Coming in April

Last year's first-time look at the Top 25 Pressure Treaters was among our largest and most talked-about issues ever. Don't miss our completely updated 1995 ranking, coming next monthin The Merchant Magazine.

Fire Retardant Treated Wood Available from these licensed producers and their d.istributorJ: lohn A. Biewer Co. f 5 Rople need to k"o* that all fire retardant products are not alike. There's gde that stands way above the others, and that product is nricon. f? decadi, demonstraling j OnIy one has been proven in thefieldfar over o, Jlawiess ao* rncniAafoi : I rocts. Qn$.+tr.e ' ;T#{ffi,,

Anzona Pacific Wood Presenring, Inc.

Chech the facts and you'll find out what Drlcon wood customers already hnow: AIIFRTW products are not alihe.

DAVID CUTLER editor-publisher

Grandma doesn't allow that here

The current federal sex discrimination lawsuit against Home Depot is another warning light for those who still don't take seriously new genderbased regulations. The women plaintiffs contend Depot had separate pay and promotion guidelines for male and female employees.

The suit opens the wider question of our industry's attitude toward women employees, not only in pay and promotion, but in workplace attitudes and atmosphere.

For years ours was virtually a men-only business, reflecting its hairy chested origins in logging and the rough and tumble of early lumber yards. The few female staffers were generally expected to tolerate or ignore crudities,

Those who think that raunchy still goes had best listen up. Changing attitudes and tough new laws have forcefully consigned the behavior of an unenlightened past to where it belongs: in the past.

Conforming to these new laws isn't rocket science. As for pay and promotion guidelines, see the Golden Rule. As for behavior and language, if you wouldn't want it said in front of your grand- mother, don't say it. If you wouldn't want it done to your mother, wife or sister, don't do it.

It's a sad commentary on contemporary life that behavior has declined to the level where we have to have federal and state laws to dictate what common sense should tell us. The mirror of our society held up to us by the media reflects a world of casual crassness, gratuitous vulgarity, and a coarseness of behavior that is appalling. The fact that millions of people think these ways of acting are normal, even desirable, is nothing short of astonishing.

What we've said here has applied to male/ female discrimination. But as the steamy new mov ie D is c losure demonstrates, female/male discrimination is just as bad. That it occurs less frequently doesn't excuse it.

Good manners and considerate behavior are based on common sense and decency. Use them at work and you'll avoid problems and have a happier, more productive life. Just like your mother told you.

THE BEST way to increase redI. wood sales is by tailoring promotional programs specifically to do-ir yourselfers or to professionals.

Sharply targeted efforts can make a real difference in your redwood revenues and how customers perceive you and your store. Budgets and regional differences will dictate which of the following California Redwood Association ideas will be most effective in helping your company:

Marketinq to Consumers anil D-l-Yers

Be Basic. Traditional methodsdirect mail and newspaper, radio and TV advertising - have become traditional because they work. Be sure to emphasize the things that make you different from your competitors.

Manufacturers and trade associations can help assemble effective sales materials.

Be Eye-Catching. Displays make your store colorful and interesting. Many manufacturers and associations produce attention-getting point-ofpurchase displays such as signs, banners and posters.

Be Family-Friendly. Turn shopping in your store into a fun family outing. People enjoy demonstrations of products, tools and cooking appliances. Cater to children by offering free candy, balloons and toy or tool give-aways.

Be Informed. Redwood is a specialty wood, and the better your salespeople understand it, the more profits you'll see. California Redwood Association offers many materials to educate your staff. Videos cover the basics. Literature zeroes in on specific topics such as grades, finishes, siding and decking. For those who want to know redwood inside and out.

Story at a Glance

Score big redwood sales by keeping your promotions in focus ... tips to increase sales to consumers and professionals.

there's an eight-lesson correspondence course.

Be Creative. Set aside a deck design and specification area. Computer deck design programs are becoming increasingly popular. CRA's Redwood Design-A-Deck Plans Kit with its modular deck sections provide a simpler planning tool. Do-it-yourselfers can take the kit home to refine their deck designs.

Be Picturesque. Many merchants sell how-to and product videos, but others try to encourage big deck project sales by loaning the videos to customers. You can even create a center where customers can watch how-to and product videos in the store.

Be Demonstrative. Build a demonstration deck. Create excitement with a display that combines redwood decks, fences, shade shelters, benches and planters. Include plenty of how-to and promotional literature. A competition between store branches for the best display is a great way to build employee enthusiasm.

Or host a.deck clinic. Choose a Saturday and make it an event with special guests, refreshments, special product sales and give-aways, and a deck-building demonstration. Often local builders will agree to put on a demonstration. The appearance spotlights them as experts, and they are certain to get some job leads as a result.

Be Competitive. Hold a local deck contest. Contests really work. People start projects they have been putting off in order to enter. Your contest prizes could be cash, travel and/or store merchandise. Advertise and place stories in the local press. CRA offers guidelines for a successful contest.

The association also co-sponsors a national wood deck design contest with Home Mechanix. Your customers can win cash by entering in either the D-I-Y or Building/Design

Professional category. Get free CRA entry blanks and banners from your redwood supplier.

Be Showy. To bring in new customers, set up a booth at a local home show or fair. Include colorful photo blow-ups, videos, a demonstration deck and give-aways of literature and small tools. Have store experts on hand to answer how-to and product questions.

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Be Talkative. You or a knowledgeable employee can host a local radio talk show. Invite product manufacturers. local builders and other experts on as guests. People like to participate, and a call-in format that answers how-to questions on the air has proven to be a successful formula.

Be Neighborly. People tend to patronize businesses that are familiar to them. Sponsor a Little League or other local sports team. Place ads in high school yearbooks and in programs of local events. Contribute to and participate in local charities and fund raisers. Maintain memberships and visibility in business and community clubs and organizations.

Marketing to Builders and designers

Be a Servant. To attract professional customers, tailor store hours to their schedules. Be ready to open credit accounts and to negotiate prices for quantity buys. Be dependable about delivery schedules. Be helpful and flexible when project emergencies arise. Be cheerful and accommodating in your return policies.

Be a Partner. When a pro customer pitches a potential client, he is also, in effect, acting as your field salesman. Help him close the deal by providing idea-starting booklets and videos that help customers visualize the completed project. CRA has artwork for redwood deck builder news- paper and yellow pages ads, plus doorhangers to help deck builders target a neighborhood. CRA also offers banners and a neon sign for customers with an office or showroom.

Be a Matchmaker. Start a referral service to help consumer customers connect with dependable local contractors and designers. Give each consumer a list of several to contact. To maintain quality control, periodically check back on these referrals.

Be a Des\top Publisher. People like to see their name in print and to read about others in their field. Create a newsletter for and about local builders and designers. An interesting format might include articles about innovative building products, a round-up of new neighborhood projects, profiles of local professionals and a column with general news about builders and designers in the area.

Be an Educator. Organize informational events for your pro customers. Include product representatives and displays. Schedule presentations and videos about interesting aspects of the building industry.

Be a Social Lion. Become known for an annual party for local professionals. Specialize in a regional format such as a clam bake, crab feed, fish fry or barbecue. If it is well organized, it can become an event that is looked forward to and talked about afterward.