Gift Buyers Like Local Mom-and-Pop Shops' Unique Choices
Keywords: Retail Market | Christmas

Economic concerns linger, but mom-and-pop retailers say they finally have some cheer for this holiday shopping season.

Nearly half are more optimistic about holiday sales than last year, according to a new survey of 792 small retailers by online small-business community Manta. Four in 10 say they already have better sales compared with last fall.

Fast Food's Biggest Customer: Not the Poor, But the Middle Class
Keywords: Fast Food

Contrary to popular wisdom, eating at McDonald's isn't exactly cheap, costing some $28 for a family of four. Which might help explain the results of a recent study from the University of California, Davis, which found that people's visits to fast-food joints increased along with their incomes, and that poor people were spending fewer dollars on fast food than lower-middle and middle-income Americans.

Daily Sales Tip: An Easy Way to Secure Testimonials

One of the most common comments you'll hear from clients when asking for testimonials is, "Well I'm really not much of a writer, so it's hard for me to put it into words."

The real power of testimonials comes from the fact that they're not polished...they're authentic and from the heart. A marketing professional I know quite well recently shared with me his secret about how he addresses this issue in his business: "I borrowed an idea from John Caples -- one of the great copywriters of the 20th century. When asking a client for a testimonial, he'd simply say 'Finish this sentence in 25 words or less: I really like (product/service/person) because...'

"This really works because it gets right to the point about the feelings people have for you, for what you do and for what you're selling."

Source: Colleen Francis, president and founder of Engage Selling Solutions

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