It's hard to believe that Black Friday, the day that officially starts the holiday shopping season, is here. Your store is fully stocked, your store displays look dazzling and now all you need are holiday shoppers!

Many retailers I speak with are still avoiding "discounting" in their store during the holiday season, but rather than treating a product discount as the Black Plague, think of it as your Black Friday Super Charge Booster. By discounting a few lines (20-25%), you'll be giving customers a reason to stop by the store. You'll still be making a profit on the products—and with many of your customers on a fixed holiday budget, it's more important than ever to get them to your store ASAP to spend their money with you and not the competition.

Here are five tips to boost traffic and generate more sales on Black Friday:

1. Open your store early and offer special discounts to early bird shoppers (from 7-10AM). Compete with the big retailers and offer special discounts on 5-10 product lines. Promote these early bird specials with an email blast.

2. Do a targeted email blast to VIP customers (those who spend more than a certain amount per year) and offer them a free gift for stopping by the store on Friday.

3. Create an inexpensive sign (professionally produced—most sign companies can create one for under $100) promoting a special "Black Friday Sale." Buy a big bunch of balloons and hang them outside the store to attract attention.

4. Divide and conquer. Have each store employee call and personally invite 25 customers into the store for Black Friday shopping. Let them know you'll be holding a special gift for them at the register when they come in.

5. Staff for a busy day. Make sure you have plenty of staff on hand to help with the holiday rush, to keep the register line(s) moving, to gift wrap and to offer the level of personalized shopping that has made your store so successful in the past.

Stay tuned for more last minute holiday selling tips over the next couple of weeks!