Web site cheap, effective for rep
By Brian Carroll -- Furniture Today, March 10, 2002
GRAESVILLE, Md. — E-business doesn't necessarily mean integrating SAP or Oracle, nor does it require hiring a fleet of expensive software companies.
David L. Park, an independent sales representative here, spent no more than $200 to launch himself into cyberspace — though he did have a great deal of help from his wife, Helen Park, a self-made Web developer.
On the Web at www.davidlpark.com, Park's home page is updated every three days, supplies pricing information to retailers around the clock, and has helped Park set himself apart from his competition.
"The novelty aspect of it is still there," said Park, who represents Null Inds., Virginia House, Southern Craftsmen's Guild and Brent Jacobs in Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and the District of Columbia. "My job is to get my lines, my catalogs in front of buyers' faces as much as possible. (The Web site) has allowed me to do that."
Park first launched the page that his wife designed for him two years ago. Since then, branching off the Microsoft Frontpage-built template she started with, Helen Park has added password protection for retailers, sophisticated product catalog capabilities, and, yes, even an FAQ list just for her husband.
"It would cost thousands of dollars for someone to hire out a site like this," David Park said. "My wife has learned by doing and she's still fired up about it. She'd just rather work on sites that make her money."
Helen Park turned the hobby into a paying line of work, developing sites for several furniture companies, including Stanis Furniture in Chantilly, Va., and Gargan's Furniture in Annapolis, Md., as well as the Home Furnishings Assn. of New England.
Park said he typically uses the site to show buyers a specific piece of furniture while discussing it over the telephone, to distribute updated price lists via password-protected sections of the site, and to provide support during off-business hours.
"There was an occasion when a salesperson on a busy Saturday needed pricing on one of my lines and couldn't find the price list," he said. "They got it right off the Web. People will try the easiest way first and, hopefully, it allows me to sell more furniture."
Park says his approach to selling is based on humor. The site facilitates that approach, with images of Park in his "SuperSalesMan" superhero costume and in a "Field of Dreams."
"If they remember you in a good way, they will spend more time with you," he said. "It's human nature."
Anyone could replicate what Park has done, and fairly rapidly. Few have, however, and he says he hopes they won't.
"Anyone can do it, but you have to stay updated," he said. "There has to be a reason for people to keep coming back."
Park also uses the site to feature digital catalogs for each of the lines he carries, extensive contact information, and "Genius Ideas" for boosting retail sales.
"I'm even encouraging retailers to give it to their customers," he said. "The pricing is password-protected, and customers can browse whenever they want."
Park can't quantify how much the site has boosted his own sales, but he says he's sure it has.
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| Above: Park's home page supplies pricing to retailers around the clock |
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| Left: Using humor in his sales approach, Park depicts himself as "SuperSalesMan" on his site. |
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