Harold C. Lloyd

With more than 25 years of experience in retailing, Harold C. Lloyd is one of the retail industry's most popular and innovative speakers. He strives to give audiences that "Push in the Right Direction" toward their goals and success. Harold provides practical solutions to the issues that retailers confront every day in their stores such as sales, customer service, management and time management.

Lloyd is a graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and holds an MBA with honours from the University of Chicago. He has been the president of a company with 1,000 employees and 14 stores and was a franchisee of the 3-unit, award-winning family restaurant group. He has acted as a consultant and mentor to retailers.

Lloyd authored the time management book It's About Time and his most recent book, Am I the Leader I Need to Be? helps managers and leaders improve their Leadership Quotient and find their Genuine Leader.

Through his practical ideas, dynamic presentation style, interaction and sense of humour, Harold C. Lloyd has earned a reputation as a highly regarded professional. This is reflected in his top ratings at numerous appearances at such prestigious events as the Food Marketing Institute Convention held each May in Chicago. Lloyd continuously updates his presentations to keep his subject matter fresh, and audiences seem to appreciate new solutions to their new problems.

• Merchandising Magic II

  Millions of customers enter our stores each week. Advertising, habit, and impulse bring them in but what makes them stay? And what impacts their behavior while inside the store? In short, why do they buy what they buy and how can we get them to buy more? Trying to figure this out with reliable data to back it up is like herding cats.
  
  Nevertheless, we observed over 1,000 customers in several stores across the United States in an attempt to learn some answers to these questions. Can we influence shoppers to stay longer, cover more sq. footage and buy more?
  
  Learn how a customer traffic study will change the way you merchandise your aisles and grow sales. We've discovered some simple tactics that can positively impact your customers' movement through the store and their buying behavior. Come see what we've learned.
  
  Length: 60 minutes - 3 hours

• 10 of the Best Private Label Promotions Ever

  One of the most talked about strategies to compete in retailing today is through an aggressive Private Label Program. Bottles, boxes, cans, and jars are all the same in all the stores UNTIL you put YOUR name on it. A "signature line" of products that no one else has. A "legal monopoly".
  
  But what are the most effective ways to promote a Private Label Program? this session will showcase 10 of the Best Private Label promotions ever. Some are imaginative, others are text book basic. All work with high powered results.
  
  This session is ideal for store managers, buyers and category managers, and all top executives responsible for driving private label sales.
  
  Length: 60 minutes - 3 hours

• The Top 10 Most Common Store Design Mistakes And How to Fix Them

  It's been said, "Build it and they will come." But will they stay? And more importantly, will they come back?
  
  Designing a store is a complex process that should blend the thoughts of management with the demands of today's customers. Why then, are there design features in stores today that drive customers crazy and or out of the store?
  
  This session attempts to identify 10 common store design mistakes and ways to remedy them.
  
  This session is most appropriate for store owners, company executives, store designers, and store managers.
  
  Length: 60 minutes - 3 hours

• In Search of Freshness (Store-wide)

  How do customers define 'Fresh'? What are they looking at when they judge a store "really fresh" or "not exactly?" Hundreds of interviews have yielded some key flashpoints in a store that impact its fresh image the most.
  
  Learn about these flashpoints and ways to merchandise them to your advantage in your quest to differentiate yourself from the competition.
  
  Length: 60 minutes - 3 hours

• 10 Top Retailers... 10 Top Tactics to Top Last Year's Sales

  How do they do it...and keep on doing it? Walgreens, Publix, Southwest, Costco...seems they never have bad (sales) news to report.
  
  The common denominator among these perennial leaders is that they all have the enviable advantage of "owning" (at least) 5 Strategic Points of Difference that are solidly positioned atop the minds of their customers. This session will highlight each company's 5 Strategic Points of Difference and demonstrate how they are used to "wow" their customers.
  
  The goal of this seminar is to inspire the attendees to develop their own Strategic 5 Points of Difference and to give them the tools to do it in the days, months, and years ahead.
  
  Target Audience:
  Senior retail managers, service merchandisers, and manufacturer's representatives will be entertained and enlightened by the retailing principles showcased in this seminar.
  
  Length: 60 minutes - 3 hours

• Uh Oh! Here Comes The Super Center! What's Next?

  It has been said, "If you are forced to make major operational changes in the face of an imminent, new competitor, especially a super center, it is probably too late."
  
  Our research has identified 10 key qualifiers which must be adroitly managed in order to survive a Super Center's onslaught!
  
  This session is a quantitive self-assessment. It will measure the likelihood of survival when the Big Box chooses to nestle in your neighborhood. So, before it's too late, learn where to spend your time, energy, and money in an effort to develop a truly defensible market position.
  
  The issues addressed will benefit owners, industry executives, and store managers.
  
  Length: 60 minutes - 3 hours

• Creating A Great First & Lasting Impression

  The first and last impressions of your store have almost nothing to do with your products or your prices. In fact, a large part of your store's image is formed out in the parking lot and around the checkout area.
  
  So, what message is your store sending? Friendly or apathetic? Clean or cluttered? High priced or competitive? Fun or boring? The images go on and on. But do they complement your desired marketing strategy? You do have control over the image you're sending but are you conveying your desired image?
  
  This session will look at fabulous and fatal first and lasting store impressions and offer suggestions on how to deliver appropriate and desirable messages to your customers.
  
  The issues addressed will benefit owners, industry executives, and store managers.
  
  Length: 60 minutes - 3 hours

• Why Restaurants Are Winning

  Any competitor is worth watching. But one who has successfully eroded your business for over a decade is one to study. The restaurant industry is unique to its supermarket cousins in many distinct and enviable ways. Like a football team who may be bigger or faster, restaurants possess traits that will allow them to dwarf supermarket growth long into the future unless more is done.
  
  Harold's background as a supermarket operator and now as a restaurant owner has allowed him to make the close comparisons and to suggest some of the clues as to why the restaurants have grown so consistently at the expense of the supermarket industry.
  
  Length: 60 minutes - 3 hours

• Creative Ways They Rip You Off!

  With our relentless focus on sales, it might be a good idea for us to revisit the latest methods thieves are using to fleece us out of our profits.
  
  Holding on to a bigger percentage of what we already have has always been more cost effective than trying to build new business. But do you watch the back door? Or the front door? And now they're using the internet and who knows what else.
  
  Attend this session and learn where the holes are in your profit bucket and ways to plug them.
  
  Length: 90 minutes - 3 hours

• How To

  Unlike the Energizer Bunny, our employees don't seem to keep on going and going and going. They need to be recharged regularly and in different ways. Some need a push to make their budgets. Others need added inspiration just to show up each day.
  
  So, how do savvy managers energize their staff? By "incentivizing" them with specific rewards for above average performance - that can take the form of a pat-on-the-back, cash, time off, and opportunities for personal development.
  
  This stimulating session, designed for operations executives and store managers will be a unique blend of lecture, case study, and group participation. The goal of the session is to develop a thorough list of practical, effective methods of "incentivizing" your individuals on your team.
  
  Length: 90 minutes - 3 hours

• Promoting A More Positive Price Perception

  In a period when protecting an already razor thin bottom line is crucial to survival, retailers are not as anxious to roll back prices in response to a competitive threat as in years past.
  
  Yet, recent FMI research suggests that price has made a dramatic rise toward the top of the list of reasons why shoppers choose a particular store. How can a retailer handle this seemingly Catch-22 scenario?
  
  In this session, we will look at numerous creative ways in which you can create a more positive low price image without lowering prices. So "if perception is reality," this session offers you great hope to give your customers more of what they want without giving them more of what you can't afford.
  
  Owners, company executives, and store managers will benefit from the concepts and ideas in this timely, thought-provoking session.
  
  Length: 75 minutes - 3 hours

• Fishin' For Sales?... Better Bait The Hook

  Minimal inflation, myriad new competitors, and merchandisers preoccupied with ECR, ABC, and category management... or worse, downsizing or merger-mania... no wonder sales are flat with few encouraging trends in sight. Meanwhile, your customers are being subjected to a shopping environment more and more devoid of sizzle. This tendency to move toward "plain vanilla" merchandising plays right into the hands of your competitors; the category killers, niche marketers and on-line operators.
  
  Get in-store merchandising techniques that stimulate more consumer spending and maximize sales.
  
  Discover merchandising ideas that can be effectively implemented in 1, 10 or 100 days.
  
  Learn ways to invigorate associates with new and exciting ways to sell.
  
  Length: 75 minutes - 3 hours

• Merchandising Magic

  Old ideas not working as well as they once did? Is your business in serious need of a mega dose of some sort of stimulant?
  
  The core of this session includes successful merchandising ideas from around the world readily adaptable to your operations. A very special segment will be devoted to teaching a proven method for successful implementation of these practical and effective ideas beginning with your next manager's meeting.
  
  This stimulating session is a must for owners, store managers, and merchandisers who are tired of the same ole' anemic merchandising techniques.
  
  Length: 90 minutes - 3 hours

• Drilling Down For Dollars

  Some merchandising ideas to build sales are so obvious we sometimes smack ourselves in the head and say "Why didn't I think of that?"
  
  Other ideas are more intricate. They require a plan and careful execution to achieve a sales lift.
  
  This session drills down through 3 levels of effort: (easy, moderate, and involved). The good news is that all of the ideas work and require little more than a passion for retailing and a desire to try something new.
  
  This newly developed session is a must for owner/operators and store managers who want to give their organization a boost in business.
  
  Length: 90 minutes - 3 hours

• RETAIL PRESENTATIONS
  Customer Feedback... The Breakfast Of Champions

  Most would agree that staying in close contact with the consumer is critical in determining their needs and wants. Yet, few businesses utilize the most fundamental customer feedback methods on a consistent basis.
  
  This presentation showcases 10 affordable feedback methods which could be easily and quickly implemented. Once in place, the business owner can react more quickly to recover from challenging customer service issues which inevitably arise.
  
  Length: 60 minutes - 2 hours

• Getting A.R.M.E.D. For Battle

  Struggling to get by has never been an appealing strategic plan. Struggling to get by only buys you time and not a lot of it. In today's competitive retail world, it is wise to get A.R.M.E.D.
  
  This descriptive acronym stands for: ·Affiliate with outside resources
  ·Renovate your fixed assets
  ·Motivate your people with a motivating work environment
  ·Educate Yourself continuously
  ·Differentiate your business from the competitors in your marketplace
  This session will look at each letter of the acronym and why it is so important in retailing today. Attendees will be presented with several ideas to use back home in order to become better A.R.M.E.D. for battle.
  
  Length: 60 minutes - 3 hours

• The Next 3 Years... Strategize Or Agonize

  "To Fail to Plan is to Plan to Fail" the old adage goes. With all the new retail formats encroaching on your turf there might never be a more appropriate time to consider a serious attempt at Strategic Planning.
  
  This session has an easy-to-understand approach to Strategic Planning and how to make it a part of your company's culture. No college degree is required here, just a willingness to commit some management time to making your future less chaotic and more fun and profitable.
  
  This topic is a must for owner/operators, company presidents, and all leaders who want to give their organization the direction it needs to survive and grow in the years ahead.
  
  Length: 60 minutes - 3 hours

• Here Comes the Future. Will I Survive?

  The participant will be asked 10 questions. Answers to the various questions will provide some objective insight into the future viability of the retailer's organization. This fast-paced and revealing session is a great keynote and is sure to be provocative to all who attend.
  
  Length: 60 minutes - 3 hours

• It's About Time

  This session is about time - how it's wasted and how it can be used more effectively. We will analyze the bad habits some managers have that waste time, and share many time saving techniques identified in the diaries of highly rated and profit-oriented managers.
  
  If you frequently find yourself wishing a day was 26 hours long or that there were 8 days a week, this session may be time well spent.
  
  Length: 60 minutes - 3 hours

• Help Wanted! BUILDING The Team of Your Dreams

  Finding good help has never been easy. With the short supply of employable candidates, the only viable alternative today is to BUILD YOUR OWN. Admittedly, BUILDING is more involved than BUYING good help. But the good news is, BUILDING creates more associate loyalty and a stronger organization.
  
  The skills needed for BUILDING the team you have always wanted must include: ·Presenting an inspiring, compelling ORIENTATION program.
  ·COMMUNICATING regularly with associates.
  ·Affecting behavior with a constructive DISCIPLINE process.
  ·RECOGNIZING above average performance.
  ·Setting challenging goals during PERFORMANCE REVIEWS.
  Incorporating these 5 skills will definitely work to BUILD the team you have always dreamed of. This session is appropriate for all who manage others.
  
  Length: 60 minutes - 3 hours

• Am I The Leader I Need To Be?

  Most leaders have asked themselves this question at one time or another. Getting a clear, objective, and quantifiable answer, up till now, has been a real challenge. Whether leading a committee, a department, a church group, a little league team, or a small business, Genuine Leaders excel in 10 distinct and measurable areas. This seminar clearly identifies the 10 common qualities Genuine Leaders tend to possess.
  
  In a step-by-step process, you will quantifiably determine your "leadership score." More importantly, you will identify the specific qualities you'll need to improve to "raise your score" in the future.
  
  This session has incredible take away value and promises to deliver a powerful push in the right direction for all those who participate.
  
  Length: 60 minutes - 3 hours

• GENERAL PRESENTATIONS
  Cover All Four Bases To Achieve Superior Customer Relations

  Customer service is a vital component in the value equation customers expect from the business they patronize. Yet, rarely does even the most mundane customer service program, such as walking a customer to an item, achieve 90% compliance at store level. Why? Few operators take time to: ·Determine what the customer really wants from us. They guess!
  ·Select and perfect a finite number of personalized, impactful Customer Service programs. They shotgun!
  ·"Sell" these programs to their people. They dictate!
  ·Benchmark and celebrate their success. They assume!
  This session explains how to avoid these mistakes and achieve the distinctly powerful competitive advantage of Superior Customer relations.
  
  Length: 60 minutes - 3 hours

• Harold is the only speaker we've had that consistently changes his presentation, again and again! He is a great teacher and very engaging, which is why, we keep bringing him back!
  Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers
• Just want to drop you a line and let you know how much we appreciated your presentation at our educational seminar. The comments we are receiving are incredible. Your enthusiasm, heart, and ability to relate were much appreciated. Thanks - you were GREAT!
  Crosset Company
• There's a reason that we've had you on our program for seven of the last seven years: You're Good! In fact, you're much better than good - you're terrific - and this year was no exception...
  International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association
• Walking in I expected it to be a waste of time and it turned out to be one of the best sessions of the convention.
  Le Creuset of America
• Whenever you're around us Publix folks, our emotions rise and we just go crazy. Needless-to-say, the energy level was at an all-time high as you brought people to their feet. We hung on your every word, and I just wanted you to know how much we appreciated your presentation at this monumental meeting.
  Publix Super Markets, Inc.
• Not only was the subject matter perfect for all these professionals, you also lighten up the audience with your quick and witty one liners.
  Carolina Turkeys
• WOW! We're pumped and ready to go! I've found the most difficult thing is trying to decide which five ideas I want to implement first!
  Buehler Food Markets, Inc.
• I must again admit I really wasn't looking forward to another motivational speaker but I must say you are in a league of your own. In my twenty-five years in the grocery business I have attended many, many seminars touting how great they were. I would challenge anyone to find someone as interesting, informative, and motivating as I found you.
  Southwest Food Services
• I truly appreciated your desire to research and understand our company so that you could tailor your message towards the needs of the group. Your topics such as unquestionable honesty, respect for individuals along with your overall passion for leadership, aligned with our principals and values perfectly.
  Cabela's

• 
  January 2008

  Am I the Leader I Need to Be?

  
  
• 
  January 1996

  It's About Time: a Time Management Tool Chest for Retailers