Meat + Poultry - February 2006 - 25

SMARTER
SAUSAGE PROCESSING
and the local economy improving
slightly, Close expects customers to
return. "But its going to take a little
effort on our part to entice them back
in," she adds.
The business may manufacture Old
World products, but it is using new world
technology such as the Internet and email to sell them. The Sausage Shoppe's
Web site is updated weekly to let customers know what specials are offered.
Carol keeps a binder with customers' names, phone numbers, e-mail
addresses and favorite products. She'll
pour through the list and contact them
to let them know about the monthly
specials or when their favorite products
are available. For instance, if Norm is
making a batch of German wieners
with cheese, the Sausage Shoppe's
customers who like them will be noti-

fied of their availability. "I'll tell them
the products are available, and I'll ask
them if they want me to hold some for
them," Carol says.
One thing the business is careful not
to do, Close says, is over market. For
instance, she doesn't want to inundate
customers with e-mails. "We want to
make sure our e-mails are informative
and that we're not just sending one to
send one," she says.
The Sausage Shoppe is also marketing specialty hams to help increase
sales. The boneless, fully cooked
smoked ham is the creation of Millard Sheffler, who formerly operated
Sheffler's Meats in nearby Canton,
Ohio. Sheffler, who closed his business
in 2001, taught Norm how to make the
award-winning ham and it has been a
hit at The Sausage Shoppe.

In addition, the business once again
advertises in the city's newspaper.
Shortly before New Year's Day, the
business offered a deal where customers could get two pounds of sauerkraut
with a purchase of kielbasa.
Tradition rules
The recent business hiccups have
taught the Heinles how to be more
efficient business people. Before the
construction, The Sausage Shoppe
offered full lines of most all of its
products. But during the construction, when those full lines weren't
selling, the Heinles had to reduce
production. Today, the business continues this strategy. "We only make
certain products at certain times of
the month," Norm says.
But if an out-of-town customer calls

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Meat + Poultry - February 2006

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