It is increasingly becoming more difficult to overcome the ‘pricing wars’ and to differentiate yourself from the competitors. This interactive workshop will explore how to create value with end-users and industry influencers. We will share concepts on: effectively penetrating accounts, building trust and rapport, and profitably positioning your company as a trusted resource.
David Solomon of Solomon Coyle will review the results of the 2012 OFDA Dealer Financial Comparison & Benchmarking Guide and share how to use benchmarking results to develop concrete, measurable strategies for increased efficiency and profitability. David will provide a dealer economics overview and discuss Solomon Coyle’s Dealer Business Operational Models, based on actual financial benchmarks from a variety of dealerships. You’ll learn indicators of financial success, gain an understanding of the implications of your staffing and organizational structure, and discover what financial controls need to be in place to fully realize the profitability of your business. David will also review guidelines on how to use the report findings to support the budgeting and planning process. He will share strategies for managing to plan, developing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and analyzing trending. You will gain an understanding of how you can use the benchmarking report to identify areas in need of improvement, aid your management team with goal setting, and help establish reasonable targets for improved cost management, revenue generation and profitability.
Jim Heilborn
Jim Heilborn Associates
Even with a return to a better economy and increased business activity, employee turnover is still one of main threats to productivity and profitability. Industry consultant, Jim Heilborn, will lead an interactive workshop covering hiring, orientation, training, and compensation – all keys to helping new employees reach their expected productivity and contribution goals.
Participants in this session are asked to be prepared to discuss their hiring and orientation process, along with their compensation strategies. They are also encouraged to bring any samples they would like to share or have evaluated by the group.
A multiple Emmy award winner and leading keynote speaker and seminar presenter on business success, Ross Shafer, CEO of Ross Shafer Consultants, Inc., will outline how contract dealers and other OFDA members can “grab more market share from lazy competitors.” An expert on customer empathy, personal motivation, and business relevance, Shafer has produced numerous HR training films and written five books on customer service, leadership, and motivation. With the world's top economists predicting dismal 1-2% average growth through 2015, the only way to grow an organization is to take market share away from your less-committed competitors. Shafer will demonstrate how progressive companies are getting 15-25% growth, even when their available market is stagnant or declining.
A growing number of contract furniture dealers, manufacturers and other industry firms are experimenting with social media to market their companies, but many are just beginning to develop explicit strategies to connect social media initiatives with an overall e-marketing and new business develop process. This interactive panel discussion will highlight social media and related e-marketing strategies that several leading contract dealers and others in our industry are implementing and considering to generate new business opportunities and enhance their ongoing relationships with customers and prospective customers. It also will identify key metrics for evaluating success and the expected and realized ROI from social media initiatives.
A growing number of contract furniture dealers, manufacturers and other industry firms are experimenting with social media to market their companies, but many are just beginning to develop explicit strategies to connect social media initiatives with an overall e-marketing and new business develop process. This interactive panel discussion will highlight social media and related e-marketing strategies that several leading contract dealers and others in our industry are implementing and considering to generate new business opportunities and enhance their ongoing relationships with customers and prospective customers. It also will identify key metrics for evaluating success and the expected and realized ROI from social media initiatives.
This panel discussion will feature contract dealers and an installation services company principal who will share their experiences in implementing technologies to streamline warehouse/delivery/installation and other company operations activities, reduce costs and improve results for customers and their own businesses. They also will address measures taken to maximize integration of these operations technologies with their primary business system.
In this interactive session, Tom Klobucher, a new industry author and Founder and CEO of Thomas Interior Systems, a leading Herman Miller dealership in the Chicago area, will share and encourage dialogue about the Twelve Essential Strategies for Creating a Great Place to Work to take maximum advantage of what he calls “The Great Workplace Revolution.” This revolution – triggered by the uniting of 5 generations of knowledge workers that is on the immediate horizon – will generate unprecedented opportunities to pool diverse talents into a unified team of engaged, service-oriented individuals. Participants will discuss proven strategies drawn from organizational experiences within our industry and beyond to build and sustain dynamic, highly effective workplaces.
To win more business and achieve reasonable profitability, contract dealers increasingly must position themselves as full-service consultants who can help clients and their A&D and commercial real estate project management advisors design and install cost-effective, productive and appealing interior workspace solutions that meet defined needs. OFDA has recruited leading manufacturers’ workplace strategists and a representative from CoreNet Global who will discuss the latest research findings, workplace trends and their practical application. Panelists also will exchange views on how dealers can effectively work with their primary manufacturers to help clients find solutions that address rising workforce mobility, collaboration and technology use; pressures for improved space utilization and flexibility; sustainability and privacy concerns; and the need to support distinct work styles and needs associated with multiple generations in the workforce. The session will include a moderated Q&A period.
Building Information Modeling (BIM), Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) and Revit are gaining significant traction within the architectural, construction/engineering and interior design communities. Dealers, particularly in major metro markets, increasingly are participating as bidders in projects that require familiarity with Revit and other BIM tools. They also may have opportunities to position themselves as office interiors product consultants at an earlier stage in projects if they have a deeper understanding of BIM and IPD, have working experience with Revit and understand how widely used industry specification/space planning tools can work in tandem with it. This interactive panel session – including knowledgeable industry software solution providers and representatives from the interior design, manufacturing and dealer communities – will provide a current snapshot of BIM, IPD and Revit use in our industry. Panelists also will offer practical guidance to help dealers evaluate the business case in their own markets for building expertise in the effective use of these concepts and tools.
A growing number of full-service contract office interiors dealers are offering an expanding array of workplace collaboration technology products and services that can be combined with their primary furniture lines to deliver integrated solutions to their customers. This interactive session will bring together dealers who are implementing a variety of strategies to address this growing market opportunity with stand-alone technology products and add-on electronic network components that enable flexible workplace and online collaboration by connecting advanced technology products. Learn practical tips on how to understand and develop this new area of business opportunity profitably in a variety of vertical market environments.
OFDA will outline a variety of new and proposed management educational offerings, strategic industry communication initiatives and plans to develop a new professional certification program for full-service contract dealers and invite member input on them.
OFDA will outline a variety of new and proposed management educational offerings, strategic industry communication initiatives and plans to develop a new professional certification program for full-service contract dealers and invite member input on them.
Mark Vignoles Dean McIntyre
Service West McIntyre Group
OFDA has recruited a knowledgeable panel of dealership and installation service company principals to share their experiences and best practice strategies to position their organizations to develop new business opportunities and close sales for architectural walls and other systems. Following brief presentations by panelists on their respective organizations’ experiences and strategies, questions will be encouraged from the audience.
This panel discussion will feature contract dealers who will share their experiences in implementing technologies to efficiently manage marketing, sales/NBD and CRM activities and enhance the online and overall service experiences of clients and their long-term retention. Panelists also will address measures taken in their dealerships to maximize integration of these customer-facing technologies with their primary business system.
This general session presentation is based on the belief that a dealership can only become the-best-version-of itself if the people in the dealership are striving to become the-best-version-of themselves. Matthew Kelly's high-energy, interactive session will encourage each participant to become a ‘talent fanatic’ obsessed with searching for the talent necessary to achieve a bigger future for their company. He will also teach the audience how to spot talent, develop talent, and when and why to discard talent.
Matthew Kelly is an internationally acclaimed motivational speaker, author and president of Floyd Consulting. His books have sold more than four million copies and have appeared on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly, and numerous other bestseller lists. His titles include The Dream Manager, The Rhythm of Life and Off-Balance.
With everything online, why do dealers still need a library? Most dealers are interested in implementing online product information tools providing they guarantee increased productivity and reduced staffing and real-estate requirements. Of special concern is how to effectively manage the digital divide - harnessing information tools embraced by the Internet generation without damaging older client relationships or established sales peoples' productivity. Respected resource consultant Suzanne Swift and dealers chosen for their experience in using online product tools let you know where we are in the migration from resource library to online library and help you answer the question "Can I get rid of my library?"
This panel discussion will feature an overview on how to get your company’s website found on search engines and the importance of marketing online. There will be two Dealer panelists who will share their success stories and case studies regarding Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising. Rounding out the discussion will be a live demonstration of a demo office furniture website, fully optimized for search engines capable of handling transactions, quote requests and more. Audience Q&A will round-out the program.
