ALA Sales Training Courses
Now Available for Purchase

ALA recently announced the launch of the ;rst three courses in a 10-part series on sales training developed by Mark Okun, LS, of Mark Okun Consulting.

The available courses cover the salesperson’s role in the 21st Century, the unseen preparation prior to customer engagement, and the consumer-driven process. Additional courses will be released later this year.

The courses cost $39 each, or a package of three can be purchased for $100.

Members may download the courses at americanlightingassoc.com/Members/ Member-Store/ Webinars-Seminars.aspx.

Lighting

Magazine Hits
Showrooms,
Newsstands

The 2017 issue of Lighting
magazine will be available
in showrooms and on
newsstands throughout
the U.S. and Canada
starting in April.

This marks the 11th year
of the magazine, which
is produced by the ALA
BiNational Advertising
and PR Program in
partnership with
Better Homes and
Gardens Special
Interest Media.

“We all know the right lighting transforms a
room,” said Karman Hotchkiss, editor of Lighting magazine.
“We are celebrating that this year with transformations to the magazine
too. The cover is rich and sophisticated and complements the upgrades
we have made to the physical product – more pages, plus stunning
high-quality paper stock.”
The stock will provide a significant value upgrade to the publication.
The heavier, crisper paper will allow the 2017 issue to serve as more
of a coffee table piece, extending its shelf life. Additionally, the
whiter paper will make images truly pop off the page, highlighting
the beauty of ALA manufacturers’ products.

In addition to the physical upgrades to the magazine, the editors have also developed new ways of presenting the content. Rather than specific style sections, this year’s issue will be broken down into design sections. This change will encourage readers to broaden their horizons and explore lighting products they may not have previously considered for their homes.

As always, the magazine will contain helpful tips and charts, along with other teaching tools to assist consumers in their search for the right lighting. The magazine will heavily focus on the importance of shopping at an ALA-member showroom with trained lighting professionals.

This year, a supplemental planning guide, developed by the ALA BiNational Advertising and PR Program in partnership with Bravo Business Media, will be available to showroom members along with the magazine. This more detailed, technical document will serve as a sales tool for showrooms.

“I know we say every issue is better than the previous year’s,” said Hotchkiss, “But this year, I think it’s a difference people will see and feel as soon as they touch the product.” For more information on obtaining copies of Lighting magazine, or to sign up for the ALA BiNational Advertising and PR Program, contact Larry Lauck, at 800-605-4448, ext. 227, or llauck@ americanlightingassoc.com.

ALA Releases Consumer Research Results

Last year, ALA conducted a consumer research study with the goal of better understanding how consumers think about, shop for and buy lighting. The research was conducted by the ALA BiNational Advertising and PR Program in partnership with Home Accents Today and Progressive Business Media.

Specifically, the survey covered the following topics:
• The importance of lighting when designing a space
• How buyers view lighting as a utility or design
• The lighting shopping and buying process, including where consumers
find ideas and inspiration
• How long buyers plan to keep lighting fixtures
• Which product attributes are the most important to buyers
• Details of who shops lighting showrooms and why
The survey yielded an end sample of 1,014, with a margin of error of
+/- 3 percent. All respondents were homeowners with a household income of

$75,000 or greater and had either bought, built or remodeled within the past year or planned to do so in the coming year.

To view a summary of survey results, turn to Page 2. All survey results are available at americanlightingassoc.com/Members/Resources/Consumer-Research.aspx. Also, join ALA for a free live webinar covering the survey results March 30, titled How Consumers Shop for Lighting.