Gommitment + training = moulding & millwork sales

T HE FIRST thing a retailer needs I to do to train employees in the basics of selling moulding is to make a firm commitment to training. lt is very easy to give "lip" service to the need for training, but removing employees from the sales floor to attend a session is often impractical.

Once the commitment has been made, a designated time has to be set, scheduled and dedicated to training. Be it before opening, after closing or at a shift change. Your employees need to believe that training is essential and that you are firmly commited to it, David Martin, marketing manager, Marley Mouldings, emphasizes.

They should understand that it is a scheduled portion of the workday and with the same commitment required to training as to selling on the sales floor. Ifpossible, incentives should be established to ensure that training goals are met. Training objectives can be used as part of the evaluation for raises and promotions.

There must be a commitment from management and an understanding by employees that it is a requirement. Once these major hurdles have been met, the training portion of the equation will come more easily.

Someone in the organization should be appointed training coordinator to oversee and follow up training requirements. This does not have to be a full time job, but an additional duty like the training itself.

The best way to start training is to take advantage ofservices offered by major moulding and millwork manufacturers, Martin points out. The store often has a wealth of information in it already through "how to" brochures and videos supplied by the manufacturers. This information can easily be collected and compiled into a training manual for the particular retail environment.

Many companies have training packages available. For companies who have field service representa- tives, a training session can be arranged for that representative to come in and lead the training.

Marley Mouldings personnel are required to set up and give two training sessions per month as part of their normal duties, Martin explains. These sessions can be particularly useful because "hands on" sessions are possible with more than just information given to employees. The training allows them to actually use and learn to demonstrate products.

With a manufacturer's personnel in-house, it is a great time to clarify any questions a salesperson may have. These sessions are not only beneficial to employees, but give the representative a great deal of knowledge about additional uses for their products and consumer attitudes toward them, Martin says.

Along with using information supplied by manufacturers, he recommends making use of veteran personnel. Knowledgeable personnel in key areas can share knowledge to lift the level of the entire group. Require that this information be shared, he advises.

Even with a wealth of product knowledge, there is still an area that is mostly overlooked-sales training. Employees need to be reminded that closing the sale is the No. I objective.

This is a complete subject in itself, Martin cautions, but a great deal of basic information can be gathered from inexpensive sales training, newsletters, newspapers and maga-

Story at a Glane

Tips on establishing training goals, setting incentives, schecF uling classes outside wo*ing hourc...ways manufactuter's rcFs can help. why continuity is important. bottom line te sults.

zine articles. Courses are also available in basic salesmanship at local community colleges.

After the commitment to training is made, it must be continually carried on to improve moulding and millwork sales personnel, who will continue to improve a store's bottom line, Martin concludes.

ll ORI: homeowners. remodelcrs lUl and builders arc choosing insulated steel entrance and patio doors, with sales up 7.71\, in the last l0 ycars, exceeding $7.7 billion, according to llusiness Trend Analysts.

With creative merchandising techniques, building material retailers can reap bottomline benefits from having insulated steel entrance doors as part of their product mix. Marketing experts agree that one of the most powerful merchandising tools is showing customers how the doors will look after they're installed.

"(lustomers want a complete vision of the finished product," says Randy Loren, llenchmark l)oors. "The unit installed in a home setting is the most effective way to give them a feel for how the door will look."

Triangle [)istributors, lnc., Tupelo, Ms., has recreated settings featured in sales brochures. l]ecause it creates a strong association in the customer's mind between the physical display and the manufacturer's literature, duplicating brochure photos in the showroom can be a potent marketing technique, Larry Ray, Triangle president, believes.

Retailers willing to invest in qual-

Story at a Glance

Cost effective merchandasing tips display suggestions how to become part of $7.7 billion sales growth.