When Mary Cassinelli moved her herbal products shop, DandelionBotanical Company, to its current Seattle location, she waslooking for a way to attract customers. Remembering that theseminars she held at her previous location always resulted inincreased sales, she ramped up her “edu-selling”efforts.

“We’ll reach more than 200 students this year,”says Cassinelli, 38.

Incorporating educational components like seminars,instructional videos, hand-outs and books into your retail shop isa great way to earn customers’ trust–and the increasedspending that comes with it, says Tom Shay, president of Profits Plus, aretail consulting firm in St. Petersburg, Florida. His tips:

• Start promoting seminars and classes at least amonth in advance. Use in-store signage, postcards and localadvertising.
• Keep customers in the know with demos, samplesand tutorials. “If they don’t know how to use whatyou’re selling, they’re not coming back,” saysShay.
• Get cash from the manufacturer. Shay saysmanufacturers are often eager to pitch in for programs that promotetheir products.