client letter

From Keith Lee: President of American Retail Supply, formerly Thompson Merchandising & Supply, Worldwide Store Fixtures & Packaging, American Packaging & Fixtures, and Bell Store Equipment. “Last Year I Told You I Had Something To Give You Before It Was Too Late… This Year, My Clients Are Demanding I Give It To Them Again” Can You Afford to Miss This Free Event? “Oh my… you truly cannot pay enough money for the amount of knowledge, the networking, and the speakers that were generated in this big room for 2 days! It’s the smartest investment of your time - and we all need time away from our businesses! God bless you Keith and TMS.” - Jackie Hoegger, Vive Paris, Wichita Falls, Texas Dear Client, Retailers like you have given me everything I own, and I’m concerned about you! We’ve done surveys to find out why clients quit buying from us, and the #1 reason - by far is - they are out-of-business. We call and find their phones are disconnected and they’re gone… and it happens far too often. This is my invitation for you to attend The FREE “Retail Success 2006 - American Retail Supply, Client Appreciation Conference & EXPO”. The event that has one goal, and one goal only to… Help Retailers Like You Not Only Survive, But Thrive! I’m writing you this rather lengthy letter because on September 9, 2006 - after you attend “Retail Success 2006” for FREE!!!... I want you to write me a note like Ed Quesness from Qube in Seattle, Washington wrote after our last Client Appreciation Conference & EXPO… “Great sessions with very knowledgeable speakers. Learned more in two days by far than any other 2 days in my 35 year retail career.” - Ed Quesness, Qube, Seattle, Washington. Now I know this sounds like a strange offer and in fact maybe ‘too-good-to-be true’, but before you dismiss it as some type of ‘bait and switch’ where I’m going to try to get you to buy something, just give me the next 10-minutes of your valuable time to read the rest of my letter. (It might just be the most valuable 10- minutes of your entire retail career.) The Obvious Question You’re Asking Yourself Right About Now Is… Why Is American Retail Supply Giving Me Something For FREE? The answer is simple!! If you go Out-of-Business, We go Out-of-Business. If YOU Thrive, We can Thrive. “Retail Success 2006 Client Appreciation Conference & EXPO” is designed to Give YOU The Tools YOU Need To Thrive! For those of you unfamiliar with me, my name is Keith Lee, President of American Retail Supply, you are getting this letter because you’ve done business with one of our divisions, Thompson Merchandising & Supply in Kent, Washington, or Worldwide Store Fixtures & Packaging in Honolulu, or American Packaging & Fixtures in Denver, or Bell Store Equipment Company in Dallas. We all finally have the same name - American Retail Supply. I have been President of this 36-year old company since 1981. My vision has never changed. We want to provide regional retail chains and independent retailers with everything they need to run their stores. In fact, there is NO ONE in the industry that can provide the variety of products that we do. Our list of products and services has grown from originally providing marking guns and labels to now…where we provide everything that you might need to run your store including packaging products like bags, Point-of-Sale computer systems, security systems, tissue, gift boxes, fixtures, displays, faceouts, slatwall, gridwall, show cases, gift cards, merchant services, customer loyalty programs, etc., etc., etc., etc. And, we not only talk the talk, but we walk the walk. Our ‘Make-You-Happy’ Guarantee is the foundation for the exceptional client service that we have become famous for. Where else will the president of a company our size, tell his clients, “If you ever have a question or concern, please call me. My direct line is 253-859-7310. Or, email me at keith@americanretailsupply.com.” “Retailers Speak” “How many ways can I tell you – your sales/customer service people - WALK ON WATER!” Phillips Coffee & Teas – Mill Valley, CA “Great Service! I order one day and have it the next! Keep up the good work!” Ritzy Recalls – Eagle-Vail, CO “It’s a pleasure to deal with TMS. Our reps have helped us on their days off so that our needs were met. A quality company!” Showcase Productions – Portland, OR But Wait…This Is Simply NOT Enough! Even though we’ve obtained our goal of being the ‘best’ supplier of everything retailers need to run their stores, I’ve noticed that this is simply not enough. After observing hundreds and hundreds of our best clients, (we have over 27,676 of them), I’ve noticed that there is one area where there is a SIGNIFICANT VOID in helping retailers grow their businesses. The problem is that there is no one out there who is really doing a good job at bringing retailers the latest information they desperately need to help them run their stores and thrive. Yes, there are a few who are providing pieces of it, but no one is putting all of it together. And that’s why last year, with the generous underwriting of over 30 of our vendors, I decided to provide the last piece of this puzzle for our clients…. “The 35th Anniversary Client Appreciation Conference & EXPO”… and it was such a huge hit that our clients demanded I do it again, so… I would like to invite you to attend… “Retail Success 2006” “American Retail Supply Client Appreciation Conference & EXPO” This Is So BIG…So Important…That I Had To Rent Out The Washington State Convention & Trade Center in Seattle And it comes with the same personal, MAKE-YOU-HAPPY GUARANTEE I had last year that this will be the most valuable event ever having to do with making really BIG MONEY in the retail industry (but more about that later.) First, let me ask you a few questions: • • • • • • • • Are you frustrated with how hard you have to work to make top profits in your business? You wonder – shouldn’t it be easier than this? Is the “old” advertising you’ve used successfully in the past just not working as well anymore? Are the “big boys” coming into your market and you wonder if you can compete with them without an ad budget the size of Montana? Are you having difficulty finding motivated employees to work in your stores? Do you see the value of your business actually declining? When you want to sell it, will you be able to? Do you provide real service, you have real expertise, you know your product – but you admit you do NOT really understand “marketing” and you are often wasting money or doing things the hard way? Are you worried about an increasing number of customers bypassing your retail business in favor of the internet? Are you wondering how you’re going to grow and protect what you’ve earned so you’re able to enjoy your senior years? These are just a sampling of the type of questions we receive every day that reflect the concerns of clients just like you at American Retail Supply. But here’s the biggest concern that we hear most often…. “I’d like to improve my business - I know I need some help – how can American Retail Supply help me?” Keith Lee… and His Personal Olympic Dream Team of Retail Experts Bring YOU the GOLD! Presenting the Bigger and Even Better FREE Client Appreciation Conference & EXPO First, let me tell you about the CONFERENCE and my Olympic Dream Team of retail experts. After last year’s event I wondered, “How am I going to top this line up of speakers next year?” How can I do better when my clients are already writing me notes like this? Pam Pitts, California Guest Services, Red Bluff, CA - “In the 30+ years I have been in business I have attended many retail/marketing seminars and workshops but I have never had the opportunity to learn so much from such phenomenal presenters. The diversity and volume of information was fantastic. I thank Thompson for giving me and my company this wonderful opportunity!” Gina Newbold-Crosby, Sports Village, Kearney, NE - “I’ve attended many retailing seminars but I got more ideas from this seminar than from any other event that I’ve ever attended… and what a knockout list of speakers! Thank you so much for this event. I will be back! P.S. You put the “excitement” back in my business.” Believe it or not… As awesome as the speakers were last year… You’ll be even more awed This Year! Here’s my Olympic DREAM TEAM. I had room for 9 speakers. I wrote down the 9 names I wanted and I got each and every one of them – no second stringers here! Nine of the best retail speakers and educators in the world for you to listen to and learn from in order to give you what I call an “unfair competitive advantage – you would think you had the French judge on your side.” Just look at this ‘World Class’ line up and decide for yourself if you can miss hearing what they have to say. #1: Lee Milteer: Lee, a productivity coach and human potential speaker will open your eyes to how you can Save $50,000 a year without new advertising, no new equipment, no new labor, and keep existing employees in the Retail World! She will share the secrets of some of the top entrepreneurial business owners on how to get your staff to take a new attitude about work and think like an owner. This session will save you time and money when you learn the secrets to employee loyalty and productivity which will improve your bottom line with less stress, hassle and labor and more peace of mind. This session is a must for owners who feel frustrated by their employees. Lee’s Milteer’s Presentation: Thriving in Business and Life Chaos, How to Achieve More and Struggle Less In Retail Sales - The Secrets of Employee Loyalty and Productivity. One of the most important benefits of this program is for you, the owner, to take back your power and become the leader. Stop working for your staff and let them work for you. You are the provider and you set the tone of the business. Learn the top secrets on how to get people to want to work for you and become effective and efficient employees. Top producers! Lee Milteer’s presentation will change the way you do business, hire people, fire people and what you expect from your staff. Lee teaches that you can improve profits when Staff and Management align. This program will improve the relationship between the Owner and Staff and get everyone on the same page reducing unnecessary stress and time. Assist your business by getting employees to become solution oriented and take stress off owners. Leila Irwin, My Country Touch, Redmond, WA - “In my 25 years as a business woman I have been to a multitude of continuing education seminars. Never have I attended an event that had so much practical and useful information. I am so excited to be able to move forward in a positive way. Keith and his team are awesome!!” #2: Lee R. Phillips: Everybody who has any accumulation of assets today understands that you need to do two things with your assets: First, you need to protect them. Business owners are particularly vulnerable and rightly worried about our litigious society and the real possibility of losing everything in a suit or to an identity thief. Secondly, people with assets know that they need to grow those assets. Lee is a nationally recognized expert in financial and estate planning. He is licensed to practice law before the United States Supreme Court and holds licenses in law, real estate and insurance. He specializes in solving asset protection and tax problems. Lee Phillips’ Presentation: “Accumulation and Preservation of Wealth for Business Owners” You gotta like that idea! You’ll be astounded and delighted when you hear Lee’s wealth-building techniques and how you can use the law to make money. You’ll quickly learn that you can’t earn your way to being rich and you can’t invest your way to being rich. All you have to do is reposition yourself in the law. There’s no risk. There’s no extra work. The rich use the law to make money. You have to use the tax laws and other laws to leverage what you do to become rich. Have you ever noticed that the rich just get richer? Only a few people–smart people–ever learn what Lee discloses to his audience. “Kelley Buck, B & B Beauty Salon and Supply, Eureka, CA - The TMS event gave me the most amazing ideas to take back and implement in the salon. I’ve learned where I’m going wrong and have the steps necessary to go back to work confident our sales will dramatically increase. My entire mind set has changed, and it’s so refreshing to feel this passionate and motivated to go to work on Monday. Thanks for everything.” #3: Joel Bauer: Joel’s “Persuasion Power” interactive presentation will enable virtually anyone to PRESENT themselves unforgettably, PERSUADE the resistant, and PRESERVE relationships for life. Your first point of contact is your first point of impact. Within the first 4 seconds of meeting someone, we are often judged by our wrapping and not our content. When you say, ‘here I am!’ what do they see? How you personally ‘brand’ yourself is what makes you memorable or forgettable. Your brand is a representative of you. The good news is that everyone can have a personal brand. It’s time to think about the tools you use. How you dress, your business card, how you communicate and what you leave behind. Joel’s Presentation: “Cutting Edge Persuasion Strategies That Will Increase Your Sales and Put Bushels of Money in Your Pocket” In just over an hour with Joel Bauer, you’ll take ownership of the 3P’s of getting everything you want… how to present yourself, persuade others, and preserve your new relationships. Everyone can have a sense of brand. It’s time to define yours. Learn simple techniques to make others more receptive to saying YES! to you. #4: Keith Lee: Hey, that’s me! I’m going to present…The Keith Lee, Don’t Let Your Business Ruin Your Life, YES YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL, Make-You-Happy Management System Do you really “Have It All?” I like money and everything it can give you, but I’m talking about much more than just money! If you don’t “have-it-all”, this may be the most important 90 minutes of your life. As often as not the stresses and time commitments of running your own business can actually Ruin Your Life. Divorce, high blood pressure, ulcers, sleeplessness, missing out on seeing your kids grow up, and missing many of the other really good things in life are all to often the norm for business owners That’s what was beginning to happen to me in 1991. But I knew what I wanted. I wanted IT ALL!... I wanted to have what Zig Ziglar called a balanced life. In 1991 we had one office, seventeen employees, did about $2,500,000 in business, and I was totally burned out… I had gotten to the point that I could care less if the company grew or not… and I sure as heck didn’t want any more employees. More baby sitting … who needs it! Today we have 5 offices with 65 team members. We did $14,000,000 in business last year and I’m excited as can be about our future and continued growth. What Happened? How did I go from a guy who could care less about growing his business… who certainly didn’t want any more employees… to growing 6 times and excited about our continued growth? I developed my management system that I’ve been using for 14 years now and I can tell you that You Don’t Need to Let Your Business Ruin Your Life, and Yes… You Can Have It All. Join me as I walk you through the Make-You-Happy Management System. The system that creates Happy clients that come back time and time again. The system that creates happy team members… In fact, I’m certain the Make-You-Happy Management System was directly responsible for us being named The Best Small Company to Work For in Washington by Washington CEO Magazine. But Most Important The Make-You-Happy Management System Allows YOU To Have It All! Yes you can have it all… A hugely successful business, happy clients and happy team members, time for your family, time for yourself, time for your friends, good health, and never miss out on what’s really important in life. Remember, “On their death bed, no one ever said I wish I had spent more time at the office.” #5: Paul Hartunian: Paul is the most knowledgeable, helpful expert-consultant on generating publicity. He has been on Oprah, Sally Raphael, as well as being featured in articles in Forbes and USA Today. He has sold millions of dollars of diverse products via “free advertising.” Paul’s Presentation: “How To Get $1 Million Worth Of Publicity….FREE!” Paul is a wiz at showing people ‘step-by-step’ how to get mountains of free publicity for their retail business. He has thousands of entrepreneurs using his techniques to get FREE publicity to make sales, get new customers, skyrocket businesses to all time highs, and even become celebrities. Best of all, his techniques require no special skills, no “insider contacts” and little or no money. It doesn’t matter if you own a small little shop in a tiny town or if you have a huge multi-store chain, Paul can ‘plain and simply’ teach you how to get publicity that will boost your bottom line! Cindy Forsgren, Forsgren, Ltd., Pago Pago, American Samoa - “This has been the most incredible investment (although it was FREE!) I’ve made in my business. The speakers walked me step-by-step through priceless principles to increase sales and productivity. Paul Hartunian revealed publicity secrets that made me wonder “why didn’t I think of that before?” Thank you, Keith Lee and TMS! My mind is spinning with ideas I can’t wait to get back and implement. Yes, they came from American Samoa, North Pole, Alaska, eastern Canada, and across the country and were delighted! #6: Bill Glazer: Bill Glazer is the #1 most celebrated marketing advisor to the retail industry, with over 3,700 top stores nationwide utilizing his innovative directresponse advertising and direct mail, lab tested with his own two exceptionally successful Baltimore stores. In downtown Baltimore, there once were fourteen competing Menswear stores, each independently and locally owned – just like in many cities. Over a handful of years, as suburban malls proliferated, and giant national chain stores entered the market, thirteen of those stores - some there for decades – closed their doors. The last store standing, Gage “World Class” Menswear, captained by Bill Glazer, has not only survived, it has prospered beyond any rational expectation. In fact, in recent years, while the entire Menswear retailing industry has been in the doldrums, and independent stores everywhere have struggled just to stay even, Bill’s downtown store, as well as his suburban store, have enjoyed double-digit annual growth and per square foot profits roughly 250% better than the industry average. Bill will be delivering a brand new presentation that EVERY business owner needs to hear and frankly….no one can afford to miss. What Bill has done is identify from his own entrepreneurial experience and by observing his best retail members what he calls…. “The Eight Best Ways To Make A Fortune In The Retail Business” You will want to make sure you take copious notes as Bill guides you through what might be the most important real money-making information you should adapt for your own business. Best of all….Bill will be giving you specific examples of how retailers have incorporated each of these ways in their businesses in order to achieve extraordinary results. Todd Purves, Jericho Group, Vancouver, BC - “You can spend hundreds, even thousands of dollars to attend an event of this kind. To provide such a value-packed seminar for free is unheard of. The TMS conference and Expo is a must attend event that anyone in retail would be foolish to miss. Thanks for a great event, Keith!” #7: Mr X: Mr X will show you how every retailer can use a simple tool that you already have to substantially increase sales and profits. You will learn... • The 5 Most Common Misconceptions That May Be Costing You Thousands $$$$ every Month. • The Single Biggest Mistake All Retailers Make. • The single most effective small business strategy to increase new customers. Can you believe it? One of your employees may be costing you 3 times their monthly salary in lost business. Faye Doppelheuer, Babe’s Shoes and Apparel, Lakeland Florida - “I came to Tacoma with retail burnout and left 2 days later with a renewed sense of purpose and love for my retail business.” #8: Rory Fatt: There are three ways and only three ways to grow your business. • • • Get new customers Get your customers to come into your store more often Get your customers to spend more money when they come to your store Rory’s Presentation: “How to Put Your Marketing on Auto-Pilot” I know it sounds unbelievable, but Rory will show you how to put your marketing on Auto-Pilot, accomplish the marketing you need to grow your business in each of these three ways, do almost NO WORK YOURSELF... and cost you less than if you did all the work yourself! I know, it sounds too good to be true and momma didn’t raise no dummy right? No, it’s not magic, or snake oil... Let me explain how this can be true and why we’ve literally had to put clients into a waiting line to get on board. There are two principles behind the program that make it work. Without these two principles it simply would not be possible. Automation – We simply could not come close to doing this without the incredible power of today’s • computers and other automation. Every process, from signing up customers, maintaining the data base, purging the data base to get out undeliverable addresses and thereby keeping your mailing costs to a minimum, assembling mailings for the lowest postage discounts, and more, contribute to a program that puts your Marketing on Auto-Pilot with you doing none of the actual work, at a cost that is less than if you did all of the work yourself. Don’t let your competition get ahead of you in line on this one! • Group Buying Power – You’ll join with hundreds – soon to be thousands - of independent retailers buying down the cost of buying the marketing materials, paying postage rates that you simply can’t get by yourself, having people develop the marketing programs and more. It becomes a Marketing Coop with incredible buying power. But Wait… There’s Another Whole Day! After the Client Appreciation Event last May, we surveyed everyone who attended and asked them what they liked and didn’t like, and what they wanted to see at the next event. Almost everyone wanted more Internet Marketing. The people who attended last May were astonished to learn the newest and latest opportunities available to retailers using the internet to explode sales and profits. So this year, by popular demand we’ve added an entire day devoted to Internet Marketing Bonus Day! “How Any Retailer Can Make A Lot More Money Using the Internet” September 9, 2006 Derek Gehl: Whether you want to discover the hidden opportunities on-line or already have an existing website and want to maximize it’s earning potential – Derek is your guy! After building his “Internet Marketing Challenge – Online Community” to over 5,000 private members and over 100,000+ subscribers, Derek joined the world’s leading Internet Marketing authority, The Internet Marketing Center, leading it through hyper growth, from a $25 investment into $19,000,000 per year in online sales, with a network of web sites that now attract over 1.8 million visitors per month. Derek works to teach REAL people how to make REAL money using the Internet… and he’s helped create literally 1,000s of success stories — real people who now make $100,000 to $2,500,000 each year with their Internet businesses, thanks to his expert guidance. The day will be divided into two presentations Morning Presentation – “How to make a lot more money in Any Retail Business with the Internet” Afternoon Presentation – “Insider Strategies Any Retailer Can Use to Increase Your Bottom Line Using eBay” Here’s just a sample of what you’ll hear in the morning presentation… “How to make a lot more money in ANY Retail Business with the Internet” • Step-by-step advice you can use to start your very own Internet business in as little as 48 hours! • How to guarantee that a new online business will earn you $1,000.00 to $4,000.00 a month as a supplement to your existing retail store! The secret technology that can increase your online sales by 162% — overnight! How to create knockout online copy that sells like crazy — even if you’re not a writer! The 10-minute change that any web site can make to instantly increase sales by up to 500%! The tricks to getting top search engine rankings — and the tool that monitors your listings to ensure that you are always “locked in” above your competition! • The fastest way to dominate your online market, and get hundreds of high-traffic web sites to send you visitors — risk-free. • Secret strategies for establishing lucrative partnerships, where you do the “selling” and collect up to 55% of the profits while your partner supplies you with their customers. • Case studies of successful web sites and their design strategies, so you can model and apply their successes to YOUR retail business! • • • • In the afternoon you’ll hear “Insider Strategies Any Retailer Can Use to Increase Your Bottom Line Using eBay” “Discover the ‘Insider’ Strategies This eBay Expert Used to Generate $8 Million on eBay Last Year – and How YOU Can Put Them to Work in YOUR Store(s)!” What if I told you there’s a way to increase your store’s sales and your income online without building a web site and without knowing anything about the Internet. And what if I told you that you could accomplish all this overnight — and immediately have access to 2 MILLION eager buyers, every single day! Well, you might not believe me... until I explained to you that you can do all this and more on eBay. eBay.com is the world’s leading online auction web site. Like I said, more than 2 million shoppers gather on eBay EVERY DAY to spend more than $86,000,000 bidding on almost every product and service imaginable… including YOUR PRODUCTS! eBay has designed a user-friendly system to make it easy for absolutely ANYONE, including you, to put an item up for auction and take payment with almost zero computer knowledge. For the first time ever, you can start an Internet business — without a web site and with almost zero start-up capital — and have instant access to eager buyers! ... OR, At The Very Least… You Need to Use eBay to The techniques you’ll learn for this alone will be worth the trip dispose of Unwanted Inventory Okay, so now you’ve read about the expert faculty that we’ve put together and you can see why I’m “soooooo” excited about bringing them to you. At the risk of sounding insulting, it would be impossible to listen to these experts and NOT leave with ‘at least’ a couple dozen money-making ideas to implement in your business just as soon as you get home! In fact, you’ll come away with so much retail business building advice that you’ll swear you’re stealing!! Steven Molstad, Armchair Sailor, Seattle, WA - “This seminar was the best thing to happen to my business. Every topic was right on and answered all my burning questions. It was the best time I have spent since starting my business.” Whoa Nelly – there’s still more! As I mentioned above, this is NOT just a Conference, but it is also an EXPO. That’s right, we are going to fill up a huge hall with the most complete display of EVERYTHING that you could ever imagine you will need to run your store(s)... and best of all, things that you need, but may not know are even available. We’ve Increased Booth Space By 50% This Year Once again our valued suppliers have come through like gang busters. As you might imagine putting on an Event like this is not cheap. In fact, it’s down right expensive. And while I’m willing to pay more than my share, I also needed my vendors help to pay for the Event. I’m proud to say that once again, they were all excited to participate. But again, I wanted them to give me more than money. I also wanted them to fly in with their ‘entire’ line of products and services and display them at the EXPO so all of my clients could see the ‘latest and greatest’ that is available. Again they responded with enthusiasm. In fact, they’re so excited that we’ve increased the booth space by 50% this year! Let Me Give You An Idea Of What You’ll Discover At The EXPO You will see thousands of products to help you make your store more profitable…. Acrylic Displays, Apparel Accessories – Steamers, Garment Bags, Bags – Plastic, Paper, Shoppers, Frosted, Polypropylene, Personalized, Organza, Velvet, Totes, Poly, Zipper, Banners, Baskets – Wire, Plastic, Bows, Boxes – Gift, Jewelry, Shipping, Decorative, Gable, Candy, Apparel, Business Card and Ticket Holders, Easels – Wire, Vinyl, Acrylic, Garment Racks, Gift Cards and Certificates, Gift Wrap – Special Occasion, Baby, Wedding, Birthday, Holiday, Glass Displays, Gondola Shelving, Gridwall, plus Attachments and Displays, Hanger Accessories – Sizers, Covers, Markers, Dividers, Hangers – Wooden, Specialty, Plastic, Hangrod and Merchandising Bars, Hangtags, Hooks - Peg, Scanner, Hot Stamping – Labels, Paper Bags, Tags, Gift Certificates, Shopping Baskets, Jewelry – Displays, Boxes, Labelers, Labels – Printed, Foil Stamped, Mannequins and Styrofoam Heads, Mirrors, Modular Ladder Systems, Paper Cutters, Pegboard Attachments, Personalized Promotional Products – Magnets, Pens, Shirts, Business Cards, Balloons, Candy, Gift Cards, Mugs, Tape Measures, Pins, POS System – Smart Register, Printers, Racks, Ready Flow, Ribbon – Stretch Loops, Cords, Cloth, Rolls – Garment, Polypropylene, Security Systems, Mirrors, Cameras, Shelf Molding, Shelving, Shipping Supplies, Showcases, Shred, Sign Cards and Frames, Slatwall, plus Attachments and Displays, Taggers and Fasteners, - Avery - Dennison, Meto, Monarch, Tags – Manila, Personalized, Apparel, Sales, Tissue Paper, Tulle, Take-A-Number, Wraphia, Crinkle Shred, Raffia, and much, much more! And that’s just a start… When we display at a gift show we usually have 7 booths jam packed with the products you need to run your store(s). At this event we’ll have 90 booths that will make our “large” gift show booth look like a flea on a dog. AND, instead of a few of our reps to help you and answer your questions like we have at a typical gift show, we’ll have at least a dozen of our reps in attendance and scores of vendor experts to help in every area from display, packaging, security, marketing, fixtures, banking, leases, real estate, marking systems, credit card processing, insurance and more. Here’s just a small glimpse of what you’ll discover at The EXPO: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Hundreds and hundreds of acrylic display pieces for you to choose from An entire booth dedicated to high end plastic shopping bags Another entire booth dedicated to high end paper bags Over 1,000 square feet of museum quality hardwood display cases The newest and latest equipment on the market on loss prevention and store security A complete booth dedicated to showing you all the options available in gift, apparel, and jewelry boxes. Two more booths of ‘inexpensive’ plastic and paper bag options And another complete booth with nothing but tissue paper Over 600 square feet of Metal Extruded Display Cases An entire section dedicated to price marking and coding systems Point-Of-Sale Computer Systems and How To Control Your Inventory Demonstrations of how easy it is to convert gridwall from one display to another Of course, an entire booth dedicated to slatwall choices The largest display of Gift Wrap – Bows - Ribbons that you’ve ever seen all under one roof Our ‘Ladder Display’ System is absolutely one of the most versatile display systems you’ll ever see, and you’ll get to witness the true brilliance of it Did I Mention We’re Giving Away FREE Prizes? We had a ton of fun with this last year so we’re doing it again. After you check in for the event, we’ll put your name in a hat and throughout the event we’ll draw names for Prizes. We’ll be giving away a big Flat Screen TV, $1000 Museum Quality Display for your home, my own personal view box seats for the Mariners on Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday afternoon September 8-10, DVD players, iPODs, …heck, I’m even going to give away a couple of cruises to some of the lucky attendees. And, one more surprise….you’ll receive an “EXPO Specials Booklet” that will guarantee you our lowest prices ever on many of the items that you’ll see. Once again, our vendors helped make this possible. It is important to us to reward the clients who take time away from working in their businesses to work on their businesses for these two very special days. I’M SO CONFIDENT THAT THIS WILL BE THE MOST VALUABLE EVENT EVER HAVING TO DO WITH MAKING REALLY BIG MONEY IN THE RETAIL INDUSTRY THAT I’M GIVING MY PERSONAL, MAKE-YOU-HAPPY GUARANTEE. The Same Guarantee I Gave Last Year! I want you to register for this FREE EVENT, my gift to you, without an ounce of concern over how much it will be worth to you. Even though the seminar is FREE, you’ll still have to cover your airfare, hotel and food, so I want you to have an ironclad, unwavering confidence that you are making a wise decision for yourself and your family. That’s why you have my personal guarantee: Attend BOTH FREE DAYS in their entirety, September 7 and 8, and if you honestly feel I have overstated the value of this event, under-delivered on my promises, disappointed you in any way – I will refund the documented cost of your airfare, hotel and meals, PLUS give you an extra $100.00… No hard feelings. No hassles. People told me I was crazy when I gave this same guarantee at our last event. I was told I would have people using this as an excuse to get a free vacation. I told them, “You don’t know my clients, I have complete trust and faith that they will only ask for the guarantee if they truly feel they were oversold and disappointed.” GUESS WHAT HAPPENED? Not a single person took me up on the guarantee. I’m so confident that I’m willing to put myself on the ultimate “hot seat” to deliver like you have never been delivered to before – or you “fry me” big-time. In addition… Attend the Bonus 3rd day in its entirety, September 9, 2006 “How Any Retailer Can Make A Lot More Money Using the Internet” and if you don’t agree that you got at least $5,000 worth of value from the day, I’ll give you double your tuition back in cash! Heck, unless you’re sleeping, you’ll get $5,000 worth of value learning how to quickly and easily get rid of unwanted inventory. As you can see “Retail Success 2006 American Retail Supply Client Appreciation CONFERENCE & EXPO” will be the place to be September 7-9 2006 in Seattle, Washington. Now let me ask you one simple question… “Can you afford to miss it?” You Must Qualify To Attend!! Please understand something. The information and strategies that the speakers will be delivering is ONLY for Retail Professionals that are seriously interested in ‘skyrocketing’ their business. Therefore, the following four criteria must be met in order to attend: 1. First, you must be willing to attend both of the first two FREE days. I don’t want anyone showing up an hour late or leaving in the middle of the afternoon. It is simply not fair to reserve a seat in what I expect to be another “Sold Out” Event and not use it for the entire Event. 2. Second, you must be committed to having more money flow into your life. That’s what this FREE Conference & Expo is all about. You must be 100% clear that this is what you want. 3. Third, you and your guests must each make a $100.00 refundable deposit to reserve your seats. Your full deposit amount will be returned to you at the Event. (If for any reason, you fail to attend, your deposit will be forfeited). By the way, we’ve secured an unbelievable low rate at the Seattle Sheraton right around the corner from the Convention & Trade Center. 4. Fourth, no cell phones in the Conference meeting room. These things are huge distractions, and will not be permitted. As you can see, the Conference & EXPO is for Retailers who are action takers. It’s for people who want to increase their income and have a life as well. It’s for people who are willing to acquire the tools necessary to secure their financial freedom. It’s for those who have a burning desire to succeed. It’s for you if you truly want to be the best at what you do. If you can meet all of the four criteria above, I’d be honored to have you attend “Retail Success 2006 - American Retail Supply Client Appreciation CONFERENCE & EXPO” The Race Is On… The Washington State Convention & Trade Center in Seattle will be our venue. And even though this is a large convention center you need to know that I’m not only inviting my entire list of over 27,676 clients, but I’m also allowing several of the speakers to invite their customers as well. So obviously seats will fill fast. As the saying goes… “if you snooze-you lose” – don’t delay, make your reservation today! Here are all the details: Event: Retail Success 2006 - American Retail Supply Client Appreciation CONFERENCE & EXPO Thursday and Friday, September 7 - 8, 2006 Thursday Check-in: 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. Conference & EXPO Thursday: 8:00 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. Conference & EXPO Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Washington State Convention & Trade Center. Once you register, you will receive a confirmation with complete hotel information including the codes to use to get our special $145 per night rate at the Sheraton - that’s a $64 discount. Tuition is FREE for yourself and a maximum of 2 guests. Each person must make a $100.00 refundable deposit to reserve seat(s). Your full deposit amount will be returned to you at the Event. (If for any reason, you fail to attend, your deposit will be forfeited.) FAX the Instant Registration Form to 253-859-7300, or register online at www.makeyouhappy.com/expo.asp Date: Times: Location: Tuition: Register: Bonus Day: Event: How Any Retailer Can Make A Lot More Money Using the Internet Saturday, September 9, 2006 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Washington State Convention & Trade Center. $97 for you. $37 for each additional guest. Maximum 2 guests. FAX the Instant Registration Form to 253-859-7300, or register online at www.makeyouhappy.com/expo.asp Date: Time: Location: Tuition: Register: SO TAKE 2 MINUTES…fill out the enclosed CONFERENCE & EXPO Enrollment Form and Fax it back to my office NOW: 253-859-7300. These three life-changing days could be exactly what the doctor ordered for you and your retail business. Don’t put off this decision, take action now so that your business will not only survive, but thrive. Remember, you have my personal, Make-You-Happy Guarantee – you won’t be disappointed. Dedicated to “Making You Happy”, Keith Lee American Retail Supply Formerly Thompson Merchandising & Supply, Worldwide Store Fixtures & Packaging, American Packaging & Fixtures, and Bell Store Equipment. P.S. Stay a couple of extra days and spend some time in one of the most beautiful parts of the U.S. There is no better place in the world to be in early September. The weather is beautiful. It almost never rains (honestly), the temperature is in the 70s to low 80s and there is almost no humidity. Here are just a few of the sites that you won’t want to miss: • The world famous Space Needle, with 360-degree indoor/outdoor observation deck and revolving restaurant. • You can’t come to Seattle and leave without visiting Pike Place Market, home of the world famous fish throwers and over 250 merchants, 100 farmers, 100 street performers, and 200 crafts people with their finest wares. • There is no shortage of coffee or cafe’s for that matter; in fact you can even visit the world’s first Starbuck’s! • Dine at world famous Iver’s Restaurant on Elliot Bay as ferries glide by with the Olympic Mountains as the backdrop. Seattle is known for its fresh and spectacular seafood. • Explore the San Juan Islands, the Kitsap Peninsula, or the Olympic Peninsula aboard a • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Washington State Ferry. Take the ferry to Vashon Island where miles of lightly traveled, pine edged country roads make bicycling and walking popular activities. There is something special and magical about being on an island, the pace is slower, the people friendly, the attitudes relaxed. Take an evening Royal Argosy Cruise, there are dining cruises, harbor cruises, locks cruises, lake cruises, and even themed cruises. For some adventure take Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour of Seattle, a tongue-in-cheek, historical, narrated walking tour covering 3 blocks of Pioneer Square in 1-1/2 hours. Ride The Ducks of Seattle is an entertaining tour of Seattle by land and sea. It was voted one of the five “must do’s” in Seattle! Visit the newly remodeled Seattle Public Library where form and function combine in breathtaking style. They hold free tours daily. Ride the Spirit of Washington Dinner Train where you can enjoy fine dining aboard vintage rail cards. 3-1/2 hour journey takes you from Renton to the beautiful Columbia winery and back. Take an afternoon to visit the 92-acre award winning Woodland Park Zoo featuring over 300 animal species, cutting-edge exhibits and expansive horticulture collection. Ride the Seattle Center Monorail, it connects downtown Seattle with the Seattle Center’s attractions. If Breweries and Winery’s are your thing Seattle is definitely the place, with Gordon Biersch Brewery, Pyramid Alehouse Brewery, Redhook Ale Brewery, Columbia Winery, Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery, Woodhouse Family Cellars and even a Washington Wine Tour you won’t have a dull moment! For a taste of culture spend a night in the beautiful and elegant Benaroya Hall to experience the Seattle Symphony. If you love jazz, check out the place that Ray Charles himself was known to make appearances at, Dimitrious’s Jazz Alley, Seattle’s premiere jazz club where the food is a good as the music. If you love shopping, there is no shortage of it in Seattle! From classic Downtown to the trendy University Village, to vintage Broadway, there is a scene for everyone. Take a drive to awe-inspiring Mt. Rainier. You’ll quickly see why my wife Patty and I spent our 30th Wedding Anniversary here. It will take your breath away! Start your cruise of a life-time through the inside passage to Alaska. Explore the treasures of ecological extremes in the Olympic National Park. The park is really three separate worlds - the coast, the mountains and the rain forest. Visit Mt Saint Helens and see the earth reborn. 24 years ago the volcano erupted and triggered the collapse of the summit and north flank of Mount St. Helens. It was the largest landslide in recorded history. Today you’ll see the mountain’s rebirth emerging from the ash amid a surreal moonscape of forests blown over in the blast. Let’s Face It…You’ll Probably Hate To Leave!! Final Thought: Maybe you’ve waited your entire life for a “big break” of one kind or another. Maybe you’d like to take a really spectacular, luxury vacation (instead of penny pinching). Put your whole family on a private jet, or a cruise. Be able to send your kids to college without worry or debt. Maybe be able to move up to a better home yourself. And maybe you privately, deep-down wonder whether or not you’ve got what it takes to do these things. I understand; I was there myself. In fact, in 1978 when I came to work for Dick Thompson as a sales rep. he believed in me and gave me my “big break.” I’m certain that for many this will be your big break! So, don’t delay, Fax the Enrollment Form NOW to 253-859-7300 OR register online at www.makeyouhappy.com/expo.asp