dt magazine 04
Post on 28-Mar-2016
232 Views
Preview:
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
8122024
inside How timber is transported to tHe stores40 years and top trimmedFinland polisHes it’s diamondsdt QUiZ: win Cake witH yoUr CoFFee
issue 4 · WINTER 2008/9
4read page
Central and Eastern Europe
now also in
thanks to
poland
C z e C h R e p u b l i C
Slovak ia
Hungary
Romania
Stores in five countries in Eastern Europe have joined us since the last issue, bring-ing with them 458 new col-leagues. The name of the new division is Woodcote, which is based in Prague in the Czech Republic. We profile the com-pany, and inside the magazine you can read why being incor-porated into the DT family is almost like returning home for Woodcote.
DT Group now has stores in 10 countries, and there is one thing at least which they are all noticing at the mo-ment. Nowhere has it been possible to avoid hearing about the financial crisis, and nowhere will it be possible to avoid feeling its conse-quences.
However, there is no need to panic, according to our President & CEO Steen Weirsøe, who goes into more detail inside the magazine. Implementing savings is not the only way of surviving a downturn. We provide a cou-ple of specific and useful tips for how to boost sales.
If you have any good ideas or comments, you are always welcome to call or send me an email.
enjoy!Charlotte Gullach, Editoreditor@dtmagazine.dk
12
ed
itor-in
-chie
f: Ch
arlo
tte G
ulla
ch (D
T G
rou
p). C
on
cep
t an
d p
rod
uctio
n: R
ad
ical C
om
mu
nica
tion
s, Pa
t Ma
y. article
s: Co
ng
o H
use
t, Ib K
eld
Jen
sen
. g
rap
hic d
esig
n: A
pp
etize
r.dk, S
imo
n Jo
hn
sen
. ph
oto
s: Fle
mm
ing
Sch
iller. t
ran
slatio
n: L
an
gu
ag
eW
ire. p
rint: Trykb
ure
au
et.
Content
DT Group +45 39559700Wolseley +44 118 929 8700Starkki +358 3 850 900Stark +45 89343434Beijer +46 752411000Neumann +47 55549800Silvan +45 87308730Cheapy +46 431443540DT Trade +45 39559700
UseFUl nUmbers:
40 years and top trimmed
18a matter
of strength
Cement produ-cts are hard to
distinguish, but there can be
differences in strength – and
price.
welcome to 458 new colleagues
en
welcome to woodcote
Hardtalk
7 generals for stark
keep an eye on the warning lamp
Finland polishes its diamonds
make sure you tick up-sales
dt Quiz
4
6
8
16
20
22
24
Magazine2
new store with two entrances
Neumann’s new 5,000 sq m store in Hauge-sund on the west coast
of Norway has one entrance for private consumers and one for trade customers.
Private consumers and trade customers are kept apart in the newly built Neumann store. The store has two separate entranc-es and car parks to keep the two customer groups separated. How-ever, this segregation is not part of a new strategy.
“No, it definitely isn’t. We have a similar, combined store in Tromsø. On the other hand, there is a par-ticularly strong focus on interiors,” says Neumann’s Managing Direc-tor Per-Erik Pedersen.
The newly constructed store
is the result of two acquisitions: Røthing in 2006 and Sandvold in 2007. The two stores each had their respective fortes within building products and interiors, and the former employees, who are now working for Neumann, have brought with them consider-able expertise.
The store is the thirteenth Neu-mann and there are plans to open more.
“But it won’t be this year,” says Per-Erik Pedersen.
B2B logistiCs sHoP
news: NEumaNN
B2B logistiCs sHoP
pleasUre in one’s work is . . .
. . . looking aFter oneselF
established:
Head office in:
total stores:
part of the dt group since:
managing director:
neUmann FaCts:
1859
bergen
13
1997
per-erik pedersen
I’ll let the truck do the work
for me
3Magazine
poland
C z e C h R e p u b l i C
Slovak ia
Hungary
Romania
sweden
norway
DeNMARK
f inland
greenland
woodCote
Magazine4
A warm welcome also to Neville Parry, the man who is almost
synonymous with the Woodcote brand. Even though Parry was not present when it all started, he is responsible for Woodcote as we know it today.
It all started back in 1992. A UK construction company oper-ating in Central and Eastern Eu-rope became frustrated at the
fact that it was unable to ob-tain good, solid building materi-als. At least, not of the quality it was used to in the UK. Conse-quently, the company decided to start its own builders’ mer-chant business and opened the first Woodcote store in 1992 with the ambition of establish-ing a chain across several coun-tries in Central and Eastern Eu-rope.
Now also in Central and Eastern Europe, thanks to
Please join us in welcoming 458 new colleagues from Central and Eastern Europe. You will find them in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania and Croatia, working at and supporting over 45 stores.
B2B logistiCs sHoP
Interior systemsInsulationFloors, walls and doorsWood products and timberBuilding chemistryRoofing and façade systemsDecorative productsExternal insulation systemsGeneral building productsOther materials
123456789
10
1992
1995
19961997199819992000
20062008
Woodcote product categories: Milestones:
ContinUed on page 11
Founded in the Czech RepublicNeville Parry becomes managing directorFirst store in SlovakiaFirst store in PolandFirst store in HungaryFirst store in RomaniaFirst store in Croatia (closed in early 2008)Wolseley acquires Woodcote Woodcote becomes a member of DT Group
5Magazine
How can we be sure that the products which we sell in the stores are manufactured according to our own ethical code?
First and foremost, it is impor-tant to remember that 90 per cent of what we sell comes from Nordic suppliers.
As with everything else, it is expected that the individual em-ployee lives up to the set guide-lines. That said, we can never be certain.
We check our sub-suppliers and require that they sign a dec-laration stating they will comply with our ethical code, and that their sub-suppliers do likewise, and we follow up on this by mak-ing unannounced visits.
However, at the end of the day it is a question of trust, and we choose our suppliers accord-ingly.
How high are ethical codes on the priority list when the market is experiencing a downturn?
It is nonsense to suggest that ethical codes are dependent on earnings. An ethical code is
about having a well-run business both during the good times and the bad.
And this is also true for our sub-suppliers. We have seen ex-amples of children and adults working barefoot in quarries, and this is not just unethical, it is al-so highly inefficient and has no place in a streamlined organisa-tion.
what will incorporating the east european wood-cote chain mean for the dt group?
In my view, not that much. But hopefully it will mean a lot for Woodcote. Like the DT Group, Woodcote primarily sells to the construction sector – that side of the business which we call ‘heavy side’. Wolseley, on the other hand, mainly sells plumb-ing, ventilation and heating prod-ucts – what we term ‘light side’. Woodcote is therefore better off with us, and I have a feeling that they feel like they have returned home. In any case, I was given an incredibly warm reception when I visited them the first time.
Our ambition with Woodcote is, of course, to make it a lead-
Hardtalkwith Steen Weirsøe
Hardtalk
Magazine6
ing player in the five countries, and there is huge potential down there. I am in no doubt that, in the longer term, we will develop a shop structure with considerably larger units, similar to what we have seen in Scandinavia.
what are the implications of the new constellation in the executive manage-ment?
We will have a more specialised and con-structive manage-ment team, and it will be excit-ing to take on board a new approach and a dif-ferent cul-ture. If you want to take the lead, you can’t do the same as all the rest. I think everyone is look-ing forward to wel-coming Neville Parry, Woodcote’s new man-aging director, as part of group management.
in an enterprise with more than 7,700 employees, the distance to the top management may seem long. with Hardtalk, it becomes shorter, because here we put you in contact with dt group’s most senior manager. steen weirsøe answers your and your colleagues questions, however searching they are.
what would you like to ask steen? send your question to steen@dtmagazine.dk don’t mince your words as you may remain totally anonymous.
7Magazine
distribUtion
How timber is transported to the stores:
7 generals for stark
This corresponds to 10,000 cubic metres of timber or almost seven times the world’s biggest tree, the American Giant Sequoia ‘General Sherman’, which stands in California, USA. This tree has a diameter of 32 metres, is 85 metres tall and is 1,500 cubic metres in volume.
Timber for Stark’s stores in Den-mark is transported via two routes. Either directly from the warehouse in Årstorp in Sweden across the Sound. Or from Stark’s warehouses in Hedensted (whitewood) or Hors-ens (pressure-treated wood).
First, a section manager, for exam-ple, telephones the call centre in Aarhus and orders the timber.
The call centre processes the or-der, passing it on to the warehouse in Åstorp; however, if it is an urgent order or an order for a more special-
ist type of wood, it is sent to the warehouses in either Horsens or Hedensted.
In Åstorp, a truck is loaded with tim-ber which follows a fixed route, de-livering the timber which has been ordered to the respective stores. It normally takes three to five days before the timber arrives.
However, timber can also be sup-plied from the warehouses in Hor-sens and Hedensted, which does not take as long if the wood is in stock. Sometimes within 24 hours.
in denmark, stark holds about 4,000 packs of timber in stock
Magazine8
B2B logistiCs sHoP
Linus Benjamin An-dresen, the warehouse foreman, can either be
found in his office or seated in a truck at the Stark warehouse near the small town of Hedensted in Jut-land. In fact, only two employees are working at the warehouse to receive and unload the eight truck-loads a day of whitewood and to pack just as many trucks and send them off with goods for Stark’s Danish stores.
“The challenge is to load the trucks in the best possible way. Ide-ally they should be completely full when they leave the warehouse,” says Linus Benjamin Andresen.
Even though the trucks, from DSV and the haulage firm Michael Sørensen, have a 90-cubic-metre capacity, Linus Benjamin is happy if he can load a truck with 60 cubic
metres of timber. It is the pack size and the pack composition which determines how much a truck can hold.
“But we also send trucks off with single packs of timber if, for example, it has been ordered for Sønderborg and there is nothing else to deliver in that direction – we don’t hold back the order. Ide-ally, we like to deliver the timber no later than the day after it has been ordered.”
The timber comes primarily from Sweden, but also from the Baltic States and Finland. However, in the past, unsold goods sometimes ac-cumulated, but this is no longer a problem.
“It doesn’t occur as often as it used to, but I can’t take the cred-it. It’s the buyers who look after that.”
linus loads eight trucks a day on average
9Magazine
At the Stark call cen-tre in Aarhus, Den-mark’s second-largest
city, Dorte Christensen receives orders from the stores. Dorte’s speciality is primarily pressure-treated wood from Sweden and Siberian larch, and this means that she always knows what is in stock.
“If I hear from the suppliers that they are running short of pressure-treated planks for ve-randas, when they call from the stores to place orders, I can sug-gest they order an extra pack to avoid the risk of running out,” says Dorte Christensen.
She is an important element in the break with the old builders’ merchant culture, where each builders’ merchant negotiated timber prices with individual sup-pliers.
“But it just doesn’t pay. The buyers have secured an attrac-tive price, and I can get hold of timber in 10 minutes instead of spending several hours out in each store.”
She refers to the large ware-house belonging to the major supplier Rörvik, which is located in Åstorp in southern Sweden and close to the Sound, as ‘our ware-house’.
B2B logistiCs sHoP
distribUtion
dorte manages the deliveries
Magazine10
However, it didn’t quite turn out that way. After the first three years, the ambitious plan was still in its early start-up phase with only a single store and less than impressive sales: EUR 0.75 million.
This called for immediate ac-tion. As a result, a new manag-ing director arrived in Prague in late 1995 – Neville Parry. He quickly assessed the situa-tion and started to implement a turnaround. Parry engaged in-vestors to develop Woodcote both geographically but also in terms of its product range.
From 1995 to 2000, Woodcote opened new stores in Slova-kia (1996), Poland (1997), Hun-gary (1998), Romania (1999) and Croatia (2000). In 2002, sev-en years after Parry took over, turnover had grown to EUR 30 million. Or forty times what it
B2B logistiCs sHoP
woodCote
what division would you say is most similar to woodcote?“It’s always difficult to make comparisons since Woodcote was developed to focus on a totally different market, but if I have to I would say Stark in Denmark is my best bet. Not in terms of size though. The smallest Stark store is the same size as the largest Woodcote store.”
what is your strategy?“At present the market is slowing down so we are con-solidating in order to reap the full benefit when the market starts to pick up again.”
How will woodcote benefit from dt group?“First of all from having a
similar mentality since you understand our business. Secondly, you have a good range of private label prod-ucts. And we can certainly use your experience, prod-uct portfolio and, for exam-ple, the Chinese sourcing.”
How will dt group benefit?Romania and Poland. More-over, we have a private label called Extherm, which is a high-quality, modern exter-nal facade insulation sys-tem – and which is probably interesting for DT Group. But realistically we will ben-efit far more from being a part of DT Group than vice versa. Probably 95 per cent vs 5 per cent.”
FoUr CHallenging QUestions For
managing director of woodcote
Neville Parry
ContinUed From page 5
ContinUed on page 15
11Magazine
silvan’s History
a n d t o p t r i m m e dyears
Year
Branches
Staff
Revenue in mio. DKK
Geographies opened
1970 198068 69 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 81 82
1 1 2 4 4 4 5 5 7 8 9 9 9 9 9
Sla
gel
se
Årh
us
Ålb
org
, Ra
nder
s
Gre
nå
Ma
rib
o, H
olb
æk
Græ
sted
Fre
der
icia
sales catalogue from 1977life broadcast from silvans’ branche in slagelse
erik kofoed, silvans’ forst branche manager
Magazine12
B2B logistiCs sHoP
The first store opens in Slagelse on Zealand with warehouse staff wearing white working coats. The store is named Silvan after the Latin for wood, silva.
Silvan becomes an independent chain. Until then, the stores have not had any significant joint purchasing.
Takes over Superbyg’s stores in Valby and Glostrup
Silvan takes over 4K’s five stores
The first Swedish Silvan store opens in Jönköping, and a few days later one in Stockholm
Highlights1968 1982 1989 1990 1997
a n d t o p t r i m m e d
8483 85 86 87 88 91 93 95 97 9989 92 94 96 98
1110 12 13 14 15 24 24 26 31 33 3518 24 24 24 27 32
1990 2000
Ho
rsen
s
Nyk
øb
ing
F
Od
ense
Fre
der
iksh
avn
Nyb
org
Esb
jerg
Hill
erø
d, V
alb
y,
Glo
stru
p
Sve
ndb
org
, Ro
skild
e,
Ba
lleru
p, A
lber
tslu
nd,
Gla
dsa
xe, R
ibe
Silk
ebo
rg,
Nø
rreb
ro
Bir
kerø
d
Ske
jby,
Hel
sing
ør,
Jönk
öp
ing
, Sto
ckho
lm
Fre
der
ikss
und
Vej
le
Fis
keto
rvet
, G
öte
bo
rg
1730
silvans first lorry
interior in the seventies
13Magazine
silvan launches its e-shop
silvan now also in malmø
B2B logistiCs sHoP
silvan’s History
against today’s yardstick
and based on what we know about Silvan, there was not the same degree of systematisation and organisation in Silvan’s early years.
For example, efforts to systematise historical data did not really start until 1989, which explains why the elements in the timeline do not
always go right back to the joyful opening days in 1968.
a n d t o p t r i m m e dyears
Year
Branches
Staff
Revenue in mio. DKK
Geographies opened
200801 02 03 04 05 06 07
42
2104
46 46
2343
1646 1727 1872 1890
46 47
2685
48 50 51
2794
Ha
der
slev
, Tå
rnb
y,
Nyk
øb
ing
S,
Vä
ster
ås,
B
orå
s,
Esk
ilstu
na,
Sun
dsv
all
Vib
org
, Ha
lmst
ad
, Lu
nd, Ö
reb
ro
Ma
lmö
Va
nlø
se
Ko
ldin
g, G
reve
Sø
nder
bo
rg
Magazine14
was when Parry took the helm in 1993. This impressive growth in turnover is due to extending the product range, novel stores and a steadily increasing sales force in all countries.
In 2006 Wolseley decided to acquire Woodcote. And in ear-ly summer 2008, Woodcote be-came a part of the DT Group. What about Parry? Well, he is still in the driving seat. And per-forming well too – turnover for 2008 is expected to exceed the EUR 100 million mark.
new productsMarcel Simko has been working at Woodcote for three years. He is a sales director in Slova-kia and is happy to share his expectations for the future af-
ter joining DT Group. “I feel great about the latest devel-opments and I am happy to be a part of DT. I think Woodcote can benefit from DT Group’s ex-periences. I also hope it means that we see a range of new products in our assortment, for example PVC products within waterproofing and thermal in-sulation.”
woodcote in a nutshellWoodcote’s core business is supplying interior systems, in-sulation and external insulation systems. Today, this represents approximately 50 per cent of Woodcote’s sales. Woodcote sells a wide range of specialist and general building materials to the construction industry.
B2B logistiCs sHoP
woodCote
Founded: 1992
total number of employees: 458
total number of stores: 45
location and number of employees in head office: Prague, Czech Republic, 5 employees
slogan: Strength in partnership
mission: Woodcote supplies a complete assortment of high-quality building materi-als
Customers: Professionals, mainly interior specialists and installation contractors
Woodcote facts:
Czech republic
slovakia
Hungary
romania
poland
Country
138
80
17
80
124
Employees
9
10
4
9
13
Stores
Prague
Bratislava
Budapest
Cluj
Warsaw
Head office
ContinUed From page 11
15Magazine
Crisis management
If the red light on a car’s dashboard comes on, you have to pull
over quickly to find out what is causing the problem.
Plan 45 for DT Group compa-nies functions in just the same way. If staff costs exceed 45 per cent of gross profits, you have to take stock in the stores, establish what is wrong and then tailor the costs as quickly as possible.
This offers a simple recipe for how DT Group can survive the fi-nancial crisis. President & CEO Steen Weirsøe denies that head office has plans to fire staff.
“It is up to the local managers to react. There is no need to im-plement cutbacks in Svendborg
The financial crisis is also impacting DT Group companies, but there is no need to panic accord-ing to President & CEO Steen Weirsøe, who is impressed by the staff manning the stores.
if it’s going badly in Elsinore,” he says, adding that these two loca-tions have been chosen at ran-dom.
However, Steen Weirsøe does say that if DT’s stores have few-er customers, it will not be nec-essary to have as many staff to serve them.
“The first task is to attract the right customers and the right or-ders. Construction work hasn’t come to a complete standstill. There are still cars on the road – the customers are there.”
Steen Weirsøe says that DT Group has 10 per cent of the Nor-dic market.
“This means that 90 per cent are buying elsewhere, and so it
keep an eye on the warning lamp
Magazine16
B2B logistiCs sHoP
keep an eye on the warning lamp
is also a question of looking at the possibility of winning market share rather than just focusing on cutbacks.”
And there is a lot which the individual employee can do. One example: If a customer comes in to buy paint, he will also look at which brushes he might need. Some customers shop around. By identifying with the customer and understanding his or her needs, it might be possible to ensure that they buy everything in our stores.
“It is not just about selling products at attractive prices – but sometimes also about provid-ing logistical help, such as making sure the floorboards are not deliv-ered before the roofing beams.”
Steen Weirsøe reckons that DT is well prepared for the downturn.
“I am very impressed by our shop staff. Even though some businesses have gone bust, gen-erally speaking we have not suf-fered any losses.”
Last year DT Group returned the best result in the entire Wolseley Group with a profit of DKK 1.4 billion on a turnover of DKK 22 billion.
But now it is a new finan-cial year, and it is time to tighten one’s belt. Consequently, the ex-ecutive management has decided
to replace some of the monthly meetings between the division-al managers with telephone con-ferences to cut travel costs and boost efficiency.
dt trade wound upAt the end of September, DT Trade was wound up as an in-dependent division and the indi-vidual units were transferred to existing chains in the respective countries.
It means that Starkii in Fin-land, Beijer in Sweden, Neumann in Norway, Stark and DT Group HQ in Denmark have been joined by a number of new colleagues.
Steen Weirsøe explains the reason for the decision:
“DT Trade has presented many plans for how it was possible to generate satisfactory earnings. After its failure to do so last year, which was, after all, a fantastic year for the business, I found it difficult to see how it could suc-ceed when the market is declin-ing.”
But, with the exception of 4a in Denmark, he does not expect the individual employees in the vari-ous units to notice the decision.
However, the DT Trade secre-tariat, which had ten employees, has been closed.
17Magazine
strength
top tools
Most people would not give it a thought, but cement is nothing
more than a binding agent. On its own, cement is not that useful, but if you mix the grey powder with sand, stones and water and possibly a few chemical addi-tives, your end result is concrete.
And that is something durable.“Really, there is very little dif-
ference between one cement product and the next. For ex-ample, our own private label ce-ment RAW is the same top qual-ity as that from Aalborg Portland. In other words, the two cements are almost identical,” says Pur-chasing Manager Søren Lyse-mose from Danish Stark.
Up until two and a half years ago, Aalborg Portland enjoyed a cement monopoly at Stark, but in collaboration with the German company Zementwerk Berlin, Stark developed its RAW cement
Cement products are hard to distinguish, but there can be differ-ences in strength – and price.
a matter of
Magazine18
B2B logistiCs sHoP
which now has a market share of 12-14 per cent. RAW is 9 per cent cheaper than the rival product from Aalborg.
The cement is divided into the following strength classes: 32,5 MPa, 42,5 MPa and 52,5 MPa, which is the final compressive strength 28 days after laying.
Which cement to choose de-pends on the job: Stark has two types of cement in its RAW
range:1. raw portland
cement, which is fast drying with a fi-nal strength of ap-prox. 58 MPa, mak-ing it suitable for all normal con-
struction work.2. raw Universal cement
sand-lime cement, which was de-veloped by Zementwerk Berlin to
satisfy Danish building traditions.
By comparison, Silvan sells a cheap-er sand-lime cement which, in terms of strength, cannot match the RAW
products.Regardless, cement is not a
product that is easily moved, not in terms of product devel-opment either, and according to people in the business there is
not exactly a lot of product de-velopment taking place.
The explanation for this is that the cement industry is a conservative sector where the rapid development of a new product can have unforeseen consequences.
How can you dry a newly laid cement floor as quick-ly as possible?
The water needs to come out of the concrete, and this is a process that takes time. Some people in-stall a dehumidifier, but it is impor-tant to be careful if you do, and also if you use a fan heater. If the cement dries too quickly, there is a risk of cracks forming. It is very important to follow the instruc-tions which are supplied, other-wise serious problems may arise.
is it possible to use cement to repair dental cavities?This is probably not a good idea. There are chemicals in the ce-ment which are best kept out of your mouth. Also, cement does not taste good, and it is grey in colour.
Can you make your own parasol stand from cement?Of course, but it is probably a good idea to first mix it with something. Cement is just a bind-ing agent. Try using RAW universal concrete.
... is a grey powder used for making concrete and certain types of mortar. Cement mortar is a mix of cement, water and sand.Cement is made from three quarters lime and one quarter clay. the lime and clay are mixed together and heated to produce clinker. the clinker is then ground to
a powder, which is the finished cement.when the cement is mixed with water, it be-gins to harden. Hardening involves a chemical proc-ess which produces heat. if the cement mix is un-derwater or is constant-ly sprayed, the cement takes longer to set. this can be used to achieve a stronger final result.
... is an artificially produced con-struction materi-al which consists of sand, stone, water and ce-ment and possi-bly chemical ad-ditives.
CeMent ConCrete
19Magazine
staFF
Five days a week, 56-year-old Juha Pyykkönen spends
an hour walking. He does so be-cause he wants to lose weight, reduce his blood pressure and to boost his energy levels. And, of course, because he has contract-ed to do so.
Juha Pyykkönen is one of four-teen Starkki employees over the age of 50 who are participating in an ambitious mental and physi-cal training programme which is designed to encourage its senior employees to stay on at Starkki while also giving them the oppor-tunity for personal development.
The promise which Juha Pyykkönen has given is part of the personal development plan which is drawn up for each par-ticipant. For example, the prod-uct manager from the head of-fice in Lahti has, after 33 years
diamonds
with Starkki, acquired a wealth of knowledge about sub-suppliers, which he is now making a point of passing on to younger col-leagues.
“It is immensely satisfy-ing being able to pass on what you know. Even though I might not have trained as much as I wanted, I am definitely in bet-ter shape, which gives me more energy at work,” says Juha Pyykkönen.
Mauri Ivonen, a buyer, has just finished his year-long participa-tion in ‘Under the diamond’, the name given to the project. For him, the most important aspect of participating was discovering that he was not alone in experi-encing the problems he faced.
“And it is the same wherev-er you work in Finland,” says the 58-year-old buyer, who works at Starkki in Lahti. He has appreci-
Finland polishes it’s
Juha pyykkönen
Magazine20
B2B logistiCs sHoP
diamonds
is to ensure Starkki has happy, satisfied and well-rounded em-ployees.
“We want to show that old-er people, too, can continue to develop by setting themselves goals and pursuing them,” says Juha Porkka, a consultant with Mercuri International, which is managing the programme.
The aims might also include pulling your weight more in re-lation to your family, organis-ing your work more efficiently or looking after younger colleagues.
The experience so far shows that most participants are in bet-ter shape at the end of the year. In one instance, a female employ-ee lost more than 20 kilograms.
“At the same time, partici-pants understand that Starkki values them as employees and really wants to hold on to them,” says Juha Porkka in conclusion.
ated being able to discuss solu-tions to joint problems and val-ues in general.
“I think that Starkki will be-nefit from the fact that those of us who participated will continue to be good and stable employ-ees, and that we are aware of the need to share our experience with our younger colleagues, which is very important,” says Mauri Iivonen, who has been at Starkki for 36 years.
The programme runs over one year, with participants coming together several times for two and three-day meetings. This in-cludes being physically tested at the same place as the proud Finnish ice hockey team.
However, physical form is only part of the programme. The par-ticipants’ mental wellbeing and way of life are assessed and pre-sented for closer study. The aim
Starkki will retain it’s older employees through offering physical and mental training programmes to those who most need it.
mauri iivonen
21Magazine
Cross-sales:Selling a supplemen-tary product or serv-
ice to an existing customer. For example, brushes and masking tape to a customer who is buy-ing paint.
three useful tips:
1 Allow things to take their course. Many opportunities
for cross-sales arise of them-selves.
2 Stick to the point. If you drown the customer in too
many cross-sale suggestions, you risk spoiling everything.
3 Expert assessments are one way of supporting
There will be a battle for customers in a declining market. Two sales techniques, which are quite similar, can help secure additional sales from customers who have already walked in through the door. Here are a couple of tricks.
tick up-sales
cross-sales. Make special claims about the product and mention what professionals, experts and other customers have said in the same situation.
Up-selling:To encourage customers to pur-chase more expensive items in an attempt to generate more profit on the transaction. For ex-ample, selling a more expensive, more advanced machine than the one which the customer ini-tially showed an interest in.
effective up-selling strategy:
1 You need to assume that the customer wants the
product which you want to sell.
ask tHe gUrU
Magazine22
2 Start the up-sell by briefly describing the product’s
features. Then, if possible, men-tion something completely unique about the product you are selling.
3 Then ask the customer’s permission to describe the
product. This way you avoid seeming too forceful.
specific examples:Imagine that you are a waiter and you have to sell a dessert. There is a right way and a wrong way:
the wrong way:Imagine a restaurant where a group of customers have just fin-ished eating a large main course.
B2B logistiCs sHoP
Name:
Address:
Zip and City:
Country:
Phone:
E-mail:
Employed at:
send this coupon to dt group, att.: Charlotte gullach, gladsaxe møllevej 5, dk-2860 søborg, denmark
1:2:3:4:5:6:
A B C
yoUr answers
You ask: “Would anyone like des-sert?”
In saying “yes”, a customer can feel that they look like a glutton, so many customers will opt to say no out of sheer politeness. Result: no sale.
the right way:The skilled salesperson/waiter does not ask whether any of the customers would like dessert. He assumes that they do.
He therefore takes the dessert menu card and passes it round, saying: “To round off your meal with something sweet (that is the benefit), please take a look at our dessert menu. Would you like to hear about our most popular des-serts? (Asks for permission.)
Now the customer has giv-en his permission. Avoid listing the desserts by saying, “This is a chocolate mousse.” Instead, try saying:
“If you like chocolate, you will love this dish. We have a choco-late mousse that simply melts on your tongue, and is really some-thing special.”
the biggest mistakes when up-selling:
No attempt to up-sell The salesperson seems over-bearing
The up-sell is not sufficiently convincing, so the customer automatically rejects the pro-posal
B2B logistiCs sHoP
QUiZ
527
YO
U M
US
T P
AY
TA
x O
N T
HE
PR
IZE
QUiZQUiZ
the winner of a branche party is sub-manager odd H. eriksen from neumann in tromsø, norway.
“We are planning a party for all 25 employees in the store. We did discuss having a barbecue, although we haven’t decided yet what to do, but we do know that it will definitely be fun.”
no less than employees par-ticipated in our bezzerwizzzer com-petition featured in dt magazine nr. 3
1 where does the name ‘silvan’ come from?
A After its founder (Jonathan Silvan)
B It is Latin for ‘wood’
C It is Old Norse for ‘construction’.
2 in which countries is woodcote repre-sented?
A Poland, Romania, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary
B Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Re-public, Hungary and Latvia
C Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Re-public, Hungary and Croatia
3 How many neu-mann stores are there in norway?
A 3B 13C 23
4 where can you find the world’s biggest tree?
A California (USA)B New South
Wales (Australia)C Chengdu (China)
5 what is the princi-ple behind ‘plan 45’?
A The number of employees at any one store must not exceed 45
B Staff costs must not exceed 45 per cent of gross profits
C 45 per cent of gross profits must come from timber
6 where and when did the first silvan store open its doors?
A 1968 i AarhusB 1968 i SlagelseC 1982 i Horsens
Use the coupon on the other side or send your answers by e-mail to: quiz@dtmagazine.dk
Cakewith your coffee
the prize for winning this issue’s dt Quiz is dKK 5,000 which is ear-marked for coffee and cake for you and your col-
leagues.
Whether you have a mas-sive cream cake once a month or Danish pastries every Friday is entirely up to you.
but first you must answer the following
questions:
– every
Friday!
send your answers before February 15th!
please flip the page for the response coupon
top related