THE HOME IMPROVEMENT PROFITABILITY SUMMIT (PHASE 2) 

The Profitability Summit (Phase 1) was held in May in Chicago.  Over 140 companies gathered to listen and ask questions of 25 experts from the home improvement and remodeling industries. The event was organized by Dave Yoho Associates who are recognized as the industry’s foremost leader in sales and marketing training.  Now, PHASE 2 of the event will take place during the 2010 Remodeling Show | DeckExpo and includes a 4-hour program on recruiting and hiring salespeople which will serve as the release for the highly anticipated audio package entitled “Hiring the Right Salespeople and Avoiding the Wrong Ones”.

Lunch and refreshments will be provided on both Day 1 and Day 2 Programs only.

Check out the agenda below:

DAY 1 - Tuesday, September 14   |   8:30am-5:00pm

Pricing for Profitability

Without the correct pricing formula you may be sacrificing profitability for revenue. Specialty home improvement companies can earn 10-15 (and sometimes) 20% pre-tax net profit. Full-line home improvers (including design and build) can earn 5-8% pre-tax net.  It’s all in the formula and the control(s). Dave Yoho Associates will show you:

• How to create and maintain positive cash flow
• How to properly read a balance sheet to reduce cash flow problems
• The hybrid operating statement which enables owners/managers to determine issues of concern quickly and accurately
• The way that many companies operated profitably throughout the entire recession

Increasing Your Profitability with Modern Marketing

You cannot afford to do business the way you were 15, 10, or even 5 years ago. The companies that are dominating their market(s) are increasing the number of leads they receive while simultaneously lowering costs. You will learn:

• How to understand and utilize the Internet lead
• The industry’s most successful canvassing techniques and why most canvassing programs fail
• To perform asset recovery and rehash from your database
• Professional call center management
• Tactics for running a profitable showroom

Legal Advice That Could Save Your Business (featuring D.S. Berenson)

Whether you understand the reasoning behind it or not, the home improvement industry is turning into the biggest scapegoat for all of society’s ills since prohibition was enforced - - and things are going to get much worse before they get better. You owe it to yourself (and your business) to stay informed as D.S. Berenson, the industry’s top legal authority, presents information on:

• How you can turn lead paint rules into profitable outcomes
• How attorney generals and other state and federal agencies are targeting home improvement retailers
• The changes in independent contractor status
• Weatherization – is it a boon or a boondoggle?

DAY 2 - Wednesday, September 15th   |   8:30am-4:15pm

Recruiting, Hiring & Training the Right Salespeople & Avoiding the Wrong Ones  - - A 4 Hour Program That Will Change the Way You Think About Hiring - -

List the biggest problems that are currently affecting the industry and two that invariably come to mind are hiring and retention of your staff. Whether you are looking to hire salespeople, promoters, canvassers, managers, or administrative personnel our time tested methods are proven to get the right people in the door, match them with the correct job offering and incentivize them so turnover is low. This section will cover:

• The legal requirements of recruiting (i.e. what you can (cannot) ask an applicant?)
• How to draw a sufficient background check
• How to test and profile your applicants to determine if they can do the job – if they will do the job – and if they will fit?
• Where to find the top people, how to interview them, and how to train them (includes abundant case studies on top industry producers)

The Science of Successful In-Home Selling

Despite what you may have heard - - selling is a science - not an art - and the most successful sales organizations utilize a step system of selling. Don’t waste your leads on language and tactics that are stale - - modernize your approach and you will reap the rewards. Our team of Account Executives present on:

• Pinpointing your customers’ wants and needs
• Conducting a needs assessment
• Improving your “sit rate”
• Defining your prospect’s value system
• Selling your price
• The psychological laws of selling
• Overcoming objections (including price)
• Trial closes – the final close – and getting the order
• Avoiding rescission

Synopsis (Ask the Experts)

Each of these programs afford you the opportunity to interact with experts on diverse subjects such as lead paint insurance, social networking, website development, advertising, sales/sales training and the latest unique forms of lead development.