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1. Do your homework. Shop the items you are interested in before you head out Friday morning. Compare existing prices and product details as not everything advertised as a sale is one. 2. Read the newspaper. Get an early edition of your local newspaper and read and clip ads and coupons. 3. Share the experience. Coordinate with friends or family members. Divide and conquer and you can cover more ground and more sales with far less effort. 4. Cover yourself. I’m not talking about bringing a blanket for your wait in the cold for the store to open, although that might not be a bad idea. I’m suggesting you bring the copy of the newspaper ad or print out paperwork that will help you justify pricing and product specifications. Beware the bait and switch. 5. Befriend. While standing in those lines, coordinate a divide and conquer plan rendouvousing at the cash registers. Chances are you are not the only one there for a particular sale item. Ask those leaving the store if it is still available, preventing you from waiting in a line for a product you’ll never get to buy. 6. Protect. Know the store policies before you buy. Can it be returned? What if the price is lowered even further later? 7. Exit strategy. Once you’re in your next step is to get out and onto the next store. Have your money or credit card ready and do whatever you can to help speed the check out process. This is not the time to ask for a price check! If, however, this shopping frenzy isn’t worth the effort, consider placing gift cards in holiday cards this year so others can enjoy the experience of the after-Christmas sales! Posted in: Miscellaneous Fun | No Comments » By now you’ve all heard the story about the 6 year old in Colorado whose parents thought he had taken a joy ride in the family’s experimental helium balloon. No less than the Norad and the US Air Force were strategizing ways to bring him down safely. Turns out he was hiding from his parents at home and not even in the balloon, thank goodness. Sure made for some interesting live news though! Anyway, it brought these uplifting images to mind! Don’t wait until its too late to let someone know you care. Opportunities like these can float away unexpectedly! Rise to the occasion by sending one of these: If you’re planning an uplifting event soon, we have more balloon themed greeting cards you should see! Tags: balloon boy, balloon cards, balloons, Birthday Cards, birthday party invitations, CardsDirect, Greeting Cards, party invitations, Retirement Cards
Andy pointed out that in 1900 there were 77,000 post offices around the country while today, with 4 times the number of people, there are only 37,000. I’m not surprised that fewer of us are actually writing letters, with the ease of email taking over, but I have to agree with Andy here when he says, “An e-mail has all the charm of a freight train.” I have to wonder how much social interaction and just plain good old-fashioned etiquette is suffering when we forget just how special handwritten letters or greeting cards mean to each of us when they show up unexpectedly, delivered by a mailman (or for crying out loud, mailwoman!). Isn’t this a tradition we should fight to continue? Do you enjoy receiving more than just bills and marketing materials in your mailbox? Tags: 60 minutes, andy rooney, cards, CardsDirect, Greeting Cards, post office, postal service
There are thousands of ways to track the health of the economy but I found this one to be quite interesting. Did you know that you can tell how the economy is doing by tracking the sales of men’s underwear? Yes, it’s true and here is the theory behind this creative analysis. Underwear is considered a necessity but in tough economic times, buying replacement pairs is optional. Not usually seen, this is one piece of clothing that doesn’t have to be in perfect repair to wear! And so, when funds are tight, new underwear becomes a luxury. Average sales are reported at 3.4 pairs per year. From 2004 to 2008 sales of single pairs rose from 5% to 8% with multi packs declining, also so indication that consumers are trying to save. On a good note, Sears is seeing an increase in underwear sales and Target is reporting stronger sales over the past two months, including sales of multi packs! Have you been scrimping on your skivvies? And what about women’s undergarments? Should Victoria keep her sales a secret?! Tags: CardsDirect
The post office contends they have been very aggressive at cutting costs but project financial losses for this year and for several years to come. We all know the price of stamps has increasingly risen, as has the price of mail delivery at any level. Of course, a significant decline in volume would be expected, and without the volume of mail, your operating budget stays the same but with less money coming in. And what about their other money concern that a “major requirement to prefund its retiree’s health benefits” has also contributed to their losses. As an alternative to even larger price increases, this transition from a six to a five day delivery schedule is being seriously considered. The key components of the five-day plan include: - No Saturday delivery to homes and businesses. What do you think? How would this plan affect you or your business? Tags: Greeting Cards, mail, postage Have you seen this?!
The contest ends at midnight PST on Tuesday, July 21 so act fast! Go here to add your comment and enter the drawing. This is one fun and easy contest to enter with a reward that will allow you to share your prize with others by remembering them with personalized greetings sure to win smiles all around! Enter today! Tags: CardsDirect, contest, giveaway, Greeting Cards, personalized greeting cards, shopping spree, sweepstakes If you can make the Guinness Book of World Records for sales, you must know something about how to do it! Joe Girard sold cars but his suggestions for sales success can work for just about anything. I’ve customized them here to include selling product and services and yourself too at a job interview! Positive Attitude. Even if you have to pretend, act like everything is great. Surrounding yourself with upbeat people is also a good idea. Work. Dig in and work, even when job searching! Even at a lunch break, find those who will help your cause. No-Nos. Don’t be late, chew gum, smoke, tell dirty jokes, wear too much perfume or cologne, or leave your cell phone on. Dress. Dress to impress but also to fit the occasion or position. If you’re selling to blue collar workers, don’t wear expensive clothes and too much jewelry. Listen. Listening shows that you care. Listen more and talk less. But, if asked a direct question, be ready for a well thought out answer. Smile. A smile is a great asset and makes others feel more comfortable around you. Return messages. Return all calls, emails and any message just as soon as possible. Tell the truth. Just one lie will label you a liar for life. Don’t overcharge. Be fair and offer value. You should assume comparison shopping will be taking place. Stand in front. Stand in front of your product. You are the service they are actually buying. In job interviews, make sure the focus is on you. Reposition yourself if there are distractions in the interviewer’s line of sight. Reward yourself. Treat yourself well and give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done. And don’t forget to send Thank You Cards to those who interviewed you or Business Appreciation Cards to those who made a purchase! Source: {Joe Girard’s 13 Rules to Success} Tags: business appreciation cards, CardsDirect, how to interview, job hunting tips, job interviews, sales, sales in a touch economy, Thank You Cards
Anyway, I digress. Just now my daughter texted me to see if she could go out tonight with friends. She of course probably feels she should not have to ask permission, but I’m glad she did. Of course I came back with the usual mom response- who, what, when, where and why. (I suspect those are left over from my days in journalism school but they seem to apply in mom-world as well.) Whether it be words shared via texting or as imprinted verses on your favorite greeting cards for example, why not infuse your writing with words that are unusual now and then just to see if you get a reaction! And so I ask, when someone texts, tweets or facebooks you (ie- asks what’s on your mind?), what words do you use in response? Tags: CardsDirect, facebook, Greeting Cards, texting, twittering, words Commemorative stamps are quite popular among collectors and those who simply like to dress up their mailed greeting cards, bills and more. Based on the total number of stamps saved, but not necessary used, here is the Top 10 List of United States Postal Service most popular commemorative stamps.
Each year the Postal Service receives suggestions from the general public regarding commemoratives. The narrow the search, the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee was formed and a 12 point criteria for selection was implemented. The Postmaster General makes the final decision on which stamps to launch each year. Tags: CardsDirect, commemorative stamps, Greeting Cards, Postage Stamps, stamps
The initial theory was that the spelled out pricing would result in greater expenditures but it was the numeral only version that actually ran up the bottom line. Researchers surmised that by removing the $ in front of the number, it disassociated it from an actual price and discouraged customers from adding up the totals in their heads. I have to wonder though. Do you think this finding would translate to sales of other products? For example, would you be more inclined to order greeting cards priced at 100 for 79.00 than 100 for $79.00? Interesting! {Source: The Baltimore Sun} Tags: CardsDirect, dollar signs, economy, Greeting Cards, pricing, sales |
I recently received a survey from the U.S. Postal Department asking for my opinion on their plan to do away with Saturday mail delivery. I’m not sure I would miss it as a consumer but bet it would be problematic for many businesses.
I’m a writer so I love words. I love words that sound funny like blurp, fizz, tweak and twitter. I love big words because I like to think they make me sound intelligent, aka smart. Usually, but not always, I even try to know the meanings of the words before using them! I love it when children use big words with absolutely no clue as to what they’re saying.
Art of Disney: Romance
A recent study conducted by the Cornell University School of Hospitality Research brought to light an interesting discovery. They tested restaurant patrons by listing menu prices three ways- with dollar signs and numerals, with numerals only, and with the numbers written out as words.