10 rules to help you sell morc hadwood

Rule No. 4: Promote interest and skill in cabinet and furniture making and woodworking projects with seminars, classes, demonstrations and fairs in addition to working with organizations such as the Woodcarvers and Woodworkers Guild.

Beautiful Woods has presented demonstrations by well known wood carvers. McFeely's offers seminars on specific skills such as dovetailing. Charlotte Hardwood Centers hosts meetings of the local woodworking association.

Rule No. 5: Provide all the materials necessary to complete a project including quality tools, finishes and hardware, housing them in the area where the hardwoods are located.

Most hardwood specialry stores display samples of the woods with various finishes along with shelves of finishing materials. High quality industrial or professional woodworking tools are sold by most stores. Small toy parts such as wheels are stocked by at least one store for customers who enjoy toy making.

Rule No. 6: Have woodworking instruction manuals, gift woodworking books, pamphlets and patterns available for sale as well as browsing for ideas. Again these should be part ofthe hardwood department.

Jim Ray, owner/manager at McFeely's, says that a large portion ofthe projects done with materials purchased at his store

Story at a Glance

Ways to develop hardwood sales...cultivate customers... display well identified, clearly priced woods...cross merchandise finishing materials and tools...use hardwood specialist image to attract business.

are given away as gifts. Thus people like to look for ideas as well as instructions.

Rule No. TzHave all material clearly priced.

Beautiful Woods prices by the piece instead of board foot. Greenville Hardwood Center, which maintains a warehouse atmosphere for its cabinetmakers and serious woodworking customers, hands out printed price lists. However it is done, the message is that since hardwood is expensive, there should be no surprises for the customer at the cash register.

Rule No. 8: Merchandise to a variety ofskill levels including beginners and advanced woodworkers as well as professionals.

Odds and ends sold by the piece from a table or bins may be just fine for one customer, although hardwood to build a trestle table, panel a wall or do a floor may be needed by others. Keep in mind that as the beginner gains confidence, he will want more variety. Also professional customers will need large quantities of material for cabinets, floors and paneling.

Rule No. 9: Stock a wide variety of species and types ofhardwood including veneer, paneling, flooring and hardwood plywood that aren't available elsewhere.

A store's reputation for having or being able to get good quality hardwoods which other don't have will bring in customers. David Mashburn, part owner and manager of the Charloffe, Greenville and Atlanta Hardwood Centers, stresses the aesthetics of the wood to justiff the price for his customers. Most hardwood specialty stores offer milling capabilities for special orders or dressing rough hardwood lumber.

Rule No. l0: Promote your image as a hardwood specialist with catalogs, advertisements in woodworking publications and promotions as well as with a well organized hardwood department staffed by knowing, caring people.