Attitude + Behavior = Results
I’m big on simplicity. Everyone wants better results. Too many people count on luck and other uncontrollable factors to credit or excuse their results. Keep your attention on things you can control and you will remain in control of the results.

Success Systems Make You Look Lucky
When things are done systematically, your feelings and judgements are not in control. It’s important to do what works regardless of your feeings. When you decide “if” to do something that you should, you may opt not to. Retail Selling Made Easy gives salespeople a track to run on eliminating the need to play mental combat with customers.

Make it Automatic
There some actions that are just as important as brushing your teeth. Those things should be done just as automatically. Determine ideal “success behavior” and make that as “automatic” as brushing your teeth. You will have some wonderful suprises. When you do this you will see “it” work when you didn’t feel like doing “it” and at times you didn’t think “it” would.

It’s Here!
Like it or not, the cyber revolution is upon us.

Embrace It!
You cannot outrun technology; it’s too big, it’s moving too fast.

Big, expensive and Cool
I had computers like this in the 60’s and 70’s, but the technology was so complicated that I didn’t even try to touch them.

Early Geeks
We hired people much different than us to move those big discs around. They were very smart; what they did was a mystery, and they intimidated the rest of us with their knowledge. As I look back on it, those computers didn’t do near as much as your cell phone does today.

Mo Betta!
In the 80’s I hung it up for a simpler life, surfing in Hawaii. All I had to think about every day was if to surf at Queens or Canoes; both in Waikiki. I was determined to never touch a computer. After all, I didn’t even know how to type.

My Phobia
The truth was that I was afraid of the fast moving technolgy. As I ventured into the business world in Hawaii I continued to shy away from what was “the future.”

Mobile To Da Max
The first time an emplyee brought a PC to work I accused him of playing games in his office. Soon we won’t even have brick and mortar offices. Today you can work from anywhere, all because of technology. So, if you are not “with it” yet, get with it NOW!

“TIAD” is a disease that successful salespeople are susceptible to, and it is most prevalent in the last week of the month or final hours of the day.
“TIAD” pronounced Tie-Add, stands for Thumbs In Armpit Disease. This is a syndrome where people start celebrating their success before the end of the game. It occurs in sports as well as in selling.
“You can get your thumbs so far up there that they block your vision of current new opportunities.”
-Ron Martin
The nice thing about TIAD is that only successful people catch it. And when accused of having TIAD, remember that denial is a symptom of the disease.

OPTION ONE:
Nice and close to the stores. All you have to do is drive around awhile, or stalk someone leaving the mall, or sit and wait for a spot to open up.

OPTION TWO:
Park here and then walk about two minutes to get to the stores. There are usually more open spaces, so it’s actually a bit faster and you even get a little excercise as a bonus.

OPTION THREE:
Park where I do; see me? You will not only get the two minutes of walking, but as a bonus you will be able to go down and back up one flight of stairs; even more excercise. Oh yeah, one more thing; NO DOOR DINGS!

NOTE:
These three photos were all taken at 2:30 PM today.

Establishing Communication
In Retail Selling Made Easy I suggest to greet the customer quickly and then to ask, “Is this your first time in the store?” I have recently added a question in front of that one that people love. Ask, “Do you live in the area?” This immediately infers that people living in your area shop in your store, thus the trust sale starts right away.
Whenever I enter a store I pay close attention to the all important words used by the salesperson to “get started.” Too many times those words go nowhere. A few that I hear, and don’t recommend are:

“Are you finding everything okay?”
“May I help you?”
“Is there something in particular that you are looking for?
“Let me know if you have any questions.”
“Feel free to look around.”

Keep It Positive!
The words “No problem” represent a double negative. Instead say, “My pleasure” or “You’re welcome.”
“I can’t do that” or “We don’t carry those” or “I don’t know” are all “no - no’s.”
Instead say, “What I can do is…” or, “What we do have is…” or, “I’ll find out.”

Using or Abusing the Telephone
I hope that your store has a “live” person answering the telephone, but if not, be sure that the message does not put the customer into “Electronic Prison” asking him or her to jump through hoops to get a question answered or to reach someone. Automated answering systems are rapidly finding thier way to the top of many people’s top 10 irritation lists. Never answer with, “Hold on please.” If at some point you need to put a customer on hold, ask for permission to do so, and say how long it will be.
Little things (words) make a BIG difference when selling.

Royalty
The Japanese people understand that the customer is king. They institutionalize that philosophy in the term, Okyakusama; meaning customer.
The title “Sama” in Japan represents a very high, even a God-like person. Every customer entering a store in Japan is GREETED. This is something that westerners can learn from, and keep in mind when selling to Japanese customers.
My father used to say, “The two rules of selling are, number one, the customer is always right, and number two, when that is not the case, refer to rule number one.”
While that is good advice when selling to anyone, it is crucial when selling to the Japanese.

RIP
1934-2011

When Doug Smoyer left us this week, he left behind a huge hole in the hearts of so many friends, Retailers, and Family Members. He will be missed.

Cruising
Doug loved the ocean, whether it be on a cruise ship in Alaska (Pictured Here) or on one of his two boats in Hawaii. One was a Yacht moored at the Waikiki Yacht Club; the other a Boston Whaler that he kept at his home in Kanaohe.

TGIF
Fridays afternoons were special; that’s when friends boarded his yacht in Waikiki and went out to watch the sailboat races, rainbows and sunsets.

The Vida Mia
It was only fitting when he and Joan got married that it be on the sea. We all gathered on the Via Mida, a very special yacht which is the sister boat to one owned by the Kennedy family.

Doug’s Big Day
Marrying Joan Smoyer was the highlight of Doug’s life. Many people, including me, tell Joan that she was the greatest thing that ever happened to Doug.

Better With Age
As the years went by, “EASY” and “RETAIL” got nicer, and Doug became a bigger and bigger influence on the lives of countless people in Hawaii, especially those in the retail industry.

“The Good Die Young”
I have heard that saying my whole life, and once again it proved to be true.

Aloha Mr. Retail, you will be in our hearts until we join you someday.

Doug Smoyer
1934-2011
RIP
Things People Had to Say About Doug
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Dear Ron-
Thank you for that wonderful tribute to Doug. My dear Douglass I miss him so.
Joan
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This is so great. What a wonderful tribute to Grandpa. 
Ron, 
Thank you so much for the tribute to Doug. That was beautiful. You definitely made me cry but so wonderful just to see Doug’s pictures. We sure do love him!
Aloha,
Rebecca Tillery,  (B), CCIM, RPA
Tillery Realty
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Ron - thank you for putting this together. I always admired the strength, intellect, and warmth of my Grandpa and it makes me so happy to see the influence he made on others. I miss him dearly.
Stephanie Cuttler
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Hi Ron,
Thanks for being a good friend to Doug. I am in the middle of management reviews but had a chance to see your website tribute to Doug.
He taught me a few things and that lives as long as I live. I will pass it on to the next generation…
Take care,
Paul Kosasa
President and CEO
ABC Stores
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Thanks Ron,
Totally agree.
Mitch D’Olier
kaneohe Ranch
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Aloha Ron,
Thank you for putting this together for Doug, Joan and all their many friends and assoicates. What a wonderful tribute to a great man and a dear friend.
Your the best,
Mahalo for keeping me in the loop.
 
I will never forget the first day I met Doug some 18 years ago, a afternoon luncheon discussing what else but the retail business. From that moment on Doug became a very important person in my life, he was a mentor, a dear dear friend, someone who I could always go to for the straight scoop and a brother!
We even attended the same high school in Tustin CA.
That is amazing as it was a small town back then.
We were blessed to have had Doug with us and for those that were honored to have know him, we will always carry his memories and the lessons learned with us throughout our lives.
Don Reaser
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Aloha Ron,
Well, this is really sad, I did not know he had passed.
Thank you for sharing.
Doug was terrific, always enthusiastic, and energized by retail.
He WAS Mr. Retail.
The industry and his friends will miss him greatly.  I am personally saddened as he was like a mentor, always asking me about our retail business and pushing me to think of new opportunities. He blazed the trail to Guam, and encouraged me to do business there.
He was passionate about work and life, and never stopped dancing.
Dave Erdman
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Aloha Ron…
I was shocked when I saw your email on Doug Smoyer…
I saw him on July 20th, when I went to his house to ask for some advise…The 3 of us spent a good 2 hours together (Joan was there)…I could see he enjoyed the dialogue…
Aloha,
Jeff Berman
JBJ ENTERPRISES
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Aloha Mr. Smoyer. You were, and always will be a “Legend”.
Joan, my family’s hearts and prayers are with you.
Gilbert Trevino
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 ”Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same.”
-Flavia Weedn

Ron,

I did not know Mr Smoyer. But I recall several conversations where you spoke enthusiastically of your friend and his impact on retail in Hawaii - and of his impact upon your own life and career.
My condolences to you and his family and friends.
Your Friend,
Bruce Olsten
T-Shirt Factory
Maui, Hawaii
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When Doug Smoyer spoke, we listened.  He was a one of a kind retail guy that blended lots of retail experience with real estate.  He thought outside the box and at first blush, some of his ideas seemed crazy but after really giving them some thought, he was often right on the mark.  Miss the man and cherish some great memories of deals we made and his vision for retail in Hawaii and Guam. 
Joan–you are the best!  Love you both!
Barbara Campbell
Outrigger Hotels
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Doug Smoyer left a legacy in the retail world.
Most of us who have been in this business for sometime have encountered this brilliant maven.
My best recollection was Doug always had time for you.
I came to meet him over 20 years ago.
Doug shared his wisdom with anyone who would seek his advice.
In more recent times, Doug and I met just to catch up.
He had a million ideas and wanted to know if I would like to go into one business or another.
He had the zest of a young man eager to jump into the arena of life.
He lives on in all of us who have dealt with him.
As an aside, I truly enjoyed dancing with this man who always had that spark!
Thank you Doug for sharing your life with us all.
And to Joan; Eddie and I offer our deepest condolences.
Patty and Eddie Sherman
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Thanks Ron - what a wonderful remembrance. It was always a  pleasure to work with Doug and he shall be long remembered. Nice to have lasting happy pictures of his boat days. Aloha to a super person.
What a true gentleman in a difficult business! It was always a pleasure to meet with him and you always learned some thing that would be helpful. A delightful person through and through. His kindness and positive attitude will be greatly missed. 
Aloha and God bless you.
Jeannie Rolles
Outrigger Hotels
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Ron,
Thank you for sending your report and news of Doug. I hadn’t heard. Your pictures and words were beautiful!
How lucky we were to know him;
Take care & thanks again….
Cheryl Gallagher
Director of Sales
HONOLULU COOKIE COMPANY
 
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Hi Ron,
What a special friendship!  Thank you for sharing. 
I had the opportunity to meet Doug many years ago. 
He seemed like a great person.
He was certainly regarded as “Mr. Retail”.  
Wanda Kakugawa
Market Trends Pacific, Inc.
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Hi Ron,
Thank you for sharing Doug’s nice pictures,especially when he was still X-large. It was a nice Tribute.
Mahalo,
Aya from Noa Noa
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Thank you Ron for putting together this great tribute to my Dad. He truly lived life to its fullest. He was always passionate about the Retail business - always coming up with new ideas, keeping up with the trends, and always thinking!! Thank you for all of your love & respect - I was so blessed to have such a wonderful Dad.
Debi Cuttler
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 Hi Ron: 
I really enjoyed the beautiful sentiments expressed about Doug.
I wish I had known him better…
This was really a nice testament to his legacy.
Kulani Fernandez
 
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Thank you Ron,
I did meet Doug a couple of times and certainly knew his reputation.
Mary Flood
DR Horton
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Ron -
Everything has already been said so well. They don’t make them like that anymore. Our heartfelt condolences to Joan, We will all miss him so much.
A hui hou,
Victoria and Chuck Hill
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PTB thought the world of Doug… He wrote the book on “retail” and was a good, square and intelligent gentleman in a Waikiki world swimming in rascals…
He created a gift shop at Windjammer second  to  none.
He even had a Laura Brent kids clothing line.
Whenever I discuss “retail” I quote Doug — the United States Marine Corps is even using his concept at gift shop in Quantico Virginia
Fair Winds Doug,
Patrick Brent
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Ron;
Thank you for a wonderful tribute to a truly generous and big-hearted man. Doug Smoyer raised my brother and I… He was always a kind and caring father to us, which was truly special because he chose to be- we were his stepsons. He always made us feel loved and cared for, and raised us to adulthood. If I had been in his shoes, I’d have sent us brats to military boarding school. I would not be who and where I am today if not for Doug. He was the best father anyone could have, and I miss him.
Kaleo Maruoka

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Ny wife and I met Dougger the day he arrived in Honolulu. We had met him once in Reno at the store he was working in. But immediately after coming to Hawaii we both knew that this was someone special, totally reliable, and he became a very good friend.
Maggie and I moved to Colorado in 1991 and thought we would lose track of him, every time we got back to Hawaii, there was the Dougger. God bless him.
Bill and Maggie Thompson

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While one of the most knowledgeable men in retail and commercial real estate, Doug was also one of the kindest and most generous. He taught me everything I needed to know when I first started my ad agency here in Honolulu, Murata Creative. Coming from LA, I had to get smart about the coconut wireless and all of its intricate players, fast. He was amazing to me. And he didn’t have to be. Later, as I seasoned, I still turned to Doug for a smile, a warm hug, an inside and indepth look at what was really going on in the business, a speaker at a seminar I was moderating.
Joan, I first met on an ICSC trip at Vegas and we enjoyed lunch and I could see how happy she was with him.
Doug, you will be greatly missed but never replaced.
Aloha,
Anne Murata

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Joan,
Simply put, Doug was a great man. I think I see him different from Ron in the sense, that although I know part of his legacy is “Mr. Retail”, another part is that Doug blazed his own trail and never let life’s pitfalls such as Parkinson’s Disease stop him from not only dreaming but still living in the present. I have some great video when we were doing some preliminary shots for the PD video. There was a segment of raw video of Doug just talking that was so intriguing to me that I just let the video camera roll and listened. Doug stated that he didn’t care for some of the baggage that PD brought him but that he was grateful of the gifts it gave him which was overcoming struggles and appreciating life in general- the simple things, the truly meaningful things. This video is from 2008. I will dig it up and get it to you if you wish. I am blessed to have known him. I will miss him.
 
Much aloha,
 
Kevin

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Hi Ron,
A nice tribute here Ron. I met Doug a couple times with you and though I did not know him well, I could tell he was a wise man with a lot of Aloha.
Thanks for putting this up. I would not have known otherwise. My condolences to his wife Joan and other family members.
Aloha,
Bob McAllaster

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Ron, as you probably know, Doug Smoyer played a very special role in my life, and later in my wife, Linda’s life. We worked closely together on a variety of retail consulting assignments while I was living in Hawaii during the 1990’s. One in particular was the work we did together for Haseko-Hawaii’s proposed “Superblock” on Kaahumanu Street.

We shared not only a love of the retail business, but a love of fishing, boating and traveling. I remember the first time I introduced him to Linda. He adored her immediately, and told me to “Hang on to this one.” Well Doug, I did.

Linda and I spent our honeymoon on the island of Lanai at the Manele Bay Hotel. Doug brought his boat over to the island, and along with some close friends put together a fabulous honeymoon luau on Hulopoe Beach next to the hotel. What a party!!

Meeting Joan Simon was one of the real blessings in his life. Linda and I became acquainted with Joan and her “Noa-Noa” retail stores while leasing the proposed Lanihau Center expansion in Kona, HI. God bless you Joan for becoming the center of his universe, and the sparkle in his eyes. We love you for that.

We love you, Doug Smoyer, and feel so very thankful, and blessed that we knew you, and shared so many unforgettable memories during our travels in life. You will always hold a very special place in our hearts.

Aloha, Doug Smoyer!………….Until we meet again……

Bill & Linda Eddy

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