sors om by Phil Harti, Business. Beat Staff role critical. the preceding column, is the continuing - presentation of the goods and services the retailer has to, offer. This is done i in’ -.. an image which i is attractive to customers and appropriate to the retailer’ 5 3 Mier chandise. - cy et 2 The way | a retailer designs: the exterior ~ of the shop,. including: signage ‘and win- dow displays, and.the way the‘interior is _ -_ laid out: including showcases, lighting os Manager, Terrace * and-color scheme, are-all part of the * Federal Business promotional effort. But however well. Development Bank this has succeeded, efforts will have been - wasted ‘unless the right sales personnel have. been chosen.:. «»Sales-personnel are the personification of the retailer’ Ss. - business. A polite, attentive and knowledgeable clerk can often - do-more to promote the retailer's business than anything else that ‘might be done. Equally; a. rude, indifferent. and ignorant. clerk: . can erase ina moment the customer’ s initially good i ‘impression of ‘the shop and its merchandise. | =“ A.good sales. clerk will like the. retail business and be at cake’ with the customers.’ A good ‘sales clerk will be informed about the. its characteristics. A good sales clerk will be more than just ‘ an ; order. taker; he or she will also know how to sell the ‘customer’. and. ‘be ‘always ready to-do just that, - : Direct selling is more an art than a science. Basically it ‘consists ‘in having confidence in the merchandise and being willing to” . make the effort to impart that confidence to. potential customers. Itis'a capacity to tactfully guide the customer towards making ‘the right choice. It’s knowing how to be: enthusiastic about : a "Product without being pushy. - Pe > It’s most of all being able:to determine what the customer is “reallly Jooking ‘for and being able to. provide it: Sales personnel should collectively project an atmosphere- of » Hppteglonaism and fair dealing. They are there to. be of service “td: custo’ 153) iand'this should. be: made. immediately apparent to . all who enter the shop, °° = If.the retailer uses. soled était td ficket and price “mierchaindise, ok this ‘be done if possible in the stockroom, The selling di drea’ is: - Loe fst that..the selling area. Other housekeeping tasks,'such as rear- os ~ Faniging. - mérchandise displays, should be undertaken in ways . hich ‘enhance the image of’a caring staff.. » "good tetailer will.meet regularly with his sales personnel to. ‘inform them. about the progress of the business. “The good retailer : should invite suggestions about product displays: and-other "aspects of the retail operation, Sales personnel can give the... * retailer a direct line to customer response to the character of mer , ~ increase sales. He or stie will encourage a team effort, ‘building -. ~Joyalty to both the business and the. merchandise it: offers, and ; - finds ways to keep the staff busy. during slack periods. » Ahappy and. productive staff helps ensure good relationships - between the retail business and its customers, and good relation- . ships invariably are reflected in increased sales. ‘ Retailer must always remember that they are selling more ‘than just merchandise. They-are also selling. the services. of sales per- sonnel. In the end, the quality of the latter wil often determine - Retail promotion, as we. pointed out in. | many ways, all directed towards. creating . @ "Minister Frank Oberle, “More _than - $200,000° 10. DENNIS PALMU: Offering a complete package, concep- tion to completion. For the third year, $105, 000 is. - available’ to non-profit groups’ across the. province through the - Green Gold Grants program for - forestry. public awareness pro-* jects. i _. “During the past two years, ” we have funded 50 unique public ' awareness projects sponsored by - avariety of non-profit organiza-: ‘tions throughout British Colum- bia,” said Federal . Forests nowncements, SRRIBItS, bro. - chures, posters, videos and other. public information activities,’” said B.C. Forests Minister Dave Parker. . . “We have been overwhelmed _ by’ the. interest shown . by the “volunteer sector of this prov- : ince, Last, year we received ap- hoe In order to qualify fora grant, : oA applicants must represent a non- profit organization and be will- -- ing to. match the grant through: volunteer labor ..or. materials. ‘The maximum grant. is $10,000 per project. Applications are judged on ‘the basis of far- - reaching impact on the com- Former Terrace H&H Build- ers employee Dennis Palmu has opened. the doors to ‘a new. - business in town, Impact Con- struction. Terrace H&H owners, Hans Manthey and Helmut Schulz; closed their operation last month, ending an era in the: local construction industry that ~ began 25: “years ago. ' According ‘to: Palmu, Impact _ Construction will ‘‘fill the gap’’: in the construction ‘industry by . offering its clients a’ complete package — from conception to completion. Rather. than ‘open-. ing another contracting firm, he * says’ his “new business: will ‘Operate more in the construction. mariagement field and offer ser- - vices such as advice on location, ’ : design and construction. As S ereon Gold. forestry program returns — ~ merchandisé that is being sold and be able to advise customers on : “public. awareness of respotsible forest management. Funding ‘for the Green Gold Grants program comes from the. -$300 million five-year Canada- British Columbia Forest Resource . Development Agree- ment (FRDA). The deadline for submitting a grant application is February 28, 1989. Further information is available from the Kalum Forest - District. office or the Terrace : Government Agent. well, he says, then new service will offer clients one~stop. control and coordination: of profes- sionals like architects and struc- tural engineers. Palmu received a degree in. Building Technology from BCIT in 1971 before going to work for = 0 -Omineca -Building Supplies. in oe _ the prefab:home and roof truss* “2 °¢. drafting. and ‘estimating depart---" ° ment. Early in 1976, ‘he'moyed: - .' : to Albert & McCaffery where he ~ provided customer advise ‘and | building materials: quotations. in 1979, ~heamoved back 10° | Omineca for a year before going _ to work for “Terrace H&H, : . where -he was responsible for ._ ‘ estimating, expediting, construc- ‘tion’ accounting . and _ Project _ management, oe Projects worked on by Palmu’ wey while at H&H Builders include © the $3.5 million boiler rehabilitation project at Repap’s “Watson Island pulp mill in 1980, the $1.5 million Terrace & District Credit Union building in - 1981, and more recently the $1.3 million Kitimat RCMP building in 1986. During his eight years — with Terrace H&H, Palmu also worked -on numerous B.C. Telephone. construction” pro- jects, the most recent being the Phone Mart. renovations last December. One of the first pro- jects he will be managing under the name of Impact Construc- tion will be the proposed Senior Citizens’ Affordable Housing project. . is it the answer? Mon aomen Semin A computer: how successful business will be. “munity or region and increased -. DOORS —— AT 4:30 P. mM. wees ey _Lucky Dollar ming F Palace | ig 4818 Hwy. 1 West . Monpay: Terrace Minor Hockey “2, TUESDAY: Kermodes or Jaycees, WEDNESDAY: Terrace Blueback Swim Club a _. THURSDAY: 747 Air Cadets ge , Ladies of the Royal Purple eo FRIDAY: Parapelegic Assn. eae “SATURDAY: Parapelegic Foundation: EVERYONE WELCOME! . _. (Age 14 years and up) - Thank you! Have a Nico dayt Extra: Regular Games oo 18: Games PRE et ae A ee TE BE RoE Through an analysis of existing manual control systems, you will be able to determine when or if a computerized data processing system will . benefit your business in terms of efficiency and cost. FBD8’s Management Seminars are stimulating and thought-pravoking workshops. Through the case-study mathod, participants can assess their management approach and techniques in given situations. Grou discussions and presentations enable participants to benefit from eac other's experience. | ‘This Seminar will be held: Tuesday, February 7th, 1989 .69pm . - Inn of the West, Terrace B. C: $ 00 Registration fee for this 3 hour Seminar- Workshop is $ 50." and includes all reference material and our after-seminar service. REGISTER NOW WITH * Bard Cooper at the Federal Business Development : Bank - 635-4951 . Federal Business Banguie fédérale Development Bank de développement Your success [s our only business! Cana .