Are you tired of:
- Big-box retailers that muscle the independents out of business?
- Providing great merchandise and excellent customer service, but not getting the customers you deserve?
- Cheapest price competition?
- Working harder each year and bringing home less money?
- Government workers who create a bunch of new laws that make it harder for you to run your business?
Dear Friend:
It is time to stand up and fight to take our industry back from the huge big box retailers that use their buying power and multi-million dollar marketing campaigns to muscle independent retailers out of business.
Big-box retailers are opening up on every corner, on every road, and even across the street! These huge companies sell stock to get free money to finance their nationwide expansions. They don’t need to worry about bank loans and personal guarantees when they open a new store. They can buy the best real estate before local, independently owned businesses even have a chance! Meanwhile, costs are increasing. Rising gas prices and delivery costs are forcing retail merchandise suppliers to increase their prices. This impacts every cost center: Equipment, supplies, and cost of goods sold are all going up. Between goods costs, labor, workers’ compensation, insurance, government regulations, and everything else, it’s a wonder how independent retailers have any time to focus on their customers, take home any money, and spend time with their families. When Will Independent Retailers Be Put Out of Business by Big Box Retailers?
The reason for the proliferation of big box stores is our own laziness. Consumers aren’t confident they are going to have a "consistent" experience at an independent retailer. They may not be thrilled by the huge chains, but they are confident they won’t be disappointed. (Ironic, isn’t it?)
Not only do we need to convince consumers that independent retailers won’t disappoint, but we have to let them know the BEST independent retailers are always a terrific choice.
Unfortunately, no one else has taken up this fight. The weak-kneed trade associations won’t do it. The big chains fund those associations so they can control the lobbying efforts. They have no incentive to fix the problem. Those associations won’t do anything to promote the little guys. Their bread is buttered by protecting the status quo.
Who Else Stands Together Sure, it is easy to complain about the problems. However, true leaders stand up and do something about them. That is why we have created a new organization, the National Association of Ethical and Responsible Independent Retailers. This will be very different from any other association within the retailer industry. The National Association of Ethical and Responsible Independent Retailers, or NAERIR, is an association comprised exclusively of small, independent businesses. No Wall Street traded, big-box retailers are allowed to join. We will only admit independently owned retailers that agree to fulfill the necessary education and agree to a strict code of ethics. NAERIR Has a Three-Tiered Goal: 2. Ensure the highest possible level of ethical advertising, government compliance, and customer service by independent retailers; and 3. Aggressively promote the positive economic contributions independent retailers provide to our nation’s economy and the public. Whose Fault Is It When a
With Independent Retailers?
Customer Chooses a Big Box Retailer?
The National Association of Ethical and Responsible Independent Retailers is committed to grass-roots public education about the unique products and excellent customer service offered by our nation’s independently owned retailers. Guests will be excited to visit your store when you are a member of the NAERIR.
The NAERIR is conducting an aggressive public information campaign. The NAERIR has taken advantage of the public’s need for something new and different to focus on the opportunities at your retail store. In various news stories, the NAERIR has given consumers information about the many opportunities to buy with confidence from independent retailers. These stories include information about the NAERIR member directory where shoppers can find the country’s BEST retailers. Consumers everywhere, looking for a new shopping experience in their own hometowns, have turned to the NAERIR member directory to find an independent retailer, because they know our members provide a unique atmosphere and the BEST products and customer service available. Just one day of increased sales pays your membership dues for several years. But that’s not all, because when you join the National Association of Ethical and Responsible Independent Retailers, we’ll send you the NAERIR member logo for your advertising and website. This way you can let your customers know you are part of a team of independent retailers that are working together to provide unique shopping experiences. More Benefits for NAERIR Members I am not asking you to join the National Association of Ethical and Responsible Independent Retailers based on our public relations program alone; in addition we provide the following benefits to you: A Dizzyingly Vast Array of Member Benefits Collected Under One Umbrella: What NAERIR Membership Means To You: Benefits Fall Into 10 Categories! 1 - Huge Supplier Discounts &/or Preferred Services
2 - Educational Resources
3 - Help with your Business Issues
4 - NAERIR Identity Usage
5 - NAERIR Member Identity Plaque to Display in Your Store
6 - Ethical and Responsible Independent Retailer Online Mall
7 - Ethical and Responsible Retailer Directory
8 - Representation of Industry
9 - Online Independent Retailer Library
10 - Daily Retail News
While other retail associations across America are working to obtain advertisers for their newsletters, money for sponsorships, and membership dues dollars from your suppliers, the NAERIR is different. Instead we work to obtain discounts that put money into your pocket, instead of the association’s. Your association will continue to provide you with the resources to expand your business and lower your costs. This adds up to more money for you to take home at the end of each month.
Here is a small sampling of discounts already arranged for NAERIR members for a complete listing go here
1a.) Fixture & Supplies from
American Retail Supply
The National Association of Ethical and Responsible Independent Retailers understands the pressure that higher prices put on independent retailers. This is why we have negotiated at 10% discount on all stock products with American Retail Supply. (You may know it as Thompson Merchandising & Supply. This great company just changed its name.)
American Retail Supply is the best possible company for the NAERIR and our members to partner with. ARS provides packing, fixtures and displays, price marketing equipment, point-of-sale
computer systems, tags and taggers, gift cards, sales aids, convenience items, cash registers, and customer loyalty programs. As a member of the NAERIR, you will enjoy all the advantages of a group buying volume-discount we have negotiated with American Retail Supply. You will be able to get everything you need to run your store on-time, every-time from one company that understands that only happy clients come back.
1b.) Office Supplies From Office Depot
Going to the office supplies store can be a drain on employee time and can leave the office un- or under-staffed. But shopping for supplies online at Office Depot can take care of business needs without anyone ever having to leave the office, saving valuable staff hours.
1c.) Office Machines From Pitney Bowes
Mass mail-outs can consume a lot of time—hand stamping, sealing, labeling, and sorting by employees often result in error-filed mailings and are drain on staff. Pitney Bowes can save you time and money on mailings.
1d.) Supplemental Insurance From AFLAC
If you’re sick or injured, you may not be earning money and you probably have extra uncovered and out-of-pocket expenses. How do you make the rent, the car payment, the cable bill and the extra expenses? Aflac helps by providing cash benefit payments that can be put toward lost earning power, daily living obligations, deductibles, and treatment related travel. Aflac’s benefits are paid directly to you and can be received in addition to existing medical, dental and vision insurance and discount programs.
1e.) Cellular Service From Cingular Wireless
Sure, there are plenty of cell phone carriers out there, but most often they come with dropped calls, limited service areas, and wasted minutes. Poor cell phone service can hit your pocket hard and cost you big dollars. Cingular raises the bar by giving you outstanding service.
1f.) Affinity Health Plans
We are pleased to provide our members with a national group and individual health insurance program with average health insurance savings of 42%.
Here are just a few more companies that we have negotiated discounts with for you. We are adding more each month plus you can see the complete list right here.
Vision Discount Card
2a) Bill Glazer’s BGS Marketing Newsletter Bill Glazer is the #1 most celebrated advisor to the retail industry. Bill has helped people in just about every retail category there is. Hundreds of top stores nationwide use his innovative direct-response advertising and direct mail techniques to fight back against big box retailers and thrive! His bi-monthly newsletter Out of the Box Marketing will give you a constant stream of marketing techniques. Bill’s strategies are not theories about what might work. With the Out of the Box Marketing newsletter you will receive tested and proven techniques; either Bill has tested these ideas personally within his own menswear stores or the thousands of retailers Bill has helped through his teaching can vouch for their money-making power.
This newsletter alternates each month between a printed newsletter and an audio CD interview. These tools provide in-depth information about how to fight back against the big box stores, generate a flood of new customers into your retail store, and take home more money. This newsletter costs $29.95 if you subscribe alone, but it is included as a benefit of your membership. (newsletter published 6x year/audio CD interview 6x year)
2b) Keith Lee’s Customer Service Newsletter The Make You Happy Customer Service newsletter is the perfect companion to the Out of the Box Marketing newsletter because it provides you and your staff with detailed training information on how to convert visitors into customers. This will provide a crucial link between your efforts to generate more traffic for your store and converting that traffic into additional sales. Not only does this resource provide information to you, but more importantly, you can pass it along to each member of your staff as a training tool. Your entire staff will improve by the tips and lessons contained within this program. (newsletter published 6x year/audio CD interview 6x year)
In the months when you receive the Out of the Box Marketing newsletter, you will also receive an audio CD about Make You Happy Customer Service . In the other months, you will receive the Make You Happy Customer Service newsletter and an audio CD from Out of the Box Marketing . This newsletter costs $29.95 per month if you subscribe alone, but it is included as a benefit of your membership.
With the combination of these two programs, the National Association of Ethical and Responsible Independent Retailers provides you the critical information you need to get customers into your store and convert “just looking” into buying. These resources were carefully reviewed and selected expressly for their relevance to independent retailers like you. There isn’t another association in the world that provides as much ready-to-use money-making information than the NAERIR.
But that’s not all …
And on and on and on …
3a.) Elite Team of Leading Experts
We’ve got a team in place and will be aggressively adding carefully screened experts as we go. You tell us your need via email, and we’ll refer you to the best experts or sources we know of, or we’ll directly provide the answers you need, as appropriate, from our staff. Your NAERIR MEMBERSHIP includes handling of up to six such referral requests per calendar year ($100.00 handling charge per request above 6).
3b.) FAQ Archives Online
Every time we handle a request per 3A, we’re going to add information to the Members’ Only FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ) ARCHIVES ON THIS SITE, indexed, so with each passing month, more and more answers, forms, contact information, etc., will be accessible to you 24/7.
Surveys of consumers overwhelmingly indicate a buyers’ preference for purchasing from companies identifying themselves as members of a trade or professional association. Also, vendors including banks, lending institutions and leasing companies, ad media, etc., indicate a similar “reassurance” when they are dealing with a member of a recognized association.
As you can see, the logo itself includes the www.NAERIR.org website, where consumers will find the NAERIR code of ethics, information regarding assistance with disputes, a member directory by category, and general credibility information for all independent retailers. (Note: The code of ethics appears on the reverse side of your membership registration form, and your agreement to adhere to this code is MANDATORY for NAERIR membership.)
The NAERIR will prominently feature our online membership directory and mall with a link to your web site if you wish. This will be highlighted as the “Ethical and Responsible Independent Retailer Online Mall” to consumers. Consumers everywhere, wishing to do business online but afraid of working with a “virtual” store, can do business with a real live retail “bricks and mortar” store from the convenience of their homes or offices. The NAERIR website will have products listed by category, featuring a description of your store with a direct link to your own website.
The National Association of Ethical and Resposible Independent Retailers (NAERIR) established this code of ethics as a best practices standard for members of our association.Our members hold themselves to higher standards than the rest of the retailing industry.Each NAERIR member agrees to conduct business in keeping with this code.
National Association of Ethical and Responsible Indepedent Retailers Code of Ethics.
All members shall:
•Promptly honor all guarantees
•Clearly, honestly, and accurately represent all products, services, terms, and conditiona
•Deliver products as represented
•Never injure or malign the good name or business reputation of another member
•Fairly represent t heir products to the public within any advertising
•Communicate in a respectful and courteous manner
•Respond to inquiries and complaints in a timely manner
•Maintain appropriate security policies and practices to safeguard customer information
NAERIR Independent Retailer Investigations Process
The National Association of Ethical and Responsible Independent Retailers (NAERIR) is the only national association that aggressively investigates consumer complaints against independent retailers, provides each party an opportunity to discuss the situation, and offers dispute resolution services.
8b.) When appropriate, the NAERIR’s Government Affairs Office will communicate with Congress, elected state officials, regulatory agencies, and the media about issues, pending legislation, and similar matters of significant potential adverse impact on many or all independent retailers. While the huge trade associations focus on protecting the big box retailers that line their coffers, the NAERIR will work for you to ensure your business is protected from the actions of our nation’s lawmakers.
We scour the media every day for articles relavant to independent retailers.Go to naerir.org daily to get your retail news.
NAERIR is dedicated to Independent Retailers and we plan continually add benefits.To review NAERIR currently provides you with:
1 - Huge Supplier Discounts &/or Preferred
Services
2 - Educational Resources
3 - Help with your Business Issues
4 - NAERIR Identity Usage
5 - NAERIR Member Identity Plaque to Display in Your Store
6 - Ethical and Responsible Independent Retailer Online Mall
7 - Ethical and Responsible Retailer Directory
8 - Representation of Industry
9 - Online Independent Retailer Library
10 - Daily Retail News 2 - Educational Resources
I had them guess, and the lowest guess was $1,000.00 a year.
I agreed that membership is easily worth that much, but such a fee would make it prohibitive for many independent retailers, and exclusionary. Our best interests are served by being the largest possible organization. More clout all the way around. And I can bring more opportunities and better discounts to the table. So, our decision was to keep the dues as low as we possibly could and still deliver on everything promised (and a few more goodies on the drawing table are not mentioned here, too).
Those who got my “preview” were shocked at how low we set the dues—and, of course, insisted on joining immediately. I expect you’ll react the same way!
Of course, you may cancel your membership at any time, with 30 days’ notice.
& Keith Lee's
55 Secrets to
Make-You-Happy
Customer Service CDs
The Harvard Business Review reports that if you can prevent 5% of your clients from leaving you, you can increase your bottom line profit by 25 - 95%.
US News and World Report did a study and found that the average American business loses 15% of its customer base each year.68% of customer who stop buying from one business and go to another because of poor or indifferent service.
14% leave because of an unsatisfactorily resolved dispute or complaint.
9% leave because of price.
5% go elsewhere based on a recommendation.
1% die.
So, with the Harvard Business Review saying that you can increase your bottom line profit by 25% - 95% if you can prevent 5% of your customers from leaving and U.S. News and World Reports says 82% of customer leave one business and go to another because of a customer service issue, we better all be real serious about customer service.
Keith Lee and American Retail Supply have agreed to give every retailer who enrolls in our FREE Trial at NAERIR, his 2 CD set "55 Secrets to Make-You-Happy Customer Service.Every retailer, in fact every business will gets 55 great ideas to improve customer service with this CD set.
What To Do Next? Enroll, Of Course!Use the form on the back of this newsletter or go to naerir.org, but you'll only get Keith's 55 Secrets to Make-You-Happy Customer Service if you use the enrollment form on the back of the newsletter
You’ll get confirmation, a New Member Manual with everything you need to access all benefits and services, a Member Hotline number should you need to call, email instructions, the logo art on a CD, and more shipped to you within seven to 10 days.
Regards,
