Strike A Balance Between Socializing/Business At Shows

GNN blogger Kevin Thistle of Coppinwood in Uxbridge, Ont., says he loves the social aspect of the Canadian buying shows, but he adds that a good balance between business and pleasure can be attained and that staff members can be rewarded for a job well done at the shows.

From March to October, our heads are down and we’re pretty busy with duties around our respective golf courses, so I love to reacquaint myself with the people I knew at the beginning of my career and the more experienced people who were my idols in the industry.

Many of the sales reps I used to deal with are now in managerial roles and the shows offer the opportunity to see them too, so it’s a very good social atmosphere that can be enjoyed while still getting down to business.

We just need to spend our time more wisely with all of those products and companies right in front of us at the shows.

Why don’t we buy at the shows? Why can’t we make decisions at the shows? Why do we have to get sales reps to come out to our offices two weeks later?

Coppinwood is taking the crew this year, about seven or eight people. There will be two or three people who are on the lead team and it will be the responsibility of the rest of us to pick out some things that weren’t on the agenda, maybe a hot item, what’s hot in fashion, something new.

We want to find a product that is new or cutting edge with great styling. Then, we can talk about it and, if we feel we want to go see it en masse and give it a shot, then we do. I think we’re there to help each other and get a good consensus.

When I was at Angus Glen, and I plan to use it at Coppinwood, we used the show to reward staff members, even if the Ontario show is in the Toronto area and within driving distance for everybody.

Why not make it an end-of-the-year reward and take them out to dinner and take them for a couple of drinks and get some hotel rooms, even if the show is local?

Sure, you can talk business, but also, you can also talk about the year your golf course just had and, if it was a great year, why not do some celebrating too?

The buying shows can be a myriad of things for getting things done, social networking and also providing a little bit of a reward for a job well done all year.

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