Do it Best Conference focuses on the customer

San Diego -- Five experts in the science of customer relations headlined Do it Best’s Winter Conference & Expo, held here Jan. 21 to 23 at the San Diego Convention Center. Speakers included Terry Jones, the founder of Travelocity.com, and Jackie Freiberg, author of “NUTS! Southwest Airlines’ Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success.”

The three-day conference focused on practical advice for the co-op’s members. Dealers learned how to attract new customers, hang on to the ones they already have and motivate both groups to spend more time -- and money -- in the store.

“Don’t ask people what they’re looking for,” advised Patrick Rodmell, president and CEO of Watt International. “Ask them what they’re trying to do. [Then] you can engage them in a conversation.”

Vince Guzzi, a Watt International brand consultant, suggested that all stores advertise a matching-price guarantee. Some shoppers will delay making a purchase until they can compare prices, he noted. “For the most part, people will take your word for it and not do the research,” Guzzi added.

In addition to the educational program, Do it Best dealers and vendors participated in a golf tournament and a tour of the Marine Corps Air Station at Miramar. The San Diego Convention Center hosted approximately 200 exhibitors as part of the event.

Like many retailers who attended the show, Barbara Peterman of AL&M Building Supply came to pick up some ideas that might work in her two Houston-area stores. Peterman liked the idea of doing holiday-themed end caps and window displays but wished there was an easier way to procure designs and materials. “I have to buy my stuff at Wal-Mart,” she noted.

Peterman was also impressed by Jackie Freiberg, who advised dealers to “act like a Sherpa” and cull out liabilities on their team. “If you have some employees who are not a good fit, you have to face up to that reality,” Peterman said.