Every year on Thanksgiving my family has a long standing tradition of going around the table and verbally sharing what we are thankful for. For the last week I've been contemplating my list. In addition to family and health and friends, one of the perennial list-makers is our customers. Without them we wouldn't be in business, so I truly appreciate their patronage and support.

Perhaps this weekend, you too can take the opportunity to appreciate each and every customer. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and super busy Black Friday and holiday season.

Today's guest post is from Nancy Tanker, writer for Specialty Retail Report.

I was watching coverage of the LA Auto Show the other day on CNBC, and the reporter was walking the show floor.

Ford had six colorful, sleek models on display in a brightly lit exhibit space, while GM and Chrysler's displays were borderline dark and definitely dull. I think the word the reporter used was "somber." Traffic at the Ford exhibit was doing fantastic compared to the GM and Chrysler areas, the anchor reported. (Anybody surprised?)

The segment went on for another few minutes during which there was about a nano second's discussion of the cars' actual features. The latest-and-greatest models in the industry were on display, and that's not what the conversation was focused on—it was the "bright and cheery" vs. the "dull and dismal."

Of course, none of us know how the auto saga is going to turn out, but that segment definitely had me thinking about image. As much as you like to think your sales hinge on how great your products are, a big part of the time it's your image that decides if people will want to buy from you.

It's tempting to skimp on inventory when margins and cash flow are tight—and you're smart to keep your buying focused and in check—but there's a point of no return at which you can go too far and make your shelves look more bare than there. Less inviting and more… somber.

Want to test the theory? Take your best-selling product, cut your inventory by half and display it sparsely. Watch your sales drop.

These days it's also tempting to skip buying that cool $50 prop that you think would really get you noticed because you're watching every dollar… and then end up not getting noticed at all.

At Specialty Retail Report, we're hearing a lot of anecdotal stories from specialty retailers who say traffic is up, even if shoppers aren't buying like they will in the last two weeks of December (and they will).

Regardless of whether the holiday sales will be up 2% like the NRF says or they'll be down or flat, consumers are still expected to spend more than $470 billion this holiday season. They might be spending a bit less per gift recipient, but they're still out there buying gifts for the Christmas season en masse.

Your mission is to be the retailer with the six colorful models on display… the retailer with the brightly lit store that people want to buy from.

A retailer on our forum posted some very helpful tips on providing outstanding customer service, and I am a firm believer that excellent customer service leads to increased sales. Here's how she suggests you can offer great service:

Good customer service is all about bringing customers back. And about sending them away happy – happy enough to pass positive feedback about your business along to others, who may then try the product or service you offer for themselves and in turn become repeat customers.

• Answer your phone. Get call forwarding. Or an answering service. Hire staff if you need to. But make sure that someone is picking up the phone when someone calls your business.

• Don't make promises unless you WILL keep them. Not plan to keep them. Will keep them. Reliability is one of the keys to any good relationship, and good customer service is no exception.

• Listen to your customers. Let your customer talk and show him that you are listening by making the appropriate responses, such as suggesting how to solve the problem.

• Deal with complaints. No one likes hearing complaints, and many of us have developed a reflex shrug, saying, "You can't please all the people all the time." Maybe not, but if you give the complaint your attention, you might be better off.

• Be helpful - even if there's no immediate profit in it. The other day I popped into a local watch shop because I had lost the small piece that clips the pieces of my watch band together. When I explained the problem, the proprietor said that he thought he might have one lying around.

• Train your staff (if you have any) to be ALWAYS helpful, courteous, and knowledgeable. Do it yourself or hire someone to train them. Talk to them about good customer service and what it is (and isn't) regularly.

• Take the extra step. For instance, if someone walks into your store and asks you to help them find something, don't just say, "It's in aisle 3." Lead the customer to the item. Better yet, wait and see if he has questions about it, or further needs. Whatever the extra step may be, if you want to provide good customer service, take it. They may not say so to you, but people notice when people make an extra effort and will tell other people.

• Throw in something extra. Whether it's a coupon for a future discount, additional information on how to use the product, or a genuine smile, people love to get more than they thought they were getting.

from Gift Baskets Delights

If you have some creative customer service tips to share or want to read some additional creative tips, check out our retail forum discussion on the topic.

I just read an interesting article about how a group in Minnesota is creating a "buy local" campaign to help strengthen their economy. They released a report that says, "if approximately a quarter of Minnesotans spent one-fourth of their holiday budgets on items made in Minnesota, more than $2 billion would trickle in."

What I thought was most interesting about the article is that in a survey conducted last year, 61% of respondents said that they wanted to shop locally, but only 33% of that group actually did. Why? According to Brit Beemer of American Research Group, consumers' good intentions fell by the wayside when the retailer wasn't advertising—especially the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday.

Tip of the day: think about running a display ad on Black Friday to promote a special event or sale (and send out an email if you have a list). You want to be on your customer's minds and at the top of their shopping list.

I was reading an article today that made a great point: "consumers are going to spend this holiday season, but where they spend will depend on who markets the most and the best." Even if you've already planned a marketing campaign for the next four weeks, I encourage you to add to it.

Consider:

1. Social networking (posting on local forums to promote your store)

2. Sending additional email blasts with special promotions. Even if you don't traditionally discount, now might be the time to consider it, especially for purchases over a certain dollar figure. Well-known apparel retailer Ann Taylor offers $25 off a purchase of $100 or more. As one retailer commented on our forum today, what's $10 off a purchase of $100, if the customer would have only spent $25 in your store had it not been for that offer.

3. Call and personally invite your best customers into the store.

4. Creative in-store promotions. One of our local gift shops in town had an Elvis night. To get customers excited about the event she offered a gift certificate to the first person who came into the store dressed like Priscilla Presley.

I'd love to hear about a creative marketing strategy you're using!

It depends on who you talk to! For the past two weeks I've been hearing a wide range of reports from retailers and wholesalers about sales where their sales are (some down, some up as much as 30% for the year). I've also been following an interesting dialogue on our online forum where a number of retailers have posted that they are experiencing increased traffic and sales compared to last year.

If you want to boost sales or keep them going strong, here are five key places to focus on during the holiday season:

1. Top notch customer service—it's easy to for you and your staff to get stressed out during the holidays, but now is the time to cater to your customers. Remind your employees to smile often, remain calm if there is a tough customer and be as helpful as possible.

2. Dazzling displays—All year long impeccable displays are important, but remember to keep your inventory stocked and re-merchandise as items sell out. Studies have shown customers will buy more if the inventory appears to be fully stocked.

3. Upselling—Use suggestive selling to try to upsell each and every customer who makes a purchase. Even if you sell every customer only an additional $5, it will add up.

4. Signage—Make sure you have able signage to highlight unique products throughout the store. You can share information on where the product was made, how it was made or what it's made of. The more information you can share about your products, the more likely you'll be to make the sale. Customers are coming to you for unique products with a story.

5. Marketing—Don't forget to market your store/cart. Send out weekly email blasts, call your top customers to suggest they come into the store for a private shopping trip, create more in-store promotions and keep reaching out to draw as many people as you can to your store. It's all about the numbers.

Did you do something special for election day? Free coffee, free donuts, free ice cream… election day was full of special offers.

I received three creative, vote-related emails yesterday. One was from a local scrapbooking store inviting me to an election day promotion that runs through Sunday, and two more were for online sales.

All holidays and national events are great opportunities to host an event or promotion—next week is Veteran's Day. Anybody planning a sale?