Review from the Summit: S.F.I. Programs - - The Promise and the Problems (Part 2)

The next presenter at the Summit who spoke on S.F.I. Programs was Michael Redman. Since 1993, Michael has been the National Manufacturer Representative for TEMO Sunrooms. His responsibilities include leading the team of manufacturer's reps in recruiting, training and servicing their national network of dealers. Under his supervision, each rep is required to have a successful background in in-home selling and the ability to provide “hands-on” training for the salespeople representing the dealer. He has a national reputation as an efficient trainer. In addition, he interacts with the dealers on their activities as SFI providers to brands such as The Home Depot and Sam's Club.

First, Michael touched on the benefits of using an SFI program, primarily:

• They are an excellent lead source
• Other sources may not be available
• Other sources may be too costly
• Other sources may provide limited results
• Face-to-face (SFI) is proven to work

The primary keys to an SFI program being successful are that the corporate entity must work within the contractor's structure (challenging, but crucial) and that contractors don’t use SFI as their sole marketing strategy. Also, customer service and satisfaction are a must and relationships have to be cultivated that build trust with store management teams.

The displays that TEMO uses in their program are mobile, expandable, affordable and have marketing flexibility.

In the next posting I will recount the presentation from Rob Levin who has one of the most extensive backgrounds in S.F.I. within the home improvement industry.