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Furniture Retail Tip #25 From Grandpa Mike-e-e! at 90 - The Ultimate Time Management Device

Furniture World Magazine

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Michael Greene (Grandpa Mike-e-e at 90)

Clicking is an open secret that has been happening quietly all over the country for furniture working people. In my case I had the thrill of learning to become a "Major Clicker" in Sandlapper, South Carolina; Cajun, Louisiana and Tarheel, North Carolina. Wow-e-e!

I was just lucky.  I had been raised in the high-tech atmosphere of my close buddy, Professor Carlton Chutney, now working at the Institute Of Advance Furniture Design. He has been knee deep in his endless quest to design the perfect, time saving - solar-powered - beer chilling - cheese wiz dispensing - vibrating - home theater chair/dining room table combo, for close to nine years. A-n-d, now, with his newest Clicker (his patented 1 inch by 1 inch Eye-Pad- like device) I can click it, snuggly, even in my 90 year old, hand palm.

So what is happening all over the country? Well, I’ll tell you. Busy furniture executives who have never had opportunities to take time off from their retail businesses have found the answer… Clicking!

Sales reps who are always on the go and never get-to-go anywhere fun have even latched on to the Clicker System, with great satisfaction.

What system? It's very simple and just takes a drop of diligence and matching patience. All you need is a counter. One of those little clickers that used be used to measure attendance at furniture shows before they started scanning bar coded passes and the retinas of passers by looking for real-live buyers without duplication!  You keep your clicker with you at all times... at home, at work, in a car, a train, a bus or bed.

Some folks just let it dangle from a wrist. Women even have two of them... one for daytime hours at work and another dressier one (with a velvet ribbon) for the ladies night-off with the girls. Delicious!

What for? To keep a record of all the minutes you save every 24-hour day (and collect to use  later).  For instance:

  • If you've found a new aspirin that dissolves faster in your tummy and does it in less than one minute, you click and record on the counter, for your saving record. 
      
  • If the furniture rep who keeps trying to sell you a new armless armchair, a footless footboard, and a two sided mattress with one invisible side, gets to the point without too much schmoozing… 24 clicks!
      
  • If you make a permitted right hand turn on a red light... you click the counter.
      
  • If you go a week without having to intervene in an inventory mishap or a salesperson ups system dispute… 50 clicks.
      
  • If the waitress brings your order promptly, without returning for questioning, you click the counter twice.
      
  • If the plumber goofs and comes on time… three clicks.
      
  • Sending out a past due invoice by email instead of snail mail... five clicks.
      
  • Doctor appointments that keep to reservations made... click twice. 
      
  • Don't drink a quart of water before going to bed... five to 25 clicks depending on your age!
      
  • "I'm on the other "phone"... forget it.

Many people in our industry who use this system have found that they have a lot more time than they thought to e-n-j-o-y life. A-n-d others have trouble figuring out where all this saved time is going.  If you are one of the later type of person,  you may need to call Grandpa Mike-e-e! at 90 to do some time management consulting. I guarantee that after a few months of having me run your business, financial and personal affairs, you will have all the time in the world to enjoy life without those distractions! :)

Finally, I suggest telling your kids and business associates about Grandpa Mike-e-e's columns in Furniture World's weekly e-newsmagazine, and  also his granddaughter's You Tube bit with him. Each takes only one mouse click of your time and you can enjoy immediately.

Thanks, again, for listening.
Grandpa Mike-e-e! at 90

Got a question? Got a comment? Great!! E-mail: grandpamike-e-e!@furninfo.com

PS. See the new YouTube music video staring me, Grandpa Mike-e-e! with my granddaughter Becca in a supporting role at  http://bitly.com/qALkrX


About Michael Greene (Grandpa Mike-e-e!)

Retailer, author, columnist, lecturer, composer and lyricist.

Came to US with immigrant parents in 1924 at the age of three.

Graduated high school at 16.

Managed a small bedding retail and manufacturing company at 18 in 1939.

Hired as Assistant to the VP of Purchasing (Sweets Corp. of America... approximately 500 employees) in 1940 at 19.

Drafted into US Army Signal Corp - Communications Personnel Div., Fort Monmouth.Tested and selected for Army Specialized Training Program, Rutgers University. Qualified for O.C.S. - Officer Candidate School and graduated as Second Lieutenant, Inventory/ Personnel Division in 1944 at 23.

Married his sweetheart, Anita, and he gives thanks to the Almighty that they are still sweethearts... after 73 years.

Rejoined Sweets Corp as Director of Personnel in 1945 at 24.

Joined his suddenly widowed sister as President of a small retail/ manufacturing company in 1946. Stayed on for 46 years managing the custom designing of over 20,000 childrens rooms and master bedroom beds.

Attended Hofstra University (evening program), and graduated in 1968 at age 47. Two of his kids followed right along at two other college campuses.

Applied for 30 day temporary columnist opening offered by the Reed Business Newspapers in NC and stayed on for 27 years. His retail columns were distributed everywhere from Brooklyn to Bangladesh, to Belgium to Beijing.

Traveled the US and visited with 3rd/ 4th generation retail owners.

He was admitted to the Writers Hall of Fame for, "Conspicuous Excellence In reports and appraisals of the furniture industry."

Retired from retail management at age 70.

BOOKS: (1) At age 72: published first book "Where's The Green Pea?" vegetable character stories including his original music and CD.

Designed programs for primary and pre-K schools and presented them with his Anita. (2) At age 76: Gee! I Wish I Had A Bedroom All My Own," lectured in middle schools (teenage), with tech info for parents, teachers and students in Home

Science. (3) At age 80: Tzedakah - Caring And Sharing classic book with original music CD and illustrations for high school chorales and drama groups.

At 89 -- published Retail Life: How To Get In, Stay Alive a-n-d Love It! in online and printed version for business schools, industry, and entrepreneurs. Includes how-to educational section for "Wise Women Who Love A Challenge" and "Oldtimer Retailers Who've Missed Some Basic Goodies In Business Promotion. Also provides business professors and career students seeking everyday practical trade experiences and business thinking.

Invited to address Levitz Furniture retail salespersons, Furniture Designer Associate members,

IHFRA sales associations, High Point University students and F.I.T. retailer evening sessions. Also accepted as an ASID associate member.

At 90 plus... is a musical playwright, composer and lyricist with original music and thinking for very young and very old America.

 

Grandpa Mike-e-e

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