Article Number : 1879 |
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| Date | 4/5/2007 9:27:43 AM |
| Written By | LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services |
| View this article at: | //floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=1879 |
| Abstract | Manchester, N.H.—Carpet One Floor & Home held its second annual Retail Sales Professional Convention (RSPC) in conjunction with the member convention in Dallas earlier this month... |
| Article | Manchester, N.H.—Carpet One Floor & Home held its second annual Retail Sales Professional Convention (RSPC) in conjunction with the member convention in Dallas earlier this month. The two-day event provided sales professionals with training and product knowledge they could apply on the sales floor and share with their sales teams. “We were thrilled with the outcome of this year’s RSPC,” said David Hendler, vice president of retail for Carpet One Floor & Home. “We had an amazing group of sales professionals there who were passionate about their craft and excited to learn and absorb the knowledge and training we provided during the event.” The sales professionals attended some events with their store owners, then spent the remainder of their time at RSP convention specific sessions, including special selling skills breakout sessions, panel discussions around merchandising and product, and activities that gave them the opportunity to network with peers and key vendors. A vendor round robin gave sales professionals valuable information about the products they sell and tips for selling those products more effectively, while the product panel gave them insight on product trends and upcoming programs. In all sessions, sales professionals were able to ask questions and converse openly with panel members. The sales professionals were not the only ones to benefit from the vendor round robin. According to the eight vendor sponsors—Anderson, Armstrong, Daltile, IVC, Mannington, Mohawk, Nourison and Shaw—this event was a very good investment in both time and money. “The vendor round robins offer a great opportunity for us to share information with the sales professionals, who are the front line with their customers,” said Joyce Lowe, Nourison’s executive director, National Buying Groups. “We’ve planted seeds for the future that will increase our business because these sales professionals now have a better understanding of our product than they did before. And the best part is they will take this knowledge back to their store and share it with the rest of the staff. We’ve provided them the information they need to be successful in selling our products.” A major component of Carpet One Floor & Home’s five-year plan is sales professional engagement. “The RSPC is just one component of the sales professional engagement initiative of our five-year plan,” Hendler said. “Sales professionals are the front line with our customers, and their contribution toward our success cannot be overstated.” Other sales professionals felt the greatest aspect of the convention was the opportunity to meet and interact with other Carpet One Floor & Home sales professionals. “The sales training and product knowledge was great, but most helpful was simply a few days interacting with other sales professionals from across North America,” said Mark Weaver of Bear Carpet One Floor & Home in Sugarcreek, Ohio. “You can learn a lot from other people’s attitudes and experiences.” |