Profile on Plow & Hearth--Reaping What You Sow (2,623 words)

While the roll-out only tested scripted suggestions of a dozen items, Hay's team saw immediate improvements. "With predictive modeling we saw the penetration and profitability of the phone selling increase, by basically eliminating most of the nonresponsive customers," he says. "Penetration rates tripled for the first two weeks after we implemented it."