Broyhill's best salesman is also its top executive
By Ray Allegrezza, Editor in Chief -- Furniture Today, April 28, 2002
As someone who has been a trade journalist for some 25 years, believe me when I say I've had my share of showroom tours. Let me share a secret with you. They fall into three major classifications: the good, the bad and the ugly.
In my book, to earn a good rating, an exhibitor has to show well-designed product with price tags that match the quality. Equally as important, the person walking me through the showroom must not only know the features, benefits, availability and price, he or she also has to be able to explain the purpose for the product's introduction.
I routinely issue a bad rating to those exhibitors whose products are marginal in terms of style and design and whose tour guides are only marginally prepared to discuss them.
To garner a rating of ugly, a company has to come to market with product that makes no sense. The other requirement is that the salesperson has to have absolutely no clue about the product.
Having said all that, I believe the time is right to create a new classification: the most excellent showroom tour. To qualify, an exhibitor must consistently demonstrate an ability to bring the right product to market at the right price and at the right time. Further, whoever is walking me through the showroom must have a demonstrably superior understanding of the product and its reason for being introduced.
Someone give me a drum roll and pass me the envelope. This market's winner is … Broyhill! Accepting the award is Dennis Burgette, the company's chief executive officer and president.
While this is the first time the "award" has been presented, Dennis, who has given me the tour of the Broyhill showroom for the last three or four markets, not only has met my requirements, he has exceeded them.
This market, Dennis methodically walked me through Broyhill's 120,000-square-foot showroom, showing me hundreds of new products. He had the features, benefits, price and availability for each product nailed. No notes, no binder with cheat-sheets. All of that good stuff was systematically stored in his brain.
During our visit, he also explained the company's three-pronged sourcing strategy and took the time to explain how each product discussed fit into that game plan. The icing on the cake was Dennis' genuine excitement about what his company was doing. It was contagious.
If you want an example of a great showroom tour, go to Broyhill and ask for Dennis. Then be ready to take notes from the guy who doesn't rely on them. When you've finished, you'll understand why Broyhill's best salesperson is also its top executive.
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