BLACK FRIDAY: Do You Have What It Takes?

Perhaps you have been tempted to see what all the fuss is about. Maybe, you have been roped into this by your young preteen daughter, as I had so many moons ago.   Or at long last, Kohl’s or JC Penney’s has that waffle iron for sale that makes waffles shaped like your state.  Perhaps Lowes has that 14’ foot pre-lit Martha Stewart inspired "perfect tree” for your “perfect” Christmas? If you are one of the first shoppers to arrive, you might receive an ornament or a coupon or a sample of some type of what I like to call “shiny distractions for the weak and novice”. Yes, if you are brave enough and as my husband used to say “crazy enough” ( savvy shopper please note that I said “used to”, LOL). If you think you have what it takes to win at Black Friday, well pull up a chair my friends, because I am going to tell you my secrets to Black Friday success.  And by success, I mean getting the items you want and not going to jail for fighting like a gladiator with that mean grandma for the very last $5 DVD of A Christmas Story.  Success means, if you take your OLDER kids (kids should be like 'teenager old', 12+, lol) and you trained your young Jedi to follow the rules, then maybe, Just Maybe you will keep your team intact and be able to head home victoriously!

To get into the proper mindset, I like to start off the holidays by watching that 1983 classic, Trading Places with Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd. Remember what Louis Winthorpe (Aykroyd) says to Billy Ray (Murphy) as they head into the stock exchange? If not, it’s okay. It’s the video intro to today’s blog. And if you don’t want to YouTube, well, here it is. Louis (as they approach the NY Stock Exchange):

"Think big, think positive, never show any sign of weakness. Always go for the throat. Buy low, sell high. Fear? That's the other guy's problem. Nothing you have ever experienced will prepare you for the absolute carnage you are about to witness. Super Bowl, World Series - they don't know what pressure is. In this building, it's either kill or be killed. You make no friends in the pits and you take no prisoners. One minute you're up half a million in soybeans and the next, boom, your kids don't go to college and they've repossessed your Bentley. Are you with me?"

That my friends is the type of war zone you are about to enter. Keep that happy smiling face in place no matter what obstacle (or misguided shopper) gets in your way!  Your confident (and slightly crazy) smile will incite fear in the weak and respect from the experienced fellow shoppers!  You just keep it up and encourage your team that this is FUN, FUN, FUN!  Even though we as shopping generals know that the real truth is, that this my friends, is war.  And the best way to win (as any good general will tell you) is to first identify your target and then prepare your troops!

Speaking of troops, choose your team in advance and choose wisely!  By Wednesday evening (Thanksgiving eve) you should know who will be going with you.  Seriously, only take people who REALLY want to go.  Don’t take someone who you know tires easily or whines a lot, because this is the shopping Olympics and they probably won’t have a lot of fun.  My very best Black Friday adventures have always been with my youngest daughter Kenna and her friends.  She has excellent people skills and is absolutely hilarious to be around. Her amazing sense of humor is the key to surviving, well, just about anything!

Take the time to have a nice Thanksgiving dinner with your family and friends and if at any point you are able to sneak in a little cat nap on Thursday, Just Do It!  That nap will really pay off later when you have to stay alert for the long night ahead.  After dinner and all that, put your game plan into action and meet with your team. 

In years past we would all meet up late on Thanksgiving night at my house.  But as stores are opening earlier and earlier (some are even starting at 2pm on Thanksgiving!), you need to decide what time is right for you and your team (and what will yield the best results for everyone). 

Make a master list of all items that your team wants.  Check for the best deals and availability. My new tip for the 2018 season? Be sure to download the “Honey” app on your phone for price/deal checking (several news reports recommended it, so I will also be downloading it tonight).  

Figure out which store is your primary target, this will be the one with the most items on sale that your team really wants.  Typically this will be like a Kohl’s, Target or maybe Best Buy.  You need to know the location well in advance, hours of their Black Friday sales, the availability of parking and then set a realistic time frame on just how fast your team can get in and out. Then map out the rest of the stores you want to go to (in order of importance).  Timing is key, you need to know the sale hours, but remember that certain items will only be available at specific times in some retail locations (like Target or Walmart).  Another trick to get you to spend more time and money in their store is to put items in other areas than where they normally would be located. For example, that broom vac that you really want might be hidden in the sporting goods section.  Check with the stores to see if they are doing this type of change up at their location.  If they are, they should be handing out store maps in the entryway or while you are waiting to get in (the faster you can scan the map and get to your desired items the better).  

When you enter the store, make sure everyone knows their job! Assign each person or pair specific item(s) to retrieve and a meeting spot near the registers.  Do not make the rookie mistake of dragging your entire team to get one item!  If you have a big enough crew, a very important strategic position is your 'Line Holder’ who will get in the checkout line when you first enter the store. That person is your team’s ticket to get out of the store quickly without wasting time.  If everyone does their job, you should be able to mobilize your team to get their items and make it back to the line holder within 10-12 minutes if they are rookies, I can do it in less than 5 minutes in most cases.  Once the entire team catches up with line holder, then you check out as a group and head out to the next store. Occasionally, this is where you may run in to some cranky people who complain that you are line jumping or are not playing fair, be polite and smile and move along. They are just jealous because you planned this out a little better.  Next year, their dad will be that line holder for them, it happens! LOL   

On a side note... Yes, I recommend being quick on your feet, but that does NOT mean you should EVER be running over or in any way harming other shoppers, stealing items or arguing over items. Nothing is worth the drama and stress! Smile and move on, keep it classy and set a good example for others!

Let’s take a minute to talk about those “big ticket” items like big screen TVs the size of your first apartment, gaming systems, and off-brand laptops for $89 bucks for example. Keep in mind that typically big box electronic retailers and specialty retailers will only have 8-10 of these items if they are lucky and most will have HALF that on Black Friday.  Don’t freak out because more inventory will be coming in the next few weeks leading up to Christmas! I have been able to score hard-to-get items before Christmas by simply asking a manager or assistant manager when the trucks bringing that item will be arriving next. If you are really good, you can get an assistant manager or store manager to even call you when the truck arrives! LOL. On Black Friday, you don’t want to compete with those die-hard electronics junkies who will skip Thanksgiving for a big ticket score by camping out in the parking lot for 3 or 4 days!  When it comes to big ticket items, remember just like Winter… Monday is coming and I’m talking CYBER MONDAY where you can get those big ticket items cheap and with free shipping in most cases.  Four years ago I went the online route and at 12:01 am, I managed to score a beautiful huge flat screen TV online for only $268 (inc. free shipping).  That is still one of my best shopping scores ever!  So if you can resist it, avoid the big ticket items and go for the more accessible items on Thursday & Friday.

| If Verizon is your cell phone provider, they are having a Thursday/Friday/Saturday only special on new cell phones. This sale will not repeat again during the holidays. So if they are your carrier and you want a new phone, call and make an appointment in advance, then go get that phone! They are not my carrier, but my roommate's, I just happened to overhear the salesperson and thought I'd share that tidbit. Phones which are normally $800-1000 will be going for $400. It's worth a call to save that kind of money. |

We all know that bargain wise, these deep discounts will be available now and throughout the holiday season as retailers try to get every penny they can. So why do we still go to the Black Friday sales? The truth is that for many of us it’s become a tradition. All that mad-dash bargain hunting, drinking that Starbucks mocha without spilling, chatting with people we just met while waiting in long lines, laughing and telling each other how we “won’t do this again next year” but always do, lol. My favorite memories are those late night/early morning laughing fits where everything is even funnier than usual and only you and your crew get the inside jokes. Let’s face it, this is not about the shopping, but the company and the memories you make that stay with you long after the holidays.  I know, I know, I probably scared some of you with my military-like techniques, lol, but you can do this Black Friday thing and make it enjoyable!  Good advanced strategic planning really helps takes the stress out of any situation. You know what your goals are and as long as you are able to keep your team happy and hydrated, you will be just awesome! 

Happy Holiday My Friends! Tara

Tara Duncan, Sales & Marketing Coordinator | NATIONAL CREDIT RESOURCES Phone   (844) 462-5700 or (844) GOAL700 | Direct Line (509) 212-8945 Email   [email protected] | Web  www.nationalcreditresources.com