HOME GTNTER MERGHANT

BILL FISHMAN

Bill Fishman & Atfiliates

11650 lberia Place San Diego, Ca.92128

This column is the second of three dealing with waYs of reoching the do-i t -y ou rself c ust o me r-ed.

IIRODUCING clinics is a burden and F does incur expenses so why do these high volume and profitable retailers offer clinics? Because clinics bring feet into the stores. because clinics help sell material, tools, and plans and books, and because the mere promotion of the store offering clinics establishes it as a do-it-yourself headquarters-that one-stop center where the customer feels he will find a// the things he needs to do the job'

Some retailers feel that clinics are such an important part of their business they would never entertain the thought of doing without a continual program. Others, however, have told me that theY have failed in their attempt to successfully draw traffic or produce meaningful clinics. The difference between these winners and losers is dedication and promotion.

What do I mean by dedication? Well you can't say "I'm going to run a clinic next Tuesday night, and put an ad in the paper Tuesday morning, draw no attendance, and then come to the conclusion that clinics don't work in this market. lt takes creative planning to maximize the potential of a clinic Program.

Here's the way the winners do it:

First, they determine the subject matter that would most interest the homeowners in their market. This information is pulled from the store people who are in daily face-to-face contact with the customers. It's also gathered by tracking the types of services offered in the remodeling ads in the local newspapers.

And most importantly, by asking the customers themselves.

What they next determine is how to best package this list of topics-when to present the clinics-where to put them on-who's going to conduct them-what material and props are required-how, where, and when to Promote them.

Some subjects have great appeal as a single session clinic. Installing insulation is a good example. Others, while also having appeal as a single project, are also just one element in a total major remodeling project. Families adding a room would be interested in a series of clinics that included demonstrations on ceilings, walls' floors, electrical, windows, doors, et cetera.

When home centers like Forest CitY promote a 12 or 13 week series of clinics for their customers, they sprinkle them with topics that will bring in the greatest number of people. The goal is to not have only the same people return each week, but to bring in the greatest number for each program.

The major home centers todaY have a combination training room andlor employee's lunch room off the selling floor that sets up as a classroom for clinic sessions. These rooms usually seat 50 to 100 people and have provisions for a chalkboard, easel, workbench and projectors and screens. The store chooses its normally slowest evening hour weekday -such as Tuesday-and schedules the classes allowing customers enough time to have dinner before getting to the store-ending in time to allow for 15 minutes to a halfhour ofshopping before the store's normal closing time.

Fremont specializes in a large inventory of high quality Douglas fir boards, dimension, long lengths and timbers shipped from select mills in British Columbia, Oregon and CaliFornia. We are constantly adding to our selection oF western red cedar, pine, hemlock and white fir. Other specres and specialty items are inventoried and included in our weekly flyer sent to all Fremont customers.

In our fast moving world of the 1980s we can't expect the businessman, factory worker, career woman or housewife to adjust his or her schedules without notice. To be assured of ample attendance at the sessions, the stores start promoting weeks in advance.

Good strategy begins five weeks before the first clinic with a full sheet sign at the store's entrance. The copy describes the clinics accurately. It's a waste ofboth the customer's time and the store's reputation to induce him to attend a clinic that is either too advanced or too basic for his interest.

Here are some activities that are used by some retailers to promote their clinics: o Pre-registration forms at appropriate departments throughout the stores. o Registration forms mailed to charge customers. o Beginning as early as five weeks before the start of the clinic session, the company's regular ads contain the complete listing of the proposed schedule. a As the program gets underwaythe next week's topic is highlighted in the store's weekly ad. a Some retailers have been successful in having the sessions co-sponsored with the local newspaper, radio station or television station. That media then uses their free space or time to promote the clinics. o I've also used a portion of the registration form as a self-mailing admission ticket to the session thev requested.

O News releases sent to the local media announcing the clinic sessions. A chat with the paper's "home" editor a week before the first class usually guarantees some linage.

O Bag stuffers and in-store P.A. announcements remind customers to register.

The Wieand Corporation... Coverin-g The Rotkies With The tineEt PressureTreatecl Lumber Availablel

Chances are, you knew us first as a custom architecturalwoodworl<ing firm. That's where we began 25 Years ago, ancl now we've expancled our facilities with the aclclition of a moclern Osmose wood treating plant.

We are producing high qualitY Osmose l(-33@ pressure treatecl lumber, plywood ancl timbers that carry the American Wood Preservers Bureau (AWPB) Quality Mark stamp. We are also proclucing Flame Proof@ LHCTM fire retardant treated lumber ancl plywoocl that carries an Underwriters Laboratories certification.

Before you place your next orcler for presssure treated lumber or fire retardant treated wood, give us a call.We're more than willing to worl< with you on prices, clelivery and service.

Manville Proposal Criticized

Manville Corp.'s bankruptcyreorganization plan drew sharp criticism when submitted to the federal bankruptcy court in New York City.

The plan included spinning off non-asbestos operations and making periodic contributions of unspecified sums to a trust fund for asbestos victims. The fund also would have access to Manville's liability insurance and certain of the company's asbestos related assets. The proposal seems to challenge the thousands of asbestos litigants to settle on a joint resolution of their claims or have a court hand down a final settlement.

Bankruptcy Judge Berton Lifland labeled the proposal little more than a stakeout position.

Put on aHappy Face

When you make a sales pitch, the potential customer doesn't know that your last 20 pitches have been heard by unsympathetic ears. Be confident-or at least pretend to be confident-on each and every sales call. The customer may buy your act.

LadylikePromotions

Women who are promoted should be told that the promotion was due to their ability. If a woman feels that she was promoted so her boss could comply with equal-employment laws, she will be less committed and perhaps unhappy in her new position.

850 Elkton Drive Colorado Springs, Colorado 80907

Westerners Strong at Show

Updated figures released following the Builder Marts of America Independent's Days gathering list 52 affiliated dealer companies with 192 locations in the Western States. These include 5l locations in California, 39 in Colorado, 28 in New Mexico, 2l in Arizona, 18 in Wyoming, 17 in Montana, 12 in Idaho and 6 in Utah. BMA also operates a forest products reload center in Oregon.

Among those attending the annual meeting in Atlanta, Ga., in February were representatives of T-Bird Home Centers, Alamogordo, N.M.; Hacienda Home Centers,Albuquerque, N.M.; Woodward Lumber, Las Cruces, N.M.; Economy Lumber & Hardware Co., Denver, Co.; Dale Rice & Son Lumber Co., Pueblo, Co.; Brookheart's, Inc., Colorado Springs, Co.; Volco, Inc., Jerome, Id.; O'Malley's Building Material Centers, Phoenix, Az.; Economy Builders Supply, Sandy, Ut.; Ganahl Lumber, Anaheim; Chandler Lumber, Van Nuys; San Bruno Lumber, San Francisco; Mendo Mill& Lumber, Ukiah; Rugg Lumber, Upland; Suverkrup Lumber, San Bernardino; Santa

Cruz Lumber, Santa Cruz; Nicholas Lumber & Hardware, Baldwin Park, and Mullin Lumber, Los Angeles, all in California.

The next BMA Independent's Days Exposition is scheduled from Feb. 28 to March l, 1984, at the Atlanta Hilton Hotel, Atlanta, Ga.

Woodworkers'New Look

The Woodworking Machinery Manufacturers of America (WMMA) has launched a new name, logo and theme for its llO-member association.

The new change to "Wood Machinery Manufacturers of America" was approved April 21, 1983 during the WMMA's Joint Industry Convention with the Woodworking Machinery Distributors Association (WMDA). It reflects expansion of the association's membership to include manufacturers of sawmill equipment.

WMMA's new logo, featuring a computer-like design for the initials "W.M.M.A.," is intended to highlight the rapid technological advances which will form the basis for