Software Can Improve Overall Image, Kitchen & Bath
Dealers Advised
Using the latest technology to make presentations, create
company literature and disseminate product information not only can
boost a kitchen and bath dealer’s professional image, it can also
help generate additional business.
That’s the view of Bob Castner, of Kitchen and Bath Design
Center, Inc. in Fort Collins, CO, and Eve Barnes, of Kitchens of
Austin (TX).
The pair of Bath & Kitchen Buying Group (BKBG)
dealer-members addressed other members of the Houston, TX-based
BKBG at a recent educational conference sponsored by the
member-owned co-op.
There, Castner and Barnes described how using “high-tech”
programs could “put you ahead of the competition. For example,
while some kitchen and bath designers still do hand drawings and
perspectives for presenting their designs, still more use the
computer for this process,” utilizing CAD software programs. Using
such software to create kitchen and bath designs, Castner and
Barnes contend, projects a more professional image to
customers.
They suggest that even “using a Microsoft PowerPoint
presentation is more professional, as well as presenting a project
on a computer or laptop and connecting to a television or screen”
for that same reason.
If you continue to use hand-drawn floor plans, say Castner and
Barnes, then “copy your plans on a blue-print machine. It tends to
present a more professional look.” In addition, if you possess
professional accreditation such as a CKD or CBD, then stamp the
drawings or seal them, again to create the “look of worth,” they
say.
The duo also stresses the use of e-mail as a preferred means of
communicating with clients. “Use e-mail to get approval of drawings
and contract agreements from your customers,” they advise.
In addition, Castner and Barnes say that “we cannot use the same
form of product information that we did 10 years ago. Try using CDs
for product information, because it tells clients you are on top of
the industry.”
In conclusion, Castner and Barnes point out that up-to-date
technology can help you project a more professional look, thereby
increasing your worth in clients’ eyes. And, if you’re perceived as
a consummate professional, you will garner more business, since
your clientele will come to trust you and refer others to you.
“The more professional the presentation, the better chance of
earning the business,” explain Castner and Barnes.
These simple steps are a small investment when compared to the
additional business, and profits, kitchen and bath dealers could
earn as a result, they add.