The Merrill Dubrow Blog

Sorry Sherri From Ace Hardware, You Need To Change Up Your Approach

June 19th, 2013

Often I have been going to Ace Hardware. It is less than a mile from the house, the staff is very friendly and the store is perfect for me when I need a few quick items like light bulbs, batteries or some mulch. A few weeks ago was no different. I had my 2-3 items and the cashier, Sherri, asked me if I wanted to get an Ace Hardware Credit card. I responded with a “no thank you” and after 2-3 minutes we finished our transaction and I was on my way. Sorry Sherri, you could have done a little better. I am sure there was some type of promotion at the company that if you get 5 people to sign up then you get a spiff or something… or perhaps the manager in the daily team meeting said “I want everyone to be asked if they would like an Ace Credit Card.” Maybe that was the story or at least close to it.

Either way, you could have done more. When you brought up the credit card, why not stress the benefits? Why not mention that thousands of customers are saving money every day and reaping awards. Would you like to also reap the awards? Perhaps she should have said in the daily meeting to the manager – what is the most effective way to have customers sign up for the credit card? Are there best practices or techniques that you can teach us that can help?

Who knows?

Maybe some of that would work.

But just asking customers if they want an Ace Hardware Credit Card (to me) is a total waste of time without a little bit of strategy behind the ask.

Am I wrong?

How good of a salesperson was the cashier when you signed up for a retail store credit card?

Do you remember any special sales techniques they used?

I look forward to reading your comments.

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Great Words Of Wisdom By Andy Rooney

June 17th, 2013

This was sent to me by U.J. Thanks so much for sharing words written by Andy Rooney , a man who had the gift of saying so much with so few words.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did:

I’ve learned…. That when you’re in love, it shows.

I’ve learned…. That just one person saying to me, ‘You’ve made my day!’ makes my day.

I’ve learned…. That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.

I’ve learned…. That being kind is more important than being right.

I’ve learned…. That you should never say no to a gift from a child.

I’ve learned…. That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.

I’ve learned…. That money doesn’t buy class.

I’ve learned…. That it’s those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.

I’ve learned…. That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.

I’ve learned…. That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.

I’ve learned…. That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.

I’ve learned…. That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you’re climbing it.

I’ve learned…. That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

Which one was your favorite?

Which one had the most impact on you?

Which one makes the most sense to you?

I look forward to reading your comments.

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I Am Turning Into My Dad And You Know What…

June 14th, 2013

It’s so funny, I remember growing up and making fun of my dad’s taste in music… Now my kids (and others) do that to me.

For years my dad would love to go outside and cut shrubs and take care of the landscaping… Speed up 30+ years and now I do that at my house.

One of my fondest memories of hanging out with my dad was always watching war movies together. Last month I must have watched 3-4 old John Wayne movies and my kids threatened to hide the clicker. I would love to watch a John Wayne war movie with my kids.

And of course my dad wasn’t and still isn’t a good driver. Well let’s just say that yours truly isn’t a good driver and most people continue to make fun of me.

I guess I have turned into my dad!

I recently had a conversation with my dad regarding his retirement. For those of you who don’t know, he was very fortunate and able to retire at 51. I asked him if he had to do things all over again, would he have done anything different. My thought was he would have said he would have worked a few more years. I couldn’t have been anymore wrong. He actually said he would have retired at 46 instead.

The beauty about my relationship with my dad is that I am still learning from him. My dad was always a reader, he always had a book near him and before he finished up that one he had already started another one. In that way I am a little bit different, I tend to learn by asking a lot of questions.

I think as I get older I will read more and then have another one of my dad’s great traits rub off on me.

I guess I have turned into my dad and you know what…… that is the greatest compliment I could ever give him.

Thanks JD!

I love you more and more each day.

Happy Father’s Day!

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If You Truly Believe People Can Change, Why Can’t This Person Change?

June 12th, 2013

I believe most people are good and try and be the best they can be. I firmly believe that people can change. Bob Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, was a control freak, thought he could do it better, but never won a championship until he gave the controls over to Bill Belichick. I believe the same is true about Mark Cuban, a brilliant and passionate owner – perhaps the best in sports or certainly one of the best. He was very vocal in the media. I can still remember the Mavericks ownership planning out the parade route in 2006 when they were ahead of the Miami Heat 2-0 in the NBA Finals. In a matter of a blink or two, the Mavericks were then swept and bye-bye championship trophy!

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I Say It’s Time To Go Back To The Old Fashion Way Of Saying Thank You!

June 10th, 2013

I Say It’s Time To Go Back To The Old Fashion Way Of Saying Thank You!

I would say on the average I get about 200 emails a day. Some of which are very important, meaningful and frankly missed because I overlooked them. For the past few years I have noticed a trend. I have been getting a ton of thank you emails. Some of those emails are thanking me for interviewing a potential candidate while others were for helping people out. In comparison I get very few handwritten thank you letters. For the few that send them I say a job well done! I say way to stand out and frankly I think more highly of you by taking the time and putting in the extra effort.

You may ask yourself why that is. Well for starters, you need to have my address, you need to have a stamp and you need to have paper but most of all, you need to know what to say. I would bet lots of people freeze when they are trying to write a handwritten note.

If you really want to have a more meaningful impact of someone – I say it’s back to the old fashion way of saying thank you with a handwritten card!

What do you say?

Do you feel more important when you receive a handwritten communication?

Do you ever write handwritten cards?

Do you think that emails are way too informal these days?

I look forward to reading your comments.

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Reasons To Love Canada

June 7th, 2013

I am not sure how many times I have been to Canada at this point. My Mom was born there and we used to go at least 4 times a year growing up to visit our relatives. What a wonderful and refreshing place.

I absolutely loved going there and still enjoy visiting very much. Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal are very special, beautiful and clean cities. Here are a few funny pictures that illustrate reasons to love this great country!

People are driving convertibles with the top down during snowstorms.

Even the grafitti is pleasant.

This is how police and rowdy crowds fight.

This is a typical traffic jam.

Headlines like this exist.

You need a special mitten to hold hands with someone.

Do you like Canada?

What is your favorite place to visit?

Have you ever seen a moose or other wildlife?

I look forward to reading your comments.

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Dear Bill Marriott Jr.,

June 5th, 2013

Dear Bill Marriott Jr.,

I hope you are having a great day. I frequently stay at your hotels (according to my Marriott account – 850 times and counting) and truly enjoy the friendliness of your staff, cleanliness and safety of your hotels and generally, the overall experience. I was thinking about what you could do to make my experience a little bit more special. What could you do to really impress me and make your hotel in some ways feel a little bit more like home?

With that said I actually came up with something. I don’t watch a ton of TV shows, but I do enjoy some current shows like Vegas and really enjoy the NBA playoffs. Because of my travel schedule, I tend to miss shows and would love for you to offer me a chance to DVR some shows after I check into my room. I know I can watch some, if not all, of the shows on my computer but for many reasons, I wouldn’t enjoy that experience. I do have HBO Go, but again, I don’t want to watch it on my computer or iPhone – the screen and volume doesn’t work for me. I don’t pretend to be a technology guru or even to know what is involved in making my request a reality, but I am hoping the smart members of your team can and will make this happen.

Thanks for listening and enjoy the summer with your family.

Merrill Dubrow

PS. I would gladly pay for this type of service

Do you think this is a good idea?

Is this something you would pay for?

Do you watch your shows on your computer when you are traveling?

I look forward to reading your comments.

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How Much Do I Owe You? Free… Really?

June 3rd, 2013

Last month I was out with the kids and before dinner I decided to get a new battery for my watch. As I walked into Jared – The Galleria of Jewelry each of my kids ran in a different direction – very true and funny all at the same time.

A salesperson came up to me and asked me how he could help. A few minutes later he handed me my watch back and of course, he adjusted the right date and time. I quickly said thank you, pulled out my wallet and asked him what I owe. As I tried to hand him my credit card he said, “That’s okay. Please think of us for your next jewelry purchase.” I said thank you and said that really wasn’t necessary at all. He said, “It is our pleasure and we really look forward to seeing you again – very soon!”

WOW! Again WOW!

I was really impressed, perhaps a little shocked. In a world and business environment where nickel and diming clients happen way too much, here is a business with a strategy of giving something away for free. I wonder if all of their stores do this and if they consciously make a decision to do it as a loss leader thinking that the good will that they are providing will pay them dividends in the future!

Well, it worked with me. I will be back and tell the story to anyone who will listen.

Thank you Jared – The Galleria of Jewelry. Your service is as bright and shiny as your most expensive diamond!

What do you think of their gesture?

Has this type of thing happened to you at other retail stores?

Do you give away something for free in your business?

I look forward to reading your comments.

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The Most Important Decade Of Life?

May 31st, 2013

I was catching up with my college roommate a few weeks ago (always great to connect with K.W.) and for some reason the conversation got very deep and meaningful. No idea of the reason but all of a sudden I said, “I wonder if this is the most important decade of my life.” Here is my rationale for even thinking that way:

During this decade my kids will all be in their teens and if they are going to do something – let’s just say foolish, goofy or get off the right path perhaps – it is likely to happen during this time.

Time to get serious about retirement. No, I am not retiring tomorrow, next month, next year or even in 10 years, but it needs to be thought of, addressed and planned for.

My parents’ health – for me, this is probably the decade where declining health could potentially come into play with my parents.

For me – stay in shape and keep the weight off. My sense is right now it is easy to put on 5 pounds and somewhat easy to take off the same 5 pounds. After this decade it might be easy to put it on but very very hard to take it off.

Health issues with some of my friends – it happens all the time and way too early for some.

Those are my thoughts and reasons.

So yes, after reviewing my list and reasons, I believe that being in my 50’s will be the most important decade of my life!

Do you agree with me?

What is the most important decade of your life? Was it your 20’s, 30’s 40’s?

I look forward to reading your comments.

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It Is Spring Time – Time To Prune?

May 29th, 2013

Every late February my landscaper comes by and starts the pruning process in our yard. He is professional, knows what he is doing and does a really nice job. When I think of the basic definition of pruning with regard to landscaping, pruning is the process of cutting back the tree so it will be able to successfully grow and be healthy the next year.

Doesn’t that apply in every business?

Should every business be pruning every year?

ISN’T THE ONLY ANSWER “YES”?!

Shouldn’t we all be pruning our systems, expenses, clients, prospects and staff every year! The real question is… How many of us do that?

If my landscaper doesn’t prune the tree or bush, it won’t be as healthy as it could be and it won’t grow as quick. In fact, it might die and need to be replaced.

I would say the exact same thing is true with every one of our businesses!