NAHFA Announces Spring 2015 High Point Market Seminars

Furniture World News Desk on 3/22/2015

The North American Home Furnishings Association (NAHFA) has announced its schedule for the 2015 High Point Spring Market Seminars, April 18-21, 2015. The NAHFA educational seminars, which are free to market-attendees, are held in the Retailer Resource Center (RRC), 222 S. Main Street, Plaza Suites, 1st floor.

Education is one of the top priorities of the Association and because of that NAHFA hosts seminars during both High Point and Las Vegas Markets in its RRC—a place designed to give retailers access to information, vendors, workshops, and speakers that can help improve and grow their businesses. Session topics include everything from sales and sales management to social media, operations, promotions, technology, and more.

“The RRC is always a hub of activity during market,” said NAHFA’s CEO, Sharron Bradley. “Retailers can come here to learn about new ideas in marketing or discover different ways to implement sales training or how to streamline their business with technology. This market is especially exciting for us because we are offering a seminar on our new membership program, Datalink.”
For more information about the NAHFA’s Retailer Resource Center or the seminars, please visit www.nahfa.org or call 800-422-3778.

A complete listing of the dates and times of NAHFA’s seminars follows:


SATURDAY APRIL 18,

8:30 - 9:30 A.M.
10 Steps to Improve Your Business Now
Philip Gutsell, GutSELL & Associates
Join Philip Gutsell for this seminar and learn 10 new things you can do to improve your business. You’ll learn how to identify and fix your weaknesses so you can develop a clear plan to recharge your business. These strategic steps will help you monitor your operations better and bring higher profits to your bottom line.

10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Developing a High Performance Sales Team
Joe Milevsky, JRM Sales Management
Finding and hiring the right people is a challenge, especially in our industry. What makes one salesperson succeed while others fail? What’s the magic profile for a top salesperson? Where can you find the best candidates and how do you recruit them? How do you help them succeed? How many salespeople is enough? How do you pay them? These are just a few of the questions Joe Milevsky will answer.

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Tech Tips: Sell More with Less Square Footage
Dan Wieczorek, Best Buy for Business
Square footage is expensive, so why not use the latest technology to your advantage and save money instead? We’ll demonstrate how you can showcase your entire online catalog, boost sales and enhance the customer experience using interactive touch panels. This cost-effective solution can also be used for digital signage and advertising that can be updated as often as you choose. Don’t miss out on a great opportunity to see, touch and interact with this exciting touch-screen technology.

1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
The Secret Sales & Marketing Tool You Should be Using
Jeff Giagnocavo, Infotail
If you’re selling face-to-face (like most of us are) this session will show you an often overlooked, yet highly effective, tool you need in your sales and marketing arsenal to crush your competition, dominate your local market, and attract a flood of customers. You’ll take away a step-by-step plan to design, create, and implement this secret marketing tool.

2:30 - 3:30 p.m.
The Social Shopper: How Retailers Can Connect with Customers
Marisa Peacock, The Strategic Peacock
Considering that four in 10 social media users have purchased an item online after sharing it on Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest there is a lot to gain by leveraging the loyalty and sustained satisfaction social media can bring. Successful social media campaigns start with understanding the behaviors associated with your audience; we’ll examine millennials, moms and baby boomers’ shopping behaviors. Learn best practices designed to get the most out of social media as you launch campaigns to connect with customers online and in-store.

4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Leveraging the Modern Data Ecosystem to Deliver In-Market Furniture Consumers
Anders Ekman, DataMentors, LLC
Furniture consumers are increasingly difficult to target in today’s dynamic economy. Consumers are shopping across multiple digital channels and millennials are now of an age where they hold more purchasing power than any other demographic. Hear first-hand experience in working with top brands in furniture retail that have successfully used data and analytics to better target today’s consumers.
This session will also focus on how furniture retailers can boost customer acquisition and retention. Fuel marketing by combining a company’s first-party CRM (customer relationship management) data with real-time triggers and Hard-to-Find-Data (HTFD) sources, such as millennial and social consumers who have indicated purchase intent, to deliver better targeting and a stream of in-market consumers. The benefits? More effective and ultimately lower media spend per conversion, a more efficient funnel and better marketing ROI.

SUNDAY, APRIL 19

8:30 - 9:30 a.m.
State of the Furniture Industry
Jerry Epperson, Mann, Armistead & Epperson, LTD.
One of the furniture industry’s most knowledgeable analysts sits down with retailers to discuss the economy and socio-demographic factors that are sure to impact the home funishings sector over the coming two years.

10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
How NAHFA Datalink Works for Retailers and Manufacturers
Bill Napier, Napier Marketing Group, Patrick Bain, RM Innovation
The home furnishings industry has struggled for years with the standardized data issue and now the North American Home Furnishings Association has come up with a membership program that solves the problem.

This seminar will explain NAHFA Datalink—what it is, why retailers and manufacturers will want to participate, and how it works. This initiative will finally give retailers standardized product data to use on their websites, ecatalogs, point-of-sale systems and in-store digital signage. Manufacturers will have a secure, standardized, free way to stream current product information directly to retailers. A live demonstration of the DataLink dashboard will be included in this seminar to demonstrate how manufacturers and retailers can control and utilize their data.

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Driving Retail Sales at Non-Holiday Times
Charlie Horich, Brad Lebow, Chip Hector, David Weinstein, Horich Hector Lebow Advertising
Every furniture retailer knows how important the major holidays are to their overall sales, but to be successful, retailers must drive business week in and week out. In this seminar The HHL Team will show you sale events with proven track records and tips on how to use television, direct mail, and digital media to drive traffic and sales at non-holiday times.

1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Ignite Your Sales & Profitability!
Doug Knorr, Knorr Marketing
Today’s consumer landscape is more diverse than ever. The competitive landscape online and offline has escalated to unmanageable heights; and today’s highly fragmented media landscape yields less return on every dollar you invest. In this leading-edge seminar, Doug will present five proven strategies that will allow you to immediately move your company forward to greater sales and profitability.
2:30 - 3:30 p.m.

The Thrill of the Hunt
Martin Roberts, Martin Roberts Design
It is your challenge as smart retailers to draw that savvy customer into your store with an experience that is fun, exciting and encourages the thrill of the hunt. Tap into your customers’ desire to touch, see and interact with products personally. Show them how a well-planned store can offer more than a laptop screen ever could. Martin Roberts, veteran retail store designer and branding specialist, illustrates how you can capture the customer and the sale. From research into buying patterns and merchandising to ROI-targeted signage, lighting, colors and room designs, you will walk away with actionable tactics you can implement right away.

4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Is it Time to Fire Your Top Salesperson?
Lee Rychel, PROFITSystems
We’ve seen it happen: The person who brings in the highest sales volume gets proclaimed King of Sales! But are they really your top sales person or are you wasting undue accolades? As an owner or sales manager you want to have the right team in place and that starts with measuring the right things. You need to identify the sales metrics that make sense to your bottom line and give every sales person the opportunity to achieve success. This seminar will show you how to measure the success of your sales team based on best-practice KPIs; review results with your top sales people and keep them on track; enforce the habits that support your plan with the right commission structure; and coach your sales reps to achieve the highest gross margins possible.

MONDAY, APRIL 20

8:30 - 9:30 a.m.
Make the Most of Your Online Presence!
Ron Gordon, MicroD Inc
Current surveys show that 89% of consumers begin their shopping online, even when they anticipate buying from a local brick-and-mortar retailer. As a result, your website has never been more important. In this informative seminar we will present several practical ideas you can use to market your products and services more effectively, more attractively, and in a way that will better engage your customers. These easy-to-apply ideas will improve your website’s usability, its effectiveness, and increase Search Engine Optimization. Several examples will be provided that demonstrate what works and what doesn’t, along with tools to measure the performance and effectiveness of your website.

10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Retail Performance Metrics – Your Best Practices to
Sustained Success
David McMahon, PROFITSystems
In this presentation David will show you what the best operations in the industry track to maximize their performance to beat their competition. These metrics form the basis for strategic direction and help develop specific operational tactics that produce results. Leave this seminar knowing what to look for in your business to improve sales, profits and cash flow. Attend this seminar and receive an invitation to participate in a special industry study that will allow you to benchmark your business against your peers.

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Passionate Selling – Put the Spark Back into Your Store Sales
Marty Grosse, Furniche.com
Learn how to create and reignite the passion within your sales team and learn how to recognize when it’s waning. Hear real-world examples you can implement immediately and gain unique tools to rekindle the burning desire to sell to every customer.

1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Selling to Today’s Furniture Customer
René Johnston-Gingrich, Profitability Consulting Group
This seminar will focus on understanding today’s design-oriented customer and exceeding their expectations. We will examine the major influences on their shopping and buying behavior as well as strategies to help retailers maximize opportunities with this customer and the market they represent.

2:30 - 3:30 p.m.
The Offline Effect: Three Ways Google Store Visits Will Make Local Digital Marketing Smarter
Bob Bradley, Netsertive
Local retailers are constantly struggling with digital marketing programs, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t important. It’s no secret that online marketing impacts in-store shoppers in a major way – but local stores have trouble seeing the connection between their digital efforts and in-store sales. As it turns out, 90% of Internet searches result in offline brick-and-mortar purchases, according to Proprietary Research/comScore. This presentation will help home furnishings retailers discover what Google store visits mean to their business; how to use insights from closed-loop digital marketing campaigns to continuously improve long-term efforts; and how Google store visits and closed-loop measurement solutions like it will revitalize the local retail experience for customers. The relationship between digital marketing and offline store visits is a virtuous circle; by tracking store visits the digital marketer becomes smarter, allowing them to create more effective digital campaigns, which lead to even more offline shoppers.

4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Why you Need a Shopping Cart
Sev Ritchie, Tailbase
This session will explain why it’s imperative that retailers not only have a good website, but also a shopping cart. We’ll also address why you need a shopping cart, the trends in ecommerce relative to brick-and-mortar, handling logistics, drop ship and easy-to-ship goods and the option of in-store pick up. You’ll leave this seminar knowing whether ecommerce is right for you.

TUESDAY, APRIL 21

8:30 – 9:30 a.m.
The Positives of a High-Impact Sale
Joseph Connolly, Lynch Sales Company
There are many benefits to a high-impact sale: increased traffic and market share, branding your company in the community, a surge of custom orders and new clientele, and increased cash flow to defray any costs of improvement and expansion. Any retailer looking to invigorate their business and staff will benefit and put the fun and excitement back into the business...you know...the way it used to be.

10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Today’s Current Real Estate Trends
Julius Feinblum, Julius M. Feinblum Real Estate
Julius Feinblum will discuss the effects of the Internet and online shopping in the home furnishings industry and how they influence how you find the proper new site for you store. Julius will focus on the current national commercial real estate market and discuss what’s effecting market rents and property availability and which geographic areas have the most excitement and future growth.

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Secrets of Furniture and Mattress Advertising That Sells
David Love, Love Furniture Profits
Whether you do your own advertising or use a third party, this seminar will answer questions and give you proven strategies for getting consumers to respond to your ads. David will outline the weaknesses of current advertising in the industry, how to cut through the clutter and how to advertise to produce maximum results.

1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Is Your Store Ready for the Modern Consumer?
Evan Faller, Furniture Wizard Software
What does the modern shopping experience look like? Do you know what experience you are offering when customers walk into your store? See modern technology put into place where and when consumers want it, making your retail establishment the place to invest in home furnishings.

2:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Showing Green: 10 Questions Every
Salesperson Needs to Answer
Susan Inglis, Sustainable Furnishings Council
The most eco-friendly showroom means nothing if you can’t sell what’s in it. This seminar is a cheat sheet for managers, designers, and sales staff in the form of compelling answers to the most FAQs. What’s the difference between green and sustainable? Who’s going to be most interested? How important is green vs. style or price? What does it say about the rest of my products? Developed by a long-time retailer and high-growth importer, this comes from the real-world perspective of working a showroom floor to make sure there will be no deer in the headlights.

4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Time Management for Designers
Greg Wyers, LHI Designer
Time is the new commodity! Your clients are used to getting what they want much faster than they did 10 years ago. Remember when Fed-X was considered fast? If you can provide great design and great service in less time than you used to, you’ll not only delight your clients you’ll have more time to find new clients…or just enjoy some time off.

About the North American Home Furnishings Association: The North American Home Furnishings Association (NAHFA) was founded in 2013 with the merger of the three largest home furnishings retailer associations in the U.S. The NAHFA is the nation’s largest organization devoted specifically to the needs and interests of home furnishings retailers, with more than 1,800 members representing more than 7,000 storefronts across all 50 states and several foreign countries. Association offices in the East, West, and Central United States provide its members with programs, resources, services, and a unified voice in government relations by partnering with home furnishings industry suppliers, vendors, affiliates, and other organizations. For more information on the NAHFA visit www.nahfa.org.