The VDTA/SDTA 2008 Las Vegas Convention & Show
Las Vegas, NV February 21-23, 2008
at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Hall C5
Seminar Schedule: Friday, February 22, 2008 (updated Nov. 1)
8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Selling Made Simple
Instructor: Jason Prater, Sulky of America
With everything that Sulky offers - Unparalleled Quality, Endless Know-how, Creative Inspiration, In-store Education, Consumer Product Recognition and Brand Loyalty - we'll show you how selling is the easy part! Learn how to be successful selling the most complete line of the highest quality threads, stabilizers, books, and storage devices on the market today. See how Sulky Thread is made and why it is the highest quality thread available anywhere in the world, and why your customers will love using it in all of their creative endeavors. You'll hear how Sulky's Sew Exciting Seminar program will help you inspire your customers and keep them coming back time and again.
Diversify! Learn How to Demo a Sewing Machine
Instructor: Ray Winslow, Allyn International
Are you interested in selling sewing machines? This is a demonstrated product, not something the prospect is going to take away from you. This class will cover the basics of how to ‘sell’ your machine to a prospect. Topics covered include demo preparation, customer qualification, and specific high impact demonstration techniques that will help you close the sale. For those of you who want to sell sewing machines, fit this class into your schedule!
Selling the “SIZZLE”
Instructor: Simon Haskins, RNK Distributing
In Australia BBQ’s are an institution thus the saying, “If you have the sizzle then the sausage will sell it’s self!” Simon will demonstrate how inspirational products and samples (the ’sizzle’) accompanied by enthusiastic staff not only entice both new and old customers into a store but keep them coming back. ‘Sizzling’ samples attract customers and can be used as tools to create additional sales through classes and demonstrations presented by enthusiastic staff along with the fact that end products (samples) attractive and motivate consumer sales. This lecture will share the knowledge gleaned by Jenny and now Simon over the past 18 years, from top performing dealers from around the world, giving you the tools to increase your customer base and keep consumers coming back into your store.
Selling Embroidery Is More Than Selling Machines and Design Sets!
Instructor: Walter Floriani, RNK Distributing
The more you learn about the home embroidery industry the more you will be amazed at how many consumers own multiple machines and thousands of designs, but no one has ever sold them or taught about embroidery. To rejuvenate the home embroidery industry we must first teach them. This brief lecture will take you back to basics and help you understand and appreciate the frustrations experienced by some consumers who may have changed their embroidery hobby for a different one. We will also discuss how to win them back!
Build A Profitable Extended Service Contract Program
Instructor: Bruce Caldwell, Bankers Warranty Group
Learn how to construct and implement a successful service contract program. See what it takes to profitably sell service contracts in the big box store environment. We answer all of your questions of why, what and how. A summary of the key to success will be provided to all class participants.
How to Create a New Profit Center
Instructor: Frank Hammes, IQAir North America
IQAir’s How to Create a New Profit Center was designed to show vacuum dealers how to make more money with their existing vacuum shops by adding air purifier sales. There is no need for a new store. No new Web site. You just make more money by creating an air purifier profit center in your retail store. IQAir is the company that invented modern day home air cleaning more than 40 years ago, and they’ve taken their 40 years of experience to create this special course. The most important thing that vacuum dealers who attended will tell you is that How to Create a New Profit Center really does just that. You’ll learn how to make more money with your existing businesses.
8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
The Advantages of Working with
First Horizon Merchant Services
Instructor: Kimberly Layton, First Horizon Merchant Services
This presentation will contain a brief overview of the First Horizon Merchant Services organization including card types as well as ancillary products and services. We will also review a variety of useful topics such as “How to choose a payment provider” and “What’s included in processing costs”. The final portion of the presentation will offer seminar attendees a chance to ask questions about merchant services no matter how general or specific.
3) VDTA/SDTA Freight Savings Plan:
Ship Smart & Save
Instructor: Donn Buenafe, Siriani & Associates
Members learn about their free member benefit and how to save money when shipping their supplies and products.
4) Benefit Resourcing: Membership has itsAdvantages
Instructor: Michael George, Benefit Resourcing
Discuss the advantages of group health/business insurance. Offer benefits that make employees want to stay. How do you get the business insurance you need? Can you do it all at the cost you can afford?
8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Central Vacuum Certification & Proper Installation Technique
Instructor: Vincent Ciernick, A1 Central Vacuum Inc.
Long-time VDTA instructor Vincent Ciernick of A1 Central Vacuums Inc., will present his most comprehensive, complete central vacuum certification and proper installation technique seminar to date! This three-hour seminar is one of the most requested seminars in VDTA history. The class is for beginners, veterans and manufacturers. The first half of the class will be for beginners and the second half will cover more advanced topics. The seminar will include illustrations of good and bad installations of new and existing construction and proper underground techniques. The objective is to stop the poor installations that hurt the industry’s future sales due to poor performance and unnecessary service calls. The seminar will start with identifying each fitting, as well as those that hurt future sales. Please attend, share your knowledge, and get certified. You do not have to be a VDTA member to attend; however, if you wish to obtain your certification during this class, you do need to be in current membership status before you take the certification test. (Now is the time to join!) Bring pen, paper or recorder.
8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Suck-Cess 2008
Want to learn how we can turn this industry around? Want to learn how to bring door to door concepts and strategies into your business? Ever wondered how you could own and operate a retail store doing over a million dollars a year? Want to learn an arsenal of new tricks to grow your business? You can learn this and more at Suck-Cess 2008. This is by far the best seminar we have ever put together. You can’t afford to miss it.
8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Central Vac Education Track (Part II)
Pre-register at www.builtinvacuum.com/cvtrack
Instructor: Grant Olewiler, M.D. Manufacturing
M.D. Manufacturing will take your business to a new level when you attend their comprehensive training track designated for central vacuums. Classes in the track will run one after another, each lasting approximately one-hour long and a 10-minute break will allow brief interludes.
The Education Track classes will include: Basic Installation, Advanced Installation Techniques, Large Home Installation, Existing Home Installations, Marketing and Selling Central Vacuums, Central Vacuum Technical Theory, Central Vacuum Service, and The Future of the Central Vacuum Industry.
M.D. greatly encourages pre-registration of this seminar track to ensure a customized training manual for each of the registrants.
9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
NEW: Technology = Profit
Instructor is Dave Cox, Tri-Technical Systems, Inc.
Are you controlling your inventory or is it controlling you? Are you waiting for customers to come to you? Are you utilizing the Internet and E-commerce to your advantage? During this seminar you will learn how technology can be used to help control buying, reduce inventory, increase turns and develop a positive cashflow. You will also learn how and why you should utilize a Customer Relationship Management tool to increase sales and better “Brand” your store through cost-effective email and direct mail marketing. And lastly, we will help to remove the fear of the Internet by talking about selling your business image and products on-line.
NEW: How To Select A Green Air Purifier: Go Green With AllerAir
Instructor: Sam Teitelbaum, AllerAir Industries, Inc.
You’ve marketed HEPA filters for dust, but do you have a solution to the growing concern over household chemicals, gases, odors and particles? AllerAir does. They are a leader in broad-spectrum air purification and they’ll tell you how to capitalize on this segment of the multi-billion dollar health and wellness market.
NEW: Too Many Duplicate Designs?
Instructor: Clay Stovall, Gran’s Workroom LLC
This class will show you how to use the Embroidery Deduper© software to eliminate duplicate embroidery designs and files, while automating the extraction of archive files, such as Zip and RAR files.
Selling Made Simple
Instructor: Jason Prater, Sulky of America
With everything that Sulky offers - Unparalleled Quality, Endless Know-how, Creative Inspiration, In-store Education, Consumer Product Recognition and Brand Loyalty - we'll show you how selling is the easy part! Learn how to be successful selling the most complete line of the highest quality threads, stabilizers, books, and storage devices on the market today. See how Sulky Thread is made and why it is the highest quality thread available anywhere in the world, and why your customers will love using it in all of their creative endeavors. You'll hear how Sulky's Sew Exciting Seminar program will help you inspire your customers and keep them coming back time and again.
How to Host a $250,000 Embroidery Event
Instructor: Steve Wilson, Anita Goodesign, Inc.
Learn the systems and science of entertaining your customers, while selling embroidery machines, software, designs and accessories.
11:00 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.
Sewing Dealers Roundtable
This industry forum gives you the opportunity to ask questions and share your experiences with fellow independent sewing machine dealers. This panel of successful dealers will share their thoughts and ideas on the sewing industry. Attend this roundtable and gain valuable insight on how you can increase sales and profits.
11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
All That You Ever Wanted to Know About Stabilizers
Instructor: Fred Lebow, Lebow Consulting
Each attendee will learn the basic process of stabilization – the foundation for embroidery.
They will learn which products to use and what NOT to use.
We will also go over specific embroidery applications and the stabilizer to use for each.
By the end of this class each attendee will understand the basic tenets of stabilizing and they will be better able to wade through the morass of products available with far better understanding and confidence.
What If You're Only As Good As Your Bathroom?
Instructor: Rita Farro, American Sewing Expo & Sewing & Stitchery EXPO
Rita Farro began her career as an independent sewing machine dealer and she understands that NOBODY WORKS HARDER THAN YOU DO. Rita does marketing for the two biggest consumer sewing shows in America -- so she works with sewing machine dealers all over the country. She often presents workshops at sewing machine conventions and one of her favorite questions is "what was the best thing you did last year to improve your business?" What do successful independent sewing machine dealers have in common? What sets them apart? Do they have a secret? What can you learn from them? And how can there be a marketing lesson in the ladie's room? The answers might surprise you.
12:15 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.
Segue Selling
Instructor: Dagon Browning, A1 Vacuum & Janitorial Supply
This one hour seminar will include a simple and effective three step vacuum demonstration that has been perfected over the last 25 years.
Dagon will also be sharing a number of subtle methods of taking your customer from bag and belt sales, as well as repair check-ins to the demo floor and then share a simple phone technique that will get customers into your store. In addition, Dagon will also be unveiling his newest vacuum presentation aid.
How to Sell CVS at the Higher Price & Make Full Profit
Instructor: Vincent Ciernick, A1 Central Vacuum Inc.
Tired of working so hard just to pay the bills? Tired of losing sales? This seminar will teach you how to stop giving the store away and make the money you deserve. You will demonstrate why you and your product is worth more of their money. Vincent averages eight out of 10 sales calls in the door and many times they never got a second bid. Part of your sales is knowledge of proper installations, if you can attend the seminar Central Vacuum Certification and Proper Installation Technique this will help your business and sales.
How To Use Advertising To Create A Retail Money Machine
Instructor: Claude Whitacre, The Sweeper Store
Claude Whitacre will show you the seven major reasons that your advertising isn’t working — and the 10 easy, instant and FREE things you can do to make your ads pay BIG. This isn’t about building brands or creating a store image. It’s 60 minutes of tested, proven and profitable ideas that have created phenomenal profits for vacuum cleaner and sewing machine dealers across the country. It’s about creating thousands of dollars in more profits in the next 30 days.
12:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.
NEW: Simplicity Tandem Air Certification
Instructors: John Kaido, Saul Esparza, Kevin Lowe and Doug Blocker
All Simplicity dealers attending this seminar will gain their Tandem Air Certification. The session includes a three step approach to understanding, demo-ing and servicing Tandem Air vacuums. Here’s you chance to learn numerous new Tandem Air demos that will “wow” your customers. Plus, during the service portion, Tacony engineers will diagnosis, disassemble and reassemble Tandem Air vacuums as well as field questions from the audience.
1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Central Vacuum Dealers Roundtable
Attending this industry forum will allow you to exchange ideas and information on the issues affecting the built-in vacuum business today. Audience participation is encouraged so you can have the opportunity to have your questions answered by a diverse group of dealers and suppliers.
How To Use a Customer Newsletter to Make Your Business Competition Proof!
Instructor: Claude Whitacre, The Sweeper Store
Claude Whitacre will show you how he uses a customer newsletter to “lock in” his customer base, create more profit, and attract a profitable customer. You will see how to generate the newsletter with little effort. Who should you mail it to? How often? What should be in it? How does it generate new sales? How big should it be?
4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
NEW SPECIAL EVENT!
Dealer Appreciation Social Event
You are invited to join in this NEW convention highlight in the Exhibit Hall. The exhibits will be open and various manufacturers will be serving food and refreshments -- in appreciation of you! This social event will include lots of fun and some entertainment too.
Join in with your industry colleagues and make this a social event to remember!
Updated 1-28-08 |
