• The Future: Technology, Business & Consumer Trends
• Retail Selling & Service, Marketing
• Retail Merchandising & Operations
• Teamwork & Leadership
• Other Titles

The Future: Technology, Business & Consumer Trends

Recession Proof Your Business – 10 Strategies To Help You Thrive
When we talk about trends of the future, we forget that recession might be one of them. Just as it is important to learn and prepare for a new market or consumer trend and act upon it, it is paramount to plan for things to do when a recession comes. And it now appears that we are in one and it is likely going to be long and difficult for many retailers. Learn ten+ actions that you can take right now to help you not just survive a recession but thrive in one.

Sustainable Retailing -  How Green Is Becoming The New Black
This seminar gives you a compelling overview of sustainable retailing efforts across the retail industry. Learn how retailers can impact the environment and how educating customers is a critical piece in solving environmental issues. This seminar comes packed with case studies and examples of retailers large and small who successfully managed to turn their company and stores "green" and save money by doing it.

Retail Ain’t What It Used To Be – A Preview Of What’s Coming And How To Prepare For It
Understanding the major forces of change that shape our societies and create the future context of today’s world is no longer optional for retailers of all sizes. It’s a prerequisite for excelling in business. This seminar will help you anticipate and adapt to change by learning about some of the major cultural shifts in consumers’ lifestyles and desires that are taking place today and in the years to come. Get inspired by the many examples included in this presentation from hundreds of brands already applying those trends. Leave the workshop full of ammunition to help you come up with new concepts, goods, services, and experiences for (or together with) your customers.

Demographics Of The Future – Why It Matters
To properly understand opportunities and challenges for your business today, you can’t ignore the enormously powerful demographic trends that are taking place in the US and globally. Seniors, Boomers, Gen Xers, Millennials and Ethnic groups are fueling the economic growth of countries and corporations in various ways. And they pose a big challenge: their expectations and needs are very different. Find out who they are, how many they are and how you can target them by speaking the same language.

Challenges Of The Future – The Rebirth of Small Independent Retail in America
Over 95% of all retailers in the United States have only one store. Yet this segment is under tremendous pressure from larger competitors. This groundbreaking workshop is based on a study of successful Independent Retailers who are beating the odds and their larger competitors. Learn how they are doing it with practical, low cost tactics to not just survive but to thrive in this world of hyper competition.

You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know! Four Trends Reshaping Business
Four trends are emerging that will play havoc with almost any retail business, price transparency, customers with "relaxed consciences", retail as experience and technology creep. Learn what these trends mean to retailers and how to prepare your company, people and stores to thrive in this very interesting new world we are living in.

Web Renaissance? – For Some It Is!
True, the web has been around for quite some time and yet for so many independent retailers it’s still not in the plans. Or, if they have a web presence, it’s not executed properly and delivering the benefits that they expected. Can you not do it? Absolutely not! You cannot ignore this sales and communication media and you cannot ignore the mobile commerce revolution that is just in its infancy. It’s the future and you risk being left behind if you don’t hop on the web and m-commerce bus and do it fast. This fast paced and thought provoking seminar will provide you with a clear and simple path to rejuvenate your web presence and join the mobile revolution.

The Art of War for Independent Retailers – Lessons from Sun Tzu
Learn what a 3500 year old book on strategy can teach a retailer in 2007. Written by Sun Tzu, a Chinese General, it is a seminal work on strategy. He taught that a victory without battle was the best victory. Learn how his teachings are not only applicable but indispensable for a retailer facing the “enemy” of big box, category killers and discounters.

Preparing For The Future – The Customer In 2015 
Do you remember 1998? It was only ten years ago! What will 2015 look like? A fast paced, thought provoking look at projections on the changes that are taking place with our customers - from demographics to life styles - and a review of what innovative companies are doing to ensure a lifelong relationship with an ever-changing customer.

Technology of Tomorrow – What Will Impact Your Future The Most
Have you noticed that today it is tougher than ever to run a business and make money? Are you confused by all the changes that are happening? Does the Internet, RFID, EDI, UPC, Category Management, ASN, 2D barcodes and WAP confuse you? Then, this workshop will bring both insights and understanding of what is happening in your business as you try to compete in the new economy.

The Twelve Most Common Mistakes In Retail Technology And How To Avoid Them
This workshop has been a hit at every major retail technology show over the past year. One of the greatest fears that retailers have is buying the wrong system for their store, or if they already have a system, not knowing if it is doing them any good. This workshop can save you thousands of dollars and years of inefficiency.

Branding; It's Just A Question Of When, Not Why!
Stores today can no longer sell national brand merchandise as their main products.  With complete price transparency just around the corner it will be impossible to maintain credibility with Customers unless you are the largest retailer in the category.  Smart stores recognized this years ago and moved to their own Brand, both the store as well as the products they carry.  Learn how to make this transition and why it is critical for survival.

| top |

30 Things To Do When Business Is Tough To Get
This workshop could also be titled Retail 101. It is a fast paced look at basic tactics that any retailer can use today to increase business. Great presentation for store owners, managers, and sales associates. None of the strategies are about discounting price. Updated every year, even if you heard it in the past, it is all brand new!

No Refunds, No Exchanges, No Business!
Restrictive return policies and more punitive policies are being instituted by more and more retailers who believe that they are forced to do this because they think that more customers are taking advantage of them. This workshop examines customer return policies, the good, the bad and the dangerous. Learn how to avoid punishing good customers for the behavior of a few bad customers and establish a return policy that is fair and competitive.

Sell More Of What You Have To Customers You Already Have
Retailers often complain about the lack of traffic and sales. This workshop identifies proven ways that you can increase your business by over 20% with the customers who are already in your store. It is a fun, challenging and practical workshop using real examples of sales building tactics.

Increasing Sales Through Professional Selling (Based on the book "Retail Selling Ain’t Brain Surgery, It’s Twice As Hard")
This workshop on retail selling skills is the perfect primer and a great refresher for anyone working in sales. It expands and illuminates concepts that have been explored for many years but does it with a fresh and more convincing eye, and presents a practical guide for applying them. 

The Customer Is NOT Always Right, Customer Service Strategies For Survival Today
Not too long ago we were taught to believe that the customer was always right. Learn how that may not be the case anymore and believing that it is could lead you to bankruptcy. You will be able to tell "Carp" (customers who are bottom feeders) from your best, most profitable customers. See why most retailers may be spending money protecting the wrong assets.

The Psychology Of Today’s Consumer
Everyone would agree that people today are not behaving like they were even ten years ago. Not only has the world changed, but people have changed, shopping habits, needs, the way that they assess stores and prices. This workshop focuses on the underlying psychological changes that are making customers behave in very different ways today. This knowledge can give any business a significant competitive advantage in reaching and pleasing this new consumer.

Negotiation Skills For Buyers, Sellers And Everyone!
Are you getting the best deal for your company/yourself? Do you know what you should never say in a negotiation and what you should always say? This workshop is the "Swiss Army Knife" of negotiation skills, giving participants the highest payback skills to ensure a successful negotiation. Handouts include a list of 83 terms that are negotiable with vendors.

| top |

Five Measures That Will Change Your Business Forever!
Are you really focusing on the key drivers of your business?  Do you know the three most important measures of productivity and how to compute them, how to make sure that everyone in your store is producing every day?  Learn the top three hourly measures of success and two annual measures that will change your business for the better.  You will not only learn what they are, but more importantly, how to improve them as well as your profitability.

Price – It Doesn’t Always Have To Be Lower!  
Learn the secrets of pricing that no one ever told you about.  Do you often just take the cost price and double it?  Do you blindly accept the “Suggested List” price?  Do you regularly take mark ups or always mark downs?  If you answered “yes” to even one of these questions, then you need to attend this workshop!  Learn how a 1% increase in price has more effect on your bottom line than any other action you can take.

Retail Boot Camp
This is a full day workshop that will take the novice to expert in eight powerful hours. The workshop covers all the important aspects of retail today and is a great refresher for an experienced retailer as well as an incredible introduction to those who are either new to retail or have to understand retailers. The handout for this session is over one hundred pages and is almost a full undergraduate course in the science of retail

Five Proven Ways To Make Your Inventory More Profitable
Learn five simple actions that you can take that will dramatically improve the profitability of your inventory. These are simple steps that any store can take right after attending the workshop that will lead to improved performance, better customer service and more cash in the business.

Simple Open To Buy That Works
A look at a simple open to buy process that can be done at the total store level and will keep the store from over buying and not being able to pay for the merchandise that was purchased. Presented in a simple, easy to understand format with both paper forms and spreadsheet formats.

What Is Really Driving Your Business?
Did you ever want to know the truly important things that you should be aware of to really make sure that your business is on track? This session looks at the twelve most important numbers in the retail business, shows you how to calculate them, how often you should look at them, what good performance looks like, why it is important and what you can do to improve them.

Your Baby is Ugly!
Something no one wants to hear!  But it may be the truth.  Are you over bought? or under sold?  Markdowns are tuition that we pay for an education about our customers. Learn how to pay the lowest possible tuition for the greatest amount of learning! This workshop focuses on proven markdown strategies that maximize profits and maintain customer’s confidence while clearing out all those "ugly babies."

Choosing Sides
In a few years both stores and manufacturers are going to have to decide who they will do business with. The internet has made price almost completely transparent and most independent retailers simply cannot carry the same merchandise as large retailers. In most cases the manufacturer will have to decide who they will do business with, simply put, no manufacturer can continue to do business with every retailer anymore. Learn what Bang & Olufsen and Herman Miller have discovered in choosing the "right" side.

| top |

People Still Count! Finding, Selecting & MOTIVATING Outstanding Staff
It’s been called a million dollar decision and often that is the case. A "bad" hire can cost a company a tremendous amount in lost productivity. This is a real working session for managers who are responsible for hiring new employees. This session not only provides the "how" to interview prospective candidates, but also comes with a complete interview guide with questions and goals to help the hiring manager make the right decision.

Turn On Your People, Turn On Your Company
Everyone knows that people are what really make the difference between a good company and a great company. But not many people know the secret of how to really turn employees on and make them cheerleaders and champions. This workshop reveals the secrets of turning your people into superstars.

Never Enough Time 
The most often heard complaint of most people is that they do not have enough time. We all have the same amount of hours in each day, and the same number of days in a week. How is it that some people are more effective in the hours that they have? This is a hands on workshop that delivers very simple and very effective techniques for working smarter and not faster or harder.

| top |

Full Handout Samples are available on request.

Dionco Inc. is a full service retail consulting firm and also has access to other retail speakers!

All workshops are updated at least every six months and many on a weekly basis.