Download a resume for Michael Hatrak:
Before the furniture shopper even comes into the store:
How do you let customers know about your store and products offered. More
importantly
why should they choose your store with so many other furniture stores to choose
from?
Here are some common misconceptions:
- Most places have at least a simple furniture web site.
- Our furniture store does not sell furniture online so we don't need a site.
- We have a great furniture site geared for our local customer's.
- I spend allot of money on newspaper ads and do customer mailings.
- We spent allot of time making sure our furniture prices are competitive.
- Times are slow and we can not make a large investment having a furniture web site.
the none, for a good furniture site that is not seen is a waste of money. Signing up for
a service that uses their own site. Then sells a membership to be a local store listing the first
fact is that site is usually in most cases not even in the top 10 of the search page. You know
who is at the top, online furniture dealers from out of state and if you are listed with 50 other
furniture store options to get price shopped. Most consumers will use your showroom and
sales assets then go online to competitive shop before buying furniture.
With so many furniture dealers making the decision to try and keep up with the times but the
fact is so is everyone else. Is the ad in the news paper still the best way to go? First let us take
these considerations into play before answering. No one else is doing a full page ad, your
furniture is the best and lowest priced and exclusive to only you and does not look similar
to the other furniture stores. Anybody who has had the customer say it was just like that one
and you used the apples to apples analogy. For myself like most people watch the news on TV or
on my internet start page and unless the name of your store is so branded that when the
customer goes online to look up your ad to get directions etc, did they misspell it, did they
search by the item, did another stores web site show up not yours. For less than half the price
spent on a Sunday paper ad I can create a more profitable ad campaign.
Direct mailing is great but email campaigns are less expensive and get good results. How dare
I imply that your customer mailing list you have compiled over the years they never would buy
at another furniture store and be on their mailing list. Although mailing companies have
list for sale that you can really narrow down. Not to say that mailings are a bad dead. A 16 page
color catalog can be mailed out for about 40 cents a mailer in bulk. But a friendly monthly
newsletter has a good chance also.
I can not only build a web site. but more importantly is the search engine optimization to make
sure it is seen mixed with the correct use of ad word and links with modest advertising and
email campaign will have the unfortunate side effect of bringing new customers into your
Local Furniture Store. Click here to learn more about how I can help your business.
When the Customer walk’s into the furniture store:
What does the customer notice that is different about your store, or is
it the same as
the other local furniture stores they have been in. Is your store design set
up for your
customer? Consider these common design goals.
- We have a designer layout our showroom and it looks breath taking our
staff consist of
designers/consultants and we consider our price points considerable to other high end
furniture stores. We offer in home design service and we feel we are unique.
- Our furniture store is unique we have some moderate price points and we
also decorate
our vignettes. But what makes us different is we sale packages at great prices and have
creative finance options.
- What separates us is our price we do not have all the overhead and keep
it simple no
we do not do designer floor plans we are more meat and potato. To keep our prices low
are primary business is special orders.
If these do not in a broad way describe your store than you are different
but if even one fits
your showroom desire what makes you unique or better. Does your floor layout
have a price
story. How is the navigation and is your best most expensive stuff up front
first our towards
the back. Do you have a scratch and dent spot. Is the sales counter in the
front or in the back
of the showroom. This speaks of your sales mentality and your priority but
what does the
customer see is the most important. How is the greeting is this a car lot
or a boutique and if
there was no sales person could a person navigate the floor and is the furniture
displayed for
a model home or a family room. Price tags well that is a given or is it again
no sales guide to
ramble off features etc. Does it clearly describe how to order this without
a sales person and
if they buy more is there discounts given or can they haggle. Is there catalogs
visible and other
point of sale tools and guides. The clever sale tag and financing available
with a few vendor
handouts does not cut it.
Sales Training is training not doughnut morning meetings with a sales rep
giving the same
training the guy down the street got. Can your sales people give a new hire
a 10 minute sales
presentation on any given manufacture. You bought the furniture did the rep
sale you or were
you an easy sell? The reasons you gave it real estate on your floor should
be the main selling
point. But product knowledge is great but the delivery guys showed up and
it does not fit, or
the color is wrong that is were training was lacking.
I can offer a complete training program and not a start over but fix the leaks
and show
everyone how to patch it and why it happened.
I can use real information collected to use current vendors and sales floor
to get the sales and
use product knowledge to suggest vendors to mix price points are hot trends.
Use point of sales tools to create an extra sales person.
I have broad knowledge in both domestic and import furniture manufactures:
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When the customer is ready to buy:
Making sure systems are in place to get the correct information quickly
and take the payment
in an easy and quick process. Sounds simple enough until a special order comes
in wrong are
the customer was stressing that we had to call the neighbor to take delivery
to the sales staff
but the info did not make it to the delivery/warehouse. These are the little
things that should
be avoided. The human error factor no matter how nice a point of sale system
you use steps
need to happen to stop this. If you have a system in place and if a similar
thing has happened to
your company you have a breakdown in your system. Although no system is perfect
that is why
you expect failure to happen and have an error plan to catch that error. Giving
a customer a way
to check on their merchandise will cut down stress if done right.
I have trained on many systems and these systems are supposed to help if used
correct and the
staff knows how to take an order with the system down as well. I can automate
most tedious task and
cut down on paperwork. Simple steps to cut operating cost and keep in mind
how much you pay on
Credit Card processing there is always ways to save. I have used the following
systems :
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Ordering Customer furniture and Stock:
A common problem I often see is the person doing the ordering does not have
basic product
knowledge and this is owner/management issue. I have seen sales associates
order a hook on
headboard and footboard and order bolt on or better yet no rails specified.
How do you catch that
and can you see were the breakdown happened. A great thing is some vendors
offer EDI which you
should use if possible and create your own EDI with vendors lagging behind
yes it is possible. Does
some of your vendors offer discount for early pay, is your company purchasing
in container or would
consider savings by bringing in own containers. Tracking orders for multiple
stores done with P.O.S
and having price tags for stock as well as tracking credit memos are all systems.
I can help turn the floor so you can cycle inventory and turn those wrong
orders and glued down
furniture into dollars.
Customers furniture come in:
I feel this is the most crucial part of the furniture industry that gets
the least attention.
First thing I ask is do you have a full time customer service person. If no
then are you not
moving enough product and if yes then your warehouse is needing some attention.
I can maximize your storage space with proper use of racking. If not already
using a
bar coding system can put together an inexpensive system. The most important
thing
is to cut down loss and increase output.
Customer did not buy yet:
When a customer leaves and did not buy anything but has handouts and a business
card with pricing
the sales associate should be able to recall the name of their dog. I am not
saying that people do not
get info and think before making a major purchase. But what point in the buying
cycle were they at
and if they are at the collecting information stage. Did this sales person
drop the ball and if your
answer like most is no then what is your stores close ratio and the all important
question of that
total how many are be backs.
There is a way to find out what stage a buyer is at and there is a way to
get be backs a reason to
come back. If you are looking for results then contact me
Resume for Michael Hatrak
OBJECTIVE:
To utilizes my abilities to compliment a retail furniture store to grow and
improve
overall profitability. While working in a fun atmosphere that is teamwork
orientated and work
for company that enables personal and financial growth.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Over 15 years experience in the Home Furnishings Industry with expertise
in every aspect of Furniture Retail / Wholesale Operations.
EMPLOYMENT:
Previous to working way up to management worked as a furniture delivery
driver, warehouse manager, customer service and accounts payable.
Kelly’s Furniture: Furniture Sales Manager:
Crawford Furniture: Furniture Sales Manager:
Furniture Plus: Operations Manager/ E-Commerce:
Ashley Furniture Home Stores: Sales Manager:
TAM Imports: Furniture Operations Manager:
Furniture Connection: E- Commerce Manager:
Company Confidential: E- Commerce Manager:
INDUSTRY RELATED EDUCATION:
Attended Zig Ziglar and various Sales Seminars
Attended Various WHFA Sponsored Workshops.
Certified Home Furnishings Consultant / IFDA