Hardwood Flooring

by Dave Ferrari President Virginia Hardwood Co.

MONTH'S editorial theme EmI ployee Sales Training couldn't be more appropriate or important to discuss if we are to keep seeking viable ways to increase business and profits.

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The backbone of any organization that successfully sells to the public is a crack sales staff. This means employees who are well informed about their products, can answer questions intelligently and be the source of helpful suggestions. This also means that at some given point along the way, these people have received good sales training in their various fields. It doesn't always come naturally.

Having a well trained hardwood flooring specialist in your store can be advantageous. His knowledge can lead to an increased sales volume far above that of a competitor store which pays little heed to merchandising hardwood flooring other than leading a customer to a display and handing him a parquet sample to look at.

Regrettably, far too many building supply houses, lumber yards, and home improvement centers do not have a sales person who is a trained specialist in hardwood flooring. And that's a shame because they'll never regain the sales they lose when potential customers go elsewhere.

You may recall some months ago I referred to a training program that Virginia Hardwood initiated in 195, wherein retail store owners selling floor covering selected persons to be given a short, intensilted training course under the tutelege of Virginia's top salesmen. At no cost.

At that time I suggested that any organization interested in sending their personnel to such a training program should contact their local hardwood flooring distributor.

Now, I am pleased to announce that later this year Virginia Hardwood will again conduct a training program for instore salespeople. It will be a course that teaches the most important aspects of selling hardwood flooring. Trainees will learn about the many different wood patterns, parquets, and planks that are available for d-i-y's, how to determine the amount of flooring required when a customer comes in with his room measurements, how to estimate amounts of adhesive and nails (when required), how to interpret catalog and specification books and accurately relate said information to customers, to see actual floor installations being made, together with personal participation.

Another thought. A fringe benefit for the company whose employee completes the course is that when referrals are made by the local wholesale distributor as to where hardwood flooring, etc., can be purchased at retail, the prospective buyers can be referred to ABC Company, John Smith, hardwood flooring specialist.

Companies could also promote the fact in their advertising that they have a hardwood flooring specialist on duty to assist all customers.

In order to obtain further information about the above mentioned course, lumber yards, building supply yards, and home improvement centers are invited to call us. You can't beat the price, it's free!