Have You Heard the Latest in July?
There's never quite enough time in the day to keep up with the shocking or scandalous world "news" let alone to enrich our minds with industry information and educational materials. We know! Thats why each month we compile the most popular blog articles and resources...
Closing the Marketing Generation Gap
"One size fits all" is never really a great option - Not in t-shirts, not in hats and certainly not in marketing efforts. While people come in all shapes and sizes, they also come with varying upbringings, backgrounds, morals and tastes. Throwing out a one size fits...
The Secret to Making a Prospect a Customer
When someone walks into your showroom, is your first thought, “What promotion are we running right now”? Or are you running through the list of product lines you need to sell this quarter while trying to wipe down the vignettes? As much as we’re hoping those aren’t...
Is the Chinese Import Dead? – Part 2
In part 1 of this post, we discussed China’s declining birthrate and how it will affect imports in the next few decades. Catch up here: Is the Chinese Import Dead – Part 1. Continuing on, there’s more to discuss: Some other disturbing stuff There are currently over...
What Your Employees Really Think – Part 1
As a kitchen and bath or remodeling business owner you want to believe that your employees give you nothing but honest communication. If you asked them something they’d answer truthfully, right? Even your best, most loyal employees have certain thoughts on occasion...
Equilibrium Now Integrates with Merillat and Quality Ordering Systems
Our team of developers has been at it again, enhancing your ordering experience with updates to Equilibrium software. Equilibrium now integrates with Merillat and Quality’s ordering systems (proCAB), allowing you to streamline your ordering process. Integration with...
Is the Chinese Import Dead? – Part 1
For some dealers, it’s a religious debate. They wouldn’t dream of selling an import line. For other dealers, it’s just another business opportunity for the lower end of the market. And for even other dealers, the investment never really panned out, and they’re in...
Kitchen Project Profits Getting Lost? We Know Why!
Take a look around your office for a moment and check off the following as you see it: A stack of papers A roladex A file cabinet A job file in a folder A whiteboard Excel formulas minimized on computers Salespeople requoting And the verdict is? If you checked off any...
Are Decisions Hurting Your Business?
If decisions were buildings, then commitments would be their foundation; without them the buildings would crumble. That’s why, in successful businesses, all decisions that are made should be followed up by firm commitments to act. Intentions vs accountability When...
See Our Hot Topics in the June Newsletter
With the temperatures rising, it’s time to take a seat inside and look at what happened on the Dealer’s Voice in June. This past month, things heated up here in sales, marketing, and operations, and hopefully business was heating up for you all as well! We know that...
My Sad Condo Story
Last year I wrote an article that the ants were marching. More and more, smaller cabinet dealers are cropping up and blitzing in with square foot pricing that they give to the prospect right in the home. Of course these guys had their own manufacturing operation out...
4 Steps to Self-Improvement with a Business Process Review
No matter how well businesses are preforming, they can always improve in one way or another, and that extra efficiency can usually be found by improving one or more processes within the operation. This is true of practically every business, whether it’s a cabinet...
Firming Up the Muddy Middle of Your Operation – With Software
Design and accounting software are well known throughout the kitchen, bath and remodeling industry; but as anyone who has tried to run a business using just those two tools will probably tell you - those are just two small ingredients in the pie mix. Great, you've got...
Are you Asking Enough Questions?
The sales process for a remodel is one that easily gets too complicated for the customer, and they back out before you even get a chance to show them a design. This is partly because there is a lack of communication between you and your potential customer, and that...
Dual Offer – Managing Employee Costs
Homebuilding and remodeling are on the rise, so what does that mean for your business? Hopefully by now you are feeling the effects through an increase in sales, but how is your team handling that new business? Hiring binge Typically, when times are good, management...
Top 5 Digital Marketing Traps for Dealers and Remodelers
It’s no secret, dealers and remodelers are jumping onto the blogosphere in droves for 2013. As buyers start their journey online up to two years in advance of their purchase, these savvy businesses are generating leads from their website before they ever walk into...
Sell Your Project with Confidence
The kitchen and bath industry is full of artistic souls who create beautiful problem solving solutions through their designs. The problem is, they can’t always sell those wonderful spaces. It’s tough to accept that you are the most talented designer in your company,...
Last Month’s Top News for Kitchen and Bath Dealers
Every day, we make it our mission to brainstorm and present news to the industry that is found interesting or educational. Since there's never enough time in the day, we also compile the most popular new content into a convenient newsletter, which you can sign up to...
The Paradox of Choice – Consumer Decisions
Recently, we posted an article about why choosing software is so difficult. You, as a business professional, are not alone when it comes to decision anxiety. We're all human - and we all want to make the right choices - your clients included. When you present a...
Does your Marketing Target the Generation Gap – Part 2
Back in April, I attended Tammy Erickson’s KBIS presentation, “The Influence of the Generations on the Kitchen & Bath Market." In part one of this post, we discussed how she broke down five generational groups and the influencers of each time period. Since we...
How to Scale Your Remodeling Business Sensibly
We’ve talked a bit about Frugal Fatigue, or that pent up demand that consumers will be looking to release once the sun and the moon align. Recent solar events indicate that the time is near for that demand to be released. When it hits, will you be ready on every...
Software Integration with GreatPlains Streamlines Ordering
Let's face it - rekeying customer, sales order and purchase order information into accounting systems is annoying, a waste of time and costly...so why do many dealers put up with it when there is no longer a need? Equilibrium now bi-directionally integrates with...
Top 6 Reasons Your Team Resists Change
When you try to implement change at your business is there pushback? If not, consider yourself lucky. Often, when businesses make alterations that affect the daily tasks of their employees, those affected aren't so welcoming of that change. But change is necessary...
Why Choosing the Right Software is So Hard – Part 2 of 2
In part one, we discussed how too many choices dooms us to be unhappy. We left off with you making a list of everything you need your software to do…and that’s where things got ugly. Your list of twenty-seven high level things you need your software to do is about to...
How to Tell a Customer “No”
Have you ever had a customer who just wouldn’t take no for an answer? They just didn’t understand that you couldn’t provide them with something – crazy right? Everyone has dealt with a customer like that. It’s the name of the game, and you’ve got to find a way to tell...