Don’t take my word for it. Ask any salesperson, entrepreneur, negotiator, or deal maker. The experienced ones tell me the same thing. Or just run a quick search on the title of this post and see what comes up. I used to think it was the primary responsibility of salespeople to increase their closing ratio.
One of your fellow remodelers posted the following heartfelt plea on a discussion forum the other day: “With all the RRP rules and OSHA rules, workers’ comp, liability insurance, licenses, taxes and more how do we compete with the people who don’t have all this? How can I make money? HELP!!!” Sound familiar? The challenge
Recently, I met over 70 savvy renovation company owners and staff who attended the first RenoSummit held in Vancouver and Calgary. I was joined by Robert Koci, associate publisher of Canadian Contractor magazine, Paul Winans as we led a series of sessions focused on critical areas of business management including creating a plan for profit,
“It’s useless to be a good craftsperson . . . unless you can also sell what you create. Your customers cannot be expected to recognize a good idea unless it is presented to them by a good salesperson.” This was a paraphrase of a quote by David Ogilvy, one of America’s advertising legends and the
We often receive quality tips from our sponsors that we like to share with you. This week’s tip, on cabinetry remodeling project opportunities, comes from Kevin O’Neill of Wellborn Cabinet, Inc. Through numerous national surveys of remodelers, it has been well recognized that both Kitchen & Bath remodeling have continually held the number one and
Watching a recent ad by Porsche, I couldn’t help but think that the car company that once carried the cache of exclusivity is in danger of losing its way, speeding off into the pedestrian. The ad’s tagline, “Engineered for Magic. Everyday” portrays Porsche as a snowmobile with a mother and her toddler driving in the
Times for most remodelers are hard. There are fewer buyers and less urgent buyers. Job sizes are smaller. But you can’t even begin to sell until you have a lead. And leads are fewer and less qualified. Many of the marketing techniques that traditionally have worked are not working now. So what is? Interestingly, it’s
Novelist Oscar Wilde once said, “The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.” I’m here at a meeting of our Roundtables™ groups and am surrounded by remodeling company owners from across the United States and Canada. We’re here to share ideas, expertise and experiences with one another with the goal
We often receive quality tips from our sponsors that we like to share with you. This week’s tip, on custom versus “manufactured” cabinets, comes from Kevin O’Neill of Wellborn Cabinet Inc. With home values still depressed across the country and historical appreciation levels projected to be years away, many consumers are starting to turn to
Continuing mixed reviews in the marketplace give even more importance to keeping your sales pipeline filled with prospective clients at all stages. Keep a constant eye on the new opportunities coming your way and do your best to maintain a constant or rising level of new prospects, projects in design, and projects in construction. I’m
