Hearthlist Digest #133 - Wednesday, April 8, 1998 On a mission in St. Louis by "John Gulland" <[email protected]> Re:REPS by "RB" <[email protected]> Re: Hearthlist Digest #130 - 04/05/98 by "Ken Rajesky" <[email protected]>
(back) Subject: On a mission in St. Louis From: "John Gulland" <[email protected]> Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1998 23:01:18 -0400 I had an enjoyable, if unusual, trade show experience in St. Louis. Aside from doing workshops and seminars my main mission this year was to promote the Feel Good, Choose Wood project. So far, it consists of a very attractive poster and brochure that sing the praises of the real wood fire; you may have seen them around the show. But more importantly, Feel Good as it has become known, is an idea, which is a tricky thing to sell at a trade show. The idea, broken down into its basic elements goes like this: * As recently as 1990 our trade associations were called the Wood Heating Alliance and the Canadian Wood Energy Institute; their functions were implicit in their titles. They have been replaced by fuel-neutral hearth associations, which is not bad, it is just the way things evolved. * All the other fuel options -- gas, pellets, coal, oil -- have fuel manufacturing and distribution industries that promote the use of their fuel. In marketing their hearth fuels, these industries often make harshly negative statements about woodburning, and there is some evidence that these, combined with public misunderstanding of how wood functions as a renewable energy resource, are eroding previously positive attitudes towards woodburning. Wood does not have an organized, well-financed fuel supply industry that can promote and defend the concept of woodburning. * The real wood fire is something that only a specialty retailer can do a good job with. Heating contractors, gas utility stores and big box stores all claim a piece of the gas fireplace market and all have the effect of driving prices down. Hey, call us crazy, but we agreed that specialty retailers are a valuable part of the hearth industry that should be supported. * Wood is a renewable energy resource, and taking account of the coming turbulence in energy pricing due to peaking of oil supply (projected for the year 2000), urgent requirements to cut greenhouse gas emissions, and likely realignment of oil politics, wood needs to be positioned as the environmentally and economically preferred hearth option. * Therefore, a grass-roots style publicity program is needed to help specialty retailers promote the concept of environmentally responsible woodburning. It is grass-roots because the big bucks needed for a massive media campaign are not forthcoming. The idea of doing more to promote the wood option is an outgrowth of numerous discussions at trade shows, hospitality suites, affiliate meetings and bars in which a revolving cast of players discussed and debated various strategies. Early on, the www.wood-heat.com web site, along with three informative, but low budget brochures, were developed. At last year's trade show we were told to up the ante with materials having higher production qualities. So we did. The "we" in all this is a sort of virtual "think tank" that maintains a web site and issues products from time to time to help promote and defend woodburning. Almost two years ago we formed a not-for-profit company called wood-heat.com that is maintained by Bill Tully, who also handles the money and is the distributor of the Feel Good materials. Other key players are Ray Bonar and Cal Wallis, and there are many more who have contributed. We make no long term plans, but operate from one project to the next as necessary. We have no staff, no fixed location and no assets except for current inventory. We think up good things to do and if people like the ideas, they fund them; if not, the projects do not go ahead. Functioning as a think tank (for lack of a better term) our efforts can be seen as supportive of and complementary to the work of the trade associations, as well as to all the companies in the industry with an interest in wood heat. The fact that we are virtual and that all the materials are non-commercial and in the public domain is, I hope, a signal that anyone can get involved and use the "tank" as their own vehicle for action. That means you are welcome to use the content, phrases, images and ideas as your own in advertising, press releases, brochures and so on. Let us know how you use the Feel Good materials and we'll pass your good ideas on to others. If you want to find out more, contact me and I'll fax you some information and an order form for the poster and brochure. Regards, John This is for business: http://www.gulland.ca This is for pleasure: http://www.wood-heat.com
(back) Subject: Re:REPS From: RB <[email protected]> Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1998 10:01:47 -0400 Regarding reps, I guess reps took on the status of lawyers on the old food chain. I hope this doe not turn into a rep bashing forum. There a many retailers out there feel as if a rep increases the price of the products their purchasing. Knock out the rep commission and you reduce the price by 5%. Next thing you know, the box the product is wrapped in is gone because someone thought they could save a buck on the wrapper. This can go on and on. The next step is for the consumer to reduce his price by purchasing directly from the manufacture, right here on the world wide web.. So when you start to knock the reps, you never can tell where it all ends up. It seems someone got a couple bad reps passing through, but there are a few good reps, worth their salt. You better think twice before you discard that old rep wrapper. Yours truly, A former rep, Richard Brown <[email protected]> Hearth Email List wrote: > > Hearthlist Digest #132 - Tuesday, April 7, 1998 > > Re: Rep Problems > by "Richard Nichols" <[email protected]> > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Subject: Re: Rep Problems > From: "Richard Nichols" <[email protected]> > Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1998 12:00:19 -0400 > > Hey, hasn't anyone noticed - that most of the factory reps are people who > went broke in retail. They don't know what to do when someone comes in to > a booth OR store. > > Rich Nichols
(back) Subject: Re: Hearthlist Digest #130 - 04/05/98 From: Ken Rajesky <[email protected]> (by way of Craig Issod) Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1998 10:03:38 -0400 Hearth Email List wrote: > > Hearthlist Digest #130 - Sunday, April 5, 1998 > > HPA Show-St. Lewis & Hearthlist > by "Timothy James Nissen" <[email protected]> > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Subject: HPA Show-St. Lewis & Hearthlist > From: Timothy James Nissen <[email protected]> > Date: Sun, 5 Apr 1998 01:30:41 -0400 > A problem with hearthlist is that hundreds of people lurk, very few > participate. Those who do participate have been more cautious in > expressing their candid opinions as they can come back to bite you when > whoever you offend retaliates. Obviously hearthlist will be more > beneficial if more people participate. As always, well thought out civil > discourse is of more benefit than flames. In response to Tim Nissen's comment about "lurkers", I confess. I, Ken Rajesky, am a "lurker." However, I use Hearthlist the very same way I use Hearth & Home and Alternative Energy Retailer----as educational tools. I need to stay in touch with what is happening in our industry, and these are three tools that help me. I appreciate the candid messages about our company and industry. Feedback, good or bad, is invaluable in determining the quality of our products and services. But, as an employee of a manufacturer, it is not my role to respond to remarks, comments, or questions, about our company. There are others who are paid to do so, and I leave it to them to determine the best approach. Period. Having just returned from a long trip involving product training session, I was very curious as to the HPA Show feedback. I agree with some of the comments about the St. Louis Show regarding booth demeanor, products, and the city itself. Phoenix should be a nice change in 1999. I thank those who visited our booth this year, and appreciated all the nice things you folks said as well. It was a pleasure spending time with some of you both in the booth, and at our Customer Appreciation Night. Terry Brumbaugh and I will be traveling around the country over the next several months conducting regional training sessions. We look forward to seeing many of you in person! Thanks, take care, and best wishes for a successful 1998 Season. Ken Rajesky, Consumer Products Training Mgr., Majestic Products Company