Do you ever look around your cabinet dealership and think that there must be an easier way to do things? If so, you're probably stuck in the past. A number of technological advances have been made during the last couple of decades that solve common problems in the...

The kitchen and bath industry is intricate and challenging - we don't have to tell you that. Because of this, every role within the company is extremely important.  From sales representatives to product specialists, each department needs to pull its own weight to...

Although it may not seem like the most obvious request to make of your cabinet manufacturer, asking for a plant tour may be one of the best things you can do as a kitchen and bath professional. Taking a plant tour from your cabinet manufacturers will offer you a...

Deciding how many people to keep on staff can be one of the hardest decisions facing any business owner. Inventory, scheduling, and designs can all be complicated; but ultimately deal only with inanimate objects. Making decisions that involve people, on the other...

You've put extensive time and effort into building your business. You've spent years putting together a solid team of salespeople. You've carefully trained each one in the finer points of kitchen and bath industry sales techniques and, for the most part, they've...

Have you ever been in the process of working on a document only to have your computer suddenly crash before you’ve had a chance to save it? Before the auto-recovery feature was added to products, you probably would have lost all of your hard work, causing you to have...

By now you may have heard the much over-used acronym CRM (customer relationship management), or in layman's terms: software for tracking your leads, opportunities and sales activities. You know, getting your sales team organized. When times were great, not many...

It's the most vile word ever created. Younger folks have no problem saying it and the older generations steer clear of it like the plague. This little word is the dirtiest, most offensive word in the kitchen and bath industry. It turns heads, creates negativity out of...

Expanding your inventory to include merchandise that enhances or expands your sales is always a good idea -- if it is done properly. Using other merchandise as an added draw for your cabinet line can reap rewards. The addition of countertops, vanity tops, appliances,...

The kitchen cabinet sales process winds its way down from the manufacturer, all the way to the consumer. At each stop along the way, there are judgments made about the value, benefits, aesthetics and function of the cabinet line. At any point, there can be either...

It's clear that the market has been affecting the kitchen cabinet industry. The Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association’s (KCMA) trend of business reports painted a dismal picture, with 2009 taking the biggest hit of an annual decrease of cabinet sales of 28.3%....

Given today's economy, kitchen and bath professionals are competing in any way possible to garner the most sales. Logic tells us that the easiest way to attract customers is to cut margin and offer discounts. Because of this, many cabinet dealers and remodelers have...

There are always challenges that come with a career in sales – so many that it is often hard to pin down the the exact reasons why you might be failing. In the kitchen and bath industry, sales strategies are usually all over the place.  Cabinet salespeople and...

We've all encountered them -- customers who demand something that you don't have. How do you deal with them? Do you tell them outright that it is an item you don't carry? Or, do you jump through a series of hoops to try to fill the order? We all want to make our...

Competing in a tough market like cabinet making is hard enough. But as a cabinet dealer competing with imported products that may be significantly cheaper, you might find yourself wondering what to do. Here are a few ideas to help you find your competitive edge: Sell...

Consumers looking for new kitchen or other home remodel are often shopping price as their primary target. Others want to balance price and value and still others are most motivated by the best in quality and value. When encountering these three types, the best...

It started back in the 90's I think.  We'll call him John Doe and he worked for a cabinet manufacturer. John looked at the dealer channel back then and realized it was a bit of a mess. John wanted to help cabinet dealers, but he couldn't quite rationalize how exactly...

The team at BreakFront (formerly CompanionCabinet) recently analyzed dealers and the challenges they identified (from their perspective). The sample set we chose was made up of approximately 10,000 unique individuals who work in cabinet dealerships and whose roles...

Often as kitchen and bath professionals, you may wonder what you could do to convert quotes into orders more efficiently.  Sometimes, customers need multiple quotes before they are satisfied enough to purchase cabinets. However, in most cases, multiple revisions of a...

Whether you are new to the industry, or have been around for quite a while, you’ll want to target the ideal range of profit margins for your business. There are many different factors that go into targeting an appropriate profit margin. The first thing you need to do...

The economic downturn proved to be difficult for most businesses, but with conditions gradually becoming more positive, you may find yourself proudly holding a "help wanted" sign.  As the decision maker, there are important characteristics to seek when vetting new...