What Would It Take to Sell Projects?

There's an interesting and opportunistic shift taking place in the way large and small businesses go to market. DPHA members may view their role as creating new baths and kitchens for their clients. Their tasks may include designing the space, specifying and selling products, and performing quality control. Showrooms sell both products and services, and retail gurus are advising showrooms and other brick-and-mortar retailers to sell experiences and solve the needs and aspirations of their customers. When a showroom creates a new space in the customer's home, they can focus on experiences by relating how warm and fuzzy their clients will feel with the daily ability to wash away the stresses of the day in their in-home spa.

 

Most good companies are focusing on experiences. Then there are others that are adding value by selling projects. What's the difference between selling a project and an experience? If you are Nike, the product it might sell is a pair of running shoes. An experience they may deliver is a membership to a running club. A solution might mean providing guidance to help the customer reach a weight goal. If Nike took the project-based approach, it would concentrate on a goal that is focused and tangible such as helping the buyer to run a marathon, and would include running gear, training regiments, diet plan, a coach and a monitoring system that would prepare the customer to achieve that goal.

 

Companies ranging from Microsoft to Philips are now taking project-based approaches to increase revenue streams while becoming more important and valuable to their customers. Airbnb started food delivery and plans to offer small tour projects. How would a project approach work in a kitchen and bath showroom? Showrooms would focus on how the kitchen is used and the complementary products that are commonly found in kitchens, such as cookware, cutlery, storage containers, organizational guidance, meal plans, dietary information, plates, care and maintenance plans, cooking classes, etc. Does that mean you would have all of those products on display? Not necessarily, but it would mean that you would curate all of the items for a new kitchen not just cabinets, appliances, tile, sinks, faucets and countertops. For repeat builder clients, taking a project approach may mean setting up a design center in their office or at the project, staging kitchens and baths on their behalves, producing sales literature and website and social media, conducting cooking classes and becoming part of the sales team. 

Dealing With Clients Who Are Right 100 Percent of the Time

Do you know someone who believes they are right 100% of the time? These people are difficult to deal with, especially if they are your clients. They believe that because they may have been successful in life, or achieved a certain financial or societal status, that they have the right to tell others what to do and how to do anything and everything. How do you deal with a know-it-all? According to Priscilla Claman, president of Career Strategies, the first step is to pick your battles wisely. If the advice, guidance, directive or request is not going to make a difference in the outcome of the project or compromise the integrity of your design, let it go. On the other hand, if the client wants you to do something that will jeopardize quality, look and/or feel, Claman suggests that you respond to the suggestion with a have-you-ever question. For example, "Have you ever seen that appliance installed that way in a new kitchen or bath?" Asking what-if questions has the same effect. For example, "What if we trial tested the idea to make sure it will achieve your desired result?"

 

Another option is to acknowledge the idea but take time to confirm the potential risks and rewards. If the client wants a particular product that you never heard of, you could say, "Let me research the company, read reviews and get references from other designers that have worked with the company to make sure that the quality and customer service are what you deserve."

 

Also, don't be afraid to point out the risks of doing what the client wants. For example, you might say, "That's a really good idea, but I would like to confirm that the plan will meet building code requirements before we start demolition." Regardless of who the client is and their personality, your role is to make them feel great about their decision to partner with your showroom. To make those who believe they are right 100% of the time feel great about doing business with you, always remember to acknowledge their role in the success of the project and give them credit for having great ideas and being a great partner.

Making Emails More Effective

Did you know that the average person receives 121 emails a day? Do you know anyone who wants to receive more than 121 emails daily? Probably not. How do you stand out? How do you make sure your emails are read? 

 

Look at email through a different lens. What message do you convey when you end your email, "sent from my mobile phone, please overlook typos"? Simply because you use a mobile device to communicate, does that give you a pass for shoddy or sloppy communication?

 

The following can help improve your email effectiveness:

• Brevity is king. Determine what you want the reader to know and what is the call to action. Keep your emails simple, direct and easy to understand. Keep in mind though, that there is a fine line between brevity and rudeness.  One line or single word responses may also send the wrong message. If the responses you receive often ask for clarification, that usually reflects a communication problem that can be solved by providing more copy and content.
• Determine who needs to be copied. Pare down your list to include only those who need to be aware of the message.
• Lead with the most important message. Ask yourself if you have answered the following questions: Does the recipient know what I am asking for, and why should the recipient care?
• Does every email you receive require you to respond immediately or at all? The same can most likely be said for the emails that you send.
• Emails do not replace human interaction because they can't convey voice tone, facial expressions and physical gestures. Sending emails may be a cop out for not initiating a human interaction.
• Don't ignore pleasantries. Please, thank you, glad to hear from you, etc., help to humanize emails.
• Use the subject line as the call to action, such as "Need your help! Please select your vanity by Thursday if we are to maintain our construction schedule".
• In the first line of the email body, communicate what you want the recipient to do even if it repeats what's in the subject line.
• Highlight either in bold or italic type the names of those who have been assigned a task and the deadline for completion.
• Remember that email forms and reflects your business and personal brand. Take the same care and time that you would to produce a web page, ad or display that you use to make positive impressions.

The Changing Retail Paradigm

We all know that online purchasing is changing retail forever. Amazon captures 60 cents out of every online purchasing dollar. As Doug Stephens told DPHA members in Phoenix last week, "Amazon is the quickest way from wanting to getting." Stephens also pointed out that no one takes a selfie of themselves ordering on Amazon. It's not fun. There's nothing exciting about it. In a blog post, Tom Goodwin put it best, "No person in modern times has ever been so bored that they went window shopping at amazon.com."

 

Online purchasing appeals to people who know exactly what they want. Additionally, there is a new breed of online etailers that limit options to make it easier for customers to determine what they want. Mattress specialist Caspar sells only one model. Stephens also pointed out that Amazon and others are making it easier to buy by not buying.  Alexa may note that a consumer has not ordered dishwasher liquid for a while and will ask, "would you like to reorder a bottle of Dawn or garbage bags" or other household necessities without being asked. There are also subscription services such as Dollar Shave Club that send products automatically.

 

One of the major points that Doug Stephens made in his keynote address at the conference is that eCommerce is all about acquiring. On the other hand, brick-and-mortar retail is about shopping. Brick-and-mortar success requires creating experiences that strike emotional chords with consumers. An example Stephens pointed to was Nordstrom's new concept store, Nordstrom Local. It is a clothing store without clothes. Instead of filling 140,000 square feet with everything from men's suits to perfume, Nordstrom Local comprises 3,000 square feet of space, offers wine, beer and espresso, and is staffed by stylists who help customers craft wardrobes that can be picked up at the traditional Nordstrom store. Story is another concept store in New York City that offers pop-up opportunities for established brands ranging from American Express to Clairol. The displays are interactive and the mirrors are smart, providing not only a reflection but the latest news, updates on product offerings or other information available from a blue-tooth connection.

 

The changing paradigm brings experiences to shoppers. That's why Lululemon offers yoga classes and why you can jog on an indoor track at a Nike Store. What are the lessons for DPHA showrooms? Have interactive displays and determine how you can bring the experience of having a new bath "alive".