[arve url=”https://youtu.be/qwDDuGcQEDk” /]
Bi-Annual Monthly Comparison
annual sales by month report
order deadline coming up? embed a countdown in your eblast
The following ~ 2 min video demonstrates embedding a countdown in your e-blast.
The countdown can be helpful for engaging your customers to act before a deadline.
We have used a free tool hosted by http://motionmailapp.com/
Commit to Under-Scheduling in 2016
2016 is right around the corner so I wanted to share some highlights from a recent article.
Small shifts in how you use your time can make a difference in your satisfaction with work-life.
Make it a rule to have at least 15 minutes between back-to-back meetings those few minutes can help you feel good about what you accomplished and leave satisfied.
Block out a few hours of uninterrupted time each week to move ahead on a priority project or to exercise.
Define success make sure you know what you’re trying to accomplish.
Be honest about “must do” activities don’t commit yourself to something that turns into a burden or obligation when it was self-generated.
Under-schedule your calendar create open space in your calendar for a good work/life balance that will allow you to focus on a single task.
Decline activities and tasks that aren’t aligned don’t keep accepting projects or tasks that you don’t have the time for, focus on what’s already on your calendar.
Savor the beauty of the everyday simply put, work is not all that life has to offer.
Link to full article:
https://hbr.org/2015/12/commit-to-under-scheduling-in-2016
Invoice Date vs. Paid Date
Invoices in Showroom Exchange represent the shipment of the merchandise by your mfrs/brands to your customers.
Entering invoices into Showroom Exchange allows you to keep track of the following:
1) Open Orders (which orders have or have not shipped)
2) Paid and Unpaid Commissions (some mfrs/brands report their shipments to the showroom 1st and pay later)
3) Mfr/brand’s % ship through rate (how WELL your mfrs/brands are performing). More on this in Measure Brand Performance with Ship-Through Percentages.
When entering an invoice, first reference its corresponding PO, give it an invoice number, then provide an invoice date (invdate: the date it shipped). You then have the option of giving it a paid date (pdate). Consider pdate as the date the showroom got paid.
The difference:
- The invoice date (invdate) is the date the order was shipped. It is required to save an invoice in SE. This aspect of the invoice (along with the amount) tracks how completely an order has shipped.
- The paid date (pdate) is the date the brand paid you commission on the shipped order. We recommend the date on the check or wire-transfer. If the mfr/brand will pay you later, then leave the pdate blank. An entry in the pdate suggests the invoice is paid, and the invoice is marked as “paid.” An invoice without a pdate will be marked as “unpaid.” See Commissions Report to see how to run reports on paid and unpaid commissions.
What Does the (SR) Next to the Rep Name Mean?
Ever wonder why there’s a red “(SR)” next to one of your reps? It’s because they have been assigned as the “Showroom Rep,” the rep used to track commissions due to the showroom from the mfrs (not the individual reps).
The SR rep is not supposed to represent a real rep, including the showroom owner. The showroom owner should have their own record with 0% commission. Consider the following scenario:
Sally’s Showroom and Sally K., the owner
There should be 2 records:
SSR: Sally’s Showroom as the showroom rep
SK: Sally K. as a regular rep @ 0% commission.
When entering order, assign the ‘non-SR’ rep that was responsible for the booking as rep1 and all other reps (if any, who are simply sharing commission with rep1) as rep2, rep3 and on. The final rep on every order will be the showroom rep (SR) – SE will AUTO-ASSIGN the SR rep to the last available rep field as long no more than 5 ‘non-SR’ reps are sharing commission. Whether just one rep made the order or if 5 reps are getting commission on an order, the SR rep is always included. By doing so, Showroom Exchange tracks how much commission is due to the showroom as a whole.
The (SR) rep always receives 100% commission, i.e. 100% of the mfr’s base commission rate, which is then broken down to reps. When adding a new order, the SR rep commission will automatically be switched to the mfr commission.
To edit which rep is the SR rep (there can only be one per showroom), go to the reps page under “Main Categories” and click on a rep name to edit. On the rep edit page, check the box by “this rep is the showroom” to assign them as the showroom rep.
Housekeeping: Avoid Data Redundancy, e.g.; Market Codes & Year
It’s redundant to save categories with the year value as it is already provided during entry (see picture below). For example, some showrooms will save a market with the year, such as “Coterie Feb 2013” and “Coterie Feb 2014.” It’s best to have just one “Coterie Feb.”
Categories that often get years added to them are Markets, Seasons, and sometimes Territories. While everyone uses Showroom Exchange differently, we recommend that nothing created under “Setup Categories” should have a year next to it.
Including the year in a category can have undesired effect other SE features (i.e. reporting). For example, say you want to use the Customer Comparison report to compare your customers between this year’s and last year’s market. If you have one saved as “Coterie Feb 2013” and the other saved as “Coterie Feb 2014,” analyzing the report will be more challenging.
If you have any questions or concerns about this, let us know at help@readytoview.com or call us at 213 438 0600 ext. 502.
Drive Guardian – SAFER DRIVING FOR TEENS & EMPLOYEES
The new app DriveGuardian, a r|t|v project, has launched!
There have been too many tragic stories of Texting & Driving. This app was created to make a difference.
The app should be installed on the driver’s cell phone (be it son, daughter, mom, dad, sibling, friend, or employee), by the responsible party.
When the app senses motion, it temporarily limits phone functions to calling up to 4 contacts & 911.
Please pass the word on. A favorable rating is greatly appreciated.
DriveGuardian is only for the Android phone… Why not the iPhone?
At the present it is not possible to override the iPhone’s (iOS) home button. This contradicts the purpose of the App.
For download or more info check out the site:
Discounts
To track discounts in Showroom Exchange, consider the following:
How does tracking discounts matter to your showroom?
A) Are they commission related? When a discount is applied, does it lower the rep’s and the showroom’s commission rate? If a $100 order with a 10% discount ships 100% complete, does the brand show $90 or $100 in their commission statement?
B) Are they more booking related? e.g.; On a $100 order with a 10% discount, would the showroom view the order booked as $100 or $90? Does the rep get $100 or $90 booking credit?
An excel sheet illustrating the three Scenarios is below:
Scenario A)
If entering the order with the discounted total works for you and rep commissions are based on discounted values, then simply enter the order at discounted prices. Commissions will be correct. e.g.; rep’s standard commission rate is 1%, order is entered @ $90 and the rep’s comm will be $9.
This method is best used when your showroom cares about discounted commissions, doesn’t care about non-discounted booking totals, and doesn’t care to track discounts.
Scenario B)
If you want to enter the non-discounted dollar values into Showroom Exchange, but commissions are based on discounted values, enter the correct discounted rep commission during order entry (e.g.; 0.9% comm for $100), or for a more automated approach, use the commission matrix feature.
Following the above example:
If you have opted to use the commission matrix, make sure to edit the SR’s commission on an order and the rep’s commission will adjust accordingly.
Scenario C)
You can create/use a new cancellation (revision) reason (e.g., “[sr] discount”) and apply a discount. This allows for the non-discounted total to be entered and the commissions will be based on discounted values (see below).
Like Scenario A, this method is best used when your showroom cares about discounted commissions and doesn’t care about non discounted booking totals, but use this scenario if you DO care to track discounts.