PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic — Down here at the Now Onyx resort complex, the dynamic weather — palm-tree-whipped and windy — aptly reflected the surges of energy 120 drycleaning industry professionals could feel from three dynamic speakers at the Brainstorming and Five Star Conference earlier this month.
“This is my first NCA/DLI conference and I’m looking for new ideas to gain an edge,” says Jon Conant, owner, Master Drycleaners, Traverse City, Mich., on the first morning. Later, on the third day, he gave me a resounding thumbs-up on the entire program!
Sporting a badass leather jacket, Ken Schmidt, retired director of communications at Harley-Davidson, opened the Saturday morning activities with a blunt statement for eager attendees: “Make some noise!”
Scott Nanfelt, owner of Delken Professional Cleaners out of Fall River, Mass., nods and says, “If you are here at this conference, then you are probably doing things right and want to do them better.”
Through what he calls a “lens of reality,” Schmidt talks about competition: “There’s not a business in 2017 that is gonna let you down. Everybody is good at what they do.
“Honda makes great products, too,” he nods. So what did Harley-Davidson do?
He points out to attendees that “your worth is built on reputation!”
Schmidt asks what customers are going to say about you, then makes this powerful retort: “When no story is being told about your business, no demand gets built.”
The point of business, he says, is to make people feel good about what they are passionate about.
The objective is not to sell, the objective is to make an advocate out of everyone who comes in the door.
He tells the audience of fabricare professionals, “I asked three big questions at Harley. One, what are people saying about us? Two, what do we want them to say? Three, what are we doing to get them to say it? I posted these on the walls at Harley.”
Harley-Davidson’s image used to be “bad-guy bikers.” Biker shops were ugly turn-offs, too, he says.
“Looks turn people off. We’re visually dominant,” Schmidt notes. “People assumed Harley was dirty and bad. So stores were made beautiful, with glass, some two-story.”
If you’re doing the same thing as everyone else, and not differentiating yourself, then you are a commodity, he says boisterously. Plenty of nods and knowing smiles meet his eye.
“Make vocal advocates out of the people you serve right now,” Schmidt says. Again, pens are moving fast. Customers move on “gut,” not “brain,” he reminds with a grin. Play to human ego, he adds.
One hundred percent of the human race needs validation, he says.
“Why does every single biker roll on the throttle at a stop sign?” He rolls his wrist, imitating how a biker does it. Everyone grins. “First, a little noise, then more, then all-out throttle to turn your head. Those bikers are all saying the same thing: Look at me!”
Uniquely recognize your customer coming in your door: “You look great in that leather coat.”
Kenspeak: “Visible body language! Your counter people are key — get with them and make them understand that customers want to be noticed genuinely. Customers return to sources of joy.”
He ends with: “Creating demand is the owner’s responsibility.”
An applause eruption happens! Harley questions, laughter and handshakes roll with him out the door.
I asked Rafiq Karimi, owner of CD One Price Cleaners, Westchester, Ill., his takeaway. He tells me it makes him ask, “What kind of story do you want your customer telling about you?” That question is worth thinking about.
Lorynn Divita, Ph.D., from Baylor University, says during her Friday session, “‘Athleisure’ wear has affected clothing big, but the market is saturated and activewear sales are dropping.”
She indicates to an attentive crowd that “fast fashions” are the cause of cheaply made clothes and cheap labor in foreign countries. But awareness is causing a return to quality; good news for dry cleaning.
“We’re on the cusp of fashion change now,” she says. “Spending on clothing is up for the first time in a long time.” Heads nod. Pens move across papers.
Trends spotted now, she says, include leather alternatives, return to denim, and sequins.
On the conference’s final morning, Larry Oxenham, author and senior adviser from the American Society for Asset Protection, in Las Vegas, calls on attendees to look now to protect their future assets.
“Take the money out of lawsuits and the lawsuit goes away,” he notes as a strong eye-opener to the morning. He goes on to provide tips on protecting one’s hard-earned money, noting a C corporation is better protection than an S corporation, but it also is determined by where you live.
You can have a legal entity in any of the 50 states, not just in the state you live, he points out. For instance, he says, “Ninety percent of Fortune 100 companies have Nevada Corp.” as their ownership.
Attendees are impressed, and the room is still full on this final morning.
The co-hosts, the National Cleaners Association (NCA) and the Drycleaning & Laundry Institute (DLI), put together this conference for drycleaning industry owners from all over the U.S. and Canada to socialize, network and hear new ideas.
Looks like checkmate for the win at Five Star ’17.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Dave Davis at [email protected].