By Moe Lastfogel Director of Sales and Marketing for The Retail Observer First off, Happy Holidays to you all. Next month is the start of many new things to be excited about. A New Year, new sales opportunities and clients, and a new era in trade shows. Most of all Design and Construction Week in Las Vegas. As I was starting this month’s Musings, I received an email form the NKBA presenting ways to make the most out of attending KBIS. In my opinion, the tips they shared is great advice for every show you attend next year. Here is a modified version. • Make a plan. Whether it’s your first year at the show or you’re into double-digits, goal setting can help you plan your time on and off the trade show floor. Align with your 2015 business objectives to determine which seminars and courses to attend and which booths to visit. It’s impossible to do it all. • Arrive early. Maximize the trip by building in time for professional development during your time there. Many of the shows are offing excellent courses to help you gain knowledge and grow your business. • Come ready to network. Networking is a huge part of the experience; prepare to make the most of it. Research businesses in other parts of the country that are complementary to yours, whether it’s a potential partner, vendor or client. The shows are offering many opportunities for this. Take advantage. The research you do upfront will help you make the most of your meetings, accelerate your relationships and make the connections more effective. I’ve already started planning for Design and Construction Week — have you? If not, you can start by visiting www.designandconstructionweek.com to download full event schedules. This looks to be the largest gathering of our industry in its recorded history. Don’t miss out. Happy Holidays, Moe Lastfogel [email protected]
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By Moe Lastfogel Director of Sales and Marketing for The Retail Observer Let’s face it, most of you are involved in the appliance industry in some way as a retailer, distributor, designer, contractor or manufacturer, plus other loyal readers not mentioned. What is the common factor that these groups all share? FOOD!!! You’re selling, specifying, servicing or installing cooking and/or cleaning products and this is why your customers call you. What is your level of culinary education? Can you boil water? Do you know how a microwave works beyond the 30 second or popcorn buttons? When is it the right time to change the temperature in the oven when you are using convection, and is time a factor? What temperature should red vs. white vs. sparkling wines be held at? How does scraping or non- scraping plates effect their cleanliness from the dishwasher? At what temperature does ketchup come out of wool in the laundry? If you don’t know these basic answers, I suggest getting some help from your peers. Let’s face it, you wouldn’t purchase a stock portfolio from a lemonade stand or lemonade from a stock broker, right? So, who wants to buy appliances from someone who just reads a spec sheet and has no concept of why or how these products work? People relate to food, because without it, well, you know... Anyway, your culinary knowledge beyond take-out menus is a must. Ask your manufacturers and distributors if they have programs available that can build your knowledge, DVR some cooking shows or take some classes at your local community center. “Why,” you ask? Because if your customer asks why they should purchase the $6,000 wine cabinet rather than the $200 cabinet, you’ll want to be able to respond with something more informed than, “Because it looks so much more impressive.” Happy Retailing, Moe [email protected] |
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December 2021
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