Workshops for the green-it-yourselfer

winter. I suggest workshops for draft-busting windows and LED lighting.

Change is difficult for people, so it's no surprise that people are slow to adopt LED lights. It's also a different value proposition. Old light bulbs are energy hogs, cheap and disposable. LEDs are expensive energy misers that last for a long, long time. They are much cheaper in the long run, a good investment that Warren Buffet would endorse wholeheartedly. The light quality can vary, so buy quality first. Don't make the mistake that too many merchants make: buying lowest cost, low quality LEDs.

For starters, the workshop should break it down simply: explain how they work, show the calculation on energy and money saved, payback period, and how to install. For the newbie, this part of the workshop will be a revelation.

tTtue DAys ARE GETTINc shorter and the leaves are dropI ping. For homeowners, it's a good time to take on projects that will improve comfort and liveability for the cold, dark months ahead. For dealers and distributors, it's also a signal to merchandise accordingly.

Merchandising is simple, right? Assemble products into endcaps and floor displays, create signage to get customers thinking about projects, and tell a compelling story. Simple formula, right? The experienced merchandiser could do it in his sleep. But I say, "Wake up!" It's not enough to sleep walk in this economic environment.Rather, it's time to wake up, slug that cup o' Joe, and engage the world. How? Workshops.

One could plot weekend warriors on a spectrum. At one end, there's the person who's an engineer during the work week and home improvement mad scientist on Saturday, making every project an opportunity to innovate something the world has never seen before. Then there's the well intentioned but clueless newbie who has trouble knowing where to begin. There's many more of the latter and their ranks are swelling. Solution: hold workshops that appeal to both.

Let's focus on energy efficiency. We know two things about winters, they're cold and dark. More energy is required to heat the interior of the home and inefficient windows leak it out into the neighborhood. Meanwhile, depending on what part of the country you're in, the lights may start going on at 4 p.m. Whether expert or neophyte, your g-i-y customer will be looking to cut energy costs this

Next, break out the fixtures. Why just change a light bulb if you can change the entire fixture? Explain the benefits of matching LED lamps and fixtures, both indoor and outdoor: lamps, down lights, and strips. Demonstrate wiring and installing switches, too. You won't hold everyone's interest, but you'll have served the few remaining hard-core g-i-yers, as well as demonstrated your own expertise.

I recommend doing something similar for windows. There are loads of YouTube videos demonstrating tried and true techniques for draft proofing and secondary glazing. So, get together your weatherstripping, caulk and sealant, plastic film, plexiglass sheets, and magnentic tape, as well as some salvaged window frames, and you're good to go.

What these simple workshops do for homeowners is give them confidence that they can do these projects for themselves. If they have a good experience, whether firsttimer or experienced g-i-y innovator, they'll come back for more. For you, it will bring your merchandising sets alive, you'll sell more product, and you'll have strengthened customer relationships.

Jay Tompt Managing Partner William Verde & Associates

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