To say 2020 was a rough year for businesses is an understatement. In some ways, 2021 is proving to be even more of a challenge. COVID-19 created unprecedented events in our world that we will feel the effects of for…
DEMA 2019. You remember that year, right? How energized were you about your business when you left the show? Whether you had been leading dive adventures to exotic destinations for years or were just booking your first foreign destinations, chances…
In 2018, more than 114 million Americans managed to pull themselves out of a tryptophan daze to go shopping over Thanksgiving weekend. Another hundred million or so also made purchases online. Brick-and-mortar sales and e-commerce combined, consumers in 2018 spent over $150 billion…
Retail salesmanship is seen different ways by different people. Ask an instructor who just wants to teach. True retail salesmanship is the heart of the business. It involves discovering and answering needs. It often involves solving tricky problems and dealing…
In this month’s cover feature, “What’s in Store for Your Customers? Building Business By Helping Your Customers Create a Bucket List,” author Robert Rossier describes how we can boost sales by helping divers create a “wish list” of adventures—a bucket…
Back when I ran a retail chain we spent an awful lot of time trying to figure out why store A did well, while store C did not. We knew that the answer held the key. The frustration was that…
My Mom lives in Florida, and I took the opportunity after the last DEMA show to visit her for a few days. At 83 she's "a trip," and with every visit my appreciation for her grows with the realization that…
It's probably safe to say that one of the most difficult aspects of dive retailing is selling. People have vastly different sales abilities and levels of comfort. You may be good at selling but others in your store may not…
Editor's note: Many believe that either you are born a salesperson, or you're not. In fact, selling is a skill that can be developed. And in a way it's like many of the diving skills that you teach. It can…
Don't you love a good deal? I mean who doesn't? Most people possess enough common sense to stretch their hard-earned dollars and maximize their purchasing power. Sales and deals interest us, and they even guide our purchasing decisions. Fear of…