Guest commentator: Christina Birkentall, IIDA, CKD, LEED Green Associate Cat Fight? Turf War? Evil Cartel? Or just an evolving profession seeking respect and equal opportunities? There has been much mis-information out there about what Interior Designers are seeking...
In part I of this series, we examined some new and existing home sales data setting a slightly more positive tone for the rest of 2012. In mid February, the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) released information that home builder confidence in the market...
Many of you know us not just because of our kitchen software, but due to our writing and consulting in the kitchen & bath industry. Over the years, we have become a little, shall we say, cocky when it comes to what we say we know about the business. After all, it...
It’s a sad day, really It seems censorship reared it’s ugly head in the kitchen and bath industry as some LinkedIn groups deleted people’s opinions after we posed a question of how relevant people thought the NKBA is (or is not). And the discussion...
Today, K+BB Collective published an article written by Nick Ritota in their Designers’ Corner titled, “Why Sales Has a Bad Rap in the K & B Business.” Nick’s article introduces us to the classic “designer vs. salesperson” motif, but sheds light on the fact that...
Capturing leads, your own leads, is critical in today’s economy. Consumers are educating themselves on your industry every day, through blogs, e-books, social media and podcasts. You need to ensure that the voice heard in the market is your voice. The greenhouse is...
In part 1 of this series, we looked at the marketing engine that needs to be created to drive leads to our doorstep and it’s definitely different from Dad’s shop. Now let’s look at the sales process that we need to ensure that we close our opportunities. The key word...
Good news seems to be coming to the kitchen and bath industry – it’s been a scary few years, but we now have slightly higher expectations. Many kitchen and bath professionals we’ve spoken with recently are getting busier with brighter outlooks than possible in...
Last weekend I had the pleasure of ushering in my fortieth birthday with two shots of cortisone in my lower back. I guess it was either that or a trip to the islands for some free diving. When you step back and look at it…I mean who can resist long epidural-like...
The tide is shifting. Traditional marketing, or outbound marketing, has always had us finding customers. Consider the ways in which we do that today: Direct Mail TV and Radio placement Newspaper Ads Phone Book Ads Outdoor advertising Static websites Most would agree...
So you’ve conquered sales and marketing – but now your operations could use a little work. Operations are the framework of your entire cabinet dealership – and without a strong structure, none of the other departments will work correctly. We put...
We’ve patently called out the K&B industry as not being the hotbed of innovation. Let’s face it, an industry that clings to the rollout tray as a shining example of modernism is not exactly on the cutting edge of technology. So we accept that the...
The world of kitchen quoting is one that revolves around speed. Consumers expect it and even demand it. Your ability to quote lands you jobs. Your ability to quote faster means you can take swings at more opportunities. The problem designers have today is there’s...
If Marty McFly were to flash back to the years leading up to the market regression (say 2003-2005ish) and pay your business a visit, what would he see as your strategy for winning more sales? I’d be willing to bet he’d see an over-inflated sales team with their own...
I know, I know…keeping up with the latest social media trends can be absolutely exhausting. Especially if you’re a busy cabinet dealer and don’t really have time to “experiment” with a million different things. Lucky for you, we’ve been doing our own little...
Not exactly an HR warm and fuzzy when a sales manager makes that comment about their staff. But, from some distant planetary perspective, we can understand. Most sales/design teams have been rudderless for years. It seems that every new person on-boarded has a...
Throughout our business lives, we’ve all learned it. “You need to be consistent.” It’s one of those important phrases that sort of goes without say. We know we should listen, but it is just so easy to stray from the norm and do “whatever is needed,” regardless of...
Are you a designer or a salesperson? This was a question that I asked in every design class that I led across the country. The answer was predictable; most people in the business of selling kitchens considered themselves designers first and foremost. Now to be fair,...
The countdown is on, one month until spring. The birds will soon be chirping, you’ll suddenly feel the urge to get in shape, and you will actually want to clean everything from the floor to the ceiling. What is it with spring being just around the corner that...
Rahm Emanuel said “Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste.” A crisis is an opportunity to do important things that you would otherwise avoid. While the economy does look brighter, our industry is still at the bottom. The good news is that means our industry is ripe...
Is it February already? It’s been such a mild winter, I haven’t even noticed. Well, since Punxsatawney Phil already poked his head out for a few brief moments, I guess that means we just have the Super Bowl, Lincoln’s Birthday, Valentine’s Day,...
In part I of this article, we learned about the disheartening number of people who don’t like their co-workers. While there may occasionally be productivity draining negative behaviors in your dealership that need to be addressed, there are also times when the problem...
A Conference Board research study published in 2010 stated that a mere 56% of people like their co-workers vs. the 1987 percentage of 68%. That means (excuse me for stating the obvious) that there are 44% of people out there who aren’t happy with their co-workers. ...
These days it seems like the next big trend is to announce software products that are coming soon. You know, just around the corner. It’s called vaporware, and it’s one of the oldest tricks in the book. And So It Starts Microsoft was one of the pioneers of...
