Today's guest post is from Meryl Hooker, Sales Rockstar.

I am not a sports fan but like so many others, the Olympic games in Vancouver caught my attention. I didn't make time to sit down and watch any of the events, but some of the highlights really got me thinking. Of all the amazing performances, I found two athletes particularly inspiring: snowboarder and gold medal winner, Shaun White, and cross country skier and bronze medal winner, Petra Majdic.

Petra Majdic had a brutal time. During a trial run, she tumbled head first off the course into a rocky stream and could barely walk. Volunteers had to help her out of the ravine. She turned around and not only participated in the main event; she placed third – after rejecting a painkiller that would have hindered her movement. Talk about commitment!

How many times have you crashed into your own ravine and just stayed there in defeat?

Shaun White met and exceeded all expectation as well. He locked in a repeat gold performance in the amazingly elegant snowboarding competition. He later admitted he was nervous going into the qualifying round because he didn't want to be the guy who "couldn't hold." I don't know about you, but I sure can relate to that.

How many times have you reached a new personal best, and had moments of doubt about whether you could hold… or exceed it?

When he was asked about what he did to keep his emotions in check and deliver the killer execution of his routine, White responded, "That's how I pictured it in my mind, of how it was going to go down."

How good are you at picturing how something is going to go down… and then making it happen?

I am a die-hard sales enthusiast and there is no doubt that the principles of being an Olympic champion are not all that different from being a sales champion. It doesn't matter if you're running a store or a sales rep running the road. Here's what the games reinforce for me about sales training and execution:

• You don't get good in day.
• You must practice and train every day.
• You must have a deep, down in your soul, drive to be the best.
• Focus always.
• Discipline always.
• Have fun.
• Represent your sport (or manufacturer or customer or store) the very best you can.
• Take a trick and do it a little better and a little bigger.
• Create new things.
• Set goals for yourself. Some that are out of reach, some that aren't.
• It's not always easy and it's not always fun.
• Hard work pays off.

I don't know that any of these are revolutionary new lessons in sales or athletics. It doesn't have to take big events like the Olympics to remind us of these basic principles. We can create the motivation for ourselves everyday by focusing on, planning and practicing a better performance in our stores and with our customers. We may not be as hip as Shaun White, but that doesn't mean we can't earn the gold… or the green.

Meryl Hooker is a manufacturer's representative, writer, speaker, sales coach and all-around Sales Rockstar. She is the writer of "Road Rage," a blog about repping and selling and co-author of the forthcoming book, Pushing The Envelope: The Small Greeting Card Manufacturer's Guide to Working with Sales Reps (Center Aisle Press, May 2010). She lives in Washington, DC and can be reached via www.merylhookersales.com.

Today's guest post is from Lynn Switanowski about the San Francisco Gift Show.

Mugwump—Turning Old Books into One-of-a-kind Wearable Art
What do your local libraries do with old kids books? If you live in Oregon and you look closely, you might see your old book on someone's shoulder as a handbag! Books meet Suzanne Keolker from Mugwump. Suzanne is a designer and creator, a former elementary school teacher who believes in not letting anything go to waste, including classroom wallmaps, discarded books and board games, road maps, air mattresses with holes and Bingo cards. She even recycled her old nickname, Mugwump, for her business.

Mugwump is devoted to taking unwanted materials and altering them from their original intent into fun & funky handbags, wallets and other fashion accessories.

Pneuma-Box—Building the Imagination of Kids Everywhere! No supplies needed!
The pneuma box is another great product brought to the US from Magnote whose goal it is to introduce unique toys from around the world. The designer toy "pneuma-box" is a set of four paper blocks to create various shapes and objects beyond your imagination. To assemble, all you need is two minutes or less per block… no scissors, tape or glue! Try one for yourself, and you'll be surprised at what can be made from such a simple design. (Available in two styles now; MSRP $16; wholesale $7.95.)

The Andean Collection—Fashion Jewelry. Fair Trade. Perfect Together.
Combine jewelry and socially conscious fashion and you've got interesting products. Now add fashion forward designs, creating a greener planet, and providing a path out of poverty for artisans using fair trade principles and you've got the Andean Jewelry collection.

Made from eco-friendly materials, the reason d'etre for this brand in your stores is simple: looking good CAN also be making good for others. One final must-have reason for this collection? The artisans who create it are not only helping sustain their families and make fair wages, they share in the profits of the company as partial owners of The Andean Collection.

Today's guest post is from Lynn Switanowski about the San Francisco Gift Show.

I attended the winter edition of the San Francisco Gift Show a couple of weeks ago. This show is always a leading source for new products—especially in the eco-friendly space—and this season was no different. There were many fresh finds that will surely make their way to store shelves shortly.

Below are some of my favorite fresh finds from the show. Kudos to all the manufacturers who were at the show for finding ways to create and interpret the use of eco-friendly products in ways that make the products "consumer friendly" and salable too! It continues to amaze me what innovative manufacturers can do with recycled products!

Papaya! Eco Friendly Stainless Water Bottles with Serious Style
An exciting new addition to Papaya's gift line are stainless steel water bottles designed to invigorate your water with the power of intention. Each 25 oz bottle is made from high-quality, food-grade 18/8 stainless steel, is BPA-free and recyclable. There are six styles to choose from: Joy (WB001), Yes (WB002), Bliss (WB003), Cha-Ching! (WB004), Love (WB005) and Intuition (WB006).

Bottles can be ordered in a minimum of six pieces, assorted at $12.00/each. Orders are shipped from Ashland, Oregon.

Urban Junket. Multi-Purpose with Modern Style.
What do you get when you combine fashion and style with an eco-friendly flair? Urban Junket handbags and accessories. This season’s offerings include the t.o.t.e. bag (To Observe The Earth) and laptop bags. This line is made of eco-friendly materials including organic cotton canvas, azo free dyes and RPET fabric made from recycled plastic bottles. The bags have lots of inside pockets to keep you organized and looking good at the same time—and best of all, it converts to three different bags so you'll have lots of looks for one low price!

To help offset the production and transportation of the bags, Urban Junket makes a $1 donation to carbonfree.org for the sale of every bag. Opening order: 10 bags any combination of colors and sizes. For sales information contact tdyer@urbanjunket.com.

Today's guest post is from Lynn Switanowski about Showcase Ireland.

I have three final great finds from the show!

Inspireland
Inspired by Ireland brings a new concept to the retail gift market. A small group of Irish companies have collaborated to create a capsule collection of products that offer a range of distinctive, yet complementary products for the U.S. gift store market. Available in a pre-designed display unit and demonstrating high quality packaging, this collection of handmade jewelry, glassware, giftware, perfumes, toiletries and inspirational gifts create a consistent consumer experience. Utilizing a U.S. distribution center enables Inspired by Ireland to service U.S.-based retailers with initial orders and rapid reorders while minimizing investment in inventory.

Contact Barbara at barbara@perfumes.ie

The Martina Hamilton Collection
The Martina Hamilton Collection brings a fresh look to the Irish jewelry market. Using cosmic events from the heavens as inspiration and symbolism, former sculptor turned goldsmith Martina Hamilton creates an intricate collection that offers gallery-quality artisan jewelry hallmarked for authenticity and crafted to endure. Launched in November 2008, this collection won the Best New Jewelry collection at Showcase Ireland in 2009 as judged by its peers and other retailers. Working primarily in sterling silver with 18 carat gold accents, each piece in this collection is handmade and truly one of a kind. A deliberate approach to limited product assortment permits rapid scalability in production facilities and the ability get stock in store in its U.S. based distribution center.

Contact Martina Hamilton at info@martinahamilton.ie

Tipperary Crystal
The Graham Knuttle Café Collection is the sixth in a series of celebrity-designed collections offered by Tipperary Crystal. This series is the first manufactured in porcelain as the firm evolves its product selection to meet the changing needs of consumers. Knuttle was commissioned to design a collection of coffee cups and plates with his distinctive and unmistakable style, bringing the art of drinking coffee to a new level. The initial product range includes cappuccino and espresso cups, serving plates in different sizes and large limited edition plates. Tipperary offers quick turnaround delivery opportunities for customers to maximize sales potential while minimizing inventory investments.

Contact Tipperary at sales@tipperarycrystal.com

Today's guest post is from Lynn Switanowski about Showcase Ireland.

I have three more great finds from the show…

Bunbury Boards – Recycled Products with a future purpose.
Do you know the history of the wood from your cutting board? Well now you can. Bunbury Boards' owner William McClintock Bunbury is attempting to save the beautiful old estate, Lisnavagh, breathe new life into the surrounding woodlands and buildings, and return the estate to being the community employer it once was. In the process, Bunbury Boards has created a unique way for the customers to connect with their products and a marketing sensation that has everybody talking. Every Board carries a unique code that tells the story of the tree from which the board was born, and what they have done to replace it. This approach to recycled goods turns a "lifeless" product into a fun customer experience for all.

Fen and Carr – A Natural Twist on Bath and Body Products
Inspired by the Fen and Carr landscapes of the bogs of Ireland, the aim of Fen & Carr is to improve the landscape of your wellbeing. Fen & Carr have created spa quality products made from therapeutic peat, a 100% natural product formed from an array of organic plant life. Fen & Carr products provide holistic treatments that internally relieve muscle tissue and pain, externally treat problematic skin conditions and relax and rebalance the mind.

Contact Info: Clair Quinn Founder
info@peattreat.ie
Direct Contact: (353) 5793 25216

Celtic Roots Studio
Celtic Roots Studio produces unique sculptures and jewelry by hand-carving designs relevant to Ireland from bogwood that is over 5,000 years old. For over 20 years, Celtic Roots has created elegant customized forms and shapes for customers that include heads of state around the world. Celtic Roots Studio offers a wide range of sculptures to members of the trade both at home and abroad. Shipping to the US is provided through FEDEX from the Celtic Roots Studio in Ireland and there is currently no minimum order requirement.

For further information visit www.celticroots.ie or contact Celtic Roots Studio at 00 353 90 6430404 or info@celticroots.ie.

Today's guest post is from Lynn Switanowski about Showcase Ireland.

It's smack dab in the middle of trade show season and gift shop retailers are looking high and low for new fresh finds for their stores. In our never-ending quest to bring you the latest and greatest products to sell in your stores, we jumped on a plane to Dublin to attend Showcase Ireland last week.

Showcase Ireland is the country's premier craft, gift, fashion and interiors trade fair featuring quality design products from Ireland's leading craft makers and designers. The initiative attracts up to 450 exhibitors and 6,000 buyers from around the world.

Every year, Irish creativity takes centre stage at Showcase, but it was especially prominent this year. The show had a new modern identity throughout the marketing materials and with how the show floor was set up (definitely different than what we are used to seeing at shows in the US).
This year's theme was to showcase the modern artisan approaches that craftspeople in Ireland are taking to bring fresh product to the marketplace. Based on what we saw, the days of claddagh and shelailgh are gone. Unique, creative products abounded at the show—and many of them are available to be imported to the US.

I'm going to post about some of our favorite finds over the next few days.

LAF – A New Approach to Recycled Jewelry

Lesley Frew enjoys making old things new again. Taking the plastic bags that we commonly discard, LAF designs gives them a second life by transforming and reusing them in wonderful pieces of artisan jewelry

Owner Lesley Frew is a designer based in Belfast, she graduated from the University of Ulster with a BA (hons) in Fine and Applied Art, specializing in Textiles in 2007. At LAF, Lesley creates contemporary, ethical jewelery using discarded plastic bags—giving these materials a second life by transforming and reusing them. When asked about her work, Lesley muses, "I enjoy confronting people's expectations by taking a discarded material, giving it a new value and showing that it can be beautiful."

You can contact her at les_frew@hotmail.com or via phone at (IE) 44 78490 34346
.

Button & Co – Transforming one object into multiple designs

For jeweler Elaine-Sarah Comerford of Button & Co., Showcase 2010 was twice as nice. Elaine scooped up the overall prize for Best New Product at Showcase as well as Best New Product in the Jewellery section for her Button Charm Bracelet. The two-tone silver and gold bracelet depicting old-fashioned buttons was lauded for its quality, design and innovation. Elaine puts a new twist on jewelry by translating everyday objects into wearable pieces of art that delight and surprise.

Today's guest post is from Kathy Krassner, Owner, Krassner Communications.

Even though I've been attending the New York International Gift Fair for more than two decades, I still get a thrill when I see clever products there. You know, the kind of items that make you say, "I wish I had thought of that!"

This past week at the NYIGF — which ran January 30 through February 4 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and Pier 94 New York City — many of the most clever products were eco-friendly ones, including those made from recycled materials and others that featured repurposed items.

Among the innovative green companies in the Accent on Design section of the NYIGF was Kwytza Chopstick Art, which offers functional items such as folding baskets and table lamps, made with recycled chopsticks. According to the company, its products are made from some of the 25 billion pairs of single-use chopsticks that are discarded each year.

Just down the aisle was another unique concept: colorful gift bags created from "TerraSkin" paper made from stone, available from Design & Source Productions. TerraSkin combines large amounts of mineral powder with a small quantity of non-toxic resin to create an environmentally friendly, water-free and tree-free paper.

Down in the show's Handmade section, Alexandra Ferguson featured her line of 100 percent post-consumer-recycled felt applique pillows. Each of these cute pillows — many of which feature fun messages such as "Let's Make Out" and "Be Nice or Leave" — is made from the equivalent of approximately four plastic water bottles that would have otherwise ended up in a landfill.

Also utilizing recycled plastic water bottles for its line is Mary Meyer, a plush-toy maker exhibiting in the show's General Gift section. Mary Meyer's "Fuzz That Wuzz" plush features an outer fabric and stuffing that are both high-quality polyester fiber made from 100 percent recycled plastic PET bottles. Each of these toys keeps more than 10 bottles out of the landfill.

Seven companies at the show were designated as having attained a "SustainAbility3" ranking, the highest level of the NYIGF's new "Degrees of SustainAbility" initiative, which features a three-tiered ranking system that outlines industry-specific crieteria to identify green products and producers. Among those companies were Bambu, whose kitchen and home products are made from excess organic renewable or reclaimed materials; Fire & Light Originals, which uses post-consumer recycled glass for its handmade dinnerware and giftware collections; and Fab Habitat, whose decorative rugs are made under strict Fair Trade principles from plastic recycled from bottle caps and containers.

Of course, the fact that these products are environmentally friendly in addition to being cleverly designed and manufactured makes them all the more marketable … which means they're not only good for the planet, but good for retailers, too.

Today's guest post is from Dorothy Belshaw, Director, New York International Gift Fair® (NYIGF®)

Luckily for the gift industry, people continue to have birthdays, graduate, get married and have kids during an economic downturn. But, increasingly there is a change in the kind of gifts consumers are buying. They’re being more prudent, but they’re not compromising on style.

We’re calling this trend "frugal chic" – embracing simplicity and making it hip – and we've devoted one of three summer ’09 newsletters at NYNow to this topic.

Designers and manufacturers have introduced new, sophisticated and stylish products to the market with low to moderate price points. Buyers who attend NYIGF (August 15-20, at NYC’s Javits Center and Pier 94) will find an incredible breadth and depth of products from over 2,900 companies, and more than enough “frugal chic” resources to please their price-conscious customers.

Here are some of my favorite “frugal chic” finds – all priced at or under $20:

Aunt Sadie's
Candles are a recession-proof gift category, and Aunt Sadie’s produces one of the least expensive U.S.-manufactured candles in the marketplace. With more than 300 label designs, they have whatever look your customers go for. They use high-grade, biodegradable paraffin, lead-free wicks and true-to-life fragrances which burn for 70+ hours. Suggested retail price: $17 each. NYIGF division: General Gift

Lothantique Inc.
Another sure sale? Upscale soap lines, because consumers are treating themselves to affordable luxuries. Lothantique just launched two brand new collections of pure vegetable, hard-milled bar soaps made in France and enriched with natural shea butter. Bouquet de Lili is a lush, feminine fragrance of white flowers; Mas de Verveines is a fresh, green scent of lemon gardens. Suggested retail price: $7/100G cube, $13/300G cube. NYIGF division: EX·TRACTS®

Two's Company
Proving it's hip to "go green,” Two's Company is offering these recycled tin cuff bracelets in four different, yet recognizable styles, in a combination of aluminum and brass. I love Two’s Company's commitment to moderate pricing on innovative products. Suggested retail price: $10 each. NYIGF division: General Gift

Wooster & Prince Papers
Anything with an “old world” aesthetic automatically boosts its "chic" rating. The Italian-inspired motifs make these paper portfolios of eight folded notecards and envelopes really stand out. These sets are nicely coordinated, with envelopes printed in a solid color exterior, and a coordinating interior pattern.  (Shown: “In Town”) Suggested retail price: $9.95/ set of 8. NYIGF division: STUDIO™

The BaSIX and Beyond™
During times like these, products which alleviate stress, reduce tension and help soothe frayed nerves do especially well. These “agoodnightkiss®” bath teas elevate the bathing experience with the calming properties of natural aromatic herbs. Each bio-degradable tub tea bag is pre-mixed and pre-measured with essential oils and certified organic botanicals. There are 11 different blends, including Passionflower, Cilantro Apple and New York City Chai. Suggested retail price: $20 each. NYIGF division: General Gift

Visit NYIGF to see these “frugal chic” products, and thousands more! Visit NYIGF.com for information and registration.

Today's guest post is from Poornima Apte, Editor-in-Chief of GIFT SHOP Magazine and Specialty Retail Report.

Around two weeks ago, my oldest daughter and I headed out to the local mall (Natick Collection) to find a precise shade of eye shadow for her dinner dance dress. Once she was done with that, we wandered over to her favorite store, American Eagle. We were just checking things out—not really planning on buying anything—but we ended up spending quite a bit. Why? The store's customer service was excellent.

First case in point: When my daughter went into the fitting room to try on a couple of shirts, the attendant told us he could get her the same shirts in other sizes if she needed them. All she had to do was press a bell on the wall. The message American Eagle was sending? “Don't abandon the shirt because looking for other sizes might be a chore. We'll do the legwork for you.” He also told “mom” to relax and enjoy five minutes to herself. Second case in point: The attendant noticed which shirts she picked up, and about five minutes later, he tossed my daughter a couple of lace tank tops that would match her shirts. We ended up buying those as well.

Here's what American Eagle did really well: They looked at things from the customer's point of view and designed a simple solution that worked. They probably found that many who tried on clothes abandoned them because they were too overwhelmed to go back out on the shop floor, find the right size and retry them on. Solution? “We’ll do that work for you—you, the customer, just stay right there and keep trying on new clothes (and buying them all).” As a mom I also appreciated not having to do that legwork myself.

Two days later, we decided to buy a last-minute gift for my younger daughter for her birthday. We bought her a video game online from Best Buy and decided to try out their “Pick up at Store” option. This was supposed to be a quick in-and-out. It wasn't. There was to be a separate line for the “Pick up at Store” option—there wasn’t. What’s worse, we were assigned to the returns line—which took forever. So while Best Buy's idea might be a good one, the follow-through fell short of expectations.

When it comes to customer service every detail counts, as these experiences demonstrate! There are lessons in here for every retailer.

How are you anticipating your customer's needs? Are you implementing ideas, making sure you have staff on hand for follow up and execution from top to bottom? Because if you do, you too might have customers wandering into your store and walking away with more purchases than they planned on.

Today's post is from Allisyn Deyo of Pinnacle Publishing Group and Deyo Designs.

I am a huge fan of online marketing, and at PPG (parent company of Specialty Retail Report and GIFT SHOP), we've jumped on board. Blogs, Twitter, Facebook, email marketing, banner advertisements, forums… you name it, we've done it. And more often than not, they succeed.

But I've also seen them fail, and the number one reason? People forget that they need constant attention. Online marketing is like bread starter—it requires good stuff to begin (yeast, warm water, the right environment) and most important, your attention every single day.

If you want to make the most of every online marketing opportunity available, you need to be willing to put in the time to make it work.

You want to start a blog? Blog every day (or at least every business day). Find other blogs like yours, make substantive comments and follow up if someone replies to you and then link to them from your site. Check their RSS feeds and read what they have to say—make an effort to be involved. Full disclosure: I hound the Specialty Retail Expert Patricia to blog every day—and I've been driving her crazy. So this month she was planning to blog every workday and we were going to see what it did to her traffic. She was doing pretty well until her husband developed a back problem. (Being at the hospital with your husband? An OK reason to not have time to blog.)

You want to use Twitter? Tweet as often as you can, and make it worthwhile. Be funny or interesting or informative. The only one who can get away with "…." is the Mime guy.

Facebook caught your fancy? Plug it everywhere. Get your kids' friends, your colleagues, your brother's sister's manicurist who loves your product/store to become a fan. You have to drive traffic to the page in order for it to work for you. Upload photos, write on your own wall—make it interesting.

Do you want to email your customers to get their attention? Email regularly (2-4 times per month), make it helpful or interesting or a notification about a sale, and constantly build your list. Have a signup on every site you have (website, blog, Facebook) and/or get their information at the register. They won't offer it—you need to ask (and be sure to have a good reason why they should share it with you).

This is online social marketing 101—frequency and interestingness are what makes the difference between someone who gets customers and sells products and someone who doesn't.