Well, another month came and went, but not without making a mark.  Usually, April is just full of showers (or so it seems), but this year, alongside the showers, April brought lots of new educational content for kitchen and bath dealers and remodelers.  But you're...

We equate choices with freedom.  But we have so many choices these days that things are ridiculously debilitating.  Just check out your local grocery store or electronics center. Choices produce paralysis.  With so many options to choose from, people find it very...

The Dow hits 15,000 for the first time ever. Jobless reports point to continued economic growth and indicate 165,000 jobs added last month alone. Even the dollar has strengthened recently. What does all of this mean? We’re sick and tired of being sick and tired Our...

Technology – one could argue that it has made aspects of life less personal – facebook “pokes” replace actual reunions, half-assed emails took over handwritten letters, and texts have become the new phone call.  It’s no surprise that some people aren’t willing to...

Running a business is a costly experience. There’s no doubt about that. But does it have to be an experience that leaves you feeling like you’ve put every dollar you’ve earned right back into the business so it will stay afloat? The answer is no, it doesn’t. You might...

I had the pleasure of attending Tammy Erickson’s presentation on “The Influence of the Generations on the Kitchen & Bath Market” last weekend at KBIS. Ms. Erickson sure knows her stuff. She broke down five generational groups and tied them back to a marketing...

As this year’s show kicked off, optimism seemed to be the keyword.  From Gary Vaynerchuk’s opening address on “The Thank You Economy” to the New Orleans marching band and ribbon cutting ceremony, attendees were upbeat.  Walking through the exhibits, I even overheard...

For those of you who have been reading avidly, you should have a pretty good idea of where we have come from and where we are going. For those of you who are new to the industry, or just to this blog, you can see that there is a need for businesses to learn how to...

Last year, we talked about reasons why you should attend industry trade shows.  This year, we still believe they are worth your time.  With good news from the housing segment, remodelers seeing more activity and cabinet dealers starting to struggle to keep up, things...

Let's just say you're at a crossroads.  You're in your customer's shoes and you have a choice to either do business with a company who looks like they've got their shiz* together and one who says there will be nothing to worry about, but can't quite back it up. Which...

“Silence is a source of great strength,” said ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu.  If you take time to ponder that (in silence), you can see clearly why the thought developed.  While it’s great to brainstorm with others and to duke things out (maturely) as needed,...

“Changing in the cabinet industry is hard.” We can’t tell you how many people we’ve heard this from.  We remember when we first heard these words from a cabinet dealer owner years ago.  He was so afraid of changing things because he was worried his salespeople might...

There are all sorts of employees working in dealerships throughout the world – Good ones, bad ones; cooperative, stubborn, commissioned, salaried, successful, slacker… no matter the type you hired, they’ve all got one thing in common: they’re expensive. Sure, they may...

It sure seems like time is flying in 2013 – we can’t believe it’s already April! Since it’s that time of year to start spring cleaning, last month we focused on how to clean up your business so that you can run efficiently through the rest of the year. We know you’ve...

Interested in the latest news with BreakFront and Equilibrium? BreakFront is happy to announce that Equilibrium now integrates with Cardell Cabinetry’s ordering system. The purpose of this integration is to cut back on the time dealerships have to take to re-key...

Kitchen design is a skill that takes years to master, but do you need decades of experience to learn enough to sell kitchens?  Our vote is no.  Woah, now… before you get all defensive, hear us out.  Pair basic kitchen design knowledge with the right sales training and...

Remodelers and cabinet dealers alike know that they need to change their quoting methods and enhance their consumer's buying experience. But, as with most things in life, taking the first step is the most painful. After all, the sales team will revolt, right? And, we...

If you haven’t heard, a dealer reached out to us and asked for help guiding them back into profit. In the beginning of this conversation, Chris Mele spoke with the Distressed Dealer about moving away from product based selling. He gave the example of Julie who is...

Dear BreakFront: As you know, times have been troubling for cabinet dealers. In the huge economic downturn, I feel like my dealership has been hit the hardest. We’ve been in the business for 60 years and up until recently I thought we were doing fine. Since 2008, I’ve...

So marketing can get pretty confusing when it gets down to the “deep” stuff.  You’ve got your brand, which isn’t the same as your logo and it also isn’t the same as your kitchen and bath manufacturer brands; and then you’ve got your identity, which isn’t the same as...

The conversation has been moving along with the Distressed Dealer and Chris. Our dealer is finally starting to understand that product based selling is not very successful. Chris dives in a little deeper to the process to explain how to make the big bucks. If you...

Life is full of little mysteries - like how two people can have the same meal, and while one loves it, another becomes nauseous; or how someone can put on a show that they thought was a masterpiece, but reviews show otherwise.  Thats why it's important in business to...

The kitchen and bath industry is made up of a group of talented individuals who have worked long and hard at their craft to get to where they are today. We are aware of that because we work with designers like you every day.  We have designers on our own staff, and we...

In part one of this post, I was discussing prospect budgets as more of a range instead of a number. We went over the Comfort Zone and Discomfort Zone, as well as my friend Molly who likes to find all the exceptions in life. Now, we move into two danger zones you...