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IGC University Educational Conference

This year debuts the IGC University Educational Conference - the world’s most comprehensive garden center seminar program, featuring 40-plus sessions of actionable ideas for profit in seven focused tracks led by the leading minds in their fields: Ernest Wertheim - Store Layout & Site Development; Kyle Lacy - Social Media Savvy; Judy Sharpton - Visual Merchandising, presented by Proven Winners; Jim Bradley - Retail Maverick; John Stanley - International Trends, presented by Ceramo Company; Robert Hendrickson - Best Practices; and Tom Shay - Dollars & Sense.

“IGC retailers participating in the IGC U program will not only take a wealth of profit-building strategies back to their store - each attendee will take home a diploma noting their advanced training to display proudly for customers to see,” says Jeff Morey, IGC Show Founder and Publisher of Nursery Retailer magazine. “It’s a program that zeros in on the issues that matter most to garden centers’ bottom lines. IGC U’s track leaders will present their own sessions and welcome outside speakers and panelists to explore every facet of their area of focus. For example, Golden Gecko’s Trey Pitsenberger, the personality behind The Blogging Nurseryman, is one of six experienced social networkers contributing to Kyle Lacy’s panel, ‘How Social Media Professionals Do It,’” Morey explains. “It’s IGC education of the highest order - and it’s all in one place, all in three days.”

Ernest Wertheim with Jack Kleymeyer

Presented by 

Ernest Wertheim, a Principal of Wertheim, Van Der Ploeg, & Klemeyer, is the father of modern garden center design. His experience as a landscape architect and horticulturalist is well-known throughout the industry. The base of knowledge he has accumulated excels in plant material, growing media, and microclimates within the San Francisco Bay Area, and a deep understanding of the need to design for proper maintenance as well as ambiance and beauty. He continues to travel the world, serving long-term clients in the United States and Europe. Wertheim’s many years of service with the Saratoga Horticultural Foundation and the California Horticultural Society, among other organizations, attest to his interest in plants.

Frederick J. (“Jack”) Klemeyer Jr., a partner of Wertheim, Van Der Ploeg & Klemeyer since 1976, is licensed to practice architecture in California, Illinois and Michigan, and is a certificate holder with the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards and a member of the International Code Council. He received his Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Science degrees from Cornell University. He has been an active member of both The American Institute of Architects and The Construction Specifications Institute, from which he received fellowship in 1995. Klemeyer holds memberships in the San Francisco Planning + Urban Research Association, the Foundation for San Francisco’s Architectural Heritage and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. His involvement with the design of garden centers has extended over the past 35 years.

Tuesday, August 16   10 am – 12 pm

The Layout and Design of Garden Centers, Small and Large

Get a “behind the curtain” look at the principles used in designing a new garden center or remodeling an existing facility. Drawings and photographs illustrate the concepts Ernest and Jack have been promoting for the past 56 years in the United States, Canada, Europe, South Africa and Australia. This presentation evaluates plans as well as photographs of successful and not-so-successful existing facilities, and explains why certain things were done in a particular way and why some things should not have been done. Facilities analyzed include sites that are less than an acre to those 8 acres or more. Hear about the considerations during site selection, including the organization of the site, traffic patterns and the value of covered outdoor sales areas.

 

Wednesday, August 17   11 am - 12 pm

Photographic Tour of Successful Garden Centers in the U.K

For more than 20 years, the firm of WVK has been involved in the design of numerous garden centers in the U.K. This session provides a brief introduction, plans and a photographic tour of several facilities among many that have grown tremendously during WVK’s involvement, as the result of careful planning and hard work. Ernest and Jack discuss some of the challenges the garden centers faced and how they were overcome, as well as what the IGCs have done to become as successful as they are.

Wednesday, August 17   2 - 3 pm

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary, How does your Garden Center Grow?   With Dale Bachman

This session reviews the things Bachman’s has done to grow during the last 50 years and stay current with its customers’ needs. This session discusses Bachman’s numerous floral outlets, as well as new departments it has established and how they’ve been received by customers. How does Bachman’s decide when and where to open a new branch or add a cafe to an existing branch? What has been its experience with the cafe? How do demographics affect the design of various branches, and how do the branches differ from one another and why?

Wednesday, August 17   3:15 - 4:15 pm

Are You Getting the Most from Your Consultants?   Panel Discussion

Consultants can bring valuable information to any business; this applies not only to those hired only on occasion, such as an architect or engineer, but those used on a regular basis as well, such as financial advisors and marketing consultants. How do you prepare for their visits? Do they have your full attention during the time they spend with you? Do you involve key staff? Panelists Dale Bachman, Stephen Hicks and Ed Pasquesi discuss how to make the most out of consultants’ visits.

 

Thursday, August 18   10 am - 11 am

Do Trends Predict Future Success?   Panel Discussion

Predicting the future is always a challenge, and yet as owners and managers plan their buying for the coming year, this is exactly what is required. Is it all intuition, or are there other tools to use? What trends can help you predict what your customers’ needs will be tomorrow and in the years to come? Panelists Tom Courtright, Owner of Orchard Nursery & Florist; Ellen May, Executive Director of ECGC; and Monte Enright, President and COO of Armstrong Garden Centers, discuss the trends they’ve observed in Europe and other countries they’ve visited.

Thursday, August 18   11:15 am - 12:15 pm

Wisconsin ‘Cheesehead’ Garden Center Tour Highlights

If you attended the Wisconsin “Cheesehead” Garden Center Tour on Monday, revisit the destinations through Ernest’s and Jack’s eyes; if you didn’t attend, this is your opportunity to check out some of what they saw. The facilities they toured all had something to offer in terms of display techniques, layouts or departments that you may not have thought about including in your own garden center - or there may have been mistakes that we could all learn from.

 

 

Kyle Lacy - Social Media Savvy

Presented by  

 

Kyle Lacy is known for his in-depth understanding of the application of social and digital media for both small businesses and large corporations. He is the author of Twitter Marketing for Dummies (Wiley, 2009) and Branding Yourself: How to Use Social Media to Invent or Reinvent Yourself (Pearson, 2010). Recognized globally for his knowledge of social media, he is routinely invited to share his expertise with audiences worldwide. Lacy writes a regular blog at KyleLacy.com, which is featured on the Ad Age Power 150 blog and The Wall Street Journal online.

Tuesday, August 16   10 am - 12 pm

Evolve or Die: The Future of Online Communication in the World of IGCs

Hundreds and thousands of people have been flooding sites like Facebook, Myspace and Twitter, and what are they talking about? How do you build an integrated marketing campaign that captures the transactional, aspirational, generational and psychological aspects of the consumer at your garden center? Learn about the future of online communication and digital marketing, and why it’s important to change the way you view your marketing and customer communication.

 

Wednesday, August 17   11 am - 12 pm

Being Productive in Social Media Adds Up

Learn how to save time, energy and resources by being smart with your usage of social media tools. Learn what tools to use and why, how to stay productive on a daily basis for 30 minutes a day, how to integrate tools to save time and energy, and how to measure your use of social media to stay effective. Kyle is joined by Fern Richardson, the new media expert behind Beetnik Media, a social media marketing firm, who will share her experience in getting the word out to consumers about the new products at IGC 2011.

Wednesday, August 17   2 - 3 pm

Maximizing and Monetizing Your Store’s Facebook Page

You’ve already created a Facebook page, and you’re posting content. Now, learn what a vanity URL is and if it really matters; how to sell products on Facebook; how to use analytics and monitoring to maximize your page potential; and five ideas for viral growth.

Wednesday, August 17   3:15 - 4:15 pm

Twitter 101: Driving Sales at Your IGC

Want to start marketing with Twitter, but have no idea where to begin? Or have you started and want to know how to maximize your efforts? This session breaks down the common uses of Twitter. Learn how to set up and maximize your profile, the importance of re-tweeting, how to share content that matters and stories from customers, how Twitter can grow your foot traffic and much more.

 

Thursday, August 18   10 am - 11 am

Integrating E-mail, Social Media, Direct Mail and Other Tools for an Effective Marketing Campaign, with Dana Altum

This session is a breakdown of an integrated marketing campaign that was conducted by Altum’s garden center in Zionsville, IN, this year. See specific examples from the social media campaign, and listen as Kyle and Owner Dana Altum break down different ways the campaign worked and didn’t work. Hear firsthand how one of the nation’s most innovative garden centers is changing the way it does business to connect with new customers.

Thursday, August 18   11:15 am - 12:15 pm

How Social Media Professionals Do It – Panel Discussion

Kyle is joined by Garden Chic magazine’s Clint Albin in moderating a lively and practical discussion about how people who communicate for a living are using social media. Panelists include Shirley Bovshow, garden designer, TV host, product spokesperson and new media producer; Melinda Myers, garden author and radio and TV host; William Moss, garden TV host and author; Trey Pitsenberger, Owner of The Golden Gecko Garden Center and the personality behind The Blogging Nurseryman; Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp, Director of the Garden Writers Association; and Jennifer Youngquest, Marketing Manager at English Gardens. Learn how the panelists are using social media to tell consumers about what they’ve discovered at IGC 2011.

 

Judy Sharpton - Visual Merchandising

Presented by

Judy Sharpton is a store design specialist and LEED Green Associate who has spent the past 15 years working exclusively with independent garden centers in the United States and Canada on store development - physical improvements, product selection and placement, and brand management. Much of that work has been concentrated in small markets for stores with limited resources but unlimited energy and commitment. Her program focuses on real solutions that do not require a bulldozer or a bank loan.

Tuesday, August 16   10 am - 12 pm

10 Most Common Site Development Problems

Identify and understand 10 common site development issues of IGCs as documented in the 2011 Proven Winners Store Development Handbook, co-authored by Judy. A store development worksheet based on the 10 identified issues will help you improve your merchandising challenges when you return home. Handbook available for sale at this session.

 

 

Real people! Real Stores! Real Success Stories!

The following session focuses on a specific case study from Judy’s recent consultations with three independent garden centers. Meet the participants, and learn how the store renovation process evolved to meet their store development objectives and increase sales.

Wednesday, August 17   11 am - 12 pm

Case Study One: Plant Depot

Plant Depot in San Juan Capistrano, CA, is a sprawling full-service, second-generation garden center in an upscale community. Jen Kittle and her sister are growing their parents’ business. They’ve gone through the process of store development with Judy and the Proven Winners Store-Within-A-Store team. Learn what Judy recommended, the response to the suggestions (negative and positive), and how Jen and her team worked through the decision process in preparation for spring.

Wednesday, August 17   2 - 3 pm

Case Study Two: Angel’s Garden Center

Angel’s Garden Center is a second-generation family-owned garden center/farm market in Hopkinton, MA, determined to own their market. Meet Jeff and Dayle Doherty and their staff, and see how a plan to make this traditional garden center more “shoppable” resulted in a 23% sales increase last April and a 25% increase last May. Witness the realization of a dream: a coffee shop in a modern freestanding building added to the store’s offering.

Wednesday, August 17   3:15 - 4:15 pm

Case Study Three: Rolling Green Nursery

Beth and Rick Simpson started their business in Greenland, NH, as a landscaping service. The retail offering has grown into a full-service garden center, now Rolling Green Nursery, in an outdoor setting with all the challenges of New England weather. The store’s development consultation started with a fully developed container gardening department. The Simpsons’ success last year led to the decision to build a state-of-the-art retail greenhouse this year. The Simpsons describe the undertaking. At the end of this session, those who attended at least two sessions on Tuesday and/or Wednesday and have a site plan and store photos are invited to present their own store case studies identifying their most important problem (from the checklist provided the first day) for discussion and review. Five submissions will be invited to participate in a Store Development Throwdown on Thursday. Judy will contact selected participants by cell phone to request photos and site plans in advance to be used in the final session on Thursday.

 

Thursday, August 18   10 am - 11 am

Live! with Judy - An ‘As It Happens’ Store Development Consultation

In this one-of-a-kind, hands-on, unscripted session, Judy and a garden center owner who has elected to participate in the Store-Within-A-Store program walk through the process of a store development consultation. Using the garden center’s site plan, plus photos and videos of the site, Judy, the owner and staff will analyze the merchandising and customer flow obstacles facing the business. You will walk away with actionable ideas to improve your customers’ shopping experience.

Thursday, August 18   11:15 am - 12:15 pm

Store Development Throwdown - You Pick the Winner!

In this session, Judy announces the Store Development Throwdown finalists selected from the previous day’s submissions. The five winners have 10 minutes to prepare a five-minute “why Judy should help us” presentation to the group. Attendees will then vote on one store to receive a full store development consultation, including site plan, elevations and a written report from Judy, compliments of Proven Winners. This store development project will be documented at the Proven Winners and Growing Places websites.

 

 

Jim Bradley - Retail Maverick

Jim Bradley is a high-profile gardening expert who has been involved with BBC Northern Ireland gardening radio and television gardening programs for more than 25 years. He reinvented his Mid Ulster Garden Centre nine years ago; as a result, the IGC has tripled sales and is renowned for its innovative displays, merchandising techniques and outside-the-box solutions. The garden center has won many prestigious awards, and has been called the most innovative garden center in the world. Bradley’s ideas have been published in more than 48 garden retail magazines worldwide. He writes exclusively for Garden Chic magazine in the United States, where he contributes his “Retail Maverick” perspectives in every issue.

Tuesday, August 16   10 am - 12 pm

Ireland’s Retail Maverick Unveils His Latest Merchandising Secrets

Get ready for a brainstorm of blazing and brilliant concepts from one of the most creative retailers in the world. You’ve seen his spectacular displays in the pages of Garden Chic magazine – now find out how Jim comes up with the concepts and puts them into action to move more product. Get in the know on the latest merchandising trends that will take any store from “so-so” to modern “wow.”

Wednesday, August 17   11 am - 12 pm

Selling High End by Creating Value

High-end inventory requires much more pizzazz in the way you show it than “the usual.” Selling upscale takes finesse. You must inspire shoppers to spend more. Convince your customers that price isn’t an issue. You can do it, even in today’s economy - it just takes a strategic approach.

Wednesday, August 17   2 - 3 pm

Your Store’s Innovation and Creativity IQ Test

Evaluate the real value and strong competitive advantage of your garden center business by taking the Innovation and Creativity IQ Test. Find out how to connect the unconnected, bridge the gaps you didn’t even know existed and unlock the potential in your team. The potential is limitless!

Wednesday, August 17   3:15 - 4:15 pm

Are You Dying for Ideas?

Innovation and creativity are critical to survive and prosper in today’s competitive retail environment. Learn how to refresh and inspire your team. This is not textbook theory but real-world strategies that Jim has seen succeed big time at his highly successful garden center. Go home recharged, full of ideas for your store and brimming with techniques to jump-start your team’s creativity.

 

Thursday, August 18   10 am - 11 am

Seven Success Secrets to Massive Sales Increases

Learn seven specific ways to revamp your garden center in seven days - and put $100,000-plus on the bottom line. You’ll never look at your business in the same way again. Some have called Jim’s Mid Ulster the world’s best garden center. You’ve read about him, now experience him in person as he presents his one-of-a-kind insights and inspirations.

Thursday, August 18   11:15 am - 12:15 pm

Selling High End by Creating Value

This is such an important message for all IGCs to hear, we are having Jim present it again in this encore presentation to ensure you are able to catch it. High-end inventory requires much more pizzazz in the way you show it than “the usual.” Selling upscale takes finesse. You must inspire shoppers to spend more. Convince your customers that price isn’t an issue. You can do it, even in today’s economy - it just takes a strategic approach.

 

John Stanley - International Trends

Presented by  

John Stanley is an internationally respected expert who has contributed to garden retail for more than 20 years in 15 countries. He works with garden centers and nurseries around the world, assisting with merchandising, staff and management training, customer flow, customer service and image. He has been in retailing all his life, growing up above his father’s pharmacy shop in the U.K. He has a Master of Science (Horticulture) degree from the University of Essex. His winning ideas in consultancy and charismatic presentations are reflected in the huge successes achieved by his globally diverse clients. Stanley writes exclusively for Garden Chic magazine in the United States.

Tuesday, August 16   10 am - 12 pm

The Future Garden Center

Hole’s expansive Enjoy Centre in Alberta, Canada, has been described as garden retailing of the future. In this session, John and Bill Hole, CEO of Hole’s Greenhouses & Gardens, and team take you on a journey to Western Canada to explore this one-of-a-kind retail experience. Learn what led to its development, what the experience has been, and what you can learn from this groundbreaking retail operation.

 

Wednesday, August 17   11 am - 12 pm

Plants are Show Stoppers, But You Need to Put the Show On

Seventy percent of the plants sold in garden centers today did not exist 20 years ago. The result: consumers are now confused by the choices they are offered. Most retailers have not taken the opportunity to merchandise and display plants to maximize sales. Join in this merchandising and display strategy session aimed at increasing the sale of the plants at your garden center.

Wednesday, August 17   2 - 3 pm

The New Category to Grow Sales: Packaged Specialty Food

The fastest growth over the last 12 months has been in the local food sector. Many garden retailers realize this is the way of the future; some have made it their hero category. Where do you start, and what do you need to consider as IGCs enter this exciting niche? John and Linda Stanley, Research and Marketing Director for John Stanley Associates, take you through the step-by-step approach to make it work for your store.

Wednesday, August 17   3:15 - 4:15 pm

What are the Hot Trends to Grow Sales in the Next 12 Months?

John works with garden centers in 30 countries; nobody can pick the trends as quickly. From this session, you will be ahead of the pack and ready to introduce the hottest trends into your business before the rest of the industry. This fast-paced session covers the latest in customer service, marketing, merchandising, display and category development.

 

Thursday, August 18   10 am - 11 am

Plants Are Show Stoppers, But You Need to Put the Show

This is such an important message for all IGCs to hear, we are having John present it again in this encore presentation to ensure you are able to catch it. Seventy percent of the plants sold in garden centers today did not exist 20 years ago. The result: consumers are now confused by the choices they are offered. Most retailers have not taken the opportunity to merchandise and display plants to maximize sales. Join in this merchandising and display strategy session aimed at increasing the sale of the plants at your garden center.

Thursday, August 18   11:15 am - 12:15 pm

Marketing in 2012 and Beyond

Marketing has changed forever. How do you get more consumers to shop at your garden center, and how do you get them to come back more often? In this session, John looks at the marketing ideas that can help you get more consumers to shop with you and tell their friends about their experience. How do you divide the budget? How do you plan an interruption and permission marketing campaign that works? This session provides the answers you are looking for.

Robert Hendrickson - Best Practices

Robert Hendrickson is the Managing Director of The Garden Center Group, an alliance of more than 120 garden centers, consultants, service providers and preferred vendors. He has created the Business Development Program, which assists garden centers with marketing, site development, financial analysis and benchmarking, human resource standards, media placement, mystery shopper service and business strategies. With more than 30 years’ experience assisting garden centers of all sizes, Hendrickson understands that not much can happen until business owners’ focus on the business side of their business.

Tuesday, August 16    10 am - 12 pm

A Step-By-Step Approach to Results Marketing, the Only Kind That Matters - and Battle of the Brands

Each day, garden center owners are faced with the same advertising and marketing dilemma: so many options, so little money. This workshop identifies the process and tools necessary for getting the most bang for your marketing bucks while staying sane and within budget along the way. Think you have the right message, the right approach and the right results in marketing your garden center? Then put it to the test, and let the room decide the winner. Participants should bring samples of their marketing efforts this year for a no-holds-barred critique.

 

Wednesday, August 17   11 am - 12 pm

Best Practices - Panel

Four successful garden center operators share what’s required to meet and even beat the odds of winning during tough times that others would rather forget. No concepts, theories or wishful thinking here, just proven results that actually work. Here’s your chance to watch, listen and learn, then ask questions to apply the winning principles to your operation.

Wednesday, August 17   2 - 3 pm

A Profit Monger’s 10-Step Plan to Financial Success, with Steve Bailey

Letterman isn’t the only one with a Top 10. In this session, Robert is joined by Steve Bailey, an IGC expert with more than 30 years’ garden center ownership experience. Steve has his own list when it comes to helping people focus on the financial decisions they need to make. No one-liners here, just a detailed look at some of the most important factors you need to consider for your company’s financial success.

Wednesday, August 17   3:15 - 4:15 pm

Driving Store Traffic and Profits Through E-Commerce, with John Kinsella

Robert is joined by John Kinsella, retail business consultant and founding Managing Director of Urban Outfitters’ Terrain. Learn what it really takes to create additional bottom line dollars with an e-commerce offering at your website. Find out the truths behind the myths that have kept some smaller retailers from understanding how their customer base uses online purchases hand in hand with the in-store shopping experience. John examines case studies of large, medium and small retailers that have found a profitable way to offer the convenience of online ordering without decreasing store traffic, increasing inventory carrying cost or eroding overall company margin dollars. In fact, he’ll explain, smart retailers increase overall sales and customer traffic by integrating their e-commerce, targeted e-mails, social media and stores.

 

 

Thursday, August 18   10 am - 11 am

Increasing Sales Through an IGC Pottery Department, with Terri Coldreck

Robert is joined by Terri Coldreck, Owner of Color Results and a visual merchandiser with experience from both the retail and supply side, known to many IGCs for her passion for a category that usually elicits a frustrated sigh - the pottery and container category. It has taken a hit in the last couple of years, but has actually been producing profits for those inspired by some basic strategies. Yeah, sounds like the same old, same old - but what if you could realize $19K to $91K growth like one Southeastern IGC achieved in only eight months? The national average for this category is around 3% of total volume; Terri has had clients in the 10% to 15% range. Join the garden centers in the industry that have embraced some core principles and have made this misunderstood category a bright and colorful spot.

Thursday, August 18   11:15 am - 12:15 pm

Family Business Succession: Preparation and Execution, with Henry Hutcheson

Robert is joined by Henry Hutcheson, Family Business Consultant with ReGeneration Partners and Columnist for Garden Chic and Nursery Retailer magazines, in helping attendees understand how essential generational transfer is to garden center businesses. Learn how to successfully transition your garden center to the next generation or non-family leadership or how to sell it, and how to determine which course of action is best for your garden center and your family.

 

Tom Shay - Dollars & Sense

Tom Shay gained considerable experience as a fourth-generation merchant, providing him with the knowledge and background to present successful ideas to assist owners, managers and staff with the day-to-day operation of their business. During the 25-plus years he was a part of his family business, the stores were ongoing laboratories for the management and promotional techniques that are the backbone of the seminars he presents today. As an every-issue Columnist for Nursery Retailer, he offers proven, time-tried ideas on the topics of promotion, customer loyalty, business management design, employee skill development and financial control.<

Tuesday, August 16   10 am - 12 pm

Small Businesses Don’t Die, They Just Commit Suicide

Reports from the United States Census Bureau show that as companies have downsized and individuals decide they want to own their own businesses, there are more new small businesses starting up. Yet 95 percent will not be in business to celebrate their fifth anniversaries, and only half of those will celebrate their 10th anniversaries. Unfortunately, the majority of garden centers that fail do so as a result of not only their inactions but also their incorrect actions. IGCs with many years of experience are not immune to this problem. What are the 10 fatal mistakes they make? What can they do to reverse a problem or make sure a problem does not occur?

 

Wednesday, August 17   11 am - 12 pm

R. E. S. P. E. C. T. Business Strategies - Retha-Style!

There’s a message in the music - which you may have thought was only an R&B song from the 1960s. The truth is, there’s a business strategy in those lyrics - a strategy for listening to your customers and providing them with something that will separate you from the boxes. After this presentation, you’ll think of how to treat your garden center customers every time you hear this song!

Wednesday, August 17   2 - 3 pm

Black Ink: Cashflow Management Secrets Your Accountant Never Shared

Lack of financial management is the major cause of failure for small businesses. While many IGCs receive financial information (profit-and-loss statements, balance sheets), this information is rarely utilized to make decisions for the business. Get ready to return to your garden center from this session equipped to understand your financial statements, increase profits and forecast your profitable future.

Wednesday, August 17   3:15 – 4:15 pm

So, That’s Where the Money Goes!

Many garden center operators look at the bottom line of their monthly profit-and-loss statement and then at their business checking account, only to see the two radically different numbers. The question is, “If I made all that money, why isn’t it sitting in my checking account?” Learn to understand this age-old question as well as make sure there is enough cash in your checking account at the right time.

 

Thursday, August 18   10 am - 11 am

When Your Management Style Isn’t Working and Your Employees Aren’t Either,
It’s Time for a Change!

It is a comment frequently heard: “My employees aren’t doing what I need them to do. I just don’t have good employees.” Unfortunately, what these employees share in common is a manager or owner whose management style isn’t working, either. This interactive session helps attendees identify how they will react and manage in situations within their garden center. Then they are shown a different style of management for that situation, and invited to compare the two to see which way is more likely to help with their management decisions.

Thursday, August 18   11:15 am - 12:15 pm

Get Extraordinary Results from Ordinary People

You visit another retailer to find that its manager has a staff full of exceptional people. That manager was not lucky, he or she was able to create a staff and lead each of them to be extraordinary. Learn how to do a better job of hiring, create job descriptions, deal with problem customers, handle employee frustrations, utilize “boomerang” employees (former employees who want to return to your business) and create incentive programs that work.