Chicago Design Team

Sales 2012: What Will You Choose?

2012-01-06T11:34:00.000-06:00

Hello all!

Here we are in January again, only this year it feels a little like.... March maybe? So our first blog of the year is - you guessed it - new years resolutions and goals! I always seem to make these. One year, I felt like I was saying no too much (Hey can you do this? No...) So my goal was to say "Yes!" and figure it out later. The next year, my goal was to say "no" more because I was so overwhelmed with everything that I had agreed to do! Ugh! This year, I'm thinking my goal is to just go with the flow. I am a planner and if I want something done, I have to make sure I schedule it in. I know this year will bring many changes for me and my family and I want to just let them happen and be open to the end result - even though there is no way to plan these things! Hopefully you all are thinking about ways to improve your business in 2012; if you haven't started yet - here is a great business article from Colleen Stanley about things to think about as you do start the process.

By: Colleen Stanley

It’s that time of the year when people set New Year’s resolutions and goals. Setting goals really boils down to making new and better choices. It’s as much about what you are going to start doing as it is about what you are going to stop doing.

This tradition has been going on for years and most of the time it is just rhetoric and hope which eventually leads back to old comfortable behaviors and attitudes. Here’s three things to consider choosing if you are serious about making 2012 your best year in sales.

#1: Choose your “why.” Many people get caught up in setting goals that are based on other people’s expectations, not their own. The conversation around the new goal is one of excitement and motivation, however, often lacks the real reason for changing or improving. Business owners say they want to grow their businesses. Why? Salespeople claim they want to make more money. Why?

Here’s a quick reality check. If your why isn’t big enough, you will not do the work necessary to change and improve. You will talk a good game and talk will be the only concrete action taken. Take some time to reflect and figure out your why. Once you figure out your why, ask the second most important question: What are you willing to do to achieve it?

The most successful people in the world aren’t the smartest or most talented. They are people who are clear on their why and willing to do the work necessary to achieve their goals. “I want to grow my business” sounds like the right battle cry for a business owner. Are you willing to take the risk, put in the hours, hire the team, grow the team and invest in new resources? Making more money is the politically correct answer for any salesperson. Are you willing do the work, invest in yourself to get smarter and experience the discomfort that happens anytime you change in order to take your skills to a new level? (Or would you rather watch another episode of reality TV.) Get clear on your why. It is the first step in executing what needs to happen.

#2: Choose to slow down. Most salespeople are card carrying members of the busy club. They are busy networking, busy prospecting, busy selling …they are busy. Sounds good except too many busy salespeople are not hitting quota. The problem is most salespeople are so busy that they don’t take the time to analyze their business – current and future.

At the end of each year, take time to track and figure out the source of your best leads. Is social media working for your industry? Or are you spending hours on Facebook to avoid picking up the phone? Have you updated your LinkedIn profile 20 times without making contact with a human being? How about that association lunch you attend each month? Has that event yielded any sales results? Evaluate your referral partners. Are they referring quality prospects or are they just nice people that should be reallocated to the friendship category? Look at your clients. Which clients are your raving fans and refer you to their colleagues. Are you giving them “frequent flyer” treatment or are they being serviced just like your “C” accounts? If you lost business to a competitor, what is the reason? If it’s price, work on the selling skill of quantifying the pain or problem. If it’s talking to a non-decision maker, work on assertiveness skills, pre-call planning and managing expectations.

Steven Prentice, president of Bristall Morgan, Inc., has a great presentation titled, “Cool Down: Getting Further by Going Slower.” His research shows that organizations are more productive when they slow down. It allows creative thinking which can only happen when the brain is given a chance to catch its breath. Creative thinking leads to innovation which keeps you ahead of the competition.

#3: Choose generosity. If you want to earn more in 2012, establish a give goal. It’s the old saying, “if you want to get more, you need to give more.” Dr. Robert Cialdini, author of, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, shows research supporting this concept. One of the principles discussed in his book is the principle of reciprocity. When you help others, they want to return the favor, they want to reciprocate.

This principle is the foundation of strong strategic alliance partnerships. Good partners are consistently looking for ways to help grow their partners business. Generosity starts at home base. Be generous with your fellow team members. Take time to help the newbie salesperson with advice or mentoring. Give a hand up to a veteran salesperson that is in a slump by taking him to lunch. Give to charities. Dover Management runs a mutual fund that invests in companies known for charitable giving. Dover’s research shows that companies with a good relationship between philanthropy and operating earnings have outperformed the broader index by 3.5 percentage point a year over a five-year period. That’s reason enough to write a check.

It’s a new year for you to grow as a sales professional. What will you choose? Examine your why, slow down and be generous.

About the Author

Colleen Stanley is president of SalesLeadership Inc., a business development consulting firm specializing in sales and sales management training. The company provides programs in prospecting, referral strategies, consultative sales training, sales management training, and hiring/selection. She is also the author of “Growing Great Sales Teams: Lessons from the Cornfield.” Reach Colleen at 303.708.1128 or visit www.salesleadershipdevelopment.com.

New Items in the Showroom

2011-12-05T11:11:00.001-06:00

By: Andrea Schuch
I've missed a few months of this posting, partially on purpose. As the year comes to a close, the deliveries of exciting things also slow down. I thought I would do one final year end posting of the new and exciting things we have received in the past three months. Among the "things" are also a new offering from Brimar - they are able to bend so many of their rod collections! This is great news for anyone working with a bay or curved application. Be sure they are on the top of your list when you have this issue in your designs.

Among the "new" is a new line - Oriental Danny. While we laugh a little at the name (really - how does the name Danny go with oriental?) it is a line you will probably recognize. A while ago, we had a line called Oriental Accents. At some point, Oriental Accents closed their doors and we were super bummed. Oriental Danny is basically the best of Oriental Accents with some new things as well. Some great new items on our floor from them including this cute little ceramic box with the acorn style lid knob.

Another line that is newer to us, Paragon, has also sent us a few things to get excited about... a lovely silver tray came in, in addition to these lovely leave pieces. This set features 3d leaves that are in a shadow box-like frame, really showcasing them.

Guildmaster, a really unique line with some funky finishes and distinctive items like these urn silhouettes that came in last week. They are made with stands but could also be hung on a wall.

The largest new item is the new creamy sofa from Taylor King. It has a really nice curved back and nail detail. Check it out near the memo room on your next visit.

My favorite new item is this tassel collection from Fabricut and Charlotte Moss. The tassels are really gorgeous in person and have beautiful colors; Sevilla-CM shown to the left is the 8.25" key tassel and retails at $72.00.

Wooden You Like To Be Successful?

2011-11-03T15:49:00.000-05:00

Hello all and welcome to winter! The holidays are literally days away and while this is not the easiest time to focus on honing your skills, why not spend some time thinking about some practices that you might want to implement after the new year? Here is an article from Colleen Stanly of SalesLeadership, Inc that might just give you a jump start! Make sure you catch the advice from our showroom staff as well!

By: Colleen Stanley

John Wooden is known as one of the finest basketball coaches in America. He took his UCLA team to the NCAA playoffs 10 of 12 years and was named coach of the Century by ESPN. John Wooden was a great teacher and coach.

The brilliance of his teaching is that he focused on the mental aspect of the game as well as the technical skills of basketball. John Wooden repeatedly told his team that controlling emotions was at the core of winning the game. He never referred to this control as emotional intelligence, however, when you further study him and his philosophy that is exactly what it was teaching and demonstrating.

John Wooden made it a goal to never lose his cool. He knew what the experts in emotional intelligence know. When you lose control, your clarity of thought and execution become clouded.

Many people think that a coach with this type of record must have focused solely on winning. John Wooden won games by living by a different definition of success. “Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best you are capable of becoming. Then perhaps when circumstances come together, we may find ourselves number 1.” He knew that self improvement is in every salesperson’s control. He knew that improvement and mastery were based on wise choices.

John Wooden’ posted this note on his team’s bulletin board:

There is a choice you have to make,

In everything you do.

So keep in mind that in the end,

The choice you make, makes you.

Here are five choices to consider:

#1: Choose to be a life-long learner. In the emotional intelligence world, life-long learning is defined as self actualization. Research shows that top salespeople score high in this emotional intelligence competency. They are on a continuous journey of self improvement and professional improvement. Lifelong learners make the choice between watching reality TV or reading a book that will help them become masterful. They make a choice of being the lone ranger or seeking out mentors. They make the choice to take risk and fail in order to learn the lessons that come only from leaving the status quo.

Jody in the office says: I believe that continuing education is a necessity to be a better business person. You always need to keep up with the latest trends, the improvements and newest offerings. Keeping yourself updated through continuing education gives you an advantage in selling.

#2: Choose to become masterful. The world is full of average so that seat on the bus is taken with a waiting line. Many salespeople learn sales techniques, however, few master influence and persuasion. It’s fairly simple. Choose where to focus and what to focus on. Pundits are predicting that the profession of sales will be dramatically reduced due to e-commerce and the free information found on the Internet. It is our prediction that only the masterful will survive and thrive.

Vicki, one of our fearless leaders, says: Often only a small difference separates the average salesperson from the masters. Just like a horse can win a race by a nose... and the profit difference between "win, place or show" is vast. You want to be the winner.

Master one or two techniques at a time, and you will see your sales increase.

It is very helpful to create the expectation of a sale before you even go out to the customers home. For example, the first appointment is often just getting acquainted and getting an idea of colors, etc. Before you leave, say something like "Lets set up our next appointment for one week from today. Will that work for you? At that appointment I will have lots of things to show you that will accomplish the things we have discussed today. If you are happy with the selections I bring, I will need a check for 50% down to get things ordered. Then we will be ready to install your things in about 8 weeks. How does that sound to you?"

If she has objections, you can deal with them up front, or be warned of possible red flags. If she is comfortable with the idea, reinforce it when you call her back to confirm the next appointment. "I have some beautiful things for you--I think they will be just what we need. Are you still comfortable with getting things started? OK, that's great! Your room will be done before you know it."

You have set the expectation of the sale, and you will close in fewer appointments.

#3: Choose to plan your work and work your plan. We have smart phones, Franklin Covey and yellow sticky notes. Salespeople should be the most organized people on the planet. Unfortunately, salespeople waste 1-2 hours every day because they did not make a choice to do the basics of time management.

Make a to-do list everyday. One minute of planning saves 10 minutes of wasted time.
Calendar block prospecting and client retention activities. If you don’t block it, you will lose it.
Manage email and phone calls. Yes, you can go for one hour without technology and focus on strategic work.

Camille, the other half of the dynamic duo, says: Being organized it the best tip I can give. If you can sit down and do all of your new appointment calls before moving on to the next task, it will save you from getting up and down - time spent looking for things in the middle. Put all like-tasks together and you will find that you spend less time doing them and maybe enjoy them a little more. Especially activities you do not enjoy, having a block of time set aside to work on only this task will be much more efficient and completed at a higher concentration level.

#4: Choose to sell a product or service that you love. John Wooden was a great coach because he loved being a teacher, coach and mentor. He made a choice to be in the profession of coaching.

If you are not passionate about sales, the company you work for or the products you sell, add another item on your to-do list: Find another job. You will never reach your full potential as a person, salesperson or sales manager because two important ingredients are lacking in your success plan called passion and conviction.

Wendy, on the sales floor, says: It's much easier to sell something that you love. When you love something, you know more about it than any other product. I have sold a few things I've loved and hated. The things I love, I hate to see go because I love to be around them everyday. There are certain things I won't sell or promote because they are not good quality or don't have a good product line. When you're an interior designer, quality is important. Good thing we don't have any of those lines here!

#5: Choose to manage your emotions. Get some downtime and figure out what is triggering you to act or respond in a manner that is less than beneficial. Ask yourself, what would have been a better reaction? What’s the reason I allowed a comment or behavior to “get to me?” The power of the question is the power of the answer.
Make the right choices and a funny little thing called winning is usually the result.

Andrea, your usual blogstress and go-to gal, says: I definitely feel that I have to think about this a lot lately. Usually at home, I have two 18 month old boys running around - and yes, sometimes screaming. As an outsider, it seems like no big deal to make decisions and go about normal decision making. When the kids are screaming at YOU, it's no walk in the park. Suddenly brain function goes from 100% to 15% and the decisions you make would not be the typical decisions. I might say things that I wouldn't normally say or do things I wouldn't normally do. Managing your emotions is definitely key in these situations as it is in sales so you are consistent with your replies and actions. A level head can go a long way when you are caught off guard by a client or potential client (or a screaming child for that matter). The trick is perfecting this - I'll let you know about that when I get there!

About the Author

What's in Your Toolbox?

2011-10-14T09:44:00.000-05:00

By: Stephanie Drangstveit
As designers, we would like to anticipate our client's every need by having the tools on hand to be able to answer their questions quickly and be able to show them additional options for other rooms, closing the sale as quickly as possible. These are just a few reasons a designer's "toolbox" is so essential.
Please share with us what you have found important to have with you in your "toolbox."

It may be necessary to bring some of the following tools with you on your appointments:

Schematic Design:

· Business Cards

· Contract

· Proposal

· Sales forms – for taking Deposit

· FAQ Sheet about your business

· Sketch Pad

· Graph Paper for Adjacency Matrix and Bubble Diagrams

· Pens/Pencils

· Inspirational Picture Books

· Color/Stain Fan decks

· Tape Measure

· Digital Camera

· Recorder

· Level (laser)

· Or Cell Phone with the following apps

o Level

o Recorder

o Camera

o Benjamin Moore color App

o Sherwin Williams Color Snap

o Convert Pad

o CAD

Design Development:

· All of the above and

· Material/fabric/finishes

o Fabric Lining Options

o Bay Window Protractor (determine angle of Window)

· Drawings- Floor

o Furniture Tentative plan

Construction Documents:

· All of the above and

· Final Floor Plans

Bidding & Negotiations:

· All of the above and

· Estimates

· Bids

· Specialty list

o Contractor, Faux Painter

Construction Administration:

· All of the above and

· Order all

· Material/Furniture/Accessories

· If needed:

o Re-spec items due to B/O or shipping time

If you do Installation/Furniture Repair:

(Note: if you do Furniture Repair yourself it may negate the warranty.)

· Three Way Light Bulb

· Hammer

· Screwdrivers

· Pliers

· Touch up kits

· Touch up Sewing Kit

· Picture Hanging Kit

· Hammer

· Ladder

What's in your toolbox?

What They Don't Teach You in Design School - Part III

2011-10-06T10:49:00.000-05:00

By: Jody Timmer

The first month we talked about the accounting and legal end of the Interior Design business. The second month we touched on qualifying your clients. In this final article, we are going to look at the design end. There are a lot of terms that are used in this business and not everyone is familiar with them. I will cover a few of the major ones to help you understand the design language a little better.

I am constantly sending notices to designers regarding the ESD of their order or asking them if they want a CFA. I have found that not everyone knows what I am talking about. There is a big difference between ETA and ESD. ETA refers to the estimated time of arrival of an order. This ETA may be to the vendor, to the delivery service or to the ship to. The ESD refers to the estimated ship date of your order. This is the estimated date that the order will ship from the vendor. Most of our vendors use ESDs, so that is what you get from us. The ESD is sometimes given as “the week of”.

Do you know the difference between a memo and a CFA? A memo or sample is what you can get from the showrooms or vendors to take to your client. It is usually a small sample of the fabric that you have seen in the showroom. A CFA is a cutting for approval. This is a small sample of the fabric from the exact bolt that your yardage will be cut from. This is a must for all designers who don’t want to deal with problems on the back end when ordering fabric. For instance, dye lots vary and without a CFA, you are stuck with the numerous yards of fabric that you ordered if it is any shade of the color it is supposed to be. Some say the color isn’t a real factor so why do I need a cutting? Some of the fabrics in our showroom are over 10 years old. Our vendors don’t necessarily update us when they change a fabric’s contents. Years ago a designer ordered a CFA of a chintz floral fabric. The CFA was the same floral pattern, but it was now being made on a linen fabric. Big difference! Always explain to your client what a CFA is and why you are getting one. It only takes an extra week at the most and you look great if you catch a problem on the front end. If you are sending an order to a workroom or furniture manufacturer, ALWAYS send a fabric sample with your order. Fabric vendors work out of large warehouses and sometimes the person pulling the order doesn’t pay close enough attention to what they are doing and pulls the fabric from the bin next to it. If you have a sample of your fabric on your purchase order, the fabricator will know if they have received the wrong fabric and you won’t have a blue sofa when it should have been red. We have plenty of stories about how CFAs have saved many an order.

When you look at a furniture catalogue, you are probably familiar with the terms length, height and depth, but do you know what SH, SD or AH stand for? SH is seat height and is the distance from the floor to the top of the seat cushion. SD is the seat depth and is the distance from the front of the seat cushion to where the back cushion starts. The AH is arm height and is the distance from the floor to the top of the arm. These are all very important when you sell furniture from a catalogue. There are other terms such as arm fronts, inside backs, outside backs, etc. that are important for fabric and trim placements. Several of our furniture vendors have great drawings in the front of their catalogues. Take a look or ask someone to point them out next time you are in the showroom.

On the rare occasions when an item needs to go back to the vendor, there are call tags, RAs or RGAs issued. A call tag is a term used by the vendor for getting UPS or FedEX to come and pick up your item. RA stands for Return Authorization and RGA stands for Return Goods Authorization. These are similar to call tags, but can also include pick-ups from freight carriers. These numbers are placed on the package to insure credit upon return to the vendor.

We use Quickbooks at CDT and we run into a lot of issues with our “Invoices”. I can’t create an Acknowledgement or Confirmation and apply payments, so we just use the Invoice to show the order. I purchased an ACKNOWLEDGED stamp years ago and for those of you who can receive FAXes, you will get this stamp over the word Invoice, so you will know that this is just a confirmation of your order. For those of you that receive only email, you will notice in the subject line the word Acknowledgment. In the body of the email it states that you should not pay from this but it is just for informational purposes. The attachment will still say Invoice though.

For those of you ordering furniture, we always ask which delivery service you would like to use. This is a company that has a dock so that semi trucks can make deliveries and unload the furniture. The delivery service then unpacks the items and examines them for damage. If needed, repairs are made or the vendor or supplier is notified of the damages so a replacement can be ordered. The delivery service then contacts you or your client to set up a delivery. Moving companies can provide this service also. This may be your only choice when shipping to rural areas or small towns. We have heard many designers state that their client’s company has a dock and why can’t they have the furniture delivered there? Well the biggest reason that we strongly discourage this is for the occasions when damage is freight related. If the receiver doesn’t file a freight claim or note damage on the bill of lading, then the designer will be responsible for having the item repaired or replaced.

The final item is the sidemark or tag. This is usually the name you want on your order to denote who it is for. We always put your company name and your client’s name as the sidemark on your order unless otherwise noted. When we have you send COM (Customer’s Own Material or fabric not from that vendor) fabric to one of our furniture vendors, we always ask you to sidemark it with CDT and our purchase order number. Over the years we have found that your COM gets related to our purchase order and your order gets started much sooner when your name or your client’s name aren’t associated with the sidemark or tag.

These are just some of the terms and items related to the design business. Feel free to contact us any time at Chicago Design Team with your design related questions. Hope this helps clarify a few topics for some of you.

Business Ethics with Carol Most of Holden-Most Interiors, Ltd.

2011-09-29T13:11:00.001-05:00

By: Andrea Schuch
As you may have realized, whenever there is an extra Friday to the month, I ask a designer to share with us something that we feel is a great part of who they are. It could be something that they specialize in, a hobby that has helped their business grow or in this case a way they do business that works well for both their clients and the vendors they do purchase from. When picking designers, I usually look at designers that have been in our Top Ten and think about about what makes them "them." In this case, I really wanted to focus on Carol Most of Holden-Most Interiors but had no ideas for topics to talk with her about. In talking with Camille, we came up with this topic because she often has a fair approach to how to deal with issues that arise with both her clients and vendors. So enjoy Carol's insights into business practices and maybe you will see that a few might work for you too!

AS: How would you handle a conflict between your client’s best interest and your own best interest?

CM: My goal is to win the war, not the battle. I guess a less combative way of saying that is to focus on the big picture. In the vast majority of cases (there have been few conflicts over the years) I simply acknowledge the issue, make sure I am clear on what will correct the situation, and then I make it happen, at my expense, if necessary. My client’s best interest IS my best interest. I never want a client to feel that they have settled, for example to live with less than perfect workmanship, etc. It’s my job to paint a clear picture of the master plan before the onset of any project. If that is done properly, conflicts are less likely to happen.

AS: Is the client always right?

CM: No. When conflicts arise, a meaningful discussion is in order, making my professional view of the situation clear. However, once said, my approach is still the same…take care of it!

AS: Can you explain how communication affects the relationship you have with your client?

CM: Communication is everything.

Twofold : First, I let my client’s know just what “owning “their project means. I want nothing less than perfect. That translates into untold hours and an occasional sleepless night! My clients have no doubt how hard I work for them. Second, clearly communicating scheduling, order lead times, and status is a must. For some clients this will need to be in writing. Staying on top of this means expectations are in check.

AS: How important is it to set expectations for your client?

CM: At the onset of a project I lay out a master plan. Because a vast majority of my work begins with a major remodeling, I meet with contractors and create the schedule on calendar pages that are copied for all parties involved. Most people are comfortable with a block calendar as it’s very visual. You can see the spread of time. The schedule shows all phases of the project including time allowed for design formulation and selections, material order placement deadlines and deliveries as well as dates for all trades involved. From day one everyone knows how and when they fit into the puzzle, often months in advance. The schedule is constantly revised as the project moves forward, new copies go out to all, and this repeats itself throughout the course of the project. It has made a huge difference keeping the project duration in check and gives my clients a visual from day one of a reasonable date they will be done.

AS: What has been the most valuable tool you have learned in your many years of being a business owner?

CM: Without a doubt… listen to your gut! For me, it is a true barometer, not only of right and wrong, but whether a potential client is better to pass on than take a chance.

AS: Where did you learn to have such great integrity while running your own business?

CM: As a one person corporation, it is impossible to separate my business integrity from my personal integrity. In all places of my life I try consciously to be a person of character. That stems from my upbringing in a solid family and my Christian faith. It’s an ongoing process but staying conscious is the key!

Also, while you did not ask, it goes without saying that business integrity must be reflected in the way we as designers handle our professional relationships as well. For example, I may be asked to take a look at something…let’s say it’s a piece of furniture…at a local store. And let’s say that it is a piece that I have selected for them, however , my client has no intention of purchasing that piece of furniture through that source. I simply will not do this. I cannot make use of a vendor’s showroom, samples, etc. unless that vendor will be getting the orders. No question of right vs. wrong here! From the way we talk, to the loyalty that keeps our suppliers in business, we as designers, need to be very conscious to do unto others as we would have them do unto us.

New Items in the Showroom in September

2011-09-23T13:07:00.000-05:00

By: Andrea Schuch
As I'm sitting here thinking I have no new items to show you this month when tons of new things walk through the door! We have new tables, new artwork, new accessories and new florals and greenery! What more could you ask for? Oh, and a spectacular new trim book!

Every time I walk through the showroom I see something new and exciting, mostly because we moved EVERYTHING around. All the fabrics are in new places which makes my walk from the front desk to the office very exciting looking at bright pink fabrics instead of the dreary browns and blacks. And then I turn the corner to go to the Beacon Hill and S. Harris fabrics and there is this amazing new trim collection hanging from Highland Court. I may be stealing Vicki's thunder here because I noticed she took a picture of this but I beat her to it so here it is! The beaded trims are awesome and very unique, the tapes are one-of-a-kind - some that look similar to an animal print.

New tables from both Duralee and Superior - The Superior tables are being unpacked as we speak so you will have to come see those. The Duralee tables arrived a week ago and look stunning. Their case pieces tend to lean towards transitional but always seem like they could fit in any decor.

My favorite thing that just arrived yesterday is this beautiful floral. I suppose the new in thing for florals is to have bling and this one certainly has that! From far away, you can see the sparkle - up close you see the little glass flowers that provide that sparkle. It is definitely one to look at, among all the others that have arrived. The fall colors have arrived in the showroom and it almost makes me excited about fall, if only the weather would be warmer for just a little bit longer...

And last, all the new artwork that was just unpacked today. Over 20 pieces! Be sure to take a look around on your next visit but here is a sneak peek!

Clients with Allergy Concerns?

2011-09-09T14:31:00.000-05:00

By: Andrea Schuch

S . Harris pattern: Empire Stripe - 04
from the Charmelle collection

Do you have clients with allergy concerns or even clients who would prefer fabrics that are more natural without as many chemicals used in the dying process? We have just the right thing in our showroom! Both S. Harris and Ado have fabric collections that are eco-friendly and hypoallergenic.

S. Harris's Charmelle collection has many striking patterns like this soft stripe shown to the right. The Charmelle collection boasts that all it's fabrics are non-toxic, hypo-allergenic and skin friendly - and they exceed 50,000 double rubs!!! Now that's something to get excited about! I have had this fabric sitting on my desk for a few months now and it has a great hand, simple - yet pleasing design and is 81,000 double rubs! It makes me like it even more!

Ado's eco-friendly fabrics do not contain allergenic dyes, have a skin friendly PH, have been tested for pesticides and chlorinated phenols, are free from biologically active finishes, are manufactured for endurance and hold up better than other fabrics and last longer in window spaces. These fabrics are also sustainable. If you are looking for a great sheer or window treatment fabric for client's who appreciate these great characteristics, look no further!

Check out these collections on your next showroom visit.

What They Don't Teach You in Design School - Part II

2011-09-01T14:54:00.002-05:00

By: Jody Timmer
A few months back, Andrea interviewed Tara Gruber of TGI Interiors. She stated that her clients don’t have restricted budgets to speak of. While that is wonderful, some of you don’t have that luxury. So how do you determine your client’s budget, especially when they aren’t forthcoming with it? We tell you to qualify your clients to see if this is a client that you can sell to. Some of the qualification questions include: When was the last time you purchased furniture, or draperies or blinds? Where did you purchase them from? What are your main concerns about this project? What is the time frame for starting or finishing this project? Is your husband or wife needed to make decisions on this? What were you looking to spend? Have you shopped already? Do you intend to use the Internet to shop? If your client last bought something 20 years ago, it is your job to update them on the current prices. If they last shopped at Walter E. Smithe or Plunkett’s then they are probably familiar with custom furniture or draperies and will know what you are selling. When your client tells you they do use the Internet, ask them if they will be using it to shop for this project. If they say yes, then tell them you will come out after they have gotten all the quotes from online sources or other stores to see if you can match the pricing . If they won’t really give you a true dollar amount, you need to at least get a ballpark figure to work with. One time a designer came into our showroom to purchase a sectional for $1000 Retail . We explained that we don’t even have a sofa for $1000 and asked why she was trying to sell to this client. She thought she could sell them a custom sectional for this price. Sometimes you can’t sell to your client but that doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t be your client. You can always take the client shopping and get paid for your time if the client’s budget doesn’t fall under your selling parameters. If the client’s budget does fit, don’t always assume that they aren’t willing to pay a little more for something. Some of you feel that if something is priced higher, you won’t even show it to the client. Terri Taylor of Design Biz Blueprint stated at one of our seminars, “Who determines it’s too expensive for the client? You, or the client?” Don’t shy away from something you feel is overpriced or too expensive because not everyone will agree with you and you could lose a possible sale. After all, you can always come down in price, but you certainly can’t go up.

We all know that the majority of our business is referral based. When you leave the customer’s home, you should always ask if they know of anyone in need of your services. You should also leave a few brochures or business cards for them to pass along to their friends and family. Never turn down a client because you never know who they know and who they will tell about you. Back in the late 1990s, a designer from Indiana related this story. She was working on a project and the client gave her name to another woman. This woman only wanted curtains for her home. The designer stated that curtains would not be a problem. When she went out on the appointment, the home was very meager and only had a few rooms. The client so badly wanted curtains on the few windows that were there. The designer decided that this wasn’t what she had expected and the profit was very limited, but since she has some extra time, she would do the job. This woman loved her new curtains and promised to tell others about what a lovely job the designer did for her. Well, this woman did tell others, including her employer. You see, she worked as a housekeeper in one of the mansions in Indianapolis. The employer was so impressed that a designer had worked on the home of her housekeeper that she called this designer for a consultation. Needless to say, this designer got a great deal of work from the housekeeper’s employer. You never know who will need your services or who they know. Never forget that thank you note or thank you gift either. They go a long way with most people.

Whether you charge by the hour for your services for the client who just needs help in picking paint colors or re-arranging furniture, or you sell to the client that is in need of a whole house makeover, or a combination of both, you get to decide how you run your business and what you charge. Always explain all the options ahead of time and never back down once you have a signed contract (i.e. let the client try to get a discount or change the order after it is in production). This is your business and you are in it to make money. You get paid for your expertise. Always tell everyone you know, including neighbors, family, hair dresser, dry cleaner, bank teller, etc. of what you do and pass out those business cards. People do watch HGTV and want their house to look like some of the ones on TV, but most can’t do it without the help of a designer or decorator. It is your job to educate your clients and help them achieve their goal. I hope some of this information will help you in your business. Happy Selling!

New Items in the Showroom in August

2011-08-25T15:18:00.009-05:00

By: Andrea Schuch

So many new items in our showroom this month - we just got a large shipment from Uttermost! We got a refresh on our lamp supply with several lamps, including this fun, swirly, curly lamp.

Also, this fun pair of candleholders that have a great textural aspect.

Bookends always seem to be in demand, we received a few sets in including this one that has a horticultural essence.

This mirror is probably my favorite item that arrived this month. I always love the things that come in from Elizabeth Marshall - sophisticated and fun at the same time. I'm glad to say this mirror brightens up the wall by the front desk, where I sit.

Clocks are back! Our favorite clock manufacturer, Timeworks, was bought out by Uttermost a while back. And whenever there is a buyout, there always seems to be a stock lag and this was no different. We have refreshed our clock displays and have several new ones to choose from!

Davis & Davis: I'm sure, by now, you have heard that we carry this great area rug line. This rug has arrived in our showroom and features the state of the art "Art Silk" which is as beautiful as silk but as durable as wool - how can you beat that!?

Leather 101 with Steve Honan

2011-08-22T09:29:00.004-05:00

By: Andrea Schuch
Leather is such a huge seller in furniture - not only do many clients request it but it is a great up-sell for your design business. You want to make sure you get the right leather and I have Steve Honan to tell you all about it. Steve has been in the leather repair business for many years and is married to an interior designer! He tells us this week about the ins and outs of leather - selling the right leather and care of those leathers.

I have been repairing and restoring leather for 30 years and have acquired my perspective from correcting problems. And that is the really great thing about leather is its ability to be repaired and restored.
One of the most common comments I hear from customers when selecting different kinds of leather is that they did not know what questions to ask. They are often working with a salesperson who is in the business of selling furniture not understanding leather.
Understanding leather is knowing that when a hide is first tanned it is actually quite thick. In order to get a thinner, softer hide, the original hide is split into 2 or 3 mirror hides. The first or top piece is the top grain hide and the only piece that has any strength. All the strength of the skin is in the out layer. The under skins are called split skins and have limited use and little strength. So when buying leather it is critical that you get leather that is top grain.
Diamonds in the rough
Leather hides are graded like diamonds, the fewer the flaws (by flaws I mean scars and skin imperfections) the higher the price. By purchasing a more expensive leather you are not necessarily getting better, just a more flawless hide. With a high grade hide the tanners generally do very little to the hide except vat dye and soften it. So you end up with an incredibly buttery soft hide but very little durability. If you want luxury this is it. If you want durability go for the lower, less expensive hides.
Understanding how your leather will perform is very important when you are selecting furniture. Anilines are very delicate and do not perform in everyday use as well as finished leather. Nubuck leather is luxurious but is in the same category as silk. Do you have 3 kids and dog and cat and want a sofa for the family room? Getting the right leather that will look good and stand up to spills for years will be the top grain finished leather.
First it is important to know that leather is graded like diamonds, the fewer the flaws the higher the price. And generally the more flawless hides are left natural and colored with aniline dyes. In this state.
Aniline leather is amazing stuff. It is certainly top grain and has been softened with oils to get that buttery feel. Most of the time, the thing that sells this gorgeous stuff is the hand (a term in the leather world for the feel). It is usually dyed all the way through with color and is completely raw on the top. You just can't beat the look or the feel but there is the durability factor.
This type of leather tends to be on the extremely delicate side. If you are putting your furniture in the living room where traffic is very light, this may the a good fit. But, for the family room, with the kids, the dogs, etc, you may want to explore some other finished leathers.
They also can fade quite easily. Even with indirect lighting the colors can change quite significantly. Keeping them out of direct sunlight would be imperative. Avoiding light from a very bright window is strongly suggested.
The low durability factor means that basically it cannot be cleaned. It will also mark and stain rather easily. An easy way to determine if leather is too delicate is to take your fingernail and run it across the leather and see if it leaves a trace mark.
Top grain refers to the upper section of a hide that previously contained the epidermis and hair, but were removed from the hide/skin. This is where all the strength of the hide is. Once you slice off under layers of the hide those slices of leather ( a mirror of the original hide) these split skins have little or no strength or durability. When selecting leather for upholstery it is important to make sure that you are getting the best part of the leather.
The are many different ideas floating around about leather care and leather cleaning. The first thing to do is to determine what kind of leather you have. Different leathers require different care. Mostly what you will be doing is cleaning the surface of the leather(not as easy as it sounds). There is no extraction process for leather so surface cleaning is as good as it gets.
Finished leather
For finished leathers the cleaning process can be a little more aggressive than other types. Using a cleaner made for leather only (don't use any multi-purpose cleaners) follow the manufacturer direction. Sometimes using a very soft bristled brush can speed things along nicely for the heavy grained leather. Go slowly and carefully paying close attention to anything that looks like it may be changing the finish or color of the leather. If it looks like the leather did not get fully clean, wait until it dries and then try another application of the cleaner.
Aniline leather is extremely delicate and for the most part cannot be cleaned. If you have stains in your leather it is most likely aniline and the stains are most likely permanent. The best approach for aniline is to get it stain guarded before use and then have it done on a regular basis to prevent staining. We offer a remedy for staining but you will have to call us and arrange a service. One other point with aniline is, if it is faded, conditioning it will not restore the original color and neither will cleaning.
Nubuck is a top grain leather that has a brushed finish that has a velvety look and feel. This type of leather again is extremely luxurious but extremely delicate. Most cleaning is done by brushing out the dirt which is on the surface. Stains, ink, and discolorations are basically permanent.
One new little secret in the cleaning of the finished leather is using the Mr. Clean magic eraser and water. It works like a wonder.

Steve Honan owns Technique Leather out of Bartlett, Illinois. You can contact him at restoreleather@gmail.com or 630-205-0606.

Sad to be back but...

2011-08-17T10:03:00.000-05:00

By: Andrea Schuch
While I was definitely mopey on the way back from sunny Jamaica, I suddenly realized I was also excited to see what Steve was going to tell us on our blog this week. Steve is a do-it-all leather expert and will be sharing with us the different qualities in different leathers. So, until my next lovely vacation rolls around, here I am looking for more inspiring topics for the CDT blog... Enjoy!

Ahhh, Jamaica... The view from the balcony in my room.

What They Don't Teach You in Design School - Part I

2011-08-04T09:49:00.004-05:00

By: Jody Timmer

So you’ve started your business by getting your company name and a Sales Tax number. That was easy. Now you’re ready to do business, right? Well, not exactly. I’ve been in the design business for 20 years and I’ve seen a lot. New designers think that they can do business because they have their degree and set up a company. Many of you have taken further steps with your business, but lots of designers are not aware of some procedures that can protect you and your business, both legally and financially. I’m going to share some very important business principles from both the accounting and legal sides to help you run your business better.

The number one issue I see with many designers is that they use their personal or joint checking accounts to pay their bills. Big mistake! This is known as the comingling of funds and according to Schaumburg accountant Bill Gallagher of GLM, Inc, you open yourself up to quite a bit more scrutiny from the IRS in the case of an audit. Basically this means that if you are writing checks on a personal checking account and if you are ever audited, the IRS can now go looking through your business and personal records. Always get a business checking account or one under your name only that is used solely for your business. The same goes for a credit card.

What kind of record keeping do you have in terms of expenses? Accurate I hope. If you want to take the mileage deduction, you need to have very precise documentation of the mileage, date and purpose of the trip. Without the accurate record keeping, you have now claimed what is known as a hidden expense and the auditors will look even closer for other things. For instance, if you are going on an appointment, start the trip meter at 0 and write down in a notebook or ledger book the date and appointment (with Mrs. Smith). When you get to Mrs. Smith’s house, check the trip meter and double the mileage to know what the round trip total miles are and record them next. If you have more than one business related trip, note them on the same line and follow the same procedure of recording the mileage. Effective 7-1-11,the mileage deduction is $.55 1/2 per mile. For the first half of the year the deduction $.51 per mile. Even if you haven’t been doing this before, it’s never too late to start.

Mr. Gallagher says that many small business owners have no clue whether they are making any money or not and if they are, how much are they “really” making. You may be a good designer, but are you making money at it? The following formulas are used to see if you are indeed making a profit. Sales Price minus Cost=Gross Profit. The next step to finding out how well you are doing is: Gross Profit divided by Sales Price=Margin or Percentage. If you are making less than 20% profit, is this business really worth your time and effort? This should be done monthly in order to gauge your success. Accurate accounting information helps you get these.

Speaking of accurate accounting info, most of you admit that you are “bad” at the paperwork end of your business. I used to train all the Cub Scout and Boy Scout leaders in the Western Suburbs. My biggest piece of advice to them was “Know Your Resources”. You may not be good at paperwork, but someone you know is. Hire them to help you out. It could even be one of your friends, neighbors or relatives. Most of you could get by with that kind of help just one or two times a month. Those of you doing a lot of business would need someone weekly or even twice a week. This opens you up to more time to actually do design work and less time to worry about the paperwork. Always get some kind of report to see how you are “really” doing. If you would like to still handle this yourself but aren’t sure how to begin, just know that most Junior Colleges offer what are known as Workforce Development courses. These courses include basic accounting, record keeping, accounting software programs such as Quickbooks, etc. This is just another resource out there for you.

Finally from the accounting side, are you paying your bills on time? If someone is helping you with your paperwork, chances are good that you are. All of you that pay on time make my job a lot easier and I genuinely appreciate it and thank you. This industry is very close knit and we share information with each other. If you pay one vendor late regularly, that vendor may call another vendor to see how you are paying them. You may not know this, but all vendors have the capability of reporting your payment history to a credit reporting agency. If you have a negative report and you are a sole proprietor, this will harm your personal credit, too.

Now we will turn toward some of the legal issues that you could be faced with. The biggest concern I have is that very few of you have 3 additional letters after you company name. What am I referring to? Are you incorporated? If not, what about liability issues. Attorney and CPA John Pembroke of Park Ridge advises all business owners to incorporate. The cost to do this runs around $1000. Money well spent. While you or your accountant can set up your own incorporation, only an attorney can file the annual documents with the State, so it makes sense to just let your attorney handle it in the first place. It doesn’t matter whether you choose to be Inc, LLC, Ltd or something else, each one has its own tax advantages and legal liability protections. Your attorney can give you the pros and cons of each. Mr. Pembroke likens it to driving your car to a client’s house and hitting someone, you will be held personally liable, but they can’t come and take your house. He also shared something that even I didn’t know. If you do have the Inc, LLC or Ltd after your company name, you MUST put it on everything related to your business, such as business cards, stationary, flyers, etc. If you have a logo, put the full company info in small print somewhere else on the document. If you fail to use those 3 letters after your company name, you have in essence, given up your right to limited liability. This is all relating to “Observing the Corporate Formality”. In short, this is the way you run your business to avoid legal complications.

A lot of designers use contracts, but a few of you don’t. For those of you that don’t, good luck trying to collect money from a client without something in writing regarding the sale. While office supply stores carry contract forms, Mr. Pembroke states that you should have a contract specific to the design business and more specific to your business. You should state how you charge, how you collect and what is expected of the client. If you start out with all this info in front of the client, and they sign and date this, you have less of a chance of bigger issues on the back end. Please note that in the State of Illinois, everyone has the right to cancel within 72 hours, so you need to know this. We always suggest that designers hold off placing a big order for a client for 3 days just in case the client changes his or her mind. Most vendors won’t let us cancel orders once they are in production.

Another big concern for a few of you is “What if my client won’t pay me after the order is delivered?”. Mr. Pembroke states that collection begins with the first phone call to the client or on the first appointment. If you state in your contract how you collect your money, there shouldn’t be any problems. He suggests that you collect the money upfront for all the materials involved so that your profit is what would be the balance at the end. Of course the client wouldn’t be aware of this, but what would you rather be out, half the cost of the goods of which you must pay for to the vendor or what you should be making? The same goes for those of you who charge an hourly fee. You should NEVER leave the client’s home without a check in your hand. On the outside chance that you are owed a substantial amount of money, then you have 2 options. One is to turn this over to a Collection Agency. They usually charge you 25% of the balance to collect. The other option is to go to Small Claims Court. This can be done in Cook County for amounts up to $10,000. The bottom line is to collect as much as you can on the front end to avoid any problems on the back end. If there is a problem with a product, let the client know that they can withhold a specified amount until the problem is solved. Chicago Design Team does this for designers when there is a balance owed to us, but there is a problem with a product.

We have just touched on some of the many business related issues that you could be confronted with. Both Mr. Gallagher and Mr. Pembroke agree that each designer should have an accountant and an attorney for the sake of getting the most out of your business with the least amount of headaches. Next month we will discuss some of the design issues.

Selling the Whole Room with Tara Gruber from TGI - Tara Gruber Interiors

2011-07-27T13:27:00.000-05:00

By: Andrea Schuch
I am very excited this week to bring you an interview with Tara of TGI - Tara Gruber Interiors. She has consistently been one of our Top Ten Designers since the program was birthed and I truly believe she can sell just about anything! She is our upgrade queen as well as a great accessorizer! She has often taken out thousands of dollars of accessories off our showroom floor and sold it all! For this reason, I asked if she would help us out and talk with us about selling the whole room - making sure clients understand how important finishing touches are. She also talks with us about where her company is headed and what inspires her most.

AS: You have been known in our showroom to sell every part of a room: furniture, accessories, etc. How do you work the budgeting upfront to help clients understand how much they need to save for the finishing touches like florals?
TG: It’s an unusual concept in our industry but one that I have practiced my whole career - I never talk budget with my clients nor do want I want to hear about budgets throughout the design process. I don’t want my creativity to be interrupted by budget concerns so I choose my clients as much as they choose me, and I prefer clients who do not have strict budgets. They hire me for a reason and that is to show them the best design options available for their space, regardless of price. I offer my clients the finest selections of furniture, wall coverings, lighting, textiles and accessories to select from and then we work from there. Because my name and reputation are dependent upon the end result of a client’s project, I make sure my standards of excellence and expectations for impeccable design are maintained throughout the project.

AS: When you first opened your company, how did you decide on using these methods of pricing and design?
TG: I opened my design firm in 2005 at 24 years old. I came from a background of working at one of the top interior design firms in southern California designing model homes, high end residential and estate design around the country. The concept of whole house design and not discussing budgets for residential and estate design was practiced at the firm in California and I decided that was how I wanted to run my company as well.

AS: When you first meet a client, how do you make them understand that the design includes the finishing touches as well as the large pieces of furniture?
TG: I believe that good design considers the whole space, so I work on a complete room, floor or house in order to get the most cohesive result possible. When I begin working with a client, I educate them on the best way to accomplish what they want me to do. I explain my theory of design and that changing just one component, such as furniture, is not enough. When clients hire me to provide design services, it will include whatever is necessary to meet my design criteria and satisfy them with a beautifully designed space.

AS: What do you think is the most important part of a room and why?
TG: As I mentioned in the previous question, there isn’t just one component that is more important over another. Given that, no matter how amazing the floors, walls or furnishings are, the room is never complete without art, accessories and window treatments. The key to my work is creating a cohesive design that incorporates all of the design elements and exceeds a client’s expectations.

AS: What is your favorite part of the design process and why?
TG: I love working on new construction projects from floor plan design to before ground is broken, to when the last piece of art is hung on the wall. Pulling all of the exterior selections to the interior selections is so rewarding.

AS: Tell us about your background, education and when you decided that you wanted to go into the interior design field.
TG: Ever since I was young, I was always moving my furniture around, constantly changing things. My mom would come home and I would have the furniture rearranged, but never thought anything of it. In college I started out majoring in Forensic Science; it was something I was always very interested in, but quickly realized that it was not for me. My mother suggested Interior Design and I instantly knew that was it. After I got my degree and started working in the field I realized I was one of the lucky ones — I’m doing what I love.

AS: Where do you see your business going in the future? Are you looking to expand, do more projects out of state?
TG: Yes, I definitely want my business to continue to grow and expand. Right now I have work that takes me around the country. I love traveling out of the state and having an opportunity to provide exceptional design that combines a client’s sensibilities with regional tastes. One area of expansion that has been new to my business is interior design for private planes. I’m currently working on interiors of Private Planes for corporations and private owners.

AS: What is your least favorite part of having an interior design company and why?
TG: My least favorite part is dealing with damages, discontinued items, backorders, etc. It would be wonderful if everything was received in perfect condition and in a timely matter, but that is not always the case. Other than that, I’m having the time of my life and love providing unique and exciting design solutions for my clients.

You can see more of Tara's work here.

New Items in the Showroom in July

2011-07-21T10:21:00.010-05:00

By: Andrea Schuch

It's that time again to see all the great new things in our showroom. I know sometimes things get lost in here because there is so much to look at, but it's important to know what's available so when you have a client, your artillery is packed!

The best (in my opinion) new item this month as got to be the new Theodore Alexander table. The quality is so good and designed so well. It has a little bit of a transitional flare but can fit into many settings. I was very skeptical of this table when seeing it in the catalog - the picture in the catalog shows very brassy but in person, this table is an elegant version of the transitional style with legs that are not brassy but deepened in tone.

Also from Theodore Alexander is this fun tray. It makes me think of my childhood a little bit. Ever have a thumb war? Well this tray is like having two! The handles on either side are styled as if the were in the midst of a war. Maybe I'm just on a Theodore Alexander kick, but why not? They have such wonderful pieces.
Another great new piece is this lamp. Although it looks small in the picture, it actually measures 18.5" wide and 25" high. The shade on it is very nice and the price isn't bad either! From the same manufacturer, we received several candlesticks that you might want to check out also! This brass lamp from them is also darling and will be great on a desk.

We also received a few pieces of artwork, shown here is the Abstract Fern from Paragon. Paragon really has some amazing pieces. We have received a few shipments from them but they are relatively new in our showroom. Definitely make time to check out their catalog next time you are in the showroom.

Organize!

2011-07-07T19:55:00.002-05:00

By: Andrea Schuch

I was recently inspired to get my house, office and car organized. I like the way an organized house (and everything else) looks but with two kids at home and a husband overseas, there is only so much time and unfortunately, it doesn’t go towards cleaning. Now that my kids are moving around (Henry took his first steps recently), those little hands gravitate towards anything within reach. All the more reason to put everything where it belongs and not have things laying around waiting to be pulled on top of one’s head. I took the long weekend to clean up and make sure everything was washed, vacuumed and dusted before I took off for my in-laws for the week. This activity was very freeing and felt like I was taking a load off my shoulders. The only problem is that for everything I cleaned up, I saw ten more things to clean or to pack up that I didn’t want to clean anymore. This made me think that if there was less “stuff” around; I could really appreciate the nicer things more and have more brain power to take care of the things that really matter. I guess I’m just going through a purging phase where I feel like I need to get rid of all of it…
I was recently talking to a designer who said she feels that if a person is organized, they can accomplish more and better quality work. I really feel this way in my life and definitely notice that I feel like I’m getting more done – this may not actually be the case but it definitely makes me feel better. Another designer, in a completely different set of circumstances, told me that she needed to have a clear space to clear her mind. While two years ago I would have thought nothing of it, the post-baby me surely finds respite in a clean desk and neatly stacked and organized papers.
So although my desk doesn't show of it, my home surely does this week and here are a few tips I have to share:

1. Deadlines! Without a deadline, things never get done in my house. My husband would agree that I'm a 90% person. I power through the first 90% and then float around for the last 10% of any project. With a deadline, That 10% floats a little faster.
2. Focus on what you really want to see. I've decided that I only want to see the nice things. I'm packing up everything else so all that's left (besides the kid's toys) are things that I love to see. It really relaxes my mind and lets me focus on the things that I really need to.
3. Take everything apart and put it back together. I know this sounds like a lot of work but for me, this is really what it takes. If I take everything apart, I might find a great place for something that I didn't see before. As designers, we often use this with clients but I don't always think to do it for myself.

Translating this to helping clients is really what we are great at in the design industry. Usually we can spot a few things to change when walking into a client's home - the trick is to get the client to see it too.

What is your favorite organizing trick?

Price Is An Issue - It's Not The Issue

2011-06-27T10:58:00.004-05:00

By: Andrea Schuch

This is our second article from Colleen this year, which should tell you she knows what she's talking about! This is an issue that I think many designers have problems with - how to price what they are selling (including themselves). This article will give insight into what you should sell to whom and how pricing is determined. Read on for insight, and maybe a little self reflection...

By: Colleen Stanley

You've hired a dedicated sales force. Your company has the best product. Great service is delivered after the sale. So why is your team losing sales to "low price?" Here are four reasons we see when working with individuals and sales teams:

1. Wrong Audience
If you're trying to sell ice to an Eskimo, you're in front of the wrong prospect! Let's face it, you could be Zig Ziglar and still not close the sale if you are not selling to a real prospect. Knowledge, business acumen and excellent selling skills are useless if they are not in front of a prospect that values the expertise. Neil Rackham, author of "Rethinking the Sales Force," does an excellent job describing the two types of buyers that exist in the market place; the transactional buyer and the value buyer.
The transactional buyer feels the product/service is easily substitutable, doesn't value the expertise of the salesperson, and sees price as the main decision criteria. Trust in the product is more important than trust in the salesperson.
The value buyer recognizes differentiation, appreciates the expertise of the sales person, and places trust in the person over the product. The key decision criterion is a salesperson that understands their business and knows how to fix their problems...and they are willing to pay for that expertise and service.
If a salesperson is trying to sell value to the transactional buyer, they're going to fail because their company's business model of offering value doesn't match their prospect's business model of buying on price. They don't want to buy ice.

2. Poor Consultative Sales Skills
Ok, so you're in front of the right prospect and are still getting beat up on price. More than likely it's because you didn't set up a consultative sales call, but instead a question/answer session. The problem starts when the appointment is set. Some salespeople seem almost apologetic when setting up appointments. "I know how busy you are" can be interpreted as "I have nothing going on," or "I'd like to come by - I'll only be 20 minutes" can come across as "My product/service doesn't deserve much time." If your prospect has a problem that is costing them $100,000, can it be thoroughly discussed and diagnosed in 20 minutes? A sales meeting set with poor expectations leads to poor investment by the prospect.
Lousy selling skills clobber salespeople who work in industries where goods sold are perceived as commodity. The untrained salesperson doesn't know how to move the sales call from a "give me a quote" call to a consultative sales call. Many sales professionals "obey" the prospect and give a quote without qualifying the prospect. The professional salesperson knows how to respond when the prospect starts pressuring for price by saying, "We are competitive in our pricing, however, it's not the reason our customers do business with us." This response tells the prospect that you are not there to talk price, you are there to learn about their business's issues and challenges. After all, if price is the only issue, the perspective customer doesn't need a high paid sales professional. They only need a well-designed website with an e-commerce function.

3. No Competitive Analysis on the Competition
Run a pop quiz on your sales team this week and see if they know your company's strengths and weaknesses as compared to your biggest competitor. A salesperson must know the gaps in the competitors offering such as no training on products, lack of 24/7 support, or difficult implementation. Once the gap is identified, the professional salesperson crafts questions to expose the gap and impact to the prospect. Put it this way, if you can't find any differences, how the heck can your prospect? And if there is no difference, the prospect has earned the right to buy on price.

4. Conviction
This theoretical word is at the core of selling value. Conviction starts with the salesperson. Merit Gest, a fellow sales trainer, teaches her clients, "You have to be sold on yourself before you can sell anything else!" An old joke floating around the sales training world states, "If you are looking for a brain surgeon, do look for the cheapest or the best?" Salespeople must have the same attitude. Do you regard yourself as the "sales surgeon" in your industry?
Make sure you are in front of the right prospects and ask yourself...is price the issue or are you making it the issue?

Colleen Stanley is president of SalesLeadership, Inc., a business development firm specializing in sales and sales management training. Colleen is the creator of Ei Selling™, a unique and powerful sales program that integrates emotional intelligence skills with consultative sales skills. The result is consistent and predictable sales growth. Colleen is a monthly columnist for Business Journals across the country, author of ‘Growing Great Sales Teams’ and co-author of ‘Motivational Selling.’

Reach Colleen at 303.708.1128, cstanley@salesleadershipdevelopment.com, visit http://www.salesleadershipdevelopment.com/, or become a fan at www.facebook.com/SalesLeadership.

New Items in the Showroom in June

2011-06-20T13:44:00.009-05:00

By: Andrea Schuch

Many new things this month - among which are some amazing florals by Silk N Things. Everytime we get a new delivery of florals, all the staff crowd to the back to see all the great new things. I especially love this small arrangment on a dish.

There is also this fun arrangement which makes me think "summer!"

We just picked up a new artwork line, because we couldn't resist! Paragon will now be available in the Chicago Design Team showroom and we already have many great new things on our floor from them.

And many more!

Just received the first of our order of Theodore Alexander pieces - this great tray! It has a animal skin texture and brass handles, perfect for any room that needs a touch of black, but would fit in great for any man.

Stay tuned next month - a new accessory line is on it's way to us!

The Importance of 8-Way Hand Tied

2011-06-17T16:07:00.000-05:00

By: Andrea Schuch
Eight-way hand tying in upholstery cushions is always selling point in our showroom. I wanted to take this week to really delve into why this is important - and why it is sometimes not an option. I thought I would ask Temple Furniture for all the details - and they definitely came through for you!
The process of eight-way hand tying is very complex, it doesn't take long to learn but takes years to master. Due to the higher expense, this process is a fading skill; Temple's upholsterer's have 20+ years of experience which is just one great reason to choose their furniture.
The process of making an eight-way hand tied cushion takes five steps.
     1. The process begins with the webbing. This is the foundation for the spring system and is attached to the bottom of the sofa. It is made of very strong propex webbing reinforced with (12) strips of 3/4'' wide steel strapping(sofas). This foundation is both strong and flexible, complimenting the spring system.
     2. The average size eight-way sofa has 27 coil springs, usually of an eight or nine gauge steel. These 27 coil springs are aligned in nine rows with three coils per row. They are tied from back to front in rows of three, with a very strong spring-up twine, these are the main ties.
     3. Then the nine separate rows are secured together with three long ties running from one end of the sofa to the other.This long tie is knotted twice on each spring, locking it in place and straightening it. At this point the springs are pulled downward about 2 inches, they are tied four ways and the springs are secured with absolutely no side-to-side or front-to-back movement.
     4. Next are the diagonal ties. There are 22 of these ties that complete the eight-way system. These ties add extra strength to the seat and have two added functions....they act as an''emergency brake'' in case a main tie fails and they give support to the bedding materials which are layered on top of the spring system during upholstery.
     5. An edge wire, coated with plastic for noise reduction, is fastened around the perimeter of the spring system. In most cases it is attached to each outside spring. This, along with the tying system unites the entire system as a unit.

Because this process is very labor intensive, there are (of course) alternatives out there. The most common alternative is the no-sag system. It is much cheaper to do and requires much less skill. This system is less durable and has between nine and 12 no-sag springs stretched between the back rail and the front rail. It has less "ride" than an eight-way system making it more likely to bottom out and places more strain on individual components.

There are other ways of making cushions as well, especially for pieces with contemporary lines. A system that is used by Thayer Coggin is the Matrex Webbing. This uses strips of polypropylene yarns and natural rubber filaments which have been processed. They have discovered that this process will give the foam a longer life. Thayer Coggin has had very few problems with this seating system and continues to stand by it.

Hopefully this will help your clients understand the differences in the cushions and why better quality upholstery lasts longer!

Staying Passionate About Your Job

2011-06-09T11:15:00.008-05:00

By: Andrea Schuch

A few years back, I participated in a Leadership course (I may have mentioned this before). And although staying passionate about your job does not directly link with leadership, one of the lessons from the course that I remember is the fact that when a person is in their late teens or early twenties, you think about what you want to do with your life; generally you finish this list before your 40's, then what? There are many designers who are very young and very successful – how do they continue to be passionate about what they are doing to continue it for years to come? What if this is your second career - but you want this one to stick around for a while? I believe the answer is education. To continue attending events and seminars, maybe learn something about how you can alter your ways of doing business for the better. There are designers that I have talked to, such as Lisa Bonneville (click here to view my interview with her) who has continually evolved her business over the years and because of that, she is still so passionate about what she does. She went from interior design to focusing on design for disabilities and aging, and now hoping to use the nature-based patterns she draws as an interior element.

It’s too easy to lose steam when you keep doing the same thing over and over again. I don’t think it matters what your profession it – burn out almost seems inevitable. Unless you learn to avoid it. That’s even more reason to keep changing things up! I think that there are several ways to “keep the steam” That’s the great thing about events like the annual markets in High Point – it’s so energizing to be there and see designers from all over excited about the way design is headed, new product, new colors, new ideas. Local show houses are often very exciting and great for group outings.

No matter what your position or job, it’s often nice to have the camaraderie of others in your position, even though you might not have co-workers that have the same title, you can often find people in other companies that do hold that position - sharing stories, theories and getting advice from these people can often be the best form of therapy there is! For instance, in our industry, if you are a sole business owner – find some other owners, in the interior design industry or not. The information you will get out of groups like this is invaluable. It is important to have people you trust in these groups because you will want to be able to share the way your company works with them so they will understand your point of view.

Change your tune… Doing the same thing over and over again can be too repetitive for some. Think about that one thing that you really love about your job and then think about how you can do more of it. Maybe it means having someone else do the yucky parts or maybe it just means that you are changing your specialty – maybe you focus more on older homes – restoring the furnishings to their original state versus full home design for new construction. Maybe you focus on speaking to other business owners or designer – much like our speaker next week Terri Taylor. Terri has her design company, Taylor Design Group, (click here to read her article on our blog) of which she has run for 30+ years. Whenever she had a question about running her business, she found no answers, schools often do not teach more than one business course - leaving this important subject in dire need of help. She decided to take the lead and help designers learn better ways to run their businesses. She still practices design but also works in this interesting trade related position. Of course, I realize that we can’t always get away from the less fun parts of our job, but maybe we can change the way we do them to make them a little less complaint-worthy. And since we're really loving our jobs now - and staying passionate about our career paths, the less-fun parts seem a little more, well.... fun!

Let us know what you do to ensure you don't loose steam in your job!

Are You Living Your Brand?

2011-06-02T10:00:00.001-05:00

By: Andrea Schuch
We just got news last week that the fabulous Terri Taylor is coming to CDT to present a seminar. And while many of you may not have heard of Terri, I guarantee you, she IS fabulous. Everyone in her office is just delightful and even though I have not talked to Terri directly, her personality shows in her writing and I can't wait to meet her - she has great ideas. She talks below about how designers should present themselves when selling luxury furniture. This is something that, I think, is very prevelent in a designer's mind. The way a client perceives their designer molds their thoughts to what kind of furniture they may buy or what style they will design. Read on and take her advice, it will be fun! And don't forget to sign up for her upcoming seminar on June 14th at the CDT showroom.

By: Terri Taylor
A designer recently asked me if driving a Toyota Camry was hurting her ability to sell high end jobs and preventing her from moving her business up into high end clients.
Should she splurge and buy a BMW?
Perhaps it is...
In some communities and some client markets it is necessary to look that successful in order to connect with the clients that you want. More importantly, if you feel awkward or embarrassed about the car that you drive, then it is likely you will appear to your client to be unconfident about your work. An obvious lack of confidence will get in your way when presenting high end concepts and products. Buying an expensive car will make you look good but will it solve your confidence problem? The trick is, to fully adapt and believe in "the Mindset of a Million Dollar Designer" so that you daily act with the confidence and decisions making ability that a designer that has "arrived," has achieved. In that case then you no longer need the BMW, you might choose to make a statement with a Prius instead. Unfortunately most designers don't "get it" that easily... it usually takes a bit more work. Most of us have family money histories that were not filled with luxury cars, expensive furniture and European vacations. This can create a challenge when trying to grasp the concept and hold on to the idea of feeling like a Million Dollar Designer. Sometimes stepping "big" into something that you have never done or experienced before, like buying that luxury car, committing to a mentoring program or developing your branding and marketing will propel you into the business mindset that you are looking for.
But you don't have to start there...
You can begin to master your "inner money gremlins," with these three simple tips. Begin here, consider that your BRAND is reflected in the way that you present yourself to your potential client. They may or may not take notice of your car, it is outside. Ladies, the big first statement that you clearly make about your design ascetic is with your handbag. You walk into the clients house, you introduce yourself and set your bag down on the table or counter. This handbag makes your first very definite and very bold statement about your personal design ascetic and style. Think about this... make sure that this bag says exactly what your personal "brand" is about. So who are you... Armani or Macy's?
Next, go on a mission to experience what luxury feels like in your own life. This weekend make a date with yourself to put some luxury next to your skin and find out how good it really feels. Go for a test drive in a new very high end luxury car and feel the leather of the seats, experience the precision feel of the engineering, experience the luxury of quiet. Next visit a high end clothing store and try on a couple of very expensive, fabulous outfits. Feel the quality of the fabric, look at the exquisite detail of the construction and see the difference that quality tailoring makes. I want you to understand on a personal level, the pleasure that your client receives when they sit in that gorgeous, beautiful and expensive furniture that was so carefully placed in their home. This is the the level of pleasure that you are giving and selling to your clients.
Finally get in touch with your own personal family money history stories. Very often the money values we were taught as children (however loving and well intentioned) are in direct conflict with our ability to present and sell those high end concepts and products so dear to our chosen profession. You need to get in touch with these childhood messages to see if they make sense in your design business world today. These internal messages can be reset and restated so that they support your personal desire to move into a more upscale market... and free your path to success.

Beauty and Success,

Terri

Terri Taylor teaches money, marketing, and mindset strategies along with proven business templates so that you can build inspired, creative businesses that pay you what you are worth. You can visit her website here.

New Items in the Showroom in May

2011-05-25T15:04:00.000-05:00

By: Andrea Schuch

Elizabeth Marshall Zebra Box
571-15-13102

I can't believe May is already over! I feel like the month just began. We received several new accessories in the showroom just this past week that are beautiful! Anytime we receive an Elizabeth Marshall shipment, it's always worth looking at as their items are wonderfully crafted and a great addition to more formal rooms.
We received this stunning box that caught all the employee's eyes before it even hit the showroom floor.

Elizabeth Marshall Mirror Top Box
571-15-12827

I immediately spotted this mirrored top box, it has some painting on the mirror that makes it really unique.

Elizabeth Marhsall Mahogany and Gold Oval Tray

571-99-12824

This oval tray is so charming, traditional in style but very unique in design. The gold flowers on the sides really make this tray.

We also received in a few new fabric books from Clarke & Clarke. This fabric line tends to lean a little towards the transitional with their fabrics and wall coverings which is why the new Nostalgic Prints collection caught my eye - it's cover has a very traditional rose print but as you leaf through the other patterns, they mix the traditional with transitional with patterns like polka dots, bright eye catching stripes and a modern take on a mini floral. My favorite in this collection is Teacups. These prints would be great for a girl's room but I can also see them being used in a kitchen and an assortment of other rooms.

Clarke & Clarke's new pattern:
Teacups in color Apple

There are also several new and fabulous fabric patterns from Vervain: Karma, Shalimar and La Boheme all worth checking out! Unfortunately, the images have not been uploaded to their website yet but you can see them all in our showroom - just look for the "New" tags on the wings in the Fabricut room.

Happy Small Business Week to All!

2011-05-23T15:11:00.000-05:00

By: Andrea Schuch
I recently joined the SBA group on Facebook and was excited to hear that last week was Small Business Week. If you read this blog often, you have probably figured out that there a system to what kind of posts I post in which weeks. Well, this time, I'm bucking the system - in your honor of course. Most of our designers (and our blog readers) are small businesses themselves and I think it is so important to honor all of us as we continue to plug along as owners, bookkeepers, salesmen and women (usually all at once). There are so many things in small businesses that go unrecognized and I would like to take this time to recognize you for all you do. While Small Business Week was actually last week, I think we can still celebrate, right? Small Business Week has been celebrated every year since 1963 to recognize the contributions of small businesses to the well-being of this country. More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, small businesses also create 60-80% of new jobs in the country - go us! And while there is actually a convention that converges in Washington DC every year, just because we aren't in attendance doesn't mean we can't celebrate - right? So give yourself a pat on the back and make sure you eat a nice big piece of cake!

Interior Design & A Great Non-Profit - A Must See

2011-05-15T21:28:00.000-05:00

By: Andrea Schuch

Something I don't often do on this blog is promote other companies or events in the area. I try to save my "promoting" for special things or things that I really care about. I think this is one of those special times... Every year, the Infant Welfare Society of Chicago has it's designer Showhouse and Gardens in Lake Forest, IL. This year, they took over the Thorndale Manor and Coach House. This house was commissioned in 1916 by a railroad tycoon with 25 rooms including six bedrooms 19 acres of land. The 5,500 coach house, also included in the tour has five bedrooms and a courtyard overlooking gardens. This three week event (April 30 - May 22) is the largest fundraiser for the chapter and attracts roughly 10,000 visitors yearly.

The thing about this showhouse is that it bridges two areas of work: interior design (and landscape design) and charitable causes. I am a big fan of participating in local non-profits which why I suppose I am the outreach coordinator at CDT. I think this is just the perfect match for us and even just visiting the showhouse will support this great cause. The IWS provides health care to the uninsured and under insured women and children who would otherwise lack access to basic medical care.

Tickets are $35 at the door or you can purchase them online at a slight discount. Make sure you get it in your schedule soon because it is only open for one more week!

It's Time to Get Back to Basics!

2011-05-05T20:20:00.000-05:00

By: Andrea Schuch
Once again, the first week of the month rolls around and it's time to improve our business skills. There is such a plethora of business articles but sometimes it is difficult to find one that relates to the design business. We have such a little niche that not all business theories apply to our companies. I found this article by Dana Borowka that I enjoyed, not only because I thought it was useful because it talks about how quality and customer service are of great importance but it also is very upfront about how difficult it is in today's economic market to ensure your company's vitality. Read on to hear how to change your vantage point and gain some priceless information.

By: Dana Borowka, MA
There seems to be a great amount of underlying fear and tension in many organizations right now. You can see it by watching the news or talking with people. Many individuals are asking, 'Am I doing enough to prove my worth?', 'Will we make it through these tough economic times?' and the questions go on and on. A long time friend and experienced business person once told me that when things aren't working like they used to, then something needs to change. He shared the definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Sometimes by just making a minor change or seeing things from a different perspective can make all the difference in the world. In the movie, Dead Poets Society, Robin Williams' character asked his students to stand up on their desks and look around the class room. His point was to do what it takes with your immediate resources in order to look at things differently to change your vantage point.

In today's business environment, we always need to take a fresh look at how we do things or service our market place. It doesn't take a big budget to do so. Many times just going back to basics and taking the complexity out of a situation can provide new and exciting ideas. Let's take a look at some of those areas that you can explore with your team:

* Focus - Instead of focusing on the fear, be open and brainstorm with others on how to be more efficient, to reach out to others internally or in the market place in order to do the best job we can do and then go beyond norm. That doesn't mean to work yourself into a frenzy but rather to listen - to be open minded - to gain empathy - be compassionate to those who need a helping hand - to focus on what is the primary need today and - to be flexible to see what might be needed 6 to 12 months down the road.

* Appreciation - A simple thank you can go a long way. Showing appreciation for others can help them to feel valued and encourage them to open up so that they can share valuable ideas that they have to offer. Saying thank you to the delivery person, a client, a truck driver, senior management, or a business owner is a wonderful thing to do. Everyone needs to be shown appreciation because everyone has something to offer. That's right - everyone!

* Customer Service - Always keep your customer in mind. If for one moment anyone in your organization is putting the internal process over the customer's needs you have a problem! The process always needs to first meet the customer's needs. Otherwise you may not have a customer to enter into the process in the future. Every contact needs to be friendly, warm and value driven - those three points will create a retention environment as well as positive word of mouth. A number of years ago, the airline industry did a study that showed for every dissatisfied customer, that customer tells 300 people about the incident whereas a good experience is only shared with 30 people. We need to work really hard at providing really great experiences!

* High Quality - Whether you are in the service industry or manufacturing, everything we do is of the utmost importance. It reflects pride, respect, value, honor and yes, appreciation for the recipient. It demonstrates concern and trust for those who have entrusted you to help them with providing a service or a product.

We'd love to hear from you regarding other qualities that can be added to the list of 'basics'. These ideas may seem very simple, but sometimes as the saying goes, less is more, and the simple ideas can be the most transforming ones. At your next staff meeting, test out the waters... ask some questions around these four areas and see what kind of response you get. Here are a few questions:

* How have you shown appreciation to others recently?
* What is your key focus for the next 30 - 90 days?
* What is your key focus for the next 6 months to a year?
* How is the quality of our work doing?
* How do we know if our quality is as high as we think it is?

Those are just a few questions that can be used as a spring board to explore the basics of doing business in today's environment.

Permission is needed from Lighthouse Consulting Services, LLC to reproduce any portion provided in this article. © 2011

If you would like additional information on this topic or others, please contact your Human Resources department or Lighthouse Consulting Services LLC, 3130 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 550, Santa Monica, CA 90403, (310) 453-6556, dana@lighthouseconsulting.com & our website: www.lighthouseconsulting.com

Lighthouse Consulting Services, LLC provides a variety of services, including in-depth work style assessments for new hires & staff development, team building, interpersonal & communication training, career guidance & transition, conflict management, workshops, and executive & employee coaching. To order the book, “Cracking the Personality Code” please go to www.crackingthepersonalitycode.com.

Outdoor Living with Bonnie Kovacik of BK Designs

2011-04-29T09:50:00.000-05:00

By: Andrea Schuch
I had the opportunity to sit down with Bonnie of BK Designs and talk about the outdoors. We, as designers, often concentrate so much on the interior that we forget that the exterior of a home is just as important and an equal opportunity for a sale. The elements are the same: color, furniture, accessories - but the outcome is very different. A lush garden can completely transform the curb appeal of a home and many people love outdoor living in the warmer months, whether it's dinner on the patio or sharing stories with friends around a fire. Bonnie, who is an excellent gardener herself, shares her success stories about getting clients that had admired her own gardens and what she feels the trends are in home exteriors.

Bonnie Kovacik of BK Designs
Photo courtesy of Jen Jeffs

AS: There was a time, not too many years ago when houses seemed to be growing and yards shrinking, I feel like they may be staying the same size now but the yards gardens seem to be growing and making houses look so beautiful lately. Do you see this trend and what do you attribute it to?
BK: In a fast paced world, we are all looking for places to find peace and quiet. This has been the trend in home decorating and is now beginning to move to our outside spaces. The garden has become the go-to place for entertaining family and friends. The shift is towards casual gatherings, from barbecuing on the grill, garden parties, bocce ball, drinks on the patio or just sitting around the fire pit gazing at the stars, enjoying good conversations. The creation of an outdoor sanctuary brings peaceful respite for the family as well as a wonderful space to share with friends.

AS: What is the easiest "curb appeal" fix to help a home that you have used?
BK: I could write a book on curb appeal. I have been known to knock on a stranger’s door to ask "what is the name of that fabulous color on your door?" In effort to be concise I will say that whether your budget is $100.00 or thousands, there are always things that can be done to spruce up the exterior of your home. Think about adding a fresh coat of paint, or a simple fix of updated door hardware and house numbers, new cushions on your outdoor furnishings, or fragrant plantings around the front door. Outdoor lighting is another great way to add instant charm, just be sure not to line up the lights along your driveway, it may be mistaken for a 747 runway at O'Hare. The benefits of hardscape cannot be overlooked. When you are looking to bring in texture and interest, it could be as simple as a few well-placed stepping stones with a bit of creeping thyme growing between them to complete the makeover of the existing area. Whether you live in an arts & craft, cottage or a mid-century split level, it’s always exciting finding that inspiration that creates curb appeal that brings pride to the home owner.

AS: I have heard you have held several garden parties in your garden, how do you translate yourinterior design to the exterior for temporary party use?

BK: For me having a garden party just means that instead of eating in the dining room, we are dining on the patio or under a beautiful canopy in the yard if the group is very large. I am an avid collector of beautiful vintage tableware and I love to share these with my guests. For me the elegance of a striking tablescape dressed with lovely linens, china and crystal, adds an element of enchantment in an era of paper and plastic. What guest wouldn't be enthralled to be called to dine in the double splendor of a garden in its peak of perfection in summer at a table dressed up in its finest?

AS: What kinds of furniture and accessories do you utilize most outside?
BK: I love attractive tableware and I love quality vintage pieces for their detail and beauty as well as the value they offer when compared to modern ware. If you can be patient, the local flea markets, antique stores and thrift stores are a trove of often reasonably priced one-of-a-kind accent pieces, and vintage patio furniture. (One year I was at the Sandwich IL flea market and found a beautiful 1940s Woodward patio table and chairs that actually came from New Orleans. The name was forged on the bottom of the chairs). I love using these pieces in unexpected places to bring surprise and interest to visitors, whether it be an interesting willow chair set in a flower bed to be taken over by an exuberant vine or a wonderful antique wrought iron gate that inspires the entrance to a beautiful garden area.

AS: What do you enjoy most about outdoor living?

BK: I enjoy everything about outdoor living, from working in the garden and talking to strangers who pass by and stop for a chat, to sitting quietly on my patio or porch with a cup of coffee and a good book. Mostly I enjoy sharing the fruits of my labors with my family and friends. We enjoy eating wonderful meals on our patio and taking in the essence of a warm summer evening.

AS: Do you get a lot of leads for design jobs based off the exterior of your home?

BK:Yes, we live on a corner lot and my garden is surrounded by a beautiful white picket fence. Our neighborhood has sidewalks so we have a lot of foot traffic. One day I arrived home to find two women on my front porch. They had many questions about my decor and many compliments. I get jobs from people who live around my neighborhood and through them, referrals to others.

AS: Do you help others with their exteriors and how do you stress how important the exterior is?
BK: I often help my clients with their exteriors. I find my extensive experience as a gardener myself is a very valuable asset in offering advice on improving my clients’ exteriors. I have first hand knowledge in choosing plants and dealing with nurseries for hardscapes and softscapes. I find that once my clients and I have dealt with their interior design, their focus often turns to the exterior where my love of gardening and decorator’s eye are a natural fit in reflecting the importance of exterior design elements and the overall inspiration of the home.

New in the Showroom in April

2011-04-25T11:09:00.000-05:00

By: Andrea Schuch

A few years back, I went to a great furniture sale in Crystal Lake that had so many refinished items as well as antiques and things. My husband is in the navy and loved a model ship they had. Unfortunately, the bidding went too high and I told him it couldn't come home with us. But... the other day, we got these awesome ships in our showroom! I love them and just as they were making their way out onto our showroom floor, Vicki was placing them in the great display of "Americana" right in the center of our showroom. Everytime I walk past the display, it makes me smile and think of summer time - maybe a visit to a lake-side cabin? You will see several other new items in this display:

We also just recently had a visit from Matthew Bryan and Katie Harker of Robert Allen who showed us all the new spectacular fabrics from Robert Allen and Beacon Hill. They also premiered the new drapery hardware collection from Robert Allen. You can now see these boards on display in our showroom. A few collections have remained from previous but there are several great new collections! Make sure you schedule a visit to the showroom to see these great collections.

Make Sense Out of Repeats

2011-04-15T14:15:00.000-05:00

By: Andrea Schuch
I noticed a comment on our blog a month or so ago from Patricia Wendell, who operates her own work room, regarding repeats and drop matches. I had already been thinking that I should do a post on this so the timing couldn't have been better. I asked Patricia to help us out and she did! She spells it all out for us bellow, she also tells us how to visualize these repeats better which will help us all calculate our yardage a little better. Thanks Patricia for all the help!

By: Patricia Wendell

STRAIGHT MATCH, AND DROP MATCH REPEAT

A pattern repeat is the measurement from the top of one whole pattern motif to the top of the next, or from the middle to the middle, i.e. vertical or horizontal repeats. If you don’t know how to correctly plan the repeats, you will end up with too much fabric, or worse—not enough to do the job. Figuring exact yardage calculations is a job best done by your workroom expert, but it is good for designers to get the gist of it.

A drop match repeat, aka half match, is when a pattern does not match itself at the selvages when cut straight across. The fabric repeat has been dropped by one half at the other side of the width. Every other cut will be the same. (See example drop match.)

Drop matches aren’t always indicated on the swatch, but you will see it in a virtual view. Figuring yardage for a drop match is just like figuring yardage for a straight across match, except there is an extra step. After you have multiplied the repeat size by the number of repeats needed, you always have to add or subtract ½ of a repeat. If subtracting ½ a repeat results in less inches than you need for your cut lengths you would have to add the ½ repeat instead.

A pattern repeat with a straight match is when a pattern matches itself at the selvages when cut straight across. This is way more common than a drop match. (See example straight match.)

VIRTUAL PATTERN REPEATS

Ever wish you could see a full width and long length of a patterned fabric, instead of just one repeat? Being able to do that makes it easier to determine whether the repeat will be a straight match, or a drop match.

Here is an easy way to make a virtual cut & paste mockup using an accessory program called Paint in Microsoft office suite.

1. From vendor website, find the screen showing the particular fabric’s photo of the repeat, width and horizontal and vertical repeat info. Notice how many times the repeat divides evenly into the width—that’s how many copies of the repeat you’ll need to virtually make a whole width. Notice whether the fabric is railroaded (run sideways off the bolt) or cut upright.

At the same time Press Ctrl + Prt Scr to copy the screen. It disappears to the clipboard temporarily until the next step.

2. Open the Paint program and Paste the image by pressing Ctrl + V. Save it and Print a copy for your workroom. See #1 (Specs). Don’t clear the screen yet—we will be manipulating it in the next step.

3. Click on the dotted box tool (select) which will allow you to isolate the photo of the repeat including the inch indicators. Copy the repeat (Ctrl + C). Open up a new Paint screen and Paste (Ctrl + V). Copies pop up in the upper left corner of the work area. Click and drag it to middle for now. See #2 (PR Grid).

4. Click on the dotted box tool again to isolate the fabric without the inch indicators and Copy (Ctrl + C). Click, drag, and pattern match. Keep copying and pasting until it’s a full width (usually 54”) and longer than the cut length of your project. To move the copies, click and drag them into position, making sure the pattern matches. See #3 (Entirety).

By attaching this info to quote requests, your workroom pro can more accurately figure yardages, and also provide valuable technical advice and input for your custom designs.

You can contact Patricia at Patricia A. Wendell Workroom, 630-910-9752, http://www.patriciaworkroom.com/ or email at: patwendell@aol.com.

Green Things...

2011-04-08T15:22:00.001-05:00

By: Andrea Schuch

“Green” is always a catchy word as of late, designers and clients alike fling it around like it’s no big deal. The truth is, it is a big deal. “Green” or environmentally friendly products are more expensive to make generally. Take our local Whole Foods store up the road on Rand. They are building a new store a little further down on Rand and it has been in the works for years – why? Because it is more expensive and more time consuming to build if you want to be nice to your environment in the process. (Might I add, I CANNOT WAIT until it opens! I love Whole Foods!) There are so many factors that go into being “green” – energy efficiency, chemical waste during production, how much pollution is made by the truck that gets it here, etc. To me, energy efficiency is a BIG one – if I spend a little bit extra upfront but it saves me for months to come, I’m in! I personally have Hunter Douglas’s Duette Architella shades in my master bedroom and the babies’ bedroom and love them. They definitely help helping the cold/hot out and because I have the room darkening, our bedrooms look like midnight for my afternoon naps on the weekends. At CDT, we have quite a few products that can help with your client’s that desire “green” – read on to hear what Emily has to say (an intern currently in our memo room), come in the showroom and we will be happy to show you some more!

By: Emily Boudreau
Now that spring is finally here, we may look out our windows and notice beauty around us. Trees now have some buds, we can hear birds chirping out our windows in the morning, and some days, we can even leave our coats at home. These small changes can help to open our eyes and hopefully inspire us to embrace and care for our environment. Luckily, many products have been created to help us do this, and in the following paragraphs we will take a look at what we have to offer here at Chicago Design Team to help us create a better planet.
As many of you already know, we carry many different beautiful fabrics here. Fabrics are a big part of our lives and now we can feel good about the fact that S. Harris manufactures a line of fabric called Fusion Recycled. Click here to see the line for yourself. The fabric is made up of recycled plastic bottles, interestingly enough, each yard of fabric recycles 17... 17 (!) plastic bottles from landfills! The plastic is cut into flakes and then melted and pushed through a showerhead-like device which extrudes a strand of polyester yarn. Once the strands are created, the yarn becomes woven into 100 % post consumer polyester fabrics. And the really cool part is that when the consumer is done using the fabric, they can be re - recycled and used again. Because of the products ability to be reused, it is considered cradle to cradle, which means that it meets a strict set of requirements and can be re-used in the future. If you would like to know more about cradle to cradle, please check out MBDC’s website (McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry).

It is important to know the basics of what makes a product “Green” or sustainable. The following definitions are from Metropolis Magazine.
First, a term we hear about a lot and some of us may wonder what exactly it means is LEED. LEED, which was developed by the United States Green Building Council, is a publicly reviewed set of standards that measures sustainable construction and ranks green buildings and interiors on a five-tier scale. Basically, I like to think of it as a rating like ‘miles per gallon’ for a car, except we are talking about other products. Next, there is Green Seal which is an independent, non profit organization that sets environmental standards for a wide variety of consumer products and sales. We often hear the term low or no “VOC”… This means that the product has no or low amounts of Volatile Organic Compounds which are Chemical compounds that have high enough vapors pressures under normal conditions to vaporize and enter the atmosphere - a process called “off gassing.” Common VOCs can be found in paint, paint thinners, carpeting, furniture and household cleaning products.
While these terms are great to know about, I feel it is more interesting to get back to the cool products that meet some of these standards. Robert Allen has multiple lines of fabric which can be found at CDT which include Eco Poly, Pure Style and Sensuede I & II. Sensuede II is a eco friendly book that contains 130 colors of high performance synthetic suede that is great for both commercial and residential. These fabrics meet product safety standards under the Oeko - Tex Standard 100. For more information on Oeko - Tex standards, which basically are a set of testing and safety standards for textiles, please check out this website. When trying to be stewards for the environment, we can feel we have done our jobs and have piece of mind knowing that these fabrics are free of carcinogenic and allergy inducing dyestuffs, formaldehyde, pesticides, and emission of volatile compounds to name a few. Check out Robert Allen’s line called Sensuede II here, or to see the product in person, come into CDT, we would love to see you.

The last product I am going to touch on (or this article could go on indefinitely because there are so many green options) are Hunter Douglas Designer Screen shades that offer an earth friendly fabric, the Greenscape Collection. The fabric is made up of 100 % polyester, is PVC free and recyclable. Hunter Douglas is a great company who has taken environmental concerns into consideration. This would be expected since they are in the window fashions business and energy issues can be related to windows. Hunter Douglas products are good for the environment in the following ways:
-Insulation: Our window fashions reduce heat flow (both heat loss and heat gain) through the windows.
-Solar Heat Control: Our window fashions help to control solar heat (heat generated from the sun) by allowing it into your home in the winter and minimizing the amount that comes in during the summer.
-Daylighting: Our window fashions enhance daylighting (the use of natural light) by diffusing and dispersing sunlight deep into a room, reducing your need for electrical lighting.

Hunter Douglas also carries energy efficient lines such as Silhouette Window Shadings, Duette Architella Honeycomb Shades and Luminette Privacy Sheers. These are just a few, for a detailed list of their energy saving products and further information please visit this site.
If you are interested in what we have to offer as far as green products, there are plenty of more options which can be viewed in person in our showroom. Please stop in we would love to see you! Have a great day and remember to “Be the Change You Want To See in the World“- Gandhi.

9 Reasons Salespeople Fail

2011-04-01T09:51:00.001-05:00

By: Andrea Schuch
We see several emails come into our office regarding sales, sales training, computer classes, etc. This article caught our eye from Colleen Stanley at SalesLeadership. First of all, I love her company name - Sales Leadership. I took a Leadership class in college and loved it, learned that there are many different kinds of leaders but I never thought of a sales leader. To me, that doesn't just mean being the highest in sales, but really inspiring others around you to sell and inspiring your clients to BUY! Showing the people around you that you are on top of your game can let them trust you and learn from you, making you a GREAT leader. Here, Colleen talks to us about nine reasons salespeople fail, a few of them surprised me (check out #4) but after hearing her points, I was completely on board. Read on for Colleen's thoughts as well as the thoughts of our staff as we share our experiences and knowledge for you to use and abuse.

Sales Success Principles:

1. Ask for Help
Average producers are not good at asking for help. This may stem from lack of confidence in not wanting to be transparent about a weakness in their selling process. Lack of asking for help may also come from not being committed to doing what it takes to succeed. If you ask for advice, people expect you to execute on the advice. Top producers, on the other hand, are confident and have no problem admitting they are not perfect. They are also committed to do what it takes to become excellent in their profession. Top producers seek out advisors and mentors. I have also noticed they are the best students during a sales training course. They bring case studies for review or call for extra coaching. Top producers understand that no one gets great by themselves.

Stephanie, in the Memo Room, says: We, as designers, need clients to ask us for help for us to have work. In return we need to ask our clients and our team of specialized professionals for help. No one can be an expert in everything, so we can utilize our team and ask them for help during a project. Our team can include: workrooms, showrooms, plumbers, electricians, etc. We can ask those specified professionals questions and for help as that is what they are there for and together as a team we can create wonderful spaces and homes for our clients the first time!
Here at CDT, we have many interns throughout the quarters and we help mentor them into designers. The interns on a daily basis will ask us questions, and that is what we are here for. We will discuss our showroom - how it works and teach them the ‘behind the scenes’ to our industry. In return the interns can teach us a few new things from their current classes. We can always learn from each other and, here at CDT, are always ready to help interns as well as designers, so never be afraid to ask for help.

2. Sales Activity
When I first entered the sales training profession, I had a sales coach. The first question asked during our weekly coaching sessions was, “Tell me about your sales activity plan.” At first, I found this question puzzling. I was in the sale guru business. Wasn’t he supposed to ask me about my ability to find “pain” on a call or uncover corporate decision making process? This wise coach understood that the sales training business is no different than any other business. If my sales activity plan didn’t lead me to prospects, it didn’t matter how good my selling or training skills were….no one would ever know! Top revenue producers understand that a consistent sales activity plan is the key to finding new clients and driving revenue.

Vicki, one of our fearless leaders, says: While I am not a “sales training guru”, I know for sure that without a plan, you have very little chance of consistent success. There are some designers who just get lucky, but if you want to have a consistent income over the long haul, you need a plan. First, you need to know how much money you need to make. Hopefully this will grow into the money you WANT to make. Then you need to know two important things:
-How many appointments do you close on? (This is known as your closing ratio)
-What is you dollar amount per sale, and at what profit margin?
You must know these numbers in order to track your progress. There are only 3 ways to increase your sales:
1. Schedule more appointments and see more QUALIFIED clients.
2. Close more appointments, or get the check in fewer appointments
3. Increase the number or price point of the products you sell.
You cannot achieve an increase of any sort unless you know what your starting point is, so you must figure out your closing ratio and profit margin. Once you have established this baseline, you can then identify which area is your weakness—lack of appointments, weak closing skills, (including taking too many appointments to close the sale,) or selling too much product with a low profit margin.
Very often, simply identifying a weakness results in big improvement. Awareness is powerful. Make a list of measurable goals, and break that down into small steps that will get you there. Develop a system for tracking your results. I promise that you will see changes, and that those changes will motivate you to even greater achievements.
So, plan your work, and work your plan!

3. Eliminate Excuses
Poor producers spend most of their time discussing excuses that prevent them from making their sales goal; i.e. increased competition, problems with operations issues at the company, or the current market. Top producers invest most of their time discussing how to achieve results, how to beat increased competition, ways to improve/work around operations issues, and how to sell regardless of economic issues. Top producers live by the mantra, “We are judged only by results, not by excuses.”

Jody, in the office, says: Is there really any good excuse in the interior design business? Death may be the most acceptable or perhaps a serious health issue. The bottom line is…no client cares why you didn’t do what you said you would. They only want to hear what you did or are doing for them. Being proactive can certainly save a lot of time and aggravation. A designer has to educate the client on the nature of this business, unfortunately that includes backorders and ship date changes. Never put off telling a client bad news. If you stay in touch and update them on a regular basis on any ship dates, backorders or the like, you will alleviate any major problems down the road because you will appear to be doing your job and giving good customer service. Starting today, no more excuses should be your new business model. You’ll start to notice a lot more satisfied customers.

4. Lose Your Mediocre Friends
Remember your mom saying, “Tell me who your friends are and I will tell you what you are like.” (Okay, so maybe it was just my mother.) This quote is absolutely true in sales. Tell me who you “hang” with and I will tell you what you are like. Mediocre performers like to “hang” with other mediocre performers. The bar for success is low and membership criteria is easy….expect and accept less. The weekly agenda for meetings is always predictable and preset: Bring one new excuse for discussion.

Adriana, at the front desk, says: I worked for a call center at a large travel agency. Due to a strict schedule, about 7 coworkers and I had to take lunch at the same time every day. There were two of them that would always complain about the rules, our supervisors, the clients, and the work in general. After a while most of us noticed that we would returned to work with a pessimistic feeling about our jobs and felt helpless and stuck since we all needed our jobs. We decided to let the two coworkers know that from then on we were not going to talk about any work related subject during break, and if they wanted to do so they should sit elsewhere.

5. Get Rid of Arrogance
A top producer that has achieved the “top of the hill” status can quickly move to the bottom of the hill because of arrogance. Arrogant individuals stop learning because, after all, they are the best in the business. What can they possibly learn after 20 years in the profession? The real issue is that young, hungry, competitors haven’t caught the disease of arrogance. The competition continues to learn, change and grow. The result is a new king or queen of the hill looking down at a stunned, retired past king or queen.

Lee, in the memo room, says: The world of design is constantly evolving, from trends and styles to new techniques and materials. A designer who continues to push only ruffled swags and jabots or declines investigating and learning about the new green technology or neglects having a strong presence on the internet will realize fewer and fewer sales as time goes by. There is no substitute for the value of years of experience, but one must be aware of the habits of younger generations. A designer must stay on top of all of the changes in the design world in order to entice the buying power of the upcoming consumers.

6. Get Focused
A poor producer can work very hard. Lack of sales isn’t from lack of effort; it’s that the effort is focused on the wrong prospect, activity and partnerships. Top producers have clearly identified their ideal client and have built a strategy around meeting, influencing, and creating value for that specific client. They are very clear on who they will sell and what they will sell. Top producers walk away from prospects that don’t fit their ideal profile; leaving them more time to walk towards best fit clients. They leave the price shopping prospects to their competitors who get to invest all their time in writing proposals that go nowhere.

Sharon, on the sales floor, says: Too many choices are not a good thing. I have found that really narrowing down the choices that I show my clients makes the job a whole lot more productive. The more choices you give, the more confused most people get because they are not as educated towards design. They are paying you to tell them what’s right, what’s wrong and what goes. When I was new in the business, I wasn’t really charging an hourly fee and I made myself miserable bringing all sorts of things for people to look at and did nothing but waste my time! It’s really up to us to make the good choices for our clients, present them and move on. Now when I go out initially, I actually have my clients do homework for me to give me a starting point of what they want so I am not looking at everything. I will even drop off magazines if they do not have any for them to look at so they can have a direction to start in. I also make them focus into one area or room instead of allowing them to ask about the whole house in one appointment.

7. Manage Your Time
Top producers are good at calendaring. They set aside very specific times each week for business development (prospecting calls, client retention calls, calls updating referral partners, etc.). Top producers have discipline and don’t allow outside distractions to deter them from their most important appointment – the appointment with themselves and working their plan.

Camille, the other half of our dynamic leaders, says: A monthly calendar is extremely important to developing a consistent flow of revenue in an interior design business. The first thing that is necessary is to identify the type of appointment you are scheduling so that you can plan the apropriate amount of time.
Client Appointments
-1st Appointment - Preview or information gathering appointment/setting the groundrules of how we will work together
-2nd Appointment - Presentation of fabrics/floorplans/window treatment sketches, etc.
This can be a closing appointment if it is a small job such as occasional furniture/hardline window product, etc.
-3rd Appointment - Closing appointment
I feel it is important to have a mix of all of the above each week and to try to have at least one closing appointmet per week - this will ensure that you will have a steady flow of income.
Booking time to actually put together what you will need to present to the client also needs to be addressed. There is definitely a good amount of time spent on the "legwork" it takes to put together a great plan for the client.
Don't forget to book the time to make the phone calls to schedule the appointments.
Marketing Appointments
-Calls to previous clients to advise them of sale periods or special promotions.
-Calls to set up appointments with people that can lead you to potential clients such as builders/realtors/program chairman for clubs/organizations.
Planning time for phone calls and actual "face to face" appointments is very important.
Looking at the month ahead and slotting your time, based upon your knowledge of how long it takes to accomplish a specific task, will help fill the calendar with all you need to develop a successful business.

8. Invest in Yourself
Top producers don’t wait for someone else to make them good (I.e. I will only attend a sales training course if the company is picking up the tab). I am reminded of a client, “Jill,” who came to me seven years ago. She was an administrative assistant desiring to enter the sales profession. Her current employer would not offer her a sales position because they just didn’t think an administrative assistant could sell. Jill believed she had the ability to be very good in sales and invested her own time and money in sales training. She eventually applied for a sales position at another firm and became the number one salesperson at the new firm. (By the way, Jill also practiced all of the success principles listed above.) Jill did not wait to get good based on someone else’s beliefs or dollars.

Faith, our disontinuing memo room goddess, found a blog post that she thinks sums it up perfectly by Rosetta Thurman: I've been learning that my reputation is more important than my resume since I launched my blog a year ago. It really helps to have people know who you are as soon as they see the name on the resume. I thought everyone was exaggerating when they said that getting the job you want is all about who you know. Now I think it's all about who knows you. And not even who knows you, but just that they've heard of you is enough. I've worked hard to shape my colleagues' perception of my expertise and experience using the web and it's gotten me much further than any resume could have. I also wonder as more folks start having online portfolios, the ones who don't will be pressured to prove their credibility in other ways. How else do you know if someone's REALLY got the goods they brag about on their resume?

9. Get Going
Are you getting ready to get ready? Listen up: Perfection is highly overrated. While you are waiting to get all the research done on a prospect, perfecting your technique, or redoing your PowerPoint one last time, the salesperson that is showing up is getting the deal. Strive for perfection, but don’t wait on perfection.

Andrea, in the office and on all your social media says: This blog is a perfect example of #9. Sometimes, I have written, rewritten and then trashed only to write again certain blog posts. If I didn't have a deadline every week, you would never read this because all my posts would be in "edit" mode. Sometimes, I just have to hit "Publish!" I often think of when I went wedding dress shopping and I was down to two dresses. They were totally different styles, one very clean lined, simple and classic - the other lacy, unique and quirky. I just could not decide! The sales lady finally told me - no one else is going to know what the other one looks like, they will just think the one you're in is amazing. Finally, I played eenie meenie miny moe and pointed (I ended up with the lacy, quirky one). So, often when writing blog posts, I say to myself, "noone else knows what it is missing or what so-and-so said in the showroom today that just HAS to go in, just finish it so people can start reading it!" So as I end here - get off the computer and start selling, your competition is!

“Colleen Stanley is president of SalesLeadership Inc., a business development consulting firm specializing in sales and sales management training. The company provides programs in prospecting, referral strategies, consultative sales training, sales management training, and hiring/selection. She is also the author of “Growing Great Sales Teams: Lessons from the Cornfield.” Reach Colleen at 303.708.1128 or visit www.salesleadershipdevelopment.com.”

New to the Showroom in March

2011-03-25T16:36:00.000-05:00

By: Andrea Schuch
Everytime I write about our new things, I think that it hasn't even been that long since I last wrote - this year is flying by! Soon enough, Mother Nature will stop being confused about the weather and it will officially be spring! This month, we've done a little spring reaccesorizing, new things in - a few older things out. We also received several new fabric books in, one that I am in love with from Clarke & Clarke.

One of the new things in our showroom this month is a few new tables from Superior. Superior is a great table line, perfect for cocktail tables and end tables - and more. This little table came in and what I love about it is that it is so narrow that you could squeeze it in where you didn't think you could have a table - and it has a drawer for a little storage! There are a few others, including a very versatile distressed black table, be sure to check them all out!

There are several great new books from Clarke & Clarke. This line, itself, is new to our showroom within the past year. We continue to get amazing fabrics from them like this new book Lino Sheers. There is a great sheer that almost looks like a burnout velvet pattern, many great stripes, all in very usable color combinations. Clarke & Clarke does a great job at coordinating their fabric books, when you are looking at an upholstery book there is most likely a sheer that will coordinate in this book. There are about five additional NEW books from Clarke & Clarke that you will find in their black bindings near the Highland Court fabrics, be sure to check them out!

Several new accessories, these great armillaries made an appearance. I always know who is picking the accessories when these show up, they're Vicki's favorite! I particullary like this one because it is not too large (about 18" tall) and it almost seems modern in a traditional way. It's one of those items that can be used in a variety of living spaces regardless of style because of it's clean lines and long history (supposedly invented by Eratosthenes in Greece around 200 BC).

We also received this great mirror in, but you wouldn't know it because it went to a client's home before it was even hung on the wall! This is the Elizabeth Marshall 38" Red Chinese Mirror (item 571-11-12836).

Railroading 101

2011-03-18T12:20:00.000-05:00

By: Andrea Schuch

This is one of the most common questions we get: How do I know which way it comes off the bolt and how do I know if that will work for what I need it for? This is a tricky question. The answer is very simple but it involves looking at the fabric a different way than it is sampled and I think that's what throws designers off. This is especially hard to get a grasp on if you're new in the business or if you're trying to explain to a client. Let's start with an example, Robert Allen's Pizazz, shown here in color Mushroom. The picture to the right is showing the fabric the way it's sampled - as a vertical stripe. When you look at the back of the fabric tag, it will tell you that this fabric is railroaded. So what does that mean for your design? It means we can only have a 54" long stripe.

This pattern comes off the bolt as shown to the left. Due to the orientation, this particular stripe is meant for upholstery - even though it's a lighter weight fabric. If you used this on a drapery, you would either have a horizontal stripe on your panels (which could be cool and funky) or you will have very short (54" tall) panels (which might work but probably not).

Another example is the Duralee pattern (14737-20) shown to the right as it is sampled on our hanging rack sample in the showroom. This pattern is actually shown railroaded here which means you will need to rotate it 90 degrees to see the way it will come off the bolt. Since you can see this pattern looks like it has a vertical orientation as it is hung on the rack, this might work for you if you want to have it turned to use on a sofa or a large piece of upholstery, see picture below. You definitely want to pay attention to patterns like this because you may want the textured stripe to run horizontal on a sofa back which might not be possible due to the cut sizes needed.

Is there a fabric that you are using that you have some questions about? Let us know and maybe I can help you demystify the railroading issue!

Facebook Pages For Your Business

2011-03-10T20:21:00.000-06:00

By: Andrea Schuch
As I stated last week, I have gotten so many requests for information on Facebook pages and setting them up for your business so I thought I would do a post on how to set up your own business page. Facebook pages can be as simple or detailed as you would like. If you are planning on using Facebook as a marketing tool - you will need to stay on top of it and keep it updated weekly, preferably daily with new projects, information and ideas. For more information on why and how to utilize Facebook as a marketing tool, check out Design*Sponge's blog on how social media can humanize your brand. There are a number of good examples out there like Window Designs by Diane, a local workroom in Long Grove who uploads pictures of her most recent installs and her E-zines or Duralee Fabrics, who updates their page with pictures from designers around the country that upload to the web. I talked to Diane this week and she mentioned that she really uses her page a lot and has gotten several jobs from it! With that in mind, here is a get started how to - feel free to post any questions - I have kept this pretty simple so if you want more details on a step, leave a message, shoot us over an email or give me a call at Chicago Design Team!
Before you start this, do a search for your company on Facebook, you just might find it already exists. Facebook imports a lot of businesses from Yellow Page like sites. If you do find your business, you will have to claim it which requires a phone call to the number listed on the page. There are other steps to take if the information is incorrect. Once you take possession of the page, you can modify it to fit your needs but some of the information will already be on it for you!

Step 1: On your personal page, click Account and then Help Center. If you don't have a personal page you can still have a business page but you will have to follow different steps - I have not included those steps here.

Step 2: Enter Setup a page in the search or follow this link. From the search returns, select How Can I Create A Page. When you select this, some verbiage will pull down and you can click the link to follow.

Step 3: When clicking on the link, you will come to this page. I usually set up pages as local business or place. Click the button your business falls into.

Step 4: Once you click your preference, you will be prompted to answer a few questions. You will need to answer ALL the questions to continue. You can always change this information later on but you will need to do an initial entry. Make sure you check the box to agree to Facebook terms and conditions. Then click "Get Started."

Step 5: You will see here the page I set up for Swieter Designs, a company I use to help designers with their renderings, bookkeeping, etc. After you click Get Started, this is the page you will see. Make sure you "Like" your own page. This page walks you through the steps of adding a picture, referring your friends to your business page, uploading contacts to suggest the page to and posting your status updates. Now, I intended on deleting this page after I was done with this blog but within an hour I had 6 fans, so I guess I should practice what I preach right? My page is not entirely complete but I hope to put some more work in with it very soon.

Last Step: Edit your information. You can do this by clicking "Edit Info" towards the top of the screen (you will see it on the above picture under "Swieter Designs > Get Started." When you click this link, it will bring you to the below page where you will be able to enter as much or as little information you would like. I would recommend that you enter as much as possible so that consumers seeing your site get as much information as they need. You may also want to give the consumers a call to action to call or email you or even come in your shop if you have a store front.

After this, you can click "View Page" at the top right of the page. You can then start entering status updates. You can do so many things with Facebook including uploading a blog or leaving a link that you think your fans might find helpful. After you have set up the page, you can navigate between your personal page and business page by clicking "Home" to go to your personal page and typing in the top Facebook search bar your company name to go to your company. You will see on your company page "Use Facebook as ...." - if you click that, you will now respond to everyone as your company. You can easily switch back and forth from the "Account" drop down at the top right of the page.

Like I stated earlier, please let me know if you have questions about any of this, I find sometimes that the Facebook Help Center can help but often times, my unique problem is not spelled out there or it does not have the pretty pictures that I like to see to visualize how to fix my problem - after all, we are visual people, right?

Just a warning - Facebook is constantly evolving and steps can change. You might notice a button is not there anymore or it might be in a different place. I often find that the link might still be in the same place but it won't work, keep in mind that this probably means they are changing something on their end. Don't get frustrated, just come back to it a few days later and you might notice something has changed.

Happy Facebooking!

What Do You Want To Hear About?

2011-03-05T09:55:00.000-06:00

I am working every week to bring you content that inspires you to create and to be more efficient. Is there something that you want to know more about? Are you having a problem - in design or business related that you want to hear more about - let me know! I will try to get everyone's feedback answered and really appreciate any feed back you all have! Is there something missing from our blog? Fill me in!
Thanks!
A

The International Alliance of...

2011-03-04T13:59:00.000-06:00

By: Andrea Schuch
I found this anonymous editorial that I thought was great. Normally, being the first week of the month, I would post a business article and possibly a follow up with it. This does not necessarily follow that thought process but I think it will give us all a little justification of exactly how much our jobs entail! We may hear clients say our job is soooo much fun, and while it can be - there are aspects of the job that client's don't see or even think happen. We just make things appear in front of them, right? So here we go....

The International Alliance of C.P.D.S.D.S.I.S.E.O.H.S.W.D.I.C.B

Hey there: YOU, with all the professional initials after your name, and YOU, who ought to have them!
Why don't you spell it all out, let all your talents hang out so your clients can see them. Proclaim them for all to know and appreciate.
The title, Interior Designer, doesn't tell anyone but another interior designer what you do. Come out of the closet, let down your veil, show what you really do!
CONSULTERS, meeting with prospective, new and old clients, determining their needs, drawing them out, learning lifestyles, interpreting their dreams.
PLANNERS, plotting solutions making use of spaces and materials, developing concepts, and analyzing practicalities.
DESIGNERS, devising new forms and shapes, new textures and shades, creating what has never been before, combining elements in new ways for new function.
SCALERS, balancing sizes and weights, playing spaces and shapes against one and the other, breaking rules for emphasis and effect.
DRAFTERS, putting it all down for the record, and for easy comprehension, and making working drawings for the artisans to execute.
SHOPPERS, searching for the right materials, seeking the new and old that fit the scheme, perusing catalogues for an answer, comparing quality and value.
INVENTORS, developing new products, applying new techniques, heeding the call when necessity becomes the mother of invention and when it just doesn't exist on the market.
SPECIFIERS, locating and listing the answers, adhering to the codes, following traditions, and showing the way.
ESTIMATORS, grappling with costs and budgets, ascertaining quantities and sizes, quoting labor, time and materials.
ORDERERS, filling out purchase forms, telephoning rushes, checking strike-offs, and approving finishes.
HAND HOLDERS, assuring the nervous client, massaging egos all about, acting as a psychologist and confidant.
SUBSTITUTERS, coping with non-delivery, out-of-stock, mismatched colors and finishes, rushing in where angels fear to tread, saving the day.
WAITERS, pacing the floor awaiting deliveries, standing in line for samples, cursing the mail, and expecting payment.
DELIVERERS, toting samples, uncrating drop-shipments, and putting in place finishing touches.
INSTALLERS, putting up rods, hanging pictures, and supervising the workroom's efforts.
COMPUTERS, figuring sales and income taxes, dividing fees from merchandise, adding on delivery charges.
BILLERS, scanning the file for every charge, totalling, deducting deposits, and adding it all up to the hoped for profit.

Do you realize you're responsible for at least all of this? Does your client? It's all in a day's work!

I'm sure you found yourself saying you do all of these, even adding on to certain categories with personal experiences you have had with your business. Do you have any you would like to add? Leave a comment and let us know! I think there definitely should be a M for Marketing and an S for Social Media. I have been getting so many requests for information on social media lately - I think it's great! Social media is such a great way to promote you business with little cost - generally only time setting it up! Or for me, how about D for Dreamer - Is it just me or does anyone else come up with the best ideas when sleeping? I thought this was normal until my husband informed yesterday that this is not a fact. I find that I am able to come up with solutions or have a clearer view of a problem after I wake up in the morning. Tell me I'm not crazy...

New to the Showroom in February

2011-02-23T14:01:00.002-06:00

By: Andrea Schuch

We just received this fabulous Beacon Hill book, Boutique Velvets, with an amazing faux fur in it. It's called Rosario Velvet and it's hand is so soft and luxurious. Made up of 61% viscose, 32% cotton and 7% polyester, it only comes in two colors: Lambswool and Noir shown here. Even though Beacon Hill is calling this a velvet, it is really more of a faux fur, it could be thought of as a velvet where they left the nap very long. You can find this book in the Beacon Hill book cabinet with a light blue NEW tag on it! Make sure you check it out!

Beacon Hill's Rosario Velvet - Lambswool

Beacon Hill's Rosario Velvet - Noir

Duralee's 36123 - 279 Jungle Green

Duralee's 36122 - 562 Platinum

Another great new book to check out is Duralee's Metallic Collection of Chenilles. The best part of the patterns in this book is that they all exceed 50,000 double rubs in the Cotton Duck Wyzenbeek Method, they should be very durable to stand the test of time. They have several patterns varying from animal print to a traditional damask - all finished off with a metallic sheen. The metallic sheen makes all of these look so magnificent that you just have to touch and feel it's soft texture.

Fabrics from Fabricut's new book
Carnivale, shown in a room setting.
The drapery panels are in fabric Trapeze

There's also this new book from Fabricut which has some amazing satin/silk look fabrics in it. It's called Carnivale. There are a few patterns shown in the photo to the right. Make sure you take a look when you are in the showroom next - it will be on the book wall near Vicki's desk. There are several different types of fabrics in it - ranging from drapery weight to multipurpose to upholstery, even sheers. The sheer that is in the book is great - it's just a solid but it has a wonderful, almost metallic sheen to it. Definately worth the look through the book!

Sarreid's Thin Books Box: 10253

We also received a few accessories in to the showroom like this set of leather books that is actually a box from Sarreid. You may not have seen it since it left the showroom within seconds of being out of it's shipping box.

Sarreid's Parchment Flat Box: 25403S

There is also this parchement box which has great details of iron forged trim and closure. It has lovely French caligraphy on the exterior. I was surprised by the weight when I picked it up because it is quite heavy but it comes fully lined with a natural leather parchment paper and ready to use!

Where Did Honeysuckle Come From?

2011-02-18T20:56:00.001-06:00

By: Andrea Schuch

2011's color of the year:
Honeysuckle

2010's color of the year:
Turquoise

I'm sure we've all received the emails or seen the promotions stating what the "2011 Color of the Year" is... Is it just me or does it sometimes seem far fetched until maybe October or November of that year when we see so many fabrics and finishes in that color? Pantone has decided that this year's color is Honeysuckle (18-2120) - a lovely pink hue. When "Googling" pink - you'll likely find a montage of the singer Pink's information along with a few purchasable items mixed in. Who know Pink was so in style this year that she has the color of the year? Pink this year, according to Pantone, is replacing 2010's Turquoise of which we did see a lot of. Blue just seems a little bit more soothing than this year's crazy, party color pink. Maybe that's what Pantone is getting at - in 2010 we needed some comfort from the economy and now we just need to get moving! Maybe I'm on to something as Ali from Pantone tells me just another reason for the great pink is to "ward" off the blues.

So where exactly does this color come from? The color of the year is chosen by about 10 professionals in various fields throughout the world. These globe trotters look at hot new artists, upcomning sports events that receive worldwide attention and the country that it is held in, films in production and technology. Maybe it's the sense of spring in the air this week but I am really feeling the honeysuckle vibe - this color is totally cheering me up as I'm writing this so I know they really know how to pick a color! Across the country, honeysuckle has received such an enthusiastic response, I can't wait to see all the great fabrics and finishes that are inspired by it!

I guess after 50 years, Pantone knows what they're talking about. We've already begun to see this color on the red carpet - like Julianne Hough, Hayley Williams of the band Paramore or in Nicki Minaj's lipstick from the Grammys last weekend. We have not seen quite as much incoming for the interiors sector, although it might take a little longer to get it out to the entir country's designers vs. one clothing designer for a red carpet? If you need inspiration for YOUR next client, stop by the memo room where our intern Lauren Kaplan made a Honeysuckle inspired display - it just might tickle you pink!

Living with St. Valentine

2011-02-12T11:06:00.000-06:00

By: Andrea Schuch

This blog posts seems like it should scream love due to its proximity to Valentine’s Day. So I thought we would dig in to exactly what it would be like living in St. Valentine’s era. But first, let’s divulge into exactly who is St. Valentine. This seems much more obscure than I thought. Apparently, according to such sources as Wikipedia and the History Channel, there were several guys in the early AD times all named Valentine, all who were killed for their Christian beliefs. The main Valentine (thought to be beheaded or buried on February 14th, 278 AD, was supposedly jailed for marrying young couples secretly after Roman Emperor Claudius banned marriage for the young. Valentine supposedly fell in love with his jailer’s daughter and wrote her a farewell card (the first Valentine’s Day card?) and signed it ‘from your Valentine.’ Valentine’s Day was officially removed from the Catholic calendar in 1969 due to the lack of information on how many Valentine’s there were or which one was the right one to be celebrating. There are more theories linking the Catholic Church to Valentine’s Day but I think we get the gist of it.

Now, on with the fun stuff! What would St. Valentine have seen during his days?

Crushed madder dye and
yarns produced from it

Mostly likely, fabrics would have been primarily wool due to it having an easier weaving process than cotton, hemp, linen or silk – although these may have been used as well. The main colors of dyes available would have been blue from indigo (see our previous post on how blue dye is made), various reds from Haustellum brandaris or madder and yellow from saffron – clearly many fewer colors than we have today due to synthetic dyes that we have perfected.

An apartment type building
as seen today from this time period

Buildings were primarily made out of stone as shown in this current photo of an apartment building dated back to the third century and picture of the Colosseum from the first century. Stone was readily available, and thus artwork was often crafted out of stone in the form of statues or busts. Artwork generally showcased limited furnishings, focusing on people and still lifes instead. Upholstered furniture was reserved for the wealthy, who often also owned large villas in the countryside along with all the servants to work in them. Homes of the wealthy generally were built out of stone, similar to a brick house today except their would be an atrium in the center and the only windows would be facing the atrium. Glass was used in the window which has paved the way for modern civilization’s use of glass in homes. Romans during this time had murals of still lifes or mythological figures painted on their walls and mosaics unlike the commoner. Although much of what remains of this time period is glassware like this one, stone pieces and metal formed for coins or jewelry

A typical house layout showing the center atrium.

As for this current Valentine's Day, I'll be picking up some chocolate covered strawberries from my favorite local chocolate shop Morke's Chocolates in Palatine. But - shhhh! Don't tell my husband, just in case they're all gone before I get home!

Sources:

Wikipedia

http://www.localhistories.org/rome.html

http://www.roman-empire.net/society/society.html

Follow Up With Lisa Bonneville of Bonneville Design

2011-02-05T14:09:00.001-06:00

Photo credit: Janice Fulman
Courtesy of Bonneville Design

By: Andrea Schuch

We read the article yesterday that Lisa Bonneville of Bonneville Design had written for the July/August issue of ASID publication ASID Professional Designer in 1997. I have been talking to Lisa this week and wondering, how has this changed her company over the years and what else has she done to improve her business? Lisa now has 30 years under her belt as business owner and is very accomplished in the Boston area, having been inducted into the New England Design Hall of Fame which is reserved for only those who have distinguished themselves in their profession and reached the pinnacle of their career. Lisa’s business is currently 80% residential and 20% commercial due to her focus on designing for safety for in the home. She consults with people who are building retirement homes or remodeling to continue to live in their homes as long as possible. Read on to hear more about Lisa and what she has been up to lately and her new business goals.

AS: In the years since working with this business consultant, what else have you tweaked in regards to your relationship with your clients?

LB: I have, over the years, added more focus to my business. I find that 80% of my business comes from 20% of my clients: big projects and repeat customers. These clients also give the best referrals. I have increased marketing geared towards these clients. I no longer do show houses but do still work with local organizations and museums to support programs that are meaningful to me through displays and lectures centered on creating livable living spaces. It is very easy to work with people on a repeating basis because you have already established a level of trust and good working relationship. My established client base has pulled me through these difficult economic times. Projects are smaller and require more of what my client’s have come to expect from me – turn key service, design and implementation. Residential design is an ongoing process – very few people complete their entire house all at once; but even if they do – it ages just like we do and it needs to be attended to over time. A homeowner establishes a team to maintain their home and that includes their interior designer.

AS: Do you still continue to do follow up surveys? How have they changed in this economy?

LB: My follow up surveys are no longer being conducted as I did originally in this article. It was a strictly written survey. What I do now is nurture my best clients through communication; I have honed my communication skills to where I am more attuned with my clients. I have fostered their deep trust in my professional expertise and personal touch. At the same time, I have continued to communicate with all my clients, business associates and vendors the progression of my business – the awards I have won (like the kitchen design award from Southern Accents Magazine and lifetime achievement in the New England Design Hall of Fame), my induction into the Fellowship of the American Society of Interior Design (ASID), my projects and articles on design have been published with a number of additional periodicals, I have written a book The Safe Home: Designing for Safety in the Home, I lecture and I teach other designers how to design for safety in the home. The continuing education course I teach for ASID is based on my book. Over 30 years, I have made a name for myself in the design community of Boston and that is very fortunate for me. Marketing my firm and my projects to clients and the media is what has resulted in my most successful exposure. For the last two holiday seasons, I gathered up donated materials from the Boston Design Center showrooms and invited the public into my office to make decorations for the troops overseas. They thought this was great and a lot of fun. There are unending relationship building opportunities for things like this.

AS: In this economy, what are you business goals geared towards?

LB: My business goals are centered on working with my clients and helping them achieve their design goals – any size project. I think the mantra for today’s design projects is “I can help you with ANY size project.” People still have design needs in the home even though they aren’t remodeling or building. People still have ongoing projects. For instance, I have one client with a rental property they wanted to remodel before putting it on the "market" so they hired me to walk through, tell them what was needed, design changes, select replacement fixtures, price the work, schedule the contractors and manage the implementation. They knew they could hire me to take care of it from start to finish. That’s very valuable for people who don’t know how to do it or would rather spend their time doing something else. Interior design requires a lot of teamwork, attention to detail and completing it on time and in budget. These are things interior designers do very well. I have always felt that the residential designer is in a very unique position because they are usually the first person in on a project and the last person out so they have a great amount of influence. My goal is mainly communicating to my client’s that I understand that their projects maybe a different size than in the past but they are no less important to me. Other than that, my own desire to serve clients in ways that they might not even know they will benefit from like designing safety in the home inspires me. Most people equate interior design with efficiency and beauty and not necessarily safety. My practice goals center around making environments that preserve good health, reduce the likelihood of injury and providing safety.

AS: What steps are you taking to achieve these goals?

LB: I have always kept my clients up-to-date on what I'm doing through direct mail and email. If I’m doing a lecture about design, I send clients and vendors an invitation and let them know. I let them know where and how I’m progressing, reinforcing the fact that I’m still here – learning and improving and ready and willing to work with them at any time. I’m speaking to the public also, which reinforces their trust and respect in the vitality of my firm. I often hear back from them, thanking me for sending the invitations. I even have vendors attend my lectures and that is heartwarming – a drapery workroom seamstress I have known for over 20 years took time out of her busy schedule to come hear me speak. Achieving goals is simply staying visible, active and vital and making sure my clientele sees me in that way.

AS: What goals have been inspired by client feed back?

LB: All the goals I have are influenced by client’s feedback – maybe not just feedback from my own clients but by things that I read in other articles or about other projects and what is going on in the profession, keeping up with the expectations of current day clients and how the demographics change.

In the article, you will remember that I learned that some of my client’s were made uncomfortable by my billing structure and how and when I charged for what service. Now, I outline the stages of the project and how my services will be invoiced in each stage. I think the repetition of including that in the proposal (which I send out no matter how many times I work with a client because it gives a map of the project goals and deadlines) and the contract. I have not heard of any concerns about how my fees are invoices since then. I worked with a business writer who helped me put these documents together and make them very user friendly. When I invoice my clients, I reference which phase of the project the services pertains to and this actually reinforces the previous documents. I continually invite them to ask me any questions or concerns and never hesitate to talk to me – this is actually written on my proposal. Open communication is very important to me and is what builds trust in our relationship.

Another major element in business today is technology. It's influence has changed so much since I wrote this article 14 years ago. It is primary in everyone’s practice. It is really important to communicate that the expertise and knowledge that an interior designer brings to a project cannot possibly be replaced by the availability of product research on the web. The internet has brought a lot of opportunity for product acquisition but that’s not what a designer is selling. A designer is selling knowledge and expertise in applying finishes, fixtures and furnishings to achieve all the elements of good design – that’s not something you can download from the internet. My clients sometimes become team members with me if they want to surf the web to find items and we look at those items together, much like I would with an associate designer, to see if those items may or may not work as a solution in the space. Engaging in this is activity and encouraging participation is part of getting to know your client. They have hired you to make sure they don’t make mistakes, I often tell them they are part of our team.

AS: What’s up next for you?

LB: I’m evolving into what I’m going to be doing next. I’ve been involved more in studying nature, seeing nature and drawing patterns from nature. I would like to create patterns inspired by nature that can be applied somehow to the betterment of living environments and also focus on all things sustainable and green.
Lisa Bonneville, FASID can be found at http://www.bonnevilledesign.com/

She bases her practice out of Manchester-by-the-sea, MA

What I Learned From My Clients

2011-02-03T19:54:00.001-06:00

By: Andrea Schuch

This week, being the first week of the month, it’s time for another business article. So get out your thinking caps and read on – be sure to think about how you can apply these ideas to your own business as well as come up with some new great ideas! This article is coming out of the archives from an ASID publication Professional Designer - Strategic Mapping, similar to today's Know Your Client. It is a multi part article but the part we are reading today is from designer Lisa C. Bonneville of Bonneville Design in Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA. Tune in tomorrow to hear more from Lisa, including her feedback and new business goals.

What I Learned From My Clients
One Designer’s Experience with Marketing Research
By: Lisa C. Bonneville, ASID

A year and a half ago, I hired a facilitator to help me set forth a strategic plan for my own firm because, after 15 years, I felt a need to do some re-visioning. While I was outlining my strengths and weaknesses, the question came up: “Would my clients agree?” In other words, do my clients see me as I do? Do they know what I do best? Are they the right clients, considering what I do best – am I selling my professional services to the right market? What market is best for my unique skills?

I decided to survey my clients of the past three years – whose projects were still fresh on their minds – and ask them for specific input to determine the answers to my questions. This exercise would confirm my clients’ perceptions of me as well as to help me to understand what actually is important to them.

Answers – and Questions

I worked with my facilitator to establish the answers I wanted and from there we determined what questions to ask and how to ask them. It was very important to make the survey unintimidating and easy to complete and return so the length was limited to one page and the questions were to the point. We included a mix of yes/no, fill in the blank, value rated and open answer questions.

The format of the mailing was very carefully thought out. This piece needed to accomplish three things:

1. To demonstrate to my clients my interest in their satisfaction, their input and their honesty;

2. To reinforce my image as a true professional concerned with my process methods and their total satisfaction; and

3. To thank them for their participation, their friendship and their business.

Three elements became important to include: a brief personalized greeting including a reminder of the project we had recently completed together and an explanation of the purpose of the survey; the survey itself; and a gift that communicated my appreciation for their time in completing it. I wanted this piece to also serve as a public relations piece for my firm so the design and language of the correspondence were of utmost importance.

The survey was designed as a triple-fold, double sided, self-mailer. The questions comprised one full side and the upper third of the back. The remaining two-thirds of the back, where were the two exposed sides when folded for return mailing, included a block of copy for a short version of my firm profile and an block for the mailing label and return address and pre-attached postage stamp.

I wanted to make it attractive to my clients to complete the survey so I included a small “gift.” I know for myself, it I receive the “thank you” before I actually do something to deserve it – I am more inclined to perform as asked (a guilt thing!). So, I cut “details” from photos of my clients’ projects and attached them to business card-size magnets purchased at an office supply store. For those projects in process, I chose photos of the very worst “before” shots to remind the client of the welcome change my services had brought about for them. These magnets were a big hit – even in offices.

I wanted to give them something useful, and, at the same time, favorably remind them of my firm and the work we did together. Since a few of my clients have relocated since our lsat project, these reminders of their previous achievements were especially heartwarming for them.

The mailing was produced entirely in-house. My former education in graphic design and my office assistant’s expertise with the simple graphic options available on our word processing software, WordPerfect, have proven to be very valuable in producing all manner of office mailings and forms.

I mailed a total of 38 surveys and received 17 responses. I was very pleased with this remarkable 44.74% response rate. I learned that 70% of my business comes from referrals, 12% from newspaper advertising, 6% from show house work, 6% from the phone book yellow pages and 6% from my volunteer work in my community.

My clients were honest. I believe this was due, in part, to the “optional” signature requested, but then 14 of the 17 respondents signed their surveys! I learned that although I conduct post-occupancy evaluations at the time of completion of all projects, they were more willing to share more of what they were not completely satisfied with in this survey format. I think this may have been due to the non-threatening, not face-to-face nature of my survey. Also, the advantage of hindsight is invaluable and it takes a little distancing to achieve that.

Lessons Learned

One of the most important lessons learned from my survey was that I need to improve my communication skills. A couple of my clients commented that they experienced some discomfort in asking questions about my fees. Specifically, they were unclear at certain times during the project about how I had estimated and organized my billable time throughout the duration of their projects. They indicated that, at times, they were uncertain whether an unplanned meeting or a consultation that strayed beyond the original project outline would result in additional fees or would be included in what was already agreed upon. This lack of clarity made them feel uncomfortable on these occasions. This was very valuable input and I appreciated their honesty. I immediately took stock in my demeanor, reviewed when, how and how often I discuss my fees with my clients, and revised my communication procedures to create more opportunities for clarification throughout the entire process of a project.

A few clients confided that I gave them too much detail regarding net expenses on services invoices. I had always believed that the client really wanted to know where every dollar went – this is simply not true. As a result of this input, I decided to acquaint each client, at the start of the project, with the detailed records I keep and give them the option of whether or not to see the breakdown of their invoices. I also now consider burying my net costs in my hourly fee when preparing an estimate for my services.

One client informed me that I was overloading her with too many decisions at each meeting. This made me realize that my perception of what was considered efficient use of meeting time did not take into consideration the limits certain clients may have regarding large project presentations (certain clients who hire us because they can’t or choose not to deal with the confusion and details of the process). With each client it is very important to appreciate from the start their unique needs and preferences for process – separate from content. Learning how to work with each client is an acquaired ability which can mean more to the project than being the very best interior designer in town.

I have determined that the value of this survey goes far beyond the first mailing I made last fall. It has become integrated into my design process and will be included in my written follow up contact with each client six months after the completion of each project. It has also become a vehicle through which I can gain ongoing input resulting in ongoing improvement. In addition, I have received wonderful testimonials through some of the written responses that I plan to incorporate into the profile pages of my firm’s presentation packet.

I do plan to send surveys out on an ongoing basis; they will be edited and revised a bit over time as my own services continuum changes, new services are added and others revised for optimum effectiveness. I may also need to design another one for my repeat clients so that I can measure my performance over time. The content and format for this could be designed with the help of these faithful and trusted clients.

Lisa Bonneville, ASID is principal of Bonneville Design in Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA. At the time of print, her design business was about 75% residential and 25% commercial.

For more information on ASID, click here.

New to the Showroom in January

2011-01-28T11:31:00.000-06:00

By: Andrea Schuch

January is not always an exciting month in design. Clients and designers are winding down from the holidays. We haven't received in but a few new accessories so what can I tell you about this week? This GREAT new collection of trims from Fabricut. The collection is called Jeweled Obsession, what can I say, I'm OBSESSED! Even the picture to the left is so unique that it has to catch my eye, and hopefully yours! Not pictured in this photo is the beaded cord Preville - it is so darling and would add the perfect amount of jazzing up! As of today, the pictures of the trims in this collection are not up on Fabricut's website yet, so I guess you'll all have to trek in to see us and the trims. The book is over in the trim cabinet by Beacon Hill with a bright NEW tag on it.

When talking with the memo room about this trim collection, they mentioned the new Philip Gorrivan II collection from Highland Court that just walked through the back door! There are amazing patterns, specifically pattern 190095H (shown below in Blush 124). This adorable dot pattern makes me mad I don't have a little girl's room to decorate. It comes in a blue as well but I just think it might be too "girly" for my boys! The picture on the right shows several of the patterns from the collection. Be sure to hop on Highland Court's webiste or jump on in the showroom to check out this great collection.

What's the History on Blue Dyes?

2011-01-20T14:18:00.000-06:00

By: Andrea Schuch
Blue fabrics and accessories seem to be an everyday occurrence lately – although the history shows that it wasn’t always that way. Blue dyes were originally very difficult to produce and were used specifically for royalty and religious paintings. It was only found in ultramarine (extracted from lapis lazuli), which was as expensive as gold. Soon enough, blue dyes were able to be extracted from the leaves of woad plants. The smell that resulted from this process was so awful that it was banned within three miles of any royal residence by Queen Elizabeth I. Most common day blue dyes are synthetic and originated in 1724 by accident when a chemist mixed potash with iron sulphate intending to make red. Using synthetic dyes made access to the once very pricey color reasonable and thus it began entering households of the everyday consumer. Popular collectibles - blue and white porcelain is made using white porcelain or pottery and a blue pigment – usually cobalt oxide. The decorations are commonly applied by hand, stenciling or transfer-printing. Blue fabrics are made with a synthetic blue dye. Fabrics used to be dyed with indigo but indigo needs to go through a chemical change to be water soluble for dying. You can purchase indigo that has been processed into free dried crystals that you could add to warm water which will allow you to dye blues.
Today, we know this color as many people’s favorite color and can easily sell this color to many different clients. Below are some of the many blue fabrics we have here at CDT. Be sure to notice the new Stroheim blue and white

Stroheim (new at CDT) has some of the greatest blue and white fabrics. Shown left and below.

This negative print is from Duralee in navy. (20866 - 206) - Also a plus - 100% cotton!

Below is Robert Allen's Stacy Lyn - Bluebell, a soft creamy background with multi colored blue threads running through the embroidery.

Sources:

The English Home February 2011 Issue 66: Blue’s Rich Heritage

Wikipidea: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_and_white_porcelain

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigo_dye

Associated Content from Yahoo: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1785714/indigo_dye_makes_rich_blue_yarns_and.html

Add Some Glass

2011-01-14T10:05:00.000-06:00

By: Andrea Schuch

I started collecting wine glasses from all the exciting places I have visited several years back on my trip to Europe. Since then, wine glasses have been my version of the states magnets or t-shirts that often come home as souvenirs. It all started in Greece but by the end of my trip there were several very breakable packages that surprisingly made it back and have survived two moves since. I have them on display in my kitchen and bring most of them down when company arrives. It’s always a talking point because we only have two of each glass and they are all unique – some colorful, some from local artisans, some from famous outfits. They also look great mismatched on a table filled with wonderful accessories or meandering around the house. The piece de résistance is a pair of glasses with golden rims from Moser – the crystal sister company of famous porcelain producer Herend in Hungary. I purchased them pre-wedding and had thought that I would use them as our wedding goblets but in the end, I was too afraid they would get broken and to this day have never been used. I am still thinking that I’ll bring them down some day, maybe… None the less, glassware adds a definite touch to any dining area – as an accessory or to be used by your guests. Some of the most beautiful candle holders are cut glass as well as some great platters.

There are great glass pieces to add such as Uttermost (12773 Aria Mirror) – still a hot shape of the starburst but in glass pieces of calming colors - blue, green and white.

Or this very detailed glass mirrored floor screen from LaBarge (LS0062). (This, by the way, would look great with my gold wine glasses.)

Or this candle holder from Elizabeth Marshall (in my favorite color of green, of course) will produce a beautiful light in any room (31-50-11843). We have these in the showroom in a golden color that look great!

I think glass adds such a great element to a room. Not only can it be beautiful but because it can change the light in the room - you can change the whole appearance of all the accessories too!

What is your favorite glass piece?

2011 Can Be Heaven... If You Plan Your Goals Correctly

2011-01-06T20:43:00.000-06:00

By: Andrea Schuch
So last week we heard from Kelly Guinaugh of Interior Enhancement Group, a design firm in Inverness, IL, she shared with us how she is setting goals for her company to ensure a prosperous 2011. Since this is our monthly slot for a business article - I chose one from 2007 based on goal setting. I have modified it a little to relate to this coming year but I think it's definately an article to learn from. So take a seat, grab a pen and some paper and get ready to start taking notes. Goals are very important for a company, having them means giving your company a direction - so get started!
(Original article in Draperies & Window Coverings magazine in December 2006 by Steven C. Bursten)
We are focusing on why you want to set goals and the fundamentals to prepare. Possibly even more importantly, we will address the fears that may be holding you back. Many studies have shown that only about five percent of business owners set goals. Yet, it can be the single most powerful way to visualize and plan your business to earn the money you deserve.
Once you know the sales you want, and you are prepared correctly, it is so easy! Here are four steps to prepare and execute a solid goal setting program.
Step 1: Keep Records
If you don't have records to tell you where you are, it is impossible to correctly plan improvement. Do you know how many appointments you had last year? Usually, fewer than three percent know the answer. Most don't know how many customers they had last year.
Appointments are the most important key to success in a design business. If you don't know your number of appointments, you can't know your closing rate. If you don't know how many customers you sold, you can't know the average size of your customer sale.
Step 2: Set Benchmarks
You must know the three things that affect your sales. It has nothing to do with "great service" or "quality products" or any of the other ideas and opinions I hear so often. Instead, it has to do with the facts.
There are only three measurable facts to affect your sales:
1. Number of appointments
2. Closing ratio
3. Average size of customer sale
All the rest is fluff and talk. Improve any of these three and you improve your sales. When you know these three things about your business for the last year (or even the last 90 days) you can set them as benchmarks to improve for next year. In the next step, I will tell you the best one of the three to make the most money quickly.
Step 3: Set Goals to Improve
Only after you know your benchmarks can you set goals to improve. When you know your total sales and number of customers sold last year you can determine your average customer sale. (Count the transactions not the names; you may sell the same name two or three times during the year!)
The best way to improve your sales is to increase your average size of sale. That is more powerful than getting more appointments and more effective than improving closing ratio.
Step 4: Visualize your Plan
Your plan must always begin with the number of appointments you require. After you know the benchmarks of your appointments per month, you can improve it by a number you are willing to fight for. You can increase appointments by increasing awareness with potential customers. You can use time (flyers, phone calls, special demonstrations and canvassing) or you can use money (advertising by media, direct mail, yellow pages and more), but you should not expect to increase appointments without first increasing awareness.
This is why your sales plan is so critical. When you decide the appointments you require, the next step is to develop a marketing plan to create awareness.
Is Fear Holding you Back?
So, after years of reading about goal setting, why aren't you constructing a sales plan and marketing plan? Chances are the old ghost of fear is holding you back. I was reading Napolean Hill's Think and Go Rich, the original self-improvement book written more than 70 years ago and still the most powerful of it's type. The book fell open to a message I want to share with you at this time of the year as you plan your future. Napolean Hill understood the debilitating impact of fear and addresses it often, but never better than his chapter on "Six Ghosts of Fear," in which he asks, "Do you use these alibis?"
People who do not succeed have one distinguishing trait in commong. They know all the reasons for failure and have what they believe to be air-tight alibis to explain their lack of self achievement.
Some of these alibis are clever, and a few of them are justifiable by facts. The world wants to know only one thing- have you acheived success? A character analyst compiled a list of the most commonly used alibis. As you read the list, examine yourself carefully, and determine how many of these alibis, if any, are your own property. Remember too that the philosophy presented in this book makes every one of these alibis obsolete.
Following is an edited list of Hill's alibis selected for being especially relevant to design sales:

If I had been given a chance...
If I now had a chance...
If I could meet "the right people"...
If I had the talent some people have...
If I dared assert myself...
If I only had somebody to help me...
If I could just get started...
If I had the personality of some people...
If my talents were known...
If I were sure of myself...
If luck were not against me...
If I only had a business of my own...
If I had a good education...
If I could get a job...
If times were better...

Napolean Hill goes on to explain that behind every one of these alibis is a fear that is holding you back. This year, put your fears behind you. Don't hide behind an alibi.
Have a happy, successful and prosperous New Year!

As I was talking with Steve this week, he mentioned that he is having a seminar that he is opening up to all of our readers at NO COST! Click here for more info!

Positioning Your Company for a Prosperous 2011 with Kelly Guinaugh

2010-12-30T12:21:00.001-06:00

By: Andrea Schuch

This week I'm talking with Kelly Guinaugh, owner of Interior Enhancement Group. Kelly has consistantly been one of our top ten designers for several years now and has operated her design business out of Inverness, Illinois for 12 years. What a great resource for designers growing their business to hear and learn from! Her insight is sure to be inspiration for designers that already have a thriving business to start looking at their company in a new light as well. Kelly will talk with us about her business success in the past, her goals going forward and how she positions her company to ensure future success.

AS: What steps have you taken to ensure success for your company in 2011?
KG: In 2010 we worked to develop processes and procedures so that we are doing things in the most efficient and effective manner. We are still in process in aspects of this and I believe as we continue implementing, tweaking, and improving we will be in a very good position to continue our growth in a sustainable manner.
We have set goals for 2011 in terms of our marketing plan, the new clients we want in terms of the size of their projects and the type of project, and of course, revenue goals. I strongly believe that goals need to be written down and be measureable so that you can see if you are on track and can make necessary changes along the way.

AS: What do you feel is most important to focus on in this economy?
KG: In my opinion the most important thing to focus on is adding value to your clients. That is true regardless of the economy. What can I do to enhance their living environment in the most impactful way so that they will enjoy their space(s) in new and greater ways. This means solving their problems and sometimes that doesn’t immediately translate into sales but they will follow.

AS: What are your thoughts on the ratio of quotes to actual sales and how do you justify the amount of quotes to the amount of sales you get? Do you find that doing quotes a specific way gets the sales closed at a higher rate? Do you find that smaller sales vs. larger sales get closed faster?
KG: This question relates back to the previous one in terms of having goals. You need to know your closing ratio. Once you determine your closing ratio you will know how many quotes you need to generate to meet your sales goals. If your closing ratio is not where you want it to be I would question if you are working with the right clients. Designers are a luxury service and we need to be sure that we are working with qualified prospects and clients.
My design options are always quoted and provided during the design presentation. This is more work up front, however, I have found that it provides our clients with complete information and they don’t need to wait to make a decision. They are able to sign the contract during that meeting and move on with other things in their lives knowing the design is underway.
We also typically do not show more than three options and that also helps our clients to make their decisions. They have hired us for your expertise and part of that is paring down the decisions for them. If we provide too many choices it becomes more difficult to make a decision.

AS: Do you find yourself focusing more on commercial or residential work, etc?
KG: In 2010 our projects were nearly all residential and this was a change from the years prior which was economy driven. I enjoy a mix of both and will make sure that we are marketing ourselves to both sides of the business in 2011.

AS: Is there any business advice that you have found invaluable going into 2011?
KG: Besides what I have mentioned in previous questions I would also add the importance of partnerships with our vendors. Partnering with vendors, sub contractors, etc. that you trust, that follow through in a timely manner and help you provide the best service to your clients is critical. We play an important part in these relationships being successful by respecting our agreements with them. When we do this we are all in a win-win.

AS: As one of our consistent top ten designers, what do you attribute your business success to?
KG: First and foremost, you must provide great design and that goes without saying. To me that means really listening to your clients and gaining understanding so that we can provide them with the best design solutions. Your existing client base is your best referral base as well as revenue source for future business so stay in close touch and do all you can to make sure the experience is very positive.
Another important factor is investing in your business by staying up on technology advances and learning new efficiencies. This keeps you fresh and helps you relate with your clients.
Last, know where you want to go in terms of your business and track your success. This means creating a written plan which includes measureable goals.

Watch for next weeks post to give you ideas on setting goals for your company: what kind of goals to set and what to do once you have goals set.... Tune in!

You can see more about Kelly's firm on her website, facebook, or her blog.

New Items in the Showroom!

2010-12-23T09:08:00.000-06:00

By: Andrea Schuch
It's always exciting to get a new pallet of accessories or have a few new pieces of furniture delivered - both happened this month! So many new and exciting things to share...

We have tons of new blue and white pieces - if you've seen the new Veranda, you know that it's still a hot item and with so many diverse items like this one, it's easy to mix and match to your client's liking!

Or how about this great chair with the Beacon Hill fabric. The chair is from Cox, along with the bench below. Both great looking pieces!

This bowl from Elizabeth Marshall reminds me of an ice cream scoop, such a unique shape that will be sure to draw attention to an arrangement in your client's home.

Great little birds from Elizabeth Marshall... alright - we've had these before in a different color, but it brings some hope for spring, I think! With all this snow, I'm wishing it a little early this year.

Loving these nesting tables, perfect transitional piece that can fit into so many spaces. The best part about them (if you ask me...) is that they are made from reclaimed railroad ties. I love these tables, just for that reason! Great for any eco-conscious client.

Fabric Backings and Protections - What to get when?

2010-12-16T09:26:00.000-06:00

By: Andrea Schuch
We have several furniture manufacturers that consistently request backing on fabrics, along with many, many designers who are requesting fabric protection – but what kind to get? Backing is a great way to increase the length of a fabric’s life and it usually makes the fabric look very luxurious. It can also add to your bottom line. Industry experts weigh in below on the type of protection to use and when.

When to use knit backing and when to use acrylic backing?

Lee Frew, Owner of Frew Enterprises says: I love the knit backing--I love how it beefs up a silk and makes it really luxurious. It is most often used for delicate fabrics being used for upholstery, but it is very useful to strengthen fabrics for window treatments. For instance, on super-long panels, it will help keep the fabric from stretching or bagging. On cornices, it will allow the workroom to pull the fabric nice and taut, but the fabric still maintains its appearance. (Doesn’t get so distorted or sometimes the weave will start to separate in looser-woven fabrics.) It will also add support and body to roman shades. To me, it's like an extra layer of interlining, with the benefit that, being adhered to the face fabric; it would never pull away, like if a panel were hanging over an air vent. Personally, I am not a fan of the acrylic back for window treatments that are meant to have some drape to them -- it stiffens them too much. Also, that acrylic backing is a pain to sew, because it is sticky and doesn't want to run under the presser foot easily. (Although there are sewing machines made just to combat that problem.) It really does a good job for upholstery jobs, because it really stabilizes the face fabric. Backing is a must for delicate fabrics being used for a slip cover. All these crazy new fabrics with texture combinations (tight and loose together) really benefit, too; the backing makes them more stable and the treatment will keep its shape.
Arnold Espinal – Customer Service Manager of Duralee Fine Furniture says: Fabric backing is determined by the fabric’s properties. The fabrics weight, weave, stretchiness, type of fabric, see through fabric, etc are all factors that are used to determine what kind of backing is required. For example chenille's and lighting woven are usually recommended for acrylic backing and silk and see through fabric are usually recommended for knit-backing.
Cris of Schneider Banks says: Knit backing is normally used for light weight fabrics, silks and chenilles. It leaves the fabric softer than the acrylic backing. Acrylic backing is normally used for upholstery weight fabric or for wall upholstery like wallpaper which we treated with our Wall Upholstery Double Acrylic Backing. Our Standard Stain Protection is recommended with Acrylic or Double Acrylic Backing the fabric.

When do you usually request a backing be applied?

Arnold Espinal – Customer Service Manager of Duralee Fine Furniture says: At the time the fabric is received in the factory is when an inspection is done to determine if a fabric requires backing and what type of backing is needed.

What is Duraguard, when do you want that? (From Duralee Fabrics)?

Sue of Duralee Fabrics Customer Service says: Duraguard is a sprayed on finish. It goes on wet but dries quickly. It is used a stain repellent. Regardless of using Teflon or Duraguard, be sure to tend to the spill immediately. If a stain is left for a period of time and is no longer able to be wiped up with a cloth, have the item professionally dry cleaned.

What are the benefits of Teflon?

Cris of Schneider Banks says: Our Standard Stain Protection is comparable to a Teflon (which is trademarked) finish. It is a water/ soil protection which should last the life of the fabric. It will withstand launderings and dry cleanings (however the fabric is to be cleaned).

What is the new process nanotex?

Arnold Espinal – Customer Service Manager of Duralee Fine Furniture says: Nanotex is a trademarked soil and stain repellent that is applied to the surface of the fabric.
Cris of Schneider Banks says: It is comparable to our Premium Stain Protection which is a double application to both sides of the fabric and it a water/ soil protection which will last the life of the fabric. It will withstand launderings and dry cleanings (however the fabric is to be cleaned).

What do you see fabrics with clear lamination applied to it used most for?

Lee Frew, Owner of Frew Enterprises says: Laminated fabrics; I've seen it mostly used for chair seats and cushions, and placemats. I know it gets used for roller shades, but I've never had to do that personally.
Arnold Espinal – Customer Service Manager of Duralee Fine Furniture says: We have only received two laminated fabrics come through over the last three years for a sofa and chairs. Both orders were for different customers, but were used in assisted living facilities.
Cris of Schneider Banks says: Tablecloths, placemats, chair seats and patio furniture.

Tips on Sending Holiday Cards to Clients

2010-12-14T09:50:00.000-06:00

By: Andrea Schuch
This is a time of year where it's actually exciting to go out to the mailbox and see how your friends and family are doing. Maybe you'll get some photos from friends that you haven't seen in a while or letters from relatives. Either way, it's great to catch up. The winter holidays are also a great time for marketing. Sending a card wishing your clients well and promoting yourself can be tricky though! If you have thoughts - weigh in! Here are some tips from industry experts.

Deborah Flate of Dialogue Consulting says: I actually send New Years cards as they don’t get “lost” in the crowd…but holiday cards should avoid having any religious undertone. That could be offensive to some. It also needs to be really “cool” to get above the noise. I think company logos and colors should go on everything! It can be subtle but it’s all about that getting in front of potential clients with that “stick” factor in mind! You should basically have a message to enjoy the holidays. I am a hippy..so I always wish a happy, peaceful holiday season. I think people generally like photos of the staff again without religious overtones. That’s not to say something cute like Santa hats or reindeer antlers..those are more holiday than religious. Those can always be "photoshopped" in. I also think (and I do this every year) donate to a charity in lieu of gifts to my clients. We all get just enough popcorn and candy to last a lifetime (and a year’s sign up for Jenny Craig!!) I think it’s a nice touch and I think people take notice (I know my friends and clients do). I believe the more unusual the card, the better (for branding purposes!!). Although this year because I just don’t have the time, I am doing a 4 x 9 note card format. Personally, I do not like the ones you order from the places that offer “holiday” cards. I think if you take time to do a more unusual card, people take notice. People would always comment on my cards (but as I said in years past, I made them myself and they were very labor intensive, but very special!). I have actually done custom cards for interior designers who have seen mine. I think of holiday cards as another marketing piece. Just a way to “get in front of your potential client”. And, if done correctly. Getting above the noise and thoughtfully…it WILL get you business eventually. But that’s why you want to always put your website. My website is designed into part of my logo.

Jennifer Jeffs of Caminitti and Associates says: You want something eye catching and personalized to your company. Something they would want to keep and hang with the rest of their cards. Companies should always put their logo on their holiday cards, it’s always good to remind your client who sent the card with their Holiday wishes! I recommend putting a nice message on the cards, maybe a message that includes upcoming business such as “Happy Holidays…look forward to seeing you in the New Year”. Also, a website with the logo should be there so clients can easily look you up while you are on their minds. Depending on how big the firm is and how much the associates deal with your clients you may want to include a staff photo. If your staff talks to clients a lot via phone, then it is a nice idea to send a photo so that the client can out a name with a face. The graphics you use should coincide with your business. For a designer, for example, maybe a tree with furnishings as the ornaments, or a wreath made of red, green, purple and gold fabrics…. Postcards are generally less expensive and easier format to hang and read. However, I recommend using envelopes rather than putting a label on it, as the traditional postcard does. As for marketing during the holiday season, word of mouth is great, give referral cards to each client. If you have client emails, maybe send a holiday card in an eblast just to say have a great holiday season.

Check out Deborah Flate on Facebook, her blog, or her website for more information.

Great Salespeople are Great Fishers - Part II

2010-12-03T08:56:00.000-06:00

By: Robert E. Ayrer
Selling Takes Skill
If you do not have the desire, the drive or a positive attitude, professional selling is not for you. All of the skills of selling are learned behavior. Anyone who really wants to be a professional salesperson and is willing to pay the price in time and effort to learn the skills, as in any ohter profession, can be successful in sales. There is no such thing as a "born" salesperson. Selling requires hard work and determination.
Where do you start? Marketing! Marketing will tell you who your prospects are, what they want, where they go for what they want and why they should buy. Keep in mind that prospects don't want your products or services - they want what the product or service does for them personally.
Bad News! The Golden Rule is Dead!
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, means that everyone I encounter wants the same things I want in this world. Not so! Customers' wants are as individulal as fingerprints. No two persons have the same history, education, values, wants or needs. We are all individuals.
What does this mean to a salesperson? You must learn to find out your prospects' passions and desires before you try to "sell" them anything. How do you do that? By asking good questions and listening naively to the answers. Naively, with no assumptions or preconceived ideas about why the buyer should buy.
A popular motivational speaker says the key to good selling is to "Get in front of a prospect and tell your story." If you follow this school of selling, your closing rate will be average at best. When you drag out your stuff before you understand each prospect's unique wants and needs, you wind up "spilling your popcorn in the lobby."
Most of us have prepared resumes and endured interviews for jobs. Are you aware that the function of the interview and resume is to eliminate you from consideration? When an employer has 100 resumes to review for one position, the first thing the employer looks for is a reason to disqualify you, not hire you. When prospects have multiple sources to get what they think they need, they are not looking for a reason to buy from you; they are looking for a reason to eliminate all but one contender. It takes selling skill to be that one.
So, you market to get the highest possible prospects; you get appointments; and you ask good questions. When you find their passion (the "What's in it for ME?) issues, then you're ready to show your stuff. Not all your stuff, mind you, but only your stuff which links to the buyer's passion points.
Find the Link Between Your Offering and Their Passion Points
Link your stuff to their passion points with the three-step presentation - Feature, Advantage and Benefit. Feature is something that "is" about your product; Advantage is what that feature "does;" and Benefit is what that means to the buyers in relation to their passion.
Each time you make a link between your offering and their passion, ask a follow up question such as, "Will that get you what you want?" When you have linked all you have in you feature bag to all of the passion points (there will usually be only one or two), and you agreement from the prospects that they will get what they want from your offering, then ask for the order.
Remember that fishers don't catch fish; they encourage them to swallow the hook. You close the sale, not by just asking for the order, but by getting the buyers to realize that they are going to get everything they want from your proposal - the bait on the hook. The big secret fishers know, too, is that you first wait for the fish to desire and reach for the bait before yanking on the line. With the same strategy, salespeople must first close the sale by convincing buyers that the product will satisfy their passion points, before asking for the order.

Great Salespeople are Great Fishers - Part I

2010-12-02T10:52:00.000-06:00

By: Robert E. Ayrer
No fisher ever hooked a fish. You catch fish by getting the fish to swallow your hook! Professional salespeople do not "sell" a prospect. The get the prospect to buy.
What does it take to be a good fisher? First you must have good bait. Then you must have an attractive lure. You will need a bobber to let you know when the fish is nibbling at your bait and you will need a strong line to tie it all together and land the fish.
Once you have all the equipment, you must go where there are hungry fish. For best results, you should fish where the big fish hide. Then make sure you get your bait and lure in front of the big, hungry fish. When a fish swallows your bait, you must have the skill to set the hook and land it.
In selling, the bait is your product or service. You must have a product or service that satisfies a hunger in your target market. If you do not have a product or service that people will pay to get, the rest of the process is irrelevant. The very best salespeople cannot sell a product noone wants.
Your marketing material is your lure. All of your marketing material should offer your prospects the opportunity to identify themselves to you. This is your "bobber" and when they identify themselves, you stop marketing and begin selling.
With the Necessary Tools, You Can Land the Big Fish
The selling process you use to bring a prospect to a buying decision is the line that ties it all together. If you are not following a disciplined, well-defined selling process, you are fishing with a weak line. You may be able to attract big fish and get them to nibble your bait, but you won't land them.
Defining the right fishing hole and knowing where the "big ones" hide is your prospecting and qualifying process. Creating attractive marketing collateral material is building your lure. Taking your prospect through the discovery process to a buy decision is your "line."
Once you have defined your target market, profiled your best prospect, created your collateral material, placed your material where your target market goes for information and created a response mechanism, you should be spending your time with only the highest probability prospects.
A great deal of energy and time has been put into making selling seem like a mysterious and complex issue. In fact, selling is simple - but not easy. It is fundamentally a discipline. It takes knowledge, skill and an internal drive to succeed. It takes enthusiasm and a positive attitude.

Stay tuned for Part II tomorrow!

Thank You Gifts for Clients

2010-11-13T13:25:00.000-06:00

By: Andrea Schuch
Many designers also give their clients gifts throughout the year, but especially during the holidays as a thank you for the year. Sometimes it can be hard to come up with cute ideas that your clients will love, so… I’ve done the dirty work for you! Below are several gender neutral gifts for you to ponder - some even from CDT. Many of them will work for year round gifting – when you finish that big job or have a huge install!

Mug with a lid - Great for office or home! Check out this one from Hopesndreams.

A little holiday pillow can go a long way. Perfect for the client that loves holiday decorating and has a decor that would lend itself to the colors of the holiday. This pillow can be is from Shawnee23.

A picture frame is great for those clients that love having photos of their family, friends and pets around. You can get very stylish frames, such as this one, at CDT.

If you're looking for something small, a small ornament like this zipper heart might do the tric - reasonably priced with a designer look! Find this one at Bogate Design.

If you're looking for a more masculine gift or for an office space, this Timeworks clock might just do the trick! Perfect for a desktop or guest room. We have several of these wristwatch clocks in the showroom.

How about a wreath, like these from Blooms & Rooms. She had her Holiday Sale this weekend and these treasurea are just some of the items you can find at her turn of the century farmhouse showroom. Both of these are reasonably priced so you won't give up all your profits.

Blankets and Throws

2010-11-04T11:17:00.000-05:00

By: Andrea Schuch

I have seen several articles this week as well as having a conversation about blankets and throws. I think the chill in the air is making all of us want to curl up and snuggle with a warm throw. These can also be used as great accessories. Adding a pop of color or texture has never been so easy! There are endless possibilities to creating these snuggly winter friends.

There are so many great fabrics to use for throws, here are a few!

Robert Allen: Beckery BK – Crimson Who wouldn’t want to snuggle up against this sweater knit?

Or try velvet for a more luxurious look…

Fabricut: Renaissance – 118

Highland Court: 180569H – 6 Gold

Robert Allen: Cashmina – Meadow

For a more masculine feel, use a wool…

Highland Court: 180483H – 42 Thistle

Or how about a whimsical touch with Robert Allen: Ashland Fur – Bison?

And can you imagine all the fabulous trims that you could put on a great throw? Heck, get creative and jazz it up with banding, beads and bullion. Go for it - and make sure you send us some pictures!

Focus on Designer: Jo Ann Adams of J.A. Adams Interiors

2010-10-29T09:33:00.000-05:00

By: Andrea Schuch
Every few weeks, we like to feature a designer in the area, especially those who we see out and about with their displays at different trade events or even those who win trade related awards. This week we are featuring Jo Ann Adams of J.A. Adams Interiors in Glen Ellyn. A few weeks ago we featured Window Designs by Diane who won the Decorative Trimmings and Hardware division of the 2010 Envision Design Competition. Jo Ann won the same competition for the Wonderful Walls division.
Jo Ann had this creative idea to do with a client's 6' square room with 10'6" ceiling and an 8' doorway. The room echoed incredibly and seemed to it's users as a dim elevator shaft. Jo Ann took inspiriation from the existing French style vanity featuring the briar rose motifs from Charles Perrault's 1697 Sleeping Beauty.

Jo Ann had the murals on the wall depicting the walls of the castle painted by Kevin Hay in Villa Park. The room also featured a beautiful pleated fabric ceiling by Barb Albrecht of The Drapery Source in Lisle.

For the full write up of this design, as well as the other winners, see the May / June edition of Vision.
Congratulations to Jo Ann!

What's the Deal with Silk Prices?

2010-10-22T09:38:00.000-05:00

By: Andrea Schuch

Silk is one of those fabrics that many designers use on a consistent basis. Its texture and look cannot be beat. Unfortunately, the price is often a deterrent. As with any fabric, the dying process can change the price of the fabric but, silk more than other fibers, tends to be on the higher end of the pricing structure. Even the base price silks start out over $30 per yard retail. Silk price can soar up in the hundreds of dollars. So what makes this fiber more expensive?

Silk fabric was first developed in China as early as 3500 BC. From the beginning, silk was a considered a luxury fabric because of its texture and luster. This silk fiber is so desired because of its triangular shape which allows for light refraction. The silk that we are all used to purchasing comes from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori. Because of the many steps of cultivation, this process can be both lengthy and tedious. After hatching, the larvae eats mulberry leaves consistently for approximately six weeks and then is ready to spin a silk cocoon. Each silkworm produces about a kilometer of silk filament. Once treated with boiling water, four to eight cocoons are harvested at once to produce a single thread. About 2500 silkworms are needed to produce one pound of raw silk which is heavier than the washed silk we are used to by about 30%.

Although the US did initially produce some silk in New Jersey during the 19th century, China still reined as the silk capital of the world and does to this day. During World War II, the US’s silk trade from China was interrupted and we began to find alternative sources, such as nylon. Silk costs are only raised due to the importing of almost all silk from China today.

Silk does provide us with great colors and textures for a room. In many cases, there is nothing that beats it!

Beacon Hill Astwood - Sienna

Sources:
http://www.texeresilk.com/cms-silk_making_how_to_make_silk.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk

New Accessories in the Showroom this Week!

2010-10-15T13:04:00.000-05:00

By: Andrea Schuch
Just unpacked some great new accessories! Come in and see them yourself, here's a sneak peak :) There are many more, with even more on their way so be sure to stop in the showroom!
Isn't this magnifying glass spectacular? Who wouldn't want this sitting on their desk?

This plate reminds me of chocolate ribbons, or maybe the salt water taffy machines swirlling around... Yum!

How cute are these golden retreiver book ends? Right at home in any dog lover's bookshelves!

These trays are so wonderful and will go with many client's decor!

Why do I love this ceramic jug? The leather handles, of course! You don't often find a great piece of ceramic with such unique handles.

What is going on with florals lately?

2010-10-07T09:25:00.000-05:00

By: Andrea Schuch
Custom floral arrangements are always a hot seller here in the showroom. We have two great local designers that design items for our floor on a regular basis: Joyce Konstantinow of Blooms & Rooms in Lakemoor and Rose Pickett of Silk N Things in Deer Park. I am talking with them this week about trends, challenges and upcoming floral events for them.

CDT: What trends are you seeing in silks that are new?

B&R: Feathers are more prevalent in the fall season. But, the biggest trend is that of succulents, miniature silk garden terrariums and a more natural design style. Designs of today have less berries and fruits.
Colors trends are less “interior” colors, but more natural hues. Brick red & gold tones are still very popular as well as neutrals; linen & ivory. Burgundy & purples are two of the most difficult colors to find in quality silks.

SNT: I have identified three trends for 2010 holiday decorating. First, "Breakfast at Tiffany's". This look epitomizes classic elegance updated with todays love of "bling". For a more casual approach, "Out of Africa" combines natural textures and pattern with a touch of shimmer that adds holiday excitement. "The Night Before Christmas" incorporates traditional Christmas motifs and colors designed to help us re-live the memories of Christmas Eve.

CDT: What challenges are silk floral producers experiencing now?

B&R: With the change in economy there has been a decrease of manufactures than there was a year ago, resulting in a smaller selection of product & varieties. The biggest challenge is in foliages. Finding realistic greens is a weekly task.

CDT: What has changed in the making of silk stems?

B&R: Silk flowers have not been “silk” for at least 6 years or more. The silk flowers of today are 100% polyester with plastic calyx & stamens. The plastic stems even have life-like thorns. Like all industries every product has a cycle and there is a definite return to more poly, but not the quality of plastic flowers like the 50’s. It a new & improved poly which in many cases is extremely realistic, and bendable and flexible with a strong/thick wire within the molded stem. Hand wrapped stems are a thing of the past. Some of this has to do with the decrease in manufactures in China. The plus of today silks are more durable, hold their color longer, & are washable. The key is in how they are designed.

CDT: What is the most common type of arrangement needed? (i.e. for a dining table, door decorations, etc)

B&R: Dining room centerpieces and foyer arrangements are still the most popular & requested, but a small foliage to tuck in a bookcase or a natural looking orchid for a side table rate a close second to the dining room.

CDT: What is upcoming for your business? (seminars or classes you may be doing?)

B&R: Nov. 11, 12, 13th, Blooms & Rooms Design Studio will be hosting a 3 day Christmas Sale at our farmhouse studio/showroom location; 31074 N. Darrell Rd., McHenry (Lakemoor) IL. The hours: Thurs. & Fri 1-7 and Sat. 11-2. Open by invitation only - please visit http://www.bloomsandrooms.com/ for morer information & register to be on the invite list or call 815-759-5959 and ask for Joyce.
On Nov. 6th & 7th we will be showing at the Barrington Park District Showcase of Arts & Treasures. This Annual Christmas Show is held at the new facility; 235 Lions Dr., Barrington. Scheduled Times: 11-5 on Sat. and 10-4 on Sunday. http://www.barringtonparkdistrict.org/
We are celebrating our 4th year in designing custom silk flowers, orchids, & greens for the Chicago Design Team showroom. As of October 4th, we are expanding our services to the trade. Blooms & Rooms will have an expanded presence at Arlington Design Center. We will be showcasing our “Rustic Urban” look & a variety of floral designs at Design d’ Vision, Ridge Ave location #3 in bldg. 2. Check out our featured look and give us your feedback.
Become a friend & follow us on Facebook -, Blooms & Rooms Design Studio L.L.C. and follow us with updates & new product introduction on our Blog at Bloomsandrooms.wordpress.com

Discontinued Fabric Puppets

2010-10-01T11:15:00.000-05:00

By: Andrea Schuch
Here in the CDT showroom, our memo room often gives away discontinued fabrics. We often hear of using them for different things but never get to see the end results. The picture to the left is a great example of our discontinued fabrics at work. Jenny Nagle (sister-in-law of Faith in the memo room) uses the discontinued fabrics and trims for her art classes at the Community School of the Arts at Wheaton College. The students were so excited to be able to use the fabrics and trims; they acted as if they had treasures. The children used the puppets in a presentation to their parents and had them tell knock-knock jokes. Jenny appreciates the fact that she was able to reuse these supplies and they aren't filling up the landfills.

Mill in Wisconsin offered solution to oil spill

2010-10-01T11:11:00.000-05:00

If you don't receive the Home Accents Today magazine, you may want to check out their website (http://www.homeaccentstoday.com/article/530806-Monterey_Mills_offers_possible_solution_to_Gulf_oil_spill_cleanup.php). There is a mill in Wisconsin, Monterey Mills, that had come up with a possible solution to the clean up problem and was in meetings with BP to use their fabric to help with the problem. Great article! You can also watch the video on YouTube with the demo of their fabric!

Hunter Douglas Wireless Wall Switches

2010-09-22T12:03:00.001-05:00

By: Andrea Schuch

Fresh out of the Hunter Douglas PowerRise seminar held on Tuesday in Itasca, I am so excited about the wireless wall switch. Get the look of hard-wiring with the price of battery power! This switch is almost the same price as the PowerRise remote but - you can mount it on the wall in a light switch sized hole for flush mount or not with a slim profile. The best part - YOU CAN'T LOOSE IT! If your house is anything like mine, remotes walk away all the time, With this being attached to the wall, you always know where it is. There are, of course, a few great options on the wall switch that are not on the remote as well like it's memory. You can operate two shade groups at once, then walk away and when you come back the switch will remember which groups you operated (this will come in handy if you are only operating a few groups all the time). Also, you can select multiple groups to raise and lower instead of doing one at a time. Definately a MUST HAVE for all your PowerRise customers!