Jim Nother has always seen himself as an encourager, dedicated to uplifting friends, family, customers, and employees. As the owner and president of Nothers The Award Store, in London, Ontario, Canada, he’s spent his career doing just that.

In-person customer service and relationship-building have been the backbone of the personalization industry for decades—something not likely to change any time soon. Across the board, though, digital tools are helping personalization shops increase sales, find new customers, manage employees and a whole lot more.

There is a proverb from 14th-century England that says, “Mighty oaks from little acorns grow,” a reminder that starting small and persevering can lead to great things. That is a good way to characterize the growth of Becky Gromala’s business, The Silver Squirrel Engravings and Gifts.

What is your definition of a customer? Most of us spend our days interacting with customers, so the answer, theoretically, should be an easy one. But it’s worth reexamining our current definition.

If you have been in business for more than one week, you have probably encountered a bad customer. Your definition of a bad customer might be an indecisive person or someone looking for a deal. Maybe you consider a customer who is slow to pay bills to be a bad customer. Or maybe your nightmare is the person who always orders at the last minute. Whatever your definition, you know exactly who fits the description.

Can you imagine the world we live in today without the contributions of Henry Ford? Without Martin Luther King, Jr., or Mother Teresa? Without Franklin D. Roosevelt, Claude Monet, Walt Disney or John Glenn? Without the genius of Albert Einstein? Each of these individuals showed how much one person matters.

It’s no secret that customers can be difficult. There are the ones who provide incorrect information, the last-minute shoppers who demand lightning-fast turnarounds, people who change their minds a dozen times—it’s frustrating, to say the least. But how many times have you made mistakes? How many mistakes have cost you time and money? How many errors have made it all the way to your customers’ hands?

For awards and personalization professionals, there exist some universal truths—the proud smile of an award recipient will always be contagious; the pickiest clients are always the likeliest to have a low-resolution photo. But if you subscribe to the well-known notion that cooler weather and the coming of fall are the official markers of the giftgiving season, you’re likely missing out on the potential benefits focusing on gifts year-round can have for your business.

For retailers to be successful, a web presence is as necessary during (and after) the pandemic as it was, well, even before the pandemic.

Whether you are attending the Awards and Personalization Association's International Awards & Personalization Expo in Las Vegas this month, sitting in the comfort of your store and browsing through industry suppliers' new catalogs, or enjoying a visit from an industry sales representative, one thing is certain–your excitement level is increasing as you view all of the new products available for 2017.

The Old Soft-Shoe: “a speech, explanation, sales pitch, or other set of remarks delivered in a restrained or conciliatory manner in order to persuade, distract, or otherwise influence someone.” —YourDictionary.com

“Customer service” is just a softer word for “sales,” making the start of the year the perfect time to review your customer service strategy. If you think in terms of potential, active, and past customers, you can highlight where you should become more aggressive, keep up the good work, and learn from mistakes.

With busy season in full swing for most in the awards and recognition industry, what’s most important to your business probably is very clear. Good time management is very important to ensure orders are completed on time. Quality control is important to maintain during this hectic time of the year. Correct inventory levels and proper processes are important for keeping production on track. Employee morale is important to deal effectively with the increased influx of customers with large orders and small budgets. You know better than anyone what’s most important for a successful busy season.