WHFA Announces Seminars for San Francisco Summer Market

Furniture World Magazine

WHFA members are pleased to announce the bi-annual lineup of seminars for all San Francisco Market attendees. All the seminars are complimentary, but space is limited so be sure to plan ahead to attend. Industry experts like; Jody Seivert, Iris Byers, John Egger, Samantha Kurtz and Phil Gutsell will give you ideas and techniques on building your business, increasing profits, and cutting costs. The highlighted seminar will be Friday, July 19th, 3:00pm to 4:00pm, where the urgent issue of California’s Proposed Flammability Regulations will be discussed and information will be provided about the dramatic impact of these proposed new rules and what can be done to avert these potentially disastrous regulations. Seminars are offered Friday through Sunday of Market, in the WHFA Retail Resource Center Seminar Room, Mart 2, Space 705. To accommodate overburdened Market schedules, seminars last no longer than one hour and have at least a _ hour between seminars. No advance registration is required; seating is on a first come, first served basis with complimentary refreshments served in the adjacent buyers lounge. FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2002 9:30 – 10:30AM Michael Boswell – Bowman Displays, Munster, IN "Super Sizzling Showrooms: Visual Merchandising to Increase Sales" Explore multiple merchandising concepts from actual retail installations that are proven to increase sales. In today’s competitive marketplace, having a warm, friendly and informative showroom can make the difference between making and losing each sale. Learn how to (cost) effectively create the purchase-inducing environment that will benefit not only the customer, but the sales staff and your bottom line as well. 11:00 – 12:00PM Samantha Kurtz – Kurtz & Associates "Service for Success" Your customers need to be "serviced" from the moment they walk into your operation, to months after the sale. With so much competition in the marketplace, what steps can you take to insure that your customers remain loyal? In this seminar you will learn to transform your customer service operation into a proactive machine, achieve smoother running sales support and increase that crucial customer buying loyalty. Lean the techniques to render outstanding customer service and watch your profits soar. 1:30 – 2:30PM Neil Forney – Bryant-Forney & Associates "Low cost/High Impact Display Concepts That will Increase Your Profits" For the decision maker in your organization who needs to understand the possibilities available at little or no cost to improve the effectiveness of your display floor. You don’t have to break your budget to improve your visual merchandising. It is more the use of fresh and imaginative approaches to floor arrangements, departmentalization, accessorization and visual presentation that can make the difference. Change any ordinary display floor into one full of excitement, innovation and to increase your sales and profitability. • Learn why and how to departmentalize and gallerize • Enticing the consumer with deliberate traffic flow and visual impact • Use accessories to draw the eye and close the sale • Constantly improve your store with minor interior embellishments 3:00 – 4:00PM Ron Hoesterey, Royal Mattress Company, Orange CA, – California Furniture Manufacturers Association, Flammability Chairman URGENT ISSUE: California Technical Bulletin 117 Information Seminar (TB117) The California Bureau of Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation is seeking a revision of its current Technical bulletin 117, which focuses on the interaction of foams, fabrics, battings and barriers in a composite form and their ability to avert fires. The U.S. Consumer Protection Safety Commission also has a proposal pending. If passed, the new requirements could significantly increase the price of upholstered furniture.Please join Ron Hoesterey, CFMA’s Flammability Chairman for this important update and learn the effects that this change will have on your business and your bottom line and what you can do to protect both. SATURDAY, JULY 20, 2002 9:30 – 10:30AM: Stan Bossler – Bossler Design Services Inc., Dallas, TX - "Build Your Own Showroom’s Brand Name" By evaluating your showroom’s strengths, Stan Bossler will provide you the image building tools required to develop an instantly recognizable showroom Brand Name. Your Brand Name will be consistently reinforced throughout your showroom design, advertising and human resources. A slide presentation and handout folder will clarify all concepts. Ending with an open forum, Stan will be available to answer any Brand Name questions you might have. 11:00 – 12:00PM: Jody Seivert - One By One Companies - "Lead, Manage, Coach – The Triple Crown of Driving a Sales Team" At the request of the retailers who were at High Point in April, Jody Seivert brings this standing room only, dynamic seminar to the West Coast. Attend this informative seminar and learn how to LEAD, MANAGE, AND COACH for success. Jody will discuss with you how these three vital tools dovetail, differ, and distinguish your store as a winning sales organization rather than just another furniture retailer in your market. 1:30 – 2:30PM: John Egger – Profitability Consulting: "Seven Deadly Sins of Sales Management" These are things we do or don't do as storeowners that destroy the profitability of all our hard work. A sale is the leading edge of the revenue stream. It is a stream that supports and nurtures all the other areas of our business. When the stream begins to dry up, we are forced to make hard decisions in all the other areas of our business. Sometimes the stream dries up due to factors beyond our control. Many times the factors are under our control and in this seminar you will learn how using key numbers can help you to do a better job of managing your selling process. 3:00 – 4:00PM: Iris & Jay Byers – Byers Guide - "We Are A People Industry!" Hear the best "people ideas" from our most successful clients and how to find, hire and retain good people. Find out how to recruit sales consultants from outside our industry and train them to be your top producers. Learn the steps of a successful interview that will help you make better hiring decisions. Discover why your best people may quit and how you can retain them as happy employees. Don’t miss this opportunity to solve some of your human resource issues. SUNDAY, JULY 21, 2002 9:30 – 10:30AM: Philip M. Gutsell - Gutsell & Associates - "The Mathematical Sales Formula" - or " How To Sell Value Instead of Price" Most salespeople end up selling price instead of value (especially the average to below average performers). If they understood the Mathematical Sales Formula they would close more often and with larger tickets. The net results: more volume, more margins, and most importantly, more customer relationships. 11:00 – 12:00PM: Larry Stark – ProfitSystems, Inc.- "Everything You Wanted to Know About GMROI and Profitability!" GMROI and bottom-line profitability are directly linked. High GMROI means high profitability. Come and find out how to achieve BOTH in YOUR business! 1:30 – 2:30PM: Phyllis P. Macay – PPM Designs, Seattle, WA "Are These People For Real??" Creating In-Home Visit Success Stories The typical house call is Your Knowledge and Their Frustration and this turns into Their Knowledge and Your Frustration. Your sales associate spends hours developing a relationship with a customer, gets an in-home appointment, gives them great ideas, lots of individual attention…and…nothing. The customer does not equate all the attention with any commitment. Stop spinning your wheels and wasting your time management! Not every customer is For Real! Learn how to determine the difference between a shopper and a buyer. 3:00 – 4:00PM: John Egger – Profitability Consulting "Seven Deadly Sins of Sales Management" These are things we do or don't do as storeowners that destroy the profitability of all our hard work. A sale is the leading edge of the revenue stream. It is a stream that supports and nurtures all the other areas of our business. When the stream begins to dry up, we are forced to make hard decisions in all the other areas of our business. Sometimes the stream dries up due to factors beyond our control. Many times the factors are under our control and in this seminar you will learn how using key numbers can help you to do a better job of managing your selling process. The Western Home Furnishings Association is100% Member-owned and the largest affiliate of the National Home Furnishings Association. WHFA provides programs, services, and networking opportunities that improve business opportunities and management practices to Western home furnishings retailers.