The Kitchen Sales Coach Issue #18 - Sharpen the Tools in Your Toolbox
By Robert Foltz, CKD
It's amazing to me how many kitchen and bath designers and dealers are still thinking "inside the box" about their business 'toolbox.' By that I mean their products and, more importantly, their service offerings to the marketplace. The smart kitchen and bath dealer is doing business differently than a couple of years ago. Turn your cash, have fewer suppliers doing more for your business, and demand more from your representatives than simply buying you coffee and lunch! If you hold to these three simple strategies, your kitchen and bath business will stand out of the crowd and prove its value in the marketplace.
Turning your cash means that if you have product that's custom and can be delivered in four to six weeks, then you can turn a job over every eight weeks. That means realizing your full profit in eight weeks, which is six or seven times a year. Compare that to an eight-week product delivery cycle where you're turning a job over in ten weeks, which is only just over five times a year. The key here is to have that quality, custom product that your clients want with a quick turnaround time. There are manufactures out there that meet this criteria. Find them, try them for one project, and start turning your cash into profit for your business.
Having fewer suppliers doing more for your business means that your overhead is dropped because you only have to deal with one supplier providing the extras that complete the kitchen sale. Lighting, decorative hardware, and accessories such as backsplash rail systems generate extra profit and clients love that their designer picked it for or with them. If you think that having the hardware, lights, and other accoutrements to outfit your beautiful cabinet design isn't critical, think again.
Making your client run all over town without help or advice because you don't want to be bothered is short sighted. Think about referrals. Richelieu is an excellent supplier in this regard, offering a broad range of products to complete the kitchen project with plenty of profit built in.
Finally, demand more from your representatives than coffee or lunch! I'm amazed at the dealers who tell me that they haven't seen their rep in over a year and they are a good customer (over $150,000 per year in purchases). What is going on here is the "My rep is fine" syndrome. That's the same reason for the 97 percent reelection rate in Congress! Representatives are losing out to the factory guys because they're not providing the services that dealers need and want.
Representatives should write your first cabinet order in front of your staff as a training session. Be there to ensure that the product installation goes smoothly. Simple things like answering e-mail messages and phone calls within 24 hours are very important. Innovative communication techniques and timely market information are required to keep your customers informed and loyal. Good representatives are the exception rather than the rule in our industry, and I think that's sad. If you demand more, the right representatives will bring the right product to your door and your dealership will profit from your demands!
What Kind of Sales Dog are You: The Basset Hound
In our final discussion of the book $ales Dogs by Blair Singer, we'll cover the basset hound, which is a relic from the Industrial Age, when relationships and values were the keys to making sales. Their strengths are just as critical now in the Information Age with so many relationships intertwined in each sale.
Behind those big eyes and floppy ears of the basset hound is a huge heart full of integrity, consistency, and trustworthiness. Basset hounds wear these traits as a badge of honor. They prefer one on one sales, looking prospects right in the eye to close the deal!
While basset hounds instill trust in their clients, they must learn to combine their deep values with the marketing prowess of the poodle. Today's prospect often picks a firm on image first before getting into the deeply rooted values the basset hound offers. The poodle and the pit bull can learn a great deal from this breed about relationships and values.
What kind of breed are you? What are your predominant traits? I hope by now you realize that we're all mutts, although we all have predominant traits. I hope you use this discussion to help you understand not only yourself, but your prospects for a more successful sales climate.
About Robert Foltz, CKD
Robert Foltz, CKD is experienced in all areas of the retail kitchen and bath business. As a manufacturers' representative, his experience and expertise can help improve your business. He also works as a sales trainer, consultant, and personal coach.
With 23 years of experience in every area of the kitchen business, he has personally experienced the most common mistakes all business owners and sales people make. He has used that experience to develop a formula that will help you avoid those common mistakes and to dramatically accelerate your success.
Robert can be reached at and his work can be seen on www.KitchenSalesCoach.com.