Hearth & Home March 2016

Lesson Plans

By Lisa Readie Mayer

Teaching classes to professional specifiers of hearth, patio and/or barbecue products is a good way to increase sales while polishing your reputation.

If you teach classes in your store, you already know how effective they can be at building relationships with customers and increasing sales. Teaching classes for professional specifiers and influencers can build on that effort exponentially.

Architects, landscape architects, interior designers, kitchen and bath designers, builders and remodelers are all being called upon today to design indoor and outdoor fireplaces, fire pits, outdoor kitchens, and Outdoor Rooms – unfamiliar territory for many of them. These groups also have continuing education requirements to advance their skills and maintain professional certifications.

You can help them earn education credits while teaching them what they want and need to know.

But teaching a class to design professionals for continuing education credit is not simply a matter of lining up the chairs and pulling out the whiteboard. Instructors and courses first must be approved and certified by the industry organizations. In addition, course content must meet strict guidelines and requirements. As opposed to charging attendees tuition, as you might with a grilling class for instance, it’s the instructor who typically pays to teach a class.

But many believe the time, effort and investment to partner with professional groups yields considerable benefits. For one, specifiers work on multiple projects at a time and wield influence over their clients’ purchase decisions. So it opens the door to relationships in which dealers, as a trusted resource, can provide something else the design professionals lack: a showroom.

When specifiers refer clients to your showroom to see the two-dimensional products in the plans brought to life, you get more customers into your store where you can inspire them with your displays, and gain the opportunity to sell them a host of other products and services.

Potential Students

So, who is the target audience for these educational sessions? Architects, designers, landscape architects, landscape designers, kitchen and bath designers, design-builders, remodelers, pool and spa designers, and masons are main groups involved in creating outdoor kitchens and outdoor living spaces, and therefore the primary targets for classes on those topics.


Samples of National Fireplace Institute certificates.

For presentations on fireplace trends, proper installation, new glass safety standards, and other related topics, Rick Vlahos, executive director of the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Education Foundation and National Fireplace Institute (NFI), says architects, builders, local building inspectors, code enforcement officers, and real estate home inspectors are good targets.

All these groups can be reached through the national and local chapters of their professional organizations. (See a list with contact information at the end of this article.)

There are a number of other community groups that might be interested in a presentation – albeit less technical – on fireplaces, outdoor kitchens, Outdoor Rooms, grilling and barbecuing. Parks and recreation cooking programs, wine- and beer-making groups, and fishing, hunting, gardening, and culinary clubs in the area might be receptive audiences. Though the content would be less detailed than required for specifiers seeking continuing education credits, these groups might be a good place to hone a presentation before taking it to the professionals.

Class Content

Industry groups often have strict guidelines regarding course topics and content for continuing education credit. They usually require that the programs are presented in a generic fashion, free of brand mentions and promotional content. Classes must build in time for Q&A, and if the class is offered as an online webinar, a quiz is often required.

Depending on the audience, topics may range from a general design focus (e.g., how to create seamlessly integrated indoor-outdoor living spaces), to category overviews (e.g., options for outdoor fireplaces and fire pits), to narrow-focus topics (e.g., pizza ovens), to highly technical subjects (e.g., fireplace venting specifications, or how fireplaces and outdoor kitchens can fit into a LEEDs certified home).

Ross Johnson, O.E.M., national accounts manager, Outdoor GreatRoom Company, says photos are a critical component of any polished, professional education session.


Seminar being conducted by The Outdoor GreatRoom Company.

“Photos give visual examples of the discussion topics, generate excitement, and leave a lasting impression on the audience,” he says. “If you don’t have a wealth of professional photography at your disposal, manufacturers will usually be glad to help.”

He also suggests dealers have leave behind materials for attendees. For instance, the Outdoor GreatRoom Company has developed checklists that walk designers through the right questions to ask when working with clients on Outdoor Room projects. “We recommend, however, that dealers put any handouts on CDs or thumb drives,” Johnson says. “People want less paper today and prefer getting materials electronically.”

The main thing, according to Lindsay Marshall Cheyne, associate, Industry Engagement, at the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), is, “A speaker who is looking to stand out and fill seats must have an original presentation.” She says successful CEU sessions inform attendees about current research on trends, codes and laws.

Lauren Aust, spokesperson for the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA), says, “Our members are very interested in designing outdoor kitchens for all budgets and all climates.” Other topics she believes would be of interest to NKBA members include topography, wind, fire hazards, bug and rodent prevention, and seasonal maintenance. “These are some of the (aspects of) outdoor kitchens that, in my opinion, scare designers,” she says.

The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) requires its members to take courses pertaining to public health, safety and welfare (HSW). Topics such as designing outdoor kitchens to meet accessibility/Americans with Disabilities Act standards, would fall under the HSW umbrella.

Vlahos says NFI has a scripted presentation on proper fireplace installation available for dealers to use with specifiers and local officials. The five-hour, highly technical course can be pared down to fit any timeframe.

“The Northeast HPBA affiliate is doing a great job reaching out to specifiers and inspectors with this education program,” says Vlahos. “Dealers can either work in conjunction with their affiliate or conduct the session on their own in their local market.”

Getting Certified

Most industry groups have “Education” pages on their websites with sections dedicated to CEU Providers. These pages effectively detail the steps required by that organization to get certified to teach continuing education seminars. While the process is different for each group, there are some commonalities.

Most involve submitting an online application that details the course title, course description, learning objectives (sometimes required to be broken down into 15-minute increments), speaker’s resume, related teaching experience, and other credentials.

In the case of webinars, an instructor also may be asked to submit a written or oral quiz, which is administered at the conclusion of the course, as proof of students’ attendance. Groups such as the ASLA require that speakers maintain and submit attendance records and quiz scores to the national organization for assignment of credit hours to members.


The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) seminar at the annual meeting and Expo in Chicago.

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) offers a comprehensive online video training series through its website to help prospective CEU providers develop content and learning objectives, and offers tips to better execute the course.

The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) just launched an online Request for Proposals (RFP) for education topics and speakers, according to Cheyne. After peer review, the organization will match approved speakers with appropriate national, local and online seminar opportunities.

The ASLA currently offers “a few” courses on outdoor kitchens, according to Emily O’Connor, spokeswoman for LACES, the group’s educational arm, but says the organization welcomes more.

“We like to have as many educational opportunities for our members as possible,” she says.

When it comes to getting your presentation certified, Jim Ginocchi, president of Coyote Outdoor Living, offers some advice.

“You should be aware that it can take a while for the associations to go through the vetting process,” says Ginocchi. “It took us eight months to get certified.”

Student Loans Required?

Most industry groups require a fee for CEU providers. Annual fees might range from $200 for an individual to register as an instructor for one course, to several thousand dollars annually for a manufacturer to participate in CEU provider programs. Among the priciest is the American Institute of Architects (AIA), with annual Continuing Education Registered Provider fees running as high as $3,950. The organization’s fee levels vary depending on the type of company the speaker is from, whether the course will be taught regionally or nationally, and other factors.

The NKBA has a trial program called Voices From the Industry in which would-be instructors can submit a topic with a description, timed agenda and learning objectives for consideration for an education session at the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS). While there is no upfront fee, if a course is selected, instructors must attend the meeting and present it at their own expense. Analysis of attendee evaluation forms after the course determines whether there might be opportunities to turn the session into a new webinar or course for NKBA members.

Even if you don’t get formally certified to teach a course that provides continuing education credits, it’s still worth it to connect with local groups of specifiers and influencers. A little food and drink might be all the enticement you need to gather these influencers for an informal “Lunch and Learn” or “Cocktails and Conversation” session. Serving knock-your-socks-off grilled or barbecued specialties among your beautiful Outdoor Room vignettes helps to drive home the message that the products you’re selling are what they should be specifying in outdoor kitchen designs.

Since design influencers work on multiple projects at any given time, dollar for dollar, the marketing money spent to gain a professional partner goes a lot farther than the investment required to acquire a single consumer customer.

Picking the Professor

You don’t need a PhD to conduct continuing education seminars, just an authoritative understanding of your topic and the ability to present the information to others in a way they’ll understand. But if you don’t feel qualified to speak on the topic – or are uncomfortable speaking in front of groups (public speaking is ranked as Americans’ number-one greatest fear), consider teaming up with one of your manufacturers, distributors or reps to teach the session with you or on your behalf. Manufacturers are often already certified to work with these professional organizations and are happy to help good dealer customers with their local presentations.

Ginocchi says his company collaborates on outdoor kitchen CEU classes with Brown Jordan Outdoor Kitchens (licensed by Danver), and countertop company Cosentino. The one-hour course is accredited by AIA, NKBA, ASID and ASLA, and taught by a designer who represents the three companies, according to Ginocchi.

“The course covers important aspects of outdoor kitchen design, including shapes, sizes, gas and water hook-ups, sight lines, and appliance options,” he says. “It is a good marriage of function and design.”

Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet offers a course on “Winning Outdoor Kitchen Design,” that’s certified by ASID, ASLA, NKBA and other groups, according to communications manager Brad Carlson. The non-branded, 101-level course taught by Russ Faulk, the company’s product designer, explores best practices in outdoor kitchen design.


Russ Faulk from Kalamazoo Gourmet presenting the “Winning Outdoor Kitchen Design CEU course at the KBIS.”

Subject matter includes siting the kitchen (satellite vs. against the house), comparison of modular vs. masonry islands, establishing hot and cold work zones, discussion of Outdoor Room flooring options, incorporating a pergola or pavilion, and more.

“The course is designed to help educate designers and builders so they can better sell outdoor kitchens and advise their clients about available options,” says Carlson.

Kalamazoo conducts online webinars for members of these organizations and conducts in-person seminars at the organizations’ national or regional meetings. Carlson says they also will help dealers conduct educational events for local designers and specifiers in their area.

Johnson says the Outdoor GreatRoom Company has a certified PowerPoint presentation that its dealers can use in education sessions, adapting it to suit their audience. He says the company works with dealers to help them present educational sessions at state or regional meetings or in “Lunch & Learn” type sessions in-store.

Johnson also suggests taking the Lunch & Learn concept to specifiers’ offices and putting on the presentation for the entire staff. “You can’t always expect they will come to you,” he says. “Drug manufacturer representatives do these educational sessions very effectively at doctors’ offices. The concept works here too.”

Continuing Your Own Education

Of course, learning is a two-way street. It’s equally as important for retailers and manufacturers to further their own industry education to stay on top of best practices and trends that impact their business.

The Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Education Foundation offers a professional certification program through its National Fireplace Institute division for professionals involved in planning and installing residential hearth appliances and venting systems. Preparation for certification includes a combination of field work, online or in-person education classes, studying the NFI reference manual, and passing a rigorous exam.

Three separate certifications based on fuel type – wood-burning, gas and pellet – are offered; those who attain certification in all three are named Master Hearth Professionals, the industry’s highest level of certification. Certification must be renewed every three years, either by retesting, or taking between 24 and 32 hours of continuing education credits in three subject areas: technical; safety, health and liability; and electives.

Vlahos has his sights on creating two additional industry certification programs: Certified Outdoor Living Designer and Certified Salesperson. “They are on the wish list for the future,” he says.

Vlahos recommends that, whenever installation appointments get cancelled at the last minute, dealers encourage hearth service technicians to use the time to take an online class to pursue certification or recertification.

Likewise, it’s helpful for barbecue and patio dealers to be on the lookout for articles on trends in housing, design, Millennials, and other related topics. Keep them in a binder and when there is a lull, suggest salespeople read the articles to stay abreast of trends to better understand customers’ needs. It’s also helpful to periodically search photos of Outdoor Rooms, outdoor kitchens, fire pits, and indoor and outdoor fireplaces on Pinterest and Houzz to see the styles, designs and looks that are attracting consumers’ attention.

Marketing Edge

Dealers should leverage their own industry certifications as a marketing advantage. “I know of a dealer who puts a little sign on every fireplace display that says, ‘Our Installers are NFI Certified,’” says Vlahos. Including industry certification logos on websites and in all advertising and social media are other effective ways to spread the word.

Vlahos recommends that retailers train salespeople to tell customers about installers’ certifications. To aid in that effort, NFI offers a customer handout explaining the advantages and benefits of choosing an NFI-certified retailer.

“We need to do a better job of conveying this information to customers,” he says. “They may not even realize there is a certification program, so they wouldn’t think to ask about it. But, it certainly would be an influential factor in their decision to buy from you.”

Hearth, patio and barbecue dealers can create an “Industry Professionals” page on store websites, detailing their expertise in working with architects, designers, landscape architects and other professionals. This page can be used to promote your availability as a speaker for off-site industry group meetings and workshops, and to post schedules of “Lunch & Learns” and other professional educational events offered in your store. Be sure to post photos of any sessions you’ve held – tagging all attendees – on your Facebook page and other social media.

If dealers have earned the right to use a design industry CEU Provider logo, they should do so. Putting those credentials on websites, in-store signage and marketing materials, helps position dealers as industry authorities and builds confidence among consumers and influencers that they are dealing with the best in the business.

“(Teaching classes) helps instructors position themselves as an expert on the subject, inform people about their products or services, open doors for new opportunities, and reach a large number of people in one event,” says Cheyne of ASID.

Bottom line: Influencing the influencers can grow sales.