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Simple questions most can't answer
One item jumped out at me from Ray Allegrezza's informative column, "Opportunity knocks at Leadership Conference" (Furniture/Today, Dec. 15, 2003).
It's no surprise that your group gave Professor Blackwell's presentation an A+, because he questioned how well our industry understands the female consumer. A particularly humorous instance was a video of male retailers who, when asked the question, "What do you know about women?" stood dumbfounded, dumb, speechless and worse. These guys were fairly sophisticated dealers. From my observations, home furnishings manufacturers wouldn't have fared any better.
As a sales and service consultant and a trainer in the industry, I have asked thousands of home fashions retailers three basic questions: 1. "What business are you in?" (The answer "home furnishings" is wrong.) 2. "Who is your customer?" (It has nothing to do with demographics.) and 3. "What does she (the consumer) want?" (Merchandise has nothing to do with the answer.)
These are three simple, basic questions. Knowing the correct answers could double or triple sales for retailers, and yet it's a rare retailer, salesperson or manufacturer who will know. When people learn the answers, they make perfect sense because they are correct. Success comes when you adapt your method of operation to these simple truths.
Another interesting question is: "What is the value of our products?" (The answer has nothing to do with craftsmanship, quality materials, fabric protection or brand.)
It would be interesting to throw these questions out to your readers to find out how many correct answers you receive. The interest in the professor's talk stemmed from the lack of professionalism in our industry.
It's really not our fault. Where does one get a degree in home furnishings retailing? I find good dealers hunger for this information. It's small wonder we find our industry in the doldrums. Imagine the vitality we could spark if education was a priority. —Warren Tyler, Bavon, Va.
Be careful what you ask DOC for
I read with much interest the headline in the Furniture/Today eDaily on April 7, "Petitioners ask for delay on DOC ruling."
I cannot help but speculate that Mr. Dorn's clients have woken up to the fact that they might actually be granted the Chinese bedroom import duties they have requested.
The irony of their problem, of course, being that they did not give themselves enough time to line up alternative sources of supply outside of their current Chinese supplier network!
With every Taiwanese/Chinese manufacturer rushing, rushing to set up new plants and shift production to Vietnam and other parts of Asia, one can only speculate as to the difficulties this industry will be faced with a year from now.
Bill Heffern, Manufacturers representative, Carversville, Pa.
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