Advice on how to attract and keep customers was doled out to a lively audience last week as more than 50 people attended the Economic Empowerment Zones Agency (EEZA) seminar targeted to retailers and vendors.The two-hour seminar provided entrepreneurs with tips and strategies to better manage their businesses from several local business owners who shared their paths to success.Amir X of Gino Group, who also facilitated the BEDC Retail Development Programme last year, kicked off the seminar with an interactive presentation about the importance of customer service.Amir encouraged attendees to remember: “people try to make customer service something fancy but really it’s just a day-in, day-out, simple attitude towards people. Good customer service is essential to a good business.”Jan Quinn, owner of The Lost Treasure and Kelli Thompson of Saltwater Jewellery Design also presented on practical tips to start and manage a vending business.Ms Quinn reviewed how vendors should determine what to sell, where to sell it and to whom to sell their products.Ms Thompson added that the presentation of products and consistency as a vendor is also important. “If you tell your customer that you will be vending at a certain time and place, you must be there every time as consistency is key to building your business,” she said.Tony Thompson and Tori Simons of Gibbons Company were next up to share tips on the importance of visual merchandising.Mr Thompson’s presentation helped to break down some of the tricks that large retail stores, like Mango, use to help sell their products including, utilising creative and attractive window displays as the first way to capture a customer’s attention to get them into the store.Mr Thompson advised attendees to focus on the five senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste when trying to determine how best to merchandise your store or display.Ms. Simons offered a visual example of how to best dress a mannequin to appeal to customers. If done right, Ms Simons suggested that you can encourage customers to purchase most if not all of the items on display.Additionally Damon Hollis of the Bermuda Police Service also presented who shared information regarding how to detect counterfeit money and what to do if you suspect that someone is intentionally trying to pass counterfeit bills.For more information on this seminar or any additional services, please contact 292-5570 or visit www.bedc.bm.