaving the retail to retailers

A Women’s Specialty Store in the Northwest

I agree 110% with your position about suppliers selling directly to the public!!!   You can’t play both side of the fence and do either well!

Unknown

I say NO. If I am supporting the vendor by giving space, time, and hands-on selling to that vendor’s product, then the vendor should support me by sending business my way. If the vendor sells direct, then he is taking advantage of my work in promoting his product and educating the consumer.

Unknown

Easy … Vendors SHOULD NEVER sell direct to the consumer!  Thanks for asking.

From a Dance Store Retailer

Rick, I feel that vendors may sell directly to the customer, but ONLY at a full markup price.  By doing this the vendor is establishing a standard value for their product.

From a Boutique

Saying that this practice offends me may be going to far – but I know that as my boutique develops, I will support those businesses that support me.  It goes beyond sales discounts and free shipping.

Online Gift Merchant

My primary beef is with companies that start out as wholesale only and then, after a number of years of selling through retailers only, decide to open an online retail store. (One such product we sell is from a pewter tableware manufacturer that not only now sells online but also offers free engraving. A service we are not equipped to provide.)

While your first thought is to dump the product line, you hate to do so because of all the time and money you’ve invested in the promotion of the product.
We, as an online retailer only, are now in direct competition, with the manufacturer mentioned above, not only for product but also Internet advertising!

From a Card and Gift Retailer

We have several suppliers that sell direct to the consumer.  Truthfully, this probably has not affected our sales of their product.  What is has profoundly affected is the attitude of the consumer.  Retailers become the outlet of convenience – “it is on the shelf I can buy it and have it right now.”  The manufacturer becomes the in depth resource – it takes a few days to deliver but they stock the entire line!  How can we compete against that?  We cannot.  So, we either grit our teeth and accept that this is the way things are.  Or we jump ship to another product as soon as we can.

From a Coin Dealer

There are also a couple other pet peeves I have.  One is the publishers of a major coin  publication, has begun selling coin supplies including some of their own products.  They have a special discount for subscribers.  We are also asked to be advertisers in their publication..  I don’t care for that.

From a Party Store

Don’t get me started. NO. Never sell direct to the consumer. And Never become your customers competition.

From New Hampshire

If more retailers would take the stand and refuse to buy from vendors that want it both ways, then the signal to them would be loud and clear.

From a Jeweler

It seems to me that this is an outstanding example of a situation which should be addressed by our associations. .  Please continue to keep this issue in front of all us.  A solution needs to come before the industry is totally corrupted by this behavior.

Unknown

A Vendor can and should sell to consumers as part of an overall campaign to develop brand popularity, but:
1. Always at a price higher than their highest markup retailer would expect to get.
2. Always with a complete disclosure of the program to its retailers.

From an RV Center

I WILL DROP ANY MANUFACTURER WHO SELLS RETAIL. THAT MAKES THEM MY COMPETETOR AND  MY SUPPLIER.  THAT RELATIONSHIP BRINGS UNFAIR COMPETETIVE ADVANTAGES WITH IT.

From the Northwest

This is one factor in creating a real issue in the store: customers writing down websites that are pre-printed on products in hopes that they will go home and find it cheaper on line. While we always attempt to remove these website addresses, it is sometimes not possible. Even if the website is not printed on the product customers are now armed with the knowledge that many suppliers direct retail and they record the company name in order to go home and Google them.

From New Hampshire

It is unfair and anyone that argues that point is just being oppositional.  Most vendors we deal with could kill us on Pay per click ads and direct mailings because their bank accounts and marketing budgets are larger.  Why are their budgets larger, you ask…because of all the stuff we (independents) buy from them.  Not fair, period!

From a Gift Store in Wisconsin

Let’s face it, we as small retailers, brick and mortar, in an ever changing world of e-commerce etc., are screwed!  The MAJORITY of my corporate vendors don’t give a rip who is selling their stuff and how much it is being sold for.

Unknown

Wholesalers who open retail stores are pigs. They are greedy and stupid and I don’t say this unadvisedly. Because they have overexposed themselves and ruined their market.

From a Gift Store

You have hit a sore spot with me and our company.  Case in point is a  Brand , greedy little %@@%@ that they are.  We are a 9 yr old business and have carried their products for close to 8 years.  We have marketed their product heavily in our area and have seen the fruits of our labor with consistent annual growth of 10-25%.  Not only do they sell via internet and direct mail, they have their own retail stores.  Last month was the final straw as it was announced that they are opening another retail store in my backyardL  We have invested thousands and thousands of dollars in marketing and giveaways of their product over the past 8 years to build brand recognition in our area only to have a 9? dagger twisted into our back.

From a Health Food Store

I refuse to compete with online prices.  I have customers coming into the store telling me they brought a product online for LESS than I pay for it wholesale!!  Where is the logic in that?  If the consumer wants my expertise and my knowledge, then they have to come into my store to receive it.  Yeah, go ahead and buy that product online for less.  Good luck when you have an adverse reaction or question.

Unknown

Hi Rick. My view is that vendors should be able to sell to anyone. However there is a difference between the general public and a retailer. Isn’t that what we mean by wholesale. A retailer buys a product at a discount which is resold at a profit. Why would a vendor sell direct to the public at the wholesale price? Is their product such that they don’t need retailers? If so why do retailers want to

From a Vendor

It’s normal in many industries for a manufacturer to manage multiple distribution channels — direct, 1 step, 2 step, and sometimes even more.  Selling through more than channel, including direct, is fine, so long as you know what each channel is for, communicate that to all of your customers, price and service accordingly, and do so consistently.  Obviously direct consumers should receive MSRP pricing, not distributor pricing.

Unknown

I now have a policy of only purchasing from vendors that support their retailers and do not compete with them.  I’m discontinuing all other lines and I keep on walking when I encounter vendors that sell directly to the consumer.  I’m happy to compete with other retailers, just not with my own suppliers.
I learned a long  time ago never to give a manufacturer my customer list.  Years ago under the pretense of a contest a very reputable company obtained the  names of some of my customers for a “drawing”,  The next season the manufacturer used the names to  send direct mail to my customers.    I was extremely upset, but to my satisfaction,  the company went under the next year.  Again I repeat–manufacturers should be manufacturers and allow us retailers to be retailers.

From a Gift Store

I HAVE NO PROBLEM IF MY VENDOR SELLS DIRECTLY TO THE CONSUMER AS LONG AS THEY HAVE A NORMAL MARK-UP.

The Story of Anne Elizabeth – You might know her as just Liz

This past week a 78-year old woman died. She was an immigrant from Brussels who never graduated from high school but built a business that today is a household name. Her name was Liz Claiborne. The first reaction is, oh, she was the fashion designer. But she was so much more than that title implies. She was a visionary, a trend setter, a radical, a rebel and a malcontent.

Yes, we are all familiar with the designer part and the fashion brand that bears her name. You might even be aware that Liz Claiborne Inc. was the first company run by a woman that made it to the Fortune 500 list. You might even be aware of the fact that her company became the gold standard for the working woman around the world. You may also be aware that her company owned some of the hottest fashion brands beyond the Liz Claiborne label, such as Kate Spade, Ellen Tracy, Dana Buchman, DKNY jeans, and Lucky Brand Jeans, among others. You might even be aware of the millions of dollars she gave to her foundation to preserve our environment. But what about the label of outspoken, rebellious malcontent? How did she get these?

When I first entered the fashion retailing business in the early 70’s, the top line in my store and at the time the fashion leader was a company called Jonathan Logan. They had other divisions such as Butte Knit and Bleeker Street that just sold as fast as you could get them in. The head designer of Jonathan Logan was none other than Liz Claiborne. Jonathan Logan had just finished building one of the largest manufacturing faculties in the world in Spartanburg, South Carolina. This facility was the state of the industry because huge strands of yarn entered the facility at one end and the finished product came out at the other.

As the story goes and my recollections from reading the articles from various fashion journals of the day, there was unhappiness at Jonathan Logan. Apparently, an ungrateful, rebellious employee reported to the owner of Jonathan Logan, Richard Schwartz, that “the days of knits and specifically double knits were near the end.” Liz proclaimed that “woven apparel is what the American woman wants.”

Maybe you can say that to some people but not to the reigning king of fashion who had just invested millions of dollars in a building bigger than 3 football fields which just made knits. Well, firing the outspoken designer was the choice that Mr. Schwartz opted for along with a well orchestrated PR campaign, although they denied any involvement to discredit any of her fashion predictions. She was labeled as a discontent and rebel. Well the rest is history. Liz Claiborne started her own company in 1976 and it took off and Jonathan Logan ceased to exist.

Here is the thought of the day. Would you be strong enough to stand up to your convictions? Especially when you are disagreeing with one of the most powerful people in your industry? However, maybe if you are so passionate about your beliefs, it would be easy.

I hadn’t planned on writing about Liz Claiborne this week. I planned on following up on last week’s article and specifically my stand that vendors shouldn’t compete with the retailers they sell by offering their merchandise directly to the consumer. Let some of your good accounts make something on it. So you make a little less. Well, that position hit the nerve of two vendors that sell to over 100 retailers and continue to sell directly to the consumer.

I was taken to task for this position and that I should mind my own business. I was told that their retailers didn’t mind and why should I care? My response was how many more retailers would carry your line if you supported your retailer’s more? One vendor claimed that retailers bought his line because their customers had purchased items direct and shared that with the local store.

That might be so but I am not asking any vendor to lose a sale. I am just asking them to support their retailer and make their normal wholesale markup. Beyond that is just being unfair. But that’s my feeling and the feelings of many other retailers.

No, this doesn’t come close to the courage and strength of conviction that Liz Claiborne had, but standing up to controversy is not an easy thing. So follow your heart, follow your passion, and do what you believe is right. I respect my adversaries and appreciate the issues and passion they bring to the topic.

I would love to know what you think a vendor should do?

1. Never sell direct to the consumer
2. It’s OK. Vendors can sell to anyone one they want, even consumers. I will report the findings next week.

Lastly to Liz, thanks for being YOU!