the word about painting

LlOW'S the time that your cuslltomers are starting to think about putting a new face on their homes. Before they buy the paint and start wielding the brush, you as a dealer should remind them of these four tips for preparing and painting.

(1.) Correct problems, such as peeling paint and mildew.

Peeling to bare wood is caused by excess moisture outside or from within the house. To correct it, caulk cracks in the siding, construction joints and around window and door frames. Repair roof leaks that may allow moisture to seep behind the siding.

Story at a Glance

Ways to help your cuslomers prepare their homes lor painting .. .how you can encourage add.on sales ... doesyourfloor help know these steps?

For peeling caused by interior moisture, install exhaust fans in the kitchen, bathroom and laundry areas. Small holes and the installation of louvered vents in the siding beneath windows will help, too.

Peeling on the exterior occurs most

(Please turn to page 41) lN

Search Firms Value Rising

Shuttle diplomacy is a term often reserved for transactions between nations, but it can well apply to the forest products industry when a firm and a job cahdidate negotiate through an executive search firm.

Business has become too complicated and the stakes too high for a company which needs executive and sales talent to rely on friends or friends' recommendations, according to John T. Cole, a veteran of the forest products business.

With over 20 years in management and sales experience, in production, wholesale and distribution within the forest products business, he now heads John T. Cole and Associates, an executive search firm and consulting company dealing exclusively in the forest products industry throughout the United States.

That, he says, is his answer when "I am asked why a company should use an executive search firm for a position which is being created or for one that needs replacing.

"The company wants the best man available, not the best man visible," he continues. "They should want to know who's out therethat they might not have the resources to find themselves."

Be sure that the search firm takes the time to talk to you, the company, he cautions. "A search firm must have an understanding of why you want to bring in an outsider, and must know what problems you are trying to solve."

Tough questioning helps clarify the job, according to Cole, and thus helps to get the best person for the position.

"The object of the search isn't only to find someone with the right paper credentials," he emphasizes. "The object is to find someone with the credentials and compatibility for your company."

That's where shuttle diplomacy comes in. A search firm's job is not over after the names of several candidates have been submitted to the client. From this point forward, the executive search firm engages in a form of shuttle diplomacy to bring the two sides together.

John T. Cole and Associates, Inc. is located in Portland, Or.

Push Older People

Sometimes it is beneficial to push older salespeople to prospect new accounts. The sales veterans will feel challenged, exercise their professional skills and make more money.

The Word On Paint

(Continued from page 38) often on overhangs or other areas where chalk, dirt and chemicals are not washed away by rain. It is advisable to scrape and sand away all loose paint. Then wash the surface thoroughly before topcoating.

Mildew? Never paint over it. It will quickly grow back through the paint film. Scrub it off with a solution of heavy-duty liquid cleaner, household bleach and warm water. (Wear rubber gloves and safety glasses.) Then use a paint with fungicide for mildew resistance.

(2.) Prepare the surface.

Scrape away loose or peeling paint, feather-sand edges, and spotprime bare areas. Countersink nails and fill the holes and other imperfections with spackling. Before painting, always wash the surface, especially eaves and overhangs, to remove dirt and excess chalk. For good adhesion on glossy surfaces, sand them lightly.

Prime bare or unpainted surfaces, cedar, redwood or other darkstaining wood with an oil-base house paint primer. Use a latex primer for fast-drying and when staining or moisture are not problems.

Prime bare stucco and masonry, and unpainted factory-finished hardwood siding with oil-base primer. Wire-brush rusting metal and prime with anti-rust primer.

(3.) Buy enough paint to insure thorough coverage.

How many gallons? Divide the square feet of surface area by the expected spreading rate ofthe paint (see can label) on the type surface to be painted. The average is about one gallon for every 450 square feet. More for rough or porous surfaces. Consider buying a paint formulated for one-coat coverage.

(4.) Apply the paint correctly.

Intermix two or more gallons of the same color to assure color uniformity. Use the best-quality applicator-brush, pad, roller or sprayer. A poor-quality or dirty applicator

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