It's a People Business

EVERY day I am reminded that ! although our members are labeled as being in the hardware business-actually we are all in the people business.

Sfory sI q Glonce

When oll is soid ond done, it's people thot moke o business go, moke no mistqke obout it ore you communicoting effecfively with your employees, lo moke lhem q more effective port of your business operotion?

If a sale is missed, probably it isn't the product that is at fault, it is the salesman. If a shipment is late or short, it is the order filler or the shipping clerk or the transportation employee. If a machine breaks down, probably it isn't the machine that is at fault, it is the people who fabri cated or assembled the machine. If a warranty is vague or inadequate, it isn't the warranty that is at fault, it is the people who set the warranty terms.

It is a people business. People are at the root of every success or fail-

About the Author

Otto Grigg is the ma.naging director ol the Pacific Southwest Hard,ware Assn. We thank him lor his kind permission to reprint the aboue newsletter to his members. White originatly written lor them, his counsel has uniuersal appli.caian.

ure, every victory or defeat. People are the producers and people are the consumers. In view of this, it is unfortunate that we spend so much time on products and mechanical things in our business and so little time on people-especially our employees.

Andrew Carnegie is quoted as saying that he could lose all of his money and all of his mills and factories, but if he kept his people he would soon regain his wealtl. He knew the value of loyal, industrious, enthusiastic employees.

1972 closed as one of the most profitable years in the history of this industry. 1973 appears to have the potential for even greater success and profit. As we start into this new horizon, spend some thinking and planning on how you are going to handle yonr most important asset - the people that make up your staff.

If you have an employee who is doing a poor job, ask yourself who hired him and who trained him and who pays him. You didso is he doing a poor job-or are you?

By O?to H. Gri99

ness is doing and where they have done well and where improvement must be made and how you propose to do it?

Do you keep them informed and make them feel that they are an essential part of your business and tell them that their success depends on the success of the business?

Do you remind them of the benefits they receive in addition to their salarysocial security, unernployment compensation, health and life insurance, vacation pay, sick leave, cofiee breaks, store discounts, and manv more?

Do you tell them in dollars and cents how much these fringe benefits amount to in addition to their salaty?

Y

Oo you tell your employees what you expect of them? Do you ever actually tell them or put it in writing what you want them to do. Think about that, do you ever tell them what you expect of therh?

V Do you meet with your employees periodically and tell them what your business plans are for the next month and next vear and five iears from now?

{ O" you tell rhem how the busi.

Survey after survey has shown a feeling of belonging, a feeling of being needed and appreciated is a greater incentive to employees than money alone. Do you make them feel they belong and are need,ed, and appreciated ?

If you don't, youore missing a great opportunity to cash in. It doesn't cost much money and it doesn't take much time for you to communicate these things to your employees and it will return you rewards of loyalty and en. thusiasm and increased sales and profits that money alone cannot buy. Remember you are in the people businessand people make your businessthey are the key not to, but of success.

Keep Selling!

an annual industrycooperative program for Home Centers and Building Material Dealers

Selling remodeling products and services in all its varied forms has become truly big business, with a market value in excess of seventeen billion dollars, and there is a growing incentive to improve the vast existing inventory of housing. Home lmprovement ranks first in most consu mers' preference for spend in g d iscretionary i ncome.

The objective of the annual Industry Sponsored "Home lmprovement Time" Program ii to provide the merchandising tools to assist the industry in telling consumers about the kind and quality of products and services available to help create better family living and community environment through home improvement.

This booklet is an explanation of "Home lmprovement Time" promotion opportunities. lt's divided into easy reference sections for the following business categories. Allied Associations with a membership interest in home improvement, Appliance Dealer, Building Material Distributor, Building Material Dealer and Home Center, Remodeling Contractor - Builder. Financial Institution, Government, Hardware Wholesaler and Dealer, Kitchen - Bathroom Dealer. Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning Contractor, and Utility.

The promotion, publicity and advertising suggestions are ones that have been successfully used by participants at the local level to tie-in with the national "Home lmprovement Time" program.

Select the ideas that are compatible with your marketing activity and profit from the many available materials developed by industry professionals to help you get a substantial share of this expanding market.

"Home lmprovement Time" ls Sponsored By:

National Association of Home Builders

National Home lmprovement Council

National Lumber and Building Malerial D€al€rs Assn.

National R€modelers Assn.

National R€tail Hardwarg Assn,

And These Participating Manufeturers, Publications and Allied Associations

Abitibi Corpotatlon

Aicoa euitotng Products, Inc.

American GaiAssociation

Georgia-Pacific Corporation

Home center Magazine

House Beautiful Magazine

American standard Plumbing/Heating House & Garden Magazine

Andersen Corporation gtid & son, tnc.

Architectural Aluminum Mfgrs. Assn.

Asphalt Roof ing Manufacturers Assn.

Callfornla Redwood Association

The Celotex CorPoration g€rtain-teedProductsCorporation

E. l. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc.

Electric Energy Associatior

FBS Financial, Inc.

Johns-Manville

Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp'

Masonite Corporation

Mastic corporation

Morgan Aclhesives ComPanY

National Gypsum ComPanY

Owens-CorningFiberglasCorp.

Reynolds Metals Company simpson Timber company

Family weekly Magazine Moen' Division of Stanadyne

The Flintkote Company

Formica Corporation

GAF Corporation

General Electric ComPanY

United States Gypsum Company u. S. Plywood

Whirlpool Corporation z-Brick Company i n I am a manufacturer and would like ; i - i:,.,ffil"1",'.?",.11ou' snonsorino

I Ptease send FREE copy of 1973 booklet "How To I

Participate in Home lmprovement Time."

MAIL TO: "Home lmprovement Time"

P.O. Box'102

Carnegie, Pa.15106 ,^r

Phone {412} 923-1560 15,

Name

Address City State lnterested Manufacturers, Publications and Allied Associations with products or services used in home improvement are invited to become a Sponsoring Participant in this Industry Program' l]none

BEF0RE BATILE: (l) Joe Casella, Dave Mensing, Shelby Chabot, Tom Marrin. l2l )erry Bonnington, Millard Smock, Steve Little. (3) Don Craik, Fred Bernardi, and Blair Camp, Rolando Lumber. (4) Mike Herbert, 0wen Corooran, Bill Freeland, Rodger Fmter (in front), Gordon Saunders, Cris Castro. (5) Jim Henderson, Harry Larsen, Tom McHugh. (6) Jack Betts, Marty 0lhiser, Bob Whitman, Manuel Lavrador, Manuel Pulido. (il Dick Morris, Jimmy Jones, Elmar Brock. (8) Manuel Lavrador, Ray Haagen- son, Bob Jantzen, Tom Marrin. (9) Ralph Meyer, Dick Reid, Western Timber Assn., Dr. Henry Vaux, School of Forestry and Conservation, Berkeley; Vic Roth. (10) Paul Gaboury, Ken Ditlefsen. {11) Dr. Henry Vaux accepting $250 check from Vic Roth on behalf of Oakland Hoo-Hoo. Check represents annual contribution made to School of Conservation and Forestry, UC. Funds are used for a forestry scholarship. (121 Peter Mc0oy, Cass Banack, Ben Cassinerio. (13) Bob Whitman, Bob Macfie, Shel Sussman,

Hugh Pessner, Ed Blunt, Jack Betts. (14) Harold Hess, Jerry Mashek. (15) Charlie White, Ralph Lamon, Ron Delisle. (16) Ross Mac0arty, Wendell Paquette. (17) Gordon Robinson, Staff Forester, Sierra Club, Frank Timmers, Jim Harrison. (18) Jim Henderson, Bob Gerhart, Elmar Brock. (19) Head Table: Dr. Henry Vaux, Dick Reid and Vic Roth. (20) Norm Rose, Paul 0lsen.