We Want To Publicly Thank Someone Who Is Really Trying to Help the Industry Grow
Last week before Premarket we held the annual Board of Director’s meeting for the International Home Furnishings Representative’s Association (IHFRA). There were a lot of great initiatives we implemented last year that helped grow our membership by 37% last year. If you are a rep and you are not a member of IHFRA you should be asking yourself what am I missing? Go to www.furniturerep.org and we’ll get you information about all the benefits of being a member of the organization.But that’s not really what this column is about. In the course of the meeting everyone had such a positive attitude because of the growth in membership and it was brought out that we have many people that have championed the Organization. One individual in particular has really worked hard to bring the entire industry together and in this process has made sure the Reps and IHFRA have been included.
The Rep Organization asked me to publicly acknowledge and I concur what a great job Brian Casey and the High Point Market Authority has done to help the industry. In his position he of course promotes the High Point market. But in doing so he has helped make it a better place to attend for all participants. Of course his job is to try and get retailers to come down to market and there are various incentives he uses depending on the retailer.
What is unique about Brian’s approach is that he is equally concerned about the experience Home Furnishings Reps have in coming to market. He has gone out to local hotels and negotiated great market rates just for sales representatives. If you are a member of IHFRA and still need a place to stay contact Kathy or Jennifer at 336-889-3920 to get these special hotels rates. (If you aren’t a member of IHFRA see paragraph 1). These are not flea bag hotels but actual places you would be willing to stay at for 4-5 nights during market.
Brian has also been an advocate by traveling across the country to various Rep Chapter meetings and making presentations. Last year I sat with him at the IHFRA annual dinner. In discussions I know him to be a truly dedicated person who is doing a world of good for our industry. He truly cares about helping the industry grow.
So from the Reps, the factories and the retailers you help, thank you Brian for your efforts in making our industry a better place.
Please feel free to add any comments below. If you would like me to feature you or someone you know who is positively impacting home furnishings sales reps please send me an email at meroot@mikeroot.com and we will schedule a time to discuss. Thanks
Sujeet commented:
i have never interviewed for ahsley furniture but i have interviewed for Cingular wireless. one thing i remember is that we were in the interview room and the hiring manager pointed to a roll of paper towels and told me to try and sell him the roll of paper towels. it was really funny. i didnt get the job haha.
Liz commented:
. Thanks! The rep range is completely up to you. The detnmrieing factors are time and the fitness level of the participant. This is a fun workout because it pairs people up to work together and it's all body weight exercises. Not for Hypertrophy, but great for overall conditioning. I can scale this from 10 to 20 minutes and then add in other circuits to make a full class. Hope this helps.
