Home Center Merchant

Bill Fishman

Bill Fishman & Affiliates

1'1650 lberia Place

San Diego, Ca.92128

This is the last oJ' three c'olumns specificolly deoling with ways of reoc'hing t he d o- i t -you rse A cus ! ome r-ed.

II'HEN RETAILERS first embarK UU on a clinic program they usuallY rely much too heavily on their vendors to supply the talent. It's a mistake! I do not advise a retailer to continuously expose his customers to only manufacturers reps or factory men for a full course of study at consumer how-to-do-it clinic sessions. Understandably, these vendors are tied to a single brand, and their preferences and prejudices make the attendees suspect. Clinics are better received when the audience feels that there is not such a selfserving motive on the part of the instructor.

There are times when the factory expert is the most qualified person to perform the clinic program. But the results are bettcr whcn there is a store representative on the platform with the outsider.

The best clinics are those taught by the local store's own personnel. When a department manager has both the construction knowledge and some teaching ability, it makes for a great how-to-do-it clinic session, and super consumer relations for the store.

But not all retailers can be that lucky. Most have to turn to other sources for their instructors. A good source is the shop teacher at the local high school. Usually these school teachers are happy to moonlight for some extra income.

A few years ago the state of Ohio subsidized some of the retailer's payroll for these instructors under their "continuing adult education programs. "

Some retailers have a relationship with general contractors and remodeling contractors who do not feel threatened by do- it-yourselfism. They too are well qualified to conduct clinic programs.

But again a word of caution. To assure success-make it the store's responsibility to have the instructors fully aware of the merchandise mix and the selection of brands available in the store.

There are a number of sources for training and visual aids for how'to-do-it clinic sessions. Another speaker on my Home Center Show Clinic Panel was Adolph Auerbacher, the publisher of Better Homes ond Gqrdens special interest publications. For his part of the program, he conducted a surveY and created a list of 256 vendors who support the retailer's clinic programs for no or little cost. This support came in the form of : a Films or slides o Speakers, demonstrators, or instructors o Samples

O Give-aways (bags, rulers, aProns, etc. ) a Instruction or idea booklets o Advice on conducting how-to-doit clinic sessions

Maintenance and Improvemer?/, together with their new product knowledge training course,makes an excellent resource for developing a clinic program.

Easi-Bild Home Improvements, Briarcliff Manor, New York,also sells strip films and scripts on a number of popular remodeling programs.

A second word of caution, however. Those how-to-do-it clinic sessions that are mostly all audio-visual programs do not receive good grades from the attendees. It is preferable to use live people with live demonstrations whenever it is possible.

Let's now talk about merchandising the clinics.

Some retailers today are making the mistake of not merchandisine their clinic

Thot's How lt Goes!

programs. I use the term merchandising with care. The people who are invited to attend the clinic feel that they are coming to learn-not "to be sold." Hard sell is a turn-off. But creative soft sell can produce volume-maybe not overnightbut it's very measurable over the long haul.

Selling softly means: o Building a mailing list of those who attend clinics, and recording what they indicate they're building or repairing. o Opening a company charge account for those who register for clinics. o Offer a special "complete material list" discount when the clinic attendee buys all his project needs at one time.

O Offering a short term discount on merchandise featured at that evening's session.

O Developing "complete material packages" for those projects that attendees indicate are of prime neighborhood interest.

Although it's not the only way, clinics are still one of the most productive methods of retaining the reputation as

THE do-it-yourself headquarters in your market. But, defining a market in the 1980s is complex.

At first we considered our market as the geography surrounding our store, Then. as retailers we learned to measure the demographic market. Five years ago the term physchographics described a retailer's market-and in our industry we also heard about dedicated do-ityourselfers-and-occasional do-ityourselfers.

While today, in the shopping reach of almost every store you can measure almost 40 different geo-demographic lifestyles-each influenced by different product appeals, store locations, advertising styles, and media.

While today, manufacturers are asking companies such as mine to utilize the new PRIZM research study to select specific retallers to market to the individualized market segments.

And while today, independent retailers, and chain operators retain marketing companies like ours to refine the old and develop new traffic building promotions to fit their store's personalities.

It's the how-to clinic that still heads the list of concepts that quickly tag the retail lumber dealer as the community-or even regional do-it-yourself headquarters.

Building Products Digest

Panel Sales Training Plan

A new slide/tape presentation on performance-rated panels for sales training or clinics is now available from the American Plywood Association.

The l5-minute program covers characteristics, specification and use of APA Performance-Rated Panels, including conventional all-veneer plywood, composite panels, structural particleboard, waferboard and oriented strand board.

The program is available on a l4-day free loan basis, or it may be purchased for $50.

and plywood aaa In conlact wlth malal lru6t pl.tcr, herdwlra, plumblng and condoll, thara la no graetaa coirc 3loo than with odlna.y untralt.d lt'3 bon grantcd a U.S. patant.

GROWING DETAND

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