Here’s an early Christmas gift to end a dark year on a bright note.

The best business book I ever read was the Holy Bible. I turn to it for guidance in times like these.

Remember how Joseph advised the pharoah to store grain during 7 fat years because 7 lean years were coming? Too much or too little inventory can kill your business.

Retailers are rediscovering that right now. They were offering a wide variety of colors, sizes and shapes in their merchandise before covid-19 hit.

All that variety demanded big investments in inventory. It also made buying decisions more difficult for their customers,

Research has shown that if you offer customers a dozen varieties of a product, they are less inclined to buy than if you offered only 3 – or only 1.

Auto pioneer Henry Ford had it right. He told customers they could have a Ford in any color as long it was black. He sold thousands of them.

Make Goldilocks offers: Some will be too hot, some too cold, but 1 will be just right. And your customers will buy the items that are just right for them.

We share such field-tested strategies in our 3-CD “Make Yourself a STAR (Someone They Always Remember)” audio manual.

For a special discount on a copy, email me at JerryBellune@yahoo.com by Dec. 12.