the good humor man, a tale of hot summers long ago

The Good Humor Man, a tale of hot summers long ago.

Preface / Introduction

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Table of Contents

1. In the good old summertime. How to keep your profits sky-high in June, August, and July. 2. The Good Humor Man, a tale of hot summers long ago. 3. In the good, old summertime, prepare for the fall sales season, because that's where the money'sat.

In the good old summertime. How to keep your profitssky-high in June, August, and July. by Dr. Jeffrey Lant

Author's program note. To get you in just the proper state of bliss for this article, search any searchengine for that peppy Gay 'Nineties style toe tapper, "In the good old summertime." Released in1949George Evans -- music; Ren Shields -- lyrics. I like Nat King Cole's snazzy rendition.

Admit it, with Summer of 2011 at hand, you're happy... especially if you've been suffering through aparticularly bad and prolonged winter and punk spring as we in New England have. Yeah, catching afew rays at the beach looks real good about now... as does some Jimmy Buffett margaritas whiledoing absolutely nothing except swing in the hammock. Sign me up!

There is, of course, one fly in the ointment; there always is. And that fly is the little matter of yourbusiness... and the usual expenses that never seem to take a vacation. The question before this(beach) house is this: what can you do to make cool profits when the temperature's hot. Dude, you'vecome to the right place for some sure-fire ways to sell your cake and eat it, too.

1) Recognize you've got a problem.

Most businesses (except seasonal ones) experience sales slow-downs and slumps after MemorialDay up to about a week or so after Labor Day; that is for non-USA readers from the last week-endof May until the first couple weeks of September. Your customers are planning on doing some of thesame Buffett-style cavorting that you've got in mind... and if that diminishes your profits and givesyou some cash problems, so what! They want to parteeee, just like you!

2) Check your sales stats for the previous summer.

Get the hard numbers. How bad was last year's summer doldrums? That'll give you a helpfulbenchmark for what you need this summer... and the dimensions of the seasonable slow-down youneed to make up, for the sake of your peace of mind, to say nothing else.

3) Get your stats together ASAP.

You're already behind the eight ball for these data; Memorial Day, after all, has come and gone andthat is the unofficial start of summer. If you haven't got your profit rescue plan together by now,you've got some midnight oil to burn to catch up. Remember, if you're like most businesses (eventhe best established and successful), the advent of Memorial Day signifies the advent of those(gently we trust) slack profits that make us all nervous, especially in these economically soft times,the result of our last great recession.

4) Check the great (buy now) sales offers you made for last summer and the summer before.

You've got detailed information on the sales they made for you, don't you? Well? The first rule ofbusiness life is never, ever re-invent the wheel. Check out your offers; what worked for bringing inthe bucks? It may well make sense to re-use what you've already successfully done. Unlesscircumstances have dramatically changed, revise ads that have worked for you, bringing them up todate.

5) Offers, offers, better offers.

The key to your summer sales and keeping profits high is making good, limited time offers. Thisdoesn't mean just good offers; it means the best offers you can make. That's where the money is.

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You may think the customer is getting a deal that's "too good". Get rid of that pesky thought at once.I'm not going to hand you some sanctimonious line about the crucial importance of keepingcustomers happy and getting them to buy over and over again. You already know that.

No, the reason for making extraordinary, never-seen-before offers, is -- you. You need the moneyand the peace of mind that accompanies it. So spectacular offers throughout the summer aremandatory. From right now!

6) Make more offers.

Yah, I told you this already. Why then am I repeating myself? Because the offer is absolutelycrucial, and you must treat it as such.

Towards this end, make sure you keep all the special offers you make this summer; make sure eachis accompanied by the exact sales stats. That's your clue about whether you should offer them againtowards the end of summer; or for your consideration next year.

7) Offer "best customer" deals... and be aggressive about promoting them.

Chances are if your business is in pretty good shape, you've become (sad to say) a tad lazy aboutmarketing. You may even have "take-it-for-granted -- itis", and that costs you, especially during thesummer when, whatever the temperature in your neck of the woods, you've got to hustle! "Bestcustomer" deals are tailor-made for this situation.

Take the time, now (remember unofficial summer has already begun), to brainstorm extra goodoffers for your best customers. The more the merrier. Remember, you need cash and you need ityesterday. Your best customers already support you liberally; they can support you even moreliberally. That is, if you make the really motivating offers that get them to take notice -- and spend!

8) Call your best customers... and make time every day to talk live to and give these people yourdazzling customer service (and, of course)... offers.

These days lots of businesses, use the phone for nothing more than taking incoming calls and callingthe cleaner to see if they've got fresh clothes for tomorrow. In other words, old style personaltreatment via the phone is about as dead as thank-you notes. But not chez vouz. It's time to provethat you never forget how to ride a bike, er, make sales on the phone. Note: in case I forgot tomention... every phone conversation should, at the very least, be followed by some dazzling offersmade via email. But you already know that.

9) Get a jump on your (probably) busier fall sales season. With the best will in the world and lots ofaction, you may still come up a few bucks short of your usual quarterly profits Be prepared!

If you can't keep your profits up during the summer months to their accustomed levels, don'tdespond. Prepare now; improve fall sales. This means, you guessed it, even more offers. You needto be one busy locomotive, dreaming up great offers, seeing what your competitors are doing,keeping the necessary stats, and also preparing to re-use what works.

10) Use any doldrums to perfect your sales machine.

When I go out and about, I am an inveterate scrutinizer of ad copy and whatever the establishmentin question is doing for marketing. You must do the same, always anxious and eager to upgrade yourcrucial marketing machine. Become a marketing snoop; remember, even the tiniest and mostlackluster business is doing something right. Your job is to find out what that is... then see whetheryour business could benefit from such techniques. You'll get a ton of great ideas this way... and themoney that follows your implementation.




Follow these sensible recommendations and your summer of 2011 will reach or even exceed some ofthose good old summertimes you have known... especially if you've got that tootie wootsie on yourarm, for that is indeed a very good thing!




The Good Humor Man, a tale of hot summers long ago.by Dr. Jeffrey Lant

Author's program note. To get into the mood of this article, I recommend searching any searchengine to find one old summer song that retains its toe-tapping zest. It's Mungo Jerry's 1970 hit "InThe Summertime." So timeless is this infectious little number that Hershey's, the chocolatiers, isusing it in a current (June, 2011) ad campaign. As Mungo says in the song, "Sing along with us." Myprediction is that you won't be able to help yourself... it's ok, when summer comes we're all youngagain... and just plain happy to be alive.

Two things that could not be denied inspired this article... first the oppressive record-setting heatwave here in New England, a phenomenon which turned all of us in the city from folks assiduouslyavoiding each other into sweltering fellow travelers, anxious to hear the latest news about possiblerelief... and having no hesitation or shyness about reaching out for news and the agreeableopportunity to be resoundingly banal, "Hot enough for you?"

The second thing that caught my attention was the trill of bells which sounded at first hearing justthe way the bells sounded from the Good Humor truck as it traversed the neighborhood, provingbeyond a doubt that all us Illinois kids had absolutely no hearing problems; we could hear thosebells across Guinness-Book-Of-Records distances... and nothing, but nothing, was going to get in theway of that truck and all of us making an absolutely certain rendezvous. It was clearly written in theBook of Kid Rights and Privileges, that it was our irrevocable and bounden duty to hear its bells,stop the wagon, and look long and hard for what a dime could get you. Personally, I was alwaysseduced by the orange creamsicles. I haven't seen, much less enjoyed one for decades... but as Iwrite, I am falling helplessly into the insistent consumer mode which marked all my encounters withthe mobile ice-cream emporium. The truck arrived; my money departed.

You need to be very clear about our relationship to Good Humor and its cascade of ice-creamnovelties. Kids we ceased to be when we saw the truck and reviewed our resources. We werepractised buyers, omniscient as to what was on that truck and what we fancied and would have,negotiators with proven skills, discerning, our "due diligence" certain, exhaustive, no doubtfrustrating to the college kid home for the summer who wore the company's uniform and drove thecompany's vehicle... Long-suffering, so young himself and barely out of the juvenile consumerthrong before him, he saw his profits melting as his pint-sized customers looked, looked again, madea decision, changed their mind, then looked some more...

It was a ritual, and no matter how many times you stopped the wagon, you performed it, loyally andwith care. It was, after all, part of the experience... and, besides, you knew, none better, that thecustomer (even the most dilatory) was always right. It was something your father told you that younever forgot.

Some facts about Good Humor.

As a card-carrying kid and loyal Good Humor customer I knew absolutely nothing about thecompany whose success hinged on the wishes and buying power of kids like me. The only thing Icared about was whether they had orange creamsicles (they always did)... and what new noveltiesthey had, putting them prominently at the front, the better to seduce me from my unending favorite;I have to admit I was always willing to try the new offerings, particularly if they came with the lureof that magic word: "deal" and a handful of discount coupons, which soon expired but could be seenmonths later under refrigerator magnets.

So ignorant then about my favorite company, I felt obliged for this article to rectify the matter... and




so I have. Originally, Good Humors were a product, chocolate coated ice cream bars on a stick; Iloved these too and regarded it as my particular job to ensure Grammie always had a good supply;since she loved them, too, my job was never onerous. Grammie and Grampa had great power andinfluence on Good Humor drivers. One never-to-be-forgotten day, Grampa who (I now know) had atalent for the right gesture at the right time, peremptorily stopped the wagon when the supply ofice-cream had run low at a birthday party Grammie was hosting for one of my young cousins. Witha practised gesture I can see to this day, he ordered the wagon to stop... and invited all the guestsyoung and old to take their pick of the inventory. When the impressed and jubilant driver had donehis work, Grampa tipped him liberally, it may even have been $20, a fortune. Grampa was a darkhorse in such gestures; he didn't make them often (for he was a good penny-pinching, investingHanoverian) but when he did... people noticed, winked, and said "Good Old Walt," with just theright amount of admiration. They knew, and in due course all the grandchildren knew, that under hisgruffness, an art form, there was a man who knew just when to be lavish with ice-cream... orwhatever was called for.

Good Humor, having found success with Good Humor bars, did what all successful businesses do: itadded new products, always using America's kiddoes as ground zero for testing and launching newproducts. Good Humor started in Youngstown, Ohio in the 'twenties; by the mid-'thirties it coveredmost of the nation. Catering to the national sweet tooth and a love-affair with ice-cream that stillseems inexhaustible, Good Humor flourished, until at its peak in the 1950s, the company operated2,000 "sales cars".

But the tribal ways of Good Humor, which I knew to my fingertips, were under threat; babyboomers like me grew up and put aside Good Humor along with the baseball glove and "Mad"magazine.. There were labor issues, costs increased, gasoline and insurance soared. And profitsdeclined.

In 1961, Good Humor was acquired by Thomas J. Lipton, the US subsidiary of the internationalUnilever conglomerate. Sad but true, in 1978 the company sold its fleet, and an era truly came to anend. Distribution was then handled by grocery stores and independent street vendors. By 1984, GoodHumor was profitable again... and (from 1989) growing. Gold Bond Ice Cream, that included thePopsicle brand, was acquired... and in due course Isaly Klondike and the Brewers Ice CreamCompany. Nine plants nationwide work hard keeping up with the demand. (I confess I love Brewerschocolate ice-cream whose taste rivals more expensive brands.) I am glad that they prosper, forhaving lost creamsicles, I can ill afford to lose any more flavors... or a single memory.

Having completed this article, I shall allow myself the luxury (though it is very early on a Sunday)to reward myself with an ice-cream flavor I did not previously know, peach cobbler. It's by Ben &Jerry,whose flavors I cherish, though their politics are intrusive and unappealing.

I am glad the store is handy... I am glad I won't have to wait for the ice-cream truck to come, alwayslate, increasing my impatience.

And I am glad I have shared this story with you. For while there have been many vicissitudes atGood Humor... the only thing that really matters, the ice-cream itself, abides, perfect for a hotsummer's day like the one just dawning. And that is good to know and to share with a friend.




In the good, old summertime, prepare for the fall salesseason, because that's where the money's at. By Dr. Jeffrey Lant

Author's program note. In 1949, America's darling, Judy Garland, starred in a big budget MGMmusical called "In the Good Old Summertime". It was all twirling parasols, Sunday at the gazebo inthe park with the grandly uniformed band playing Sousa marches, and, of course, innocent romances.The word "tootsie-wootsie" was coined... and we all wanted to know one we could take to the churchice-cream social.

But before you get all gussied up in your best bib and tucker, there's work to do, very importantwork... making headway on the most important task of all: preparing for that absolutely crucial fallsales season, relentlessly on its way; the season starting just after Labor Day in early September...and concluding the minute you lock up and go home to celebrate Christmas with your family.

Successfully handling the fall sales season, the highlight of your business, is a must... for, after all,you're going to need a lot of extra cash this year... "tootsie-wootsie's" (of either the female or malevariety) are never cheap. So, don't stint on the planning...

To help you get into the mood, go to any search engine. Find Judy Garland's tune and play it acouple of times. Then, while the lilt of the music washes over you, begin what needs to be done forthe most successful fall of your life. And don't dilly-dally either, or all the lemon sorbet will be gonebefore you put on your straw boater and head for that social where you, known to be anup-and-coming business wiz, will make. such a good impression...

Here's a helpful check-list to get you on your way:

1) Start today.

As I write (July 19, 2011) a blistering heat wave is causing large parts of America to swoon. Youneed to rise above the shimmering heat and FOCUS. He (or she) who hesitates is lost. Remember,you plan in the summer... and implement your plan in the fall. If you don't plan until fall, you willfind yourself in the impossible situation of planning and executing your plan at the same time. Andthat's a killer.

2) Conclude all training programs as soon as possible.

Summer is and always has been a superb time to learn new business skills. But learning them meansexactly that; not a time for dawdling and procrastinating, which you can easily do if the course isself-paced, as so many are these days. Put yourself on a strict deadline for completion... and stick toit.

3) Set up your blog and begin to stockpile articles for it. Summer's a great time to bulk-up on articlesso that you're not scrambling for copy, when you need to be circulating it.

You should always have at least half a dozen such articles readily at hand, punchy, well-writtenarticles that will get your customers to stop what they're doing and read your latest effusion.

4) Work on creating and testing offers that pull the best.

You need offers that pull in maximum business, and the summer is the perfect time to create -- andtest -- them. This testing is a must. The worst thing you can do is amble into the fall withoutknowing you've got offers that sell on hand and ready to go.




Review the top offers you've already made this year. Can you reprise any, editing, tweaking,improving for the best possible results? And be sure to check the offers you made last fall. You didkeep good statistics on results, didn't you? That's crucial, so you invest your always limited adbudget where it'll do you the most good.

5) Work on increasing your traffic.

For years I have said "The list is the business, the business is the list." On the Internet, the operativeword for list is "traffic". With it, you're lord of all you survey; without it, you're just a schlepperwithout a prayer.

Every successful Internet entrepreneur I know (and few people in the world know more) has a dailytraffic plan, which they are rightly obsessed with creating, improving and implementing. Thesepeople know how to create the solid-gold lists that deliver ever improving results and how to presentoffers so that the people on these lists just cannot resist responding -- and buying.

Still more tips!

6) Review your website. Are you happy with the way it looks, or is it time for some refurbishmentand remodeling?

The website that looked so good and eye-catching yesterday may well be in need of some overdueimprovements today. If you can make them, fine; if you can't contact your web designer at once.Remember, as the fall approaches these talented folks are very in demand. Book your time as soonas possible.

7) Add new products to your website.

Every business in the world adds new products to its line in time for the fall sales season, and youmust do the same.

Now's the moment to review your product line and add the hot new products you've found.

Don't have any such products? Then you've got to shake a leg and get down to the importantbusiness of finding them... and making the necessary arrangements with their suppliers. And don'twait to do this... you should spend a part of every day discovering, reviewing and adding newproducts to your website.

8) Check all your business supplies.

Have you got toner and paper aplenty for your printer? What about business cards, stationery,envelopes, checks, pens and file folders? (I am always running out of these).

Review everything you need. You don't want to be caught short, scrambling to re-up when youshould be focusing, always focusing, on SALES.

9) Let your customers know your fall availability is dwindling.

If you provide a specialized service where you can only handle so many customers at a time, notifyyour prospects and established customers at once that your availability is shrinking and that theyneed to book time for your service now.

Send a reminder to these folks every other week or so until you have no further appointments leftand are in waiting list mode. Always make it clear just how little time remains; scarcity motivateseven the worst procrastinators to act.

10) Review your personnel requirements. Remember you can't do everything yourself... too much to




do, way too little time in which to do it. Make sure you have the help you need and that you andthey are both clear on what needs to be done and whether your help will be available to assist.

Remember, if you need extra help, advertise early to find and train it, so everything moves smoothlywhen you need it to do so.

Last words.

Every successful person I know is a planning fanatic. I'm one myself. Planning (and this includesreviewing and updating your plan as necessary) is a must... especially before the crucial fall salesseason.

After you've advanced your plan today, by all means spruce yourself up, put on that poplin jacketand the eye-catching chapeau and white duck trousers or navy blue skirt and blouse with muttonsleeves. It's time for you to mix and mingle for you have places to go and people to meet... After all,everyone wants to make the acquaintance of a likely comer like you, always so organized, efficient,and productive. And that's a very good sign.... in the good old summertime... or any other time!




ResourceAbout the Author Harvard-educated Dr. Jeffrey Lant is CEO of Worldprofit, Inc., providing a widerange of online services for small and-home based businesses. Dr. Lant is also the author of 18best-selling business books.

Republished with author's permission by Howard Martell http://HomeProfitCoach.com.



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the good humor man, a tale of hot summers long ago

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