Meet George Troy, author of The Five Laws of Retail

This entry is part [part not set] of 11 in the series Meet the Author

George and I worked together for a few years on building his social media presence before and up through the launch of his book.

Tell us a little bit about your book and business.

My book, The Five Laws of Retail: How the Most Successful Businesses Have Mastered Them and How You Should Too, explain the fundamental principals that will enable a business to succeed.

Why did you write your book?George Troy, Retail Consultant

I wanted to help people and also to share some great stories from the retail world.

How did you publish your book?

I traditionally published with Post Hill Press.

How did things change for you as an author in 2020 and how did you manage to weather through the year during the pandemic?

To be honest, not much changed. Writing is a mostly solitary activity that one can do almost anywhere.

What is your favorite book marketing tip?

Great social media support! An author has to speak with a strong and consistent voice across all channels.

What are your goals for 2021?

I am currently working on fiction for a regional periodical.

Where can readers find your book? The Five Laws of Retail

All sellers of on-line books including Barnes & Noble and Amazon. I also write a blog at my website.
I can be found on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

There is a lot of work to do even after a writing project is complete but you don’t have to do it all alone. Get great support from people who will really care about your message.

Bio

George Troy is widely read blogger, author, and consultant focused on retail business communities, including online and brick-and-mortar stores. He has enjoyed decades of real-life experience as a senior executive for some of the best-known and most successful retail companies in the US and globally. A specialist in apparel, footwear, sporting goods, cookware, and home furnishings, Troy has led the retail divisions of Deckers Outdoor (UGG Boots) and outlet divisions of Williams-Sonoma and Pottery Barn.

When he joined UGG Australia to create the brand’s retail channel, Troy directed all aspects of the business(merchandising, marketing, operations, real estate, store construction, and management), taking retail sales from $0 to $400 million in the US, Europe, and Asia in just eight years. Similarly, Williams-Sonoma and Pottery Barn brought Troy in to create and build the outlet channels for those brands. Here, too, he directed all aspects of store operations, including HR, marketing, real estate and construction, and merchandising.

Troy is currently a consultant with The Grayson Company based in New York, which offers a full range of consulting services to retail, e-commerce, wholesale, and omnichannel businesses as well as investment firms focused on the consumer sector. The Grayson Company’s CEO Kevin Mullaney says of Troy, “He has extraordinary expertise in field management, site selection, and lease negotiation, and equal capabilities in merchandising, particularly product development and assortment planning.”

Troy serves on the boards of directors of two nonprofit organizations based in the San Francisco Bay Area. When not writing about the retail world, Troy spends his time in garden-to-table cooking and also tends a small Pinot Noir vineyard. An avid hiker, he recently summited Mount Kilimanjaro with his family. He and his dog Farley are currently enrolled in the Canine Circus School of Emeryville learning to perform amazing dog tricks.

Troy earned a BA with honors from the University of California, Berkeley in Anthropology. He also holds a California State Teaching Credential.

 

Why This Consultant Hired a Social Media Consultant

George Troy, Retail Consultant, hire a social media consultantGeorge Troy is a retail consultant who wanted to hire a social media consultant. He supports a company’s direct retail ambitions and this usually involves several stages. The first stage is strategic planning: assessing opportunities and challenges, then setting strategic goals. Next comes executing a practical plan involving real estate selection and negotiation, store design, IT, HR, and financial support.

George is in the process of looking for a literary agent for his book, The Five Laws of Retail. When he first hired me as his social media consultant about 18 months ago (George says, “Doesn’t seem that long.”), he knew he needed help to be active and engaged on social media. His editor helped him get his book proposal ready to send to literary agents and George understood that the social media marketing section needed to be solid.

Two Specific Reasons George Hired a Social Media Consultant

  1. “I really just do not have the bandwidth or the time to be across all channels on a daily and weekly basis.”
  2. “I wanted to partner with someone in order to develop fresh ideas and keep my social media presence active.”

We discussed what type of ROI George expected. (This past year  followers on Twitter increased 1,234%, on Facebook 178%, on Instagram 242%, and on LinkedIn 237%.) George replied, “It’s an investment for the future.” Eventually George expects his published book will lend support to his consultancy business and that he will get speaking engagements, perhaps even TV appearances, and “become instantly rich and famous”. Okay, maybe not instantly.

To ensure George has a solid social media presence that attracts the attention of a literary agent, we set specific monthly and quarterly goals and generally perform well against them. As George says, “It seems to be working.”

If you’re ready to “YES” to the following questions, get started with our Peace of Mind Audit & Consultation.

  • Is your social media presence up to date?
  • Are you using the right images in the right places?
  • Will your intended audience get the message you want to convey?