a ceiling clinic

by Frederick B. Storr, monoger Building product soles Armstrong Cork Compony

-fHE consumer clinic has long been r recoenized as an effective wav to sell ceilings. In a single meeting the retailer not only has an opportunity to expose hundreds of prospects to his ceiling line, but also present the necessary'ohow-to" information that's invariably a part of the successful ceiling sale.

Although the clinic concept is nothing new, lumber and building materials dealers have been expressing renewed interest in this selling tool.

One reason, undoubtedly, is the tremendous do-it-yourself boom that's sweeping the nation. Another is the availability of new suspended systems -engineered specifically for the doit-yourself marketwhich are fast and easy to install and provide an elegant finished appearance. Armstrong's new concealed Integrid system, for example, gives dealers a tremendous design and installation story to tell one that's almost certain to appeal to a large segment of your consumer trade.

An Integrid clinic recently held in Lancaster, Pa,, drew a large tostanding room only" crowd of 250 persons. Jack Mellinger, manager of Lancaster Building Supply Co., rented 150 chairs for the meeting, but these were filled long before the program began. The overflow crowd stood for an hour listening to the presentation, and many stayed afterward to ask questions and secure cost estimates.

Retailers like Mellinger who have been successful with ceiling clinics point out that it takes a combination of things to insure favorable results: a good product story, adequate preparation and promotion, and follow- up. New ceiling concepts ofier plenty of potential as far as customer interest is concerned. It's up to the dealer to capitalize on his interest with a well planned, well executed meeting program.

Armstrong has prepared a detailed checklist, based on years' of experience in helping to set up clinic programs, which should be helpful to any retailer who wants to run a ceiling clinic. Called the "Integrid Consumer Clinic Meeting Cuide," it contains common-sense suggestions designed to maximize results from your clinic program. Here are some practical pointers from the Guide.

The clinic should always be scheduled at a convenient time for your prospects preferably a weekday evening or Saturday morning. Check to make sure the date doesn't conflict with a major event or holiday. If you decide to hold the clinic in the evening, schedule it for about 7 p.m. so that your customers have time to finish dinner. The presentation should run no longer than an hour or an hour-an-a-half at the most. Allow plenty of time within this period for questions from the floor.

The best location for a clinic is probably your own showroom if you have the space. You may have to reIocate some of your displays, but this is still easier than trying to transport all the materials to another site. If you must hold the clinic outside the store, select a room that will comfortably seat about two hundred people and provide an area for demonstration.

The materials you'll need will vary with the type of presentation you put on. Here's where the local manufac- turer's representative or wholesaler salesman can be of help. In the case of Integrid, Armstrong makes available a clinic package that includes a 16 mm color installation film and a special structural unit (called the "Jungle Gy-") that makes it easy to put on a live installation demonstration. The ceiling board, grid components, light fixtures and tools are usually supplied from dealer stock. The only other major "props" needed for the clinic are a projector, screen, chalkboard (to show room layouts, etc.) and folding chairs. These can usually be obtained at reasonable cost through a local rental agency. Your own store personnel can conduct the clinic, of course, but most dealers prefer to let the factory representative handle the product presentation. Armstrong people, in fact, are specially trained to demonstrate these

Story qI d Glonce

The complete run-down on whot you will need lo do to hold o "how-to-do-it" ceiling clinic for your customers . . . olso some voluoble no nos on whol nol to do.

systems before groups of consumers. Participation of the manufacturer's representative lends a note of authority to the meeting and insures that an expert will be on hand to deal with difficult or unusual questions from the floor.

What about refreshments? Are they necessary? In Jack Mellinger's opinion, it depends a lot on the time of day. "I once brought in eight or nine dozen doughnuts and ended up giving most of them away to my men," he recalls. "For a Saturday morning clinic or an evening session right after dinner. all that may be required are soft drinks and a goodsized container of coffee."

The key to a successful ceiling clinic is, of course, attendance not just "warm bodies," but good solid prospects who are considering a ceiling remodeling job or are planning to finish ofi a new room. These are the people you want to attract to your meeting, and it is possible to reach them through the standard means: newspapers, radio (TV if practical), direct mail, and handbills. Let's consider how each of these