The North American Home Furnishings Assn. will host a number of educational seminars during the Jan. 26-30 Las Vegas Market.

Seminars will be held Jan. 26-Jan. 29 in the NAHFA's Retailer Resource Center, B-1050 in the World Market Center. Session topics include everything from sales and sales management to social media, operations, promotions, technology and more.

"This market we've added three Early Riser Sessions," said Sharron Bradley, NAHFA's CEO. "These 7:30 a.m. seminars will give attendees more options and flexibility for attending our educational events."

For more information about the NAHFA's Retailer Resource Center or the seminars, visit www.nahfa.org or call (800) 422-3778.

Here are the dates and times:

Sunday, Jan. 26
7:30-8:30 a.m.
The Effective Salesperson's Checklist
When your salespeople can answer all the questions presented in this seminar, thoroughly, they are true professionals. Phil Gutsell, a 40-year home furnishings industry veteran, has compiled the ultimate checklist for salespeople. Even successful, seasoned professionals need periodic retraining to make sure they are still practicing the techniques that got them where they are today.

9-10 a.m.
The Omni-Channel Mandate: What Your Consumer Expects
Today's consumer expects to be able to engage a brand whenever, wherever, and on whatever device or medium they choose. Most businesses, including retailers and furniture manufacturers, have not cracked the code to fulfill "the omni-channel mandate." Jeremy Gufstason, vice president of retail and digital strategy for Kreber, will provide insight on today's consumer and what you can do to become truly omni-channel. He will also share success stories from key industry retail clients including Sears, Bed Bath & Beyond and Macy's.

10:30-11:30 a.m.
The Pros and Cons of Different Sales Compensation Plans
Every retail outfit is unique. There is no one-size-fits-all model for sales compensation. During this seminar, Joe Milevsky of JRM Sales & Management will cover the different ways of compensating, the pros and cons of each system, how to determine if your method is effective, how to determine the amount a salesperson should earn, and stress-free ways to change the way you compensate.

12:30-1:30 p.m.
3 Ways to Connect with Customers NOW!
Customer connection is multifaceted to say the least. This seminar, presented by René Johnston-Gingrich, vice president of training development for the Profitability Consulting Group, will explore connecting on three levels: store image, marketing message, and the personal connection brought about by your sales team's expertise. Learn how to connect the dots so you can build the ideal environment with a winning team that will help you capitalize on every opportunity and boost your bottom line.

2-3 p.m.
Pinterest: The New Retail Therapy
Pinterest exploded on the social media scene three years ago. With more than 70 million users, the platform surpasses Facebook in dollars spent, with the average social shopper spending $140-$180. Denise Keniston of Web4Retail has developed her experience managing popular fashion and design boards into a comprehensive 60 minutes of how-tos for the furniture retail store owner. Learn how to gain an audience, start a conversation, drive traffic and - most importantly - convert your activity on Pinterest into sales at this #pinterestseminar.

3:30-4:30 p.m.
Hiring the Best Candidate: Dos and Don'ts in the Interview
As more companies join the hunt for the best candidates to build up their workforce, recruiters and hiring managers should be aware of the dos and don'ts in the hiring process. Hailing from a firm that has been awarded the highest national recognition in the areas of Employee Benefits and Employment Law by the U.S. News & World Report (2013), Pascal Benyamini of Drinker Biddle & Reath, LLP will present a best practices seminar that will provide specific tips concerning the hiring process.

Monday, Jan. 27

7:30-8:30 a.m.
Think Like a Marketer, NOT an Advertiser
Any furniture company can grow if your key decision makers are willing to think like marketers, not just advertisers. Marketing is a comprehensive core discipline that, when understood and practiced properly, allows you to uncover new pathways and eliminate waste and inefficiencies in every area of your business. Douglas Knorr of Knorr Marketing will keep attendees on their toes as he shares key steps and case studies that identify how adopting the marketer mindset can put your business on a path to greater success.

9-10 a.m.
Double Down on Your Social Sharing
This retailer-to-retailer panel discussion focuses on winning ways to use social media, blogging, and mobile to attract the next generation of consumers to your store. Numbers don't lie: 62% of Fortune 500 companies have stated that social media is necessary for business growth, 25% of shoppers are using mobile devices to access furniture information online, and 95% of small businesses view blogging as an effective marketing technology tool - second only to email marketing. Join MicroD and our expert panel as we discuss this essential form of online marketing and answer audience questions. #NGNLVMkt #millennials #MicroDinc

10:30-11:30 a.m.
5 Steps to Profitable Mobile Marketing
You've been asked hundreds of times, "Is your website mobile-friendly?" While you may have addressed that question, have you addressed whether your mobile site is optimized to convert mobile shoppers into buyers? Mobile shoppers that land on your website are likely to buy from you within the first 24 hours. One of every three clicks to retailer websites now comes from a mobile device. This session, presented by Netsertive's Tim McLain, offers you the rundown on mobile marketing from start to finish in five steps that cover everything from strategy and concepts (like geo-targeting) to effective placement and writing mobile-friendly copy.

12:30-1:30 p.m.
Best Practices in Retail - One Seminar to Rule Them All!
What are the best operations doing? Having consulted with thousands of industry and non-industry retailers and led several best-practice performance groups, Profitconsulting's Wayne and David McMahon have seen the best of the best, the worst of the worst, and everything in between. In this seminar they will reveal what the best in the business are doing right in areas spanning a retail business, from Internet, advertising, and selling to management, finances, and back-end operations.
 
2-3 p.m.
Instagram ...What the Heck Is It and Why Should I Care About It?
Instagram is one of the most popular social networks, with more than 150 million monthly active users, 55 million average photos shared per day, and more than 16 billion photos shared so far. If you lack a presence on this platform, you can be sure your brand is missing out on thousands of impressions. Learn how best to utilize Instagram in your marketing and website to effectively showcase your store, your business, and your message. R&A Marketing's Kevin & Kyle Doran will share tips, tricks and more.

3:30-4:30 p.m.
Magic Metrics to Move You Forward - a Working Seminar
This town hall discussion hosted by FurnitureCore and Impact Consulting's Bob George will showcase the metrics you need to know in order to move your business to the next level and then keep the momentum going. Bring some numbers and your best pen, because this is a working seminar. By simply giving an hour of your time, you will begin to get a feeling of what it should be like to work on your business, not in your business.

Tuesday, Jan. 28

7:30-8:30 a.m.
Hear Customers, Focus Resources, Grow Profits
The most important asset your business has is your customer base. The best way to leverage this asset is by letting them tell you what is working and what is not. During this seminar, Alvin Wight, the president of industry research at Strategic Decisions, will guide you through a process for effectively communicating with your consumers. By doing so you will learn exactly what is going on in your market, how to identify your true competitors, and how to acquire and retain loyal customers.

9-10 a.m.
How to Save Money on Logistics
This seminar hosted by American West Worldwide Express executives Josh Brown and Noah Brown will cover how businesses in the furniture industry can reduce the cost of freight, how new CARB law in California will affect all transportation carriers, and how new nationwide driver hour regulations will change transit times. Attendees will walk away with a better understanding of how transportation carriers base their rates. The knowledge gained in understanding this process will save them money.

10:30-11:30 a.m.
Create a Buying Frenzy with a High-Impact Sale
Are you ready to move your store beyond business as usual? Joe Connolly is ready to help you do just that while also showing consumers you've stepped up your game. When done correctly, a high-impact sale presents the opportunity to generate the kind of buying frenzy that can revitalize your business while also reinforcing your position in your community. Putting it all on the line for one sale may sound risky, but this seminar will cover all of the rewards that make that risk worthwhile, including profits, boosted morale and increased market share.

12:30-1:30 p.m.
Reap the Rewards of Advertising with Online Video
Research shows a significant increase in brand awareness and brand retention among consumers who have viewed online video ads. U.S. digital video ad spend will rise 41.4% this year and by another 40% next year. The Interactive Advertising Bureau found that much of this new digital video spend increase will come out of former TV budgets, and that video advertising recall is twice as high as TV spot recall. Jim Knutt, Sheila Duffy-Lehrman and Delaun Peterson will teach how digital video presents increasingly more opportunities for using cross-platform campaigns, maximizing online budget and attaining meaningful consumer engagement. The single biggest take-away: Never underestimate the power of video! Sight, sound, and emotion have been proven to resonate best with your potential customers.

2-3 p.m.
Evolving Your Mattress Department
Comfortable is the new word for extinction in retail - even if you're talking about mattresses! No matter how comfy your bedding products are, attempting to induce relaxation as your customers try them out is an age-old technique that may not necessarily be evolving organically with your mattress department as a whole. Backed by market research with top mattress companies, Eric Foucrier will share key details of a proven process that, when adopted, will improve closing ratios and average ticket sales, and enhance the customer experience.

3:30-4:30 p.m.
ROMI Wasn't Built in a Day - Understanding Return on Marketing Investment
Since the earliest days of advertising and mass marketing, retailers have been confronted with a dilemma that keeps many up at night: "I know half of my advertising/marketing budget is wasted, I just don't know which half." Lift & Shift Inc.'s Graham Farrell, 25-year advertising and marketing veteran, will discuss the ins, outs, dos, don'ts, tips, tricks and best practices for planning advertising and marketing spend in a highly competitive retail environment. After attending, you will once again be able to enjoy a full night's sleep (well, once you leave Las Vegas).

Wednesday, Jan. 29

9-10 a.m.
Mastering Omni-Channel Engagement
Omni-channel has become a new buzzword for retail. Great, we must connect with consumers on all levels, but how does one successfully achieve cohesion across all customer touch points? Through discussion of a variety of topics, Dynamic Vertical Solutions' Reshma Nagpal will teach you the ways of navigating this tricky new concept.

10:30-11:30 a.m.
Improve Your Warehouse and Delivery Operations
Enhance your profits and customer satisfaction by attending industry expert Dan Bolger's program. Achieving a perfect delivery on the order you have is the first step to sell the next furniture on your customer's dream list. Bolger will demonstrate at least seven ways you can achieve perfect deliveries while also boosting productivity throughout the warehouse. Primary focus will be on improving existing operations. He will also summarize considerations for a new or relocated facility.