Our employee highlight this week is President Mike Petersen, PhD. Dr. Petersen became the new president of The Furniture Training Company on December 30, 2014 following the retirement of former president Mark Lacy. As one of the founders of The Furniture Training Company, Mike has played an integral role in bringing the company to where it is today. We look forward Mike's leadership and talent as he takes on this new role. Employee Highlight: President Mike Petersen
Our employee highlight this week is President Mike Petersen, PhD. Dr. Petersen became the new president of The Furniture Training Company on December 30, 2014 following the retirement of former president Mark Lacy. As one of the founders of The Furniture Training Company, Mike has played an integral role in bringing the company to where it is today. We look forward Mike's leadership and talent as he takes on this new role. January 2015 Newsletter
Greetings and Salutations!
The Furniture Training Company wishes you a Happy New Year! We are excited to work with you in 2015 to help you achieve your greatest sales success yet. Here are a few of the exciting things we are doing at The Furniture Training Company to usher in the New Year.
Retirement of FTC President Mark Lacy, Succeeded by Dr. Mike Petersen PhD
The Furniture Training Company has announced that the company’s President, Mark Lacy, retired on December 30, 2014. Mr. Lacy’s decision to retire closed a wonderful career of nearly 18 years of service to FTC and it’s parent company, LetterPress Software, Inc. Dr. Mike Petersen, successor of Mr. Lacy said "Mark's vision for service in the retail furniture industry was vital to the formation of The Furniture Training Company. We are grateful for the many valuable contributions Mark has made over the course of his career. His training talents and industry insights have been a real blessing to the company. Mark really cares about customer service and that has been the hallmark of his career." According to Leston Drake, President of LetterPress Software, "Twenty years of training experience coupled with his background in instructional design make Mike the natural choice to succeed Mark. He understands training and knows the furniture industry well. His enthusiasm for improving the lives of professionals in the furniture industry will lead The Furniture Training Company into its next, exciting chapter. We are preparing to launch some new initiatives and we'll rely on Mike's leadership to capitalize on these upcoming opportunities."
New Dashboard
The Furniture Training Company is making it easier than ever for you to keep track of your training progress. Our new training dashboard is now the first thing you see every time you log in to your training account. The new display makes it easy to keep track of your progress in each course you are enrolled in, and even shows which lessons you should take for the coming week. Managers can view the progress of their salespeople at a glance and see how much training has been completed. In addition to the new dashboard, all users will receive a weekly email describing the previous week’s training progress as well as a expectations for the coming week. Managers will receive emailed progress reports of their employees to make tracking their training clear and simple.
Company Highlight
Congratulations to Stacy Furniture and Design of Allen, Texas for being selected as our Company Highlight in December! Manager Jay Sheppard and Assistant Manager Leslie Stone have been great supporters of the FTC Training Programs among their staff. In recognition of their excellent use of the program, the staff was provided with FTC gifts as well as a Dickey’s Barbecue catered lunch.
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Winter 2015 Las Vegas Market
The Furniture Training Company will be attending the Winter 2015 Las Vegas Market and will be located in the Retailer Resource Center (RRC). Come by to see Eddy Morris and Chris Sorensen for details on the latest from the Furniture Training Company.
The Furniture Training Company wishes you a Happy New Year! We are excited to work with you in 2015 to help you achieve your greatest sales success yet. Here are a few of the exciting things we are doing at The Furniture Training Company to usher in the New Year.
Retirement of FTC President Mark Lacy, Succeeded by Dr. Mike Petersen PhD
The Furniture Training Company has announced that the company’s President, Mark Lacy, retired on December 30, 2014. Mr. Lacy’s decision to retire closed a wonderful career of nearly 18 years of service to FTC and it’s parent company, LetterPress Software, Inc. Dr. Mike Petersen, successor of Mr. Lacy said "Mark's vision for service in the retail furniture industry was vital to the formation of The Furniture Training Company. We are grateful for the many valuable contributions Mark has made over the course of his career. His training talents and industry insights have been a real blessing to the company. Mark really cares about customer service and that has been the hallmark of his career." According to Leston Drake, President of LetterPress Software, "Twenty years of training experience coupled with his background in instructional design make Mike the natural choice to succeed Mark. He understands training and knows the furniture industry well. His enthusiasm for improving the lives of professionals in the furniture industry will lead The Furniture Training Company into its next, exciting chapter. We are preparing to launch some new initiatives and we'll rely on Mike's leadership to capitalize on these upcoming opportunities."
New Dashboard
The Furniture Training Company is making it easier than ever for you to keep track of your training progress. Our new training dashboard is now the first thing you see every time you log in to your training account. The new display makes it easy to keep track of your progress in each course you are enrolled in, and even shows which lessons you should take for the coming week. Managers can view the progress of their salespeople at a glance and see how much training has been completed. In addition to the new dashboard, all users will receive a weekly email describing the previous week’s training progress as well as a expectations for the coming week. Managers will receive emailed progress reports of their employees to make tracking their training clear and simple.
Company Highlight
Congratulations to Stacy Furniture and Design of Allen, Texas for being selected as our Company Highlight in December! Manager Jay Sheppard and Assistant Manager Leslie Stone have been great supporters of the FTC Training Programs among their staff. In recognition of their excellent use of the program, the staff was provided with FTC gifts as well as a Dickey’s Barbecue catered lunch.
Winter 2015 Las Vegas Market
The Furniture Training Company will be attending the Winter 2015 Las Vegas Market and will be located in the Retailer Resource Center (RRC). Come by to see Eddy Morris and Chris Sorensen for details on the latest from the Furniture Training Company.
I was recently reading some of the stories that have been sent into the Furniture Training Company and thought I should share them on the site.
- Yesterday I had a couple come into our store to shop for a bed. They told me that money was not an issue, but that they wanted a comfortable bed that was not to hard. I proceeded to show them some of the softer beds on our floor. As a result, by the end of our time together, I had sold them one of the most expensive beds on our floor, along with an extra bed frame and mattress protector. Why? because I was confident in my product, and I was able to match it up with my customer's needs and wants.
- A customer came wanting to buy a sofa, love, recliner chair. I told them about their warranty on the furniture. Told about the 5 year protection plan and what all that covers especially with their grandkids and pets. They decided they didn't need it. The next day the customer came back in after already purchasing the furniture. He decided to purchase the protection plan and that it would be a good choice for them.
- I was approached by a young couple this week that seemed to not quite commit to the purchase. Even though we all agreed that the selection wold go perfectly with their existing furniture. So, I said, "I see that you're still not completely convinced with the purchase, and yet you love the entertainment group you've selected. The entertainment group has all the feature and quality you like, the the sales we have makes it an exceptional buy, And of course, you agree, right? So, what may I as can I clarify for you?" She explained that she did not want to spend her entire tax refund on a single purchase. I told her I understand and expressed that I too had just received my tax refund. and I wanted my 2 dollars to last a little longer too. I asked her to take advantage of our "great" no down, no payments, no interest, 12 month financing. Mrs. Ramirez was happy yo have this option and we set up delivery this week . :) :) :) !!!!!!
- A customer came in the store I greeted her and she said "I am just looking." I said, have you been to the store before? She said "yes." I told her of the promotion we were having and then she asked about our finance program. I told her and she asked me to show her the bedroom sets that were on sale. I worked with her until she found a bedroom set that she liked. I closed the sale with an "I'm just looking customer." I was so happy I told my colleagues.
- I met a lady who first told me she was just looking. Butt when i delved into the techniques acquired in the computer training, she started listening to me and I subsequently led the conversation and ended up closing the sale.
The stories go on and on. Salespeople who engage in the training can see great increases in their sales. They can even double or triple.
Were looking forward to the Las Vegas Market
I want to make sure plenty of people stop by the booth so everyone who stops will get FREE access to the webinar Take Charge of the Sales Team and a FREE copy of the FTC Salesperson Inventory Our booth is in space #20 of the Retailer Resource Center (10th Floor of Building B). We've partnered with the folks at FurnitureCore (Impact Consulting and HFB Magazine). Give us a call if you have and questions - 866-755-5996.
Playing "Furniture Jackpot" Could Really Be Your Payday
During the Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, the Furniture Training Company is allowing you, our users, to compete for cash prizes by playing the review game Furniture Jackpot. On Saturday, February 7, we are going to erase all of the scores and open the contest to all participants. At the end of the Olympics, on February 23rd, the three users with the highest scores during the Games will receive Amazon gift cards. The prizes break down as follows:
Gold prize: $100
Silver prize: $50
Bronze prize: $25
Start practicing now to become even better with your product knowledge and may the best salesperson win!
Gold prize: $100
Silver prize: $50
Bronze prize: $25
Start practicing now to become even better with your product knowledge and may the best salesperson win!
The winner of the iPad Mini is....
Katherine Shedivy of Shimeks is the grand prize winner in our iPad Mini give-away, and Kristin Pohlig of Willis Furniture is the winner of a $25 gift card to Amazon.com.
We had more than three hundred people in our drawing for the iPad. Thank you for your efforts during the last month to continue learning. We know that the more you know, the more you will sell.
We had more than three hundred people in our drawing for the iPad. Thank you for your efforts during the last month to continue learning. We know that the more you know, the more you will sell.
Our next winner is...
The winner of a $25 gift card to Amazon.com this week is:
Scott Faulkner of Stacey Furniture and Design
Congratulations, Scott. We hope you buy something nice with that gift card. Next Friday, another name will be pulled "out of the hat" for our final gift card. Anyone completing an interactive lesson in the next week will be eligible for that gift card, as well as for the drawing for the iPad Mini.
So far, here are our winners:
Week 1: Greg Hafner
Week 2: Regina Randall
Week 3: Scott Faulkner
Week 4: (maybe YOU)
Grand Prize: (maybe YOU)
Scott Faulkner of Stacey Furniture and Design
Congratulations, Scott. We hope you buy something nice with that gift card. Next Friday, another name will be pulled "out of the hat" for our final gift card. Anyone completing an interactive lesson in the next week will be eligible for that gift card, as well as for the drawing for the iPad Mini.
So far, here are our winners:
Week 1: Greg Hafner
Week 2: Regina Randall
Week 3: Scott Faulkner
Week 4: (maybe YOU)
Grand Prize: (maybe YOU)
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