It has been a while, readers and something has been nagging me. So many companies claim to be the best at what they do. This, or they claim to be different, unique or claim to value their customers and many other claims like this.

To be truly successful in most businesses, you must differentiate yourself. If you are unsuccessful at doing this, your product or service will be reduced to merely a commodity where the only thing that matters is price. Remember that in the absence of differentiation, all that remains is price.

It is very important to stand out from the crowd, to not get lost in the “sea of sameness”, to quote Larry Levine. Research your competition to see what they are doing and discover how you can do it differently, and hopefully better.

I suggest that you take an hour or two to brainstorm about what your prospect is feeling, and thinking and what will get their attention when they first meet you. It is time to seriously think out of the box with regard to how you can set yourself apart. (Sorry for the cabinetry pun).

There is a point I am getting at with this thought. I am sure you have all seen advertising where individuals or companies state that they “…truly care about our customers.” or, “We offer a very unique purchasing experience.”, or “For one of a kind service”.

Actions speak far louder than words.

My belief is that if you are actually offering your customers something special and unique, you don’t need to advertise it and much of the time, maybe should not be advertising it. If you have managed to create a unique experience for your clients, word will get out about it and your actions will carry far and wide from your client’s testimonials much better than any publicity will.

When General Motors launched their Saturn dealerships, one-price shopping and a complete tour of the vehicle and how it was made was a very new thing in the car industry. They did not have to advertise how their process set them apart. They let word of mouth do most of their speaking for them. Through this, they were able to help their Saturn cars (in my opinion, a car that was very so-so), sell incredibly well because of their customer’s overall experience.

Tiffany and Co. does not state anywhere in their advertising or website what your purchasing experience will be like. They never say anything like “We value all our clients”, or “Our customers deserve the best”, or anything such as this. They don’t have to because their reputation has spread about the amazing experience they offer when you make an appointment to shop with them. They do talk about the services they offer, but they never state how these might be different from their competitors. Sure, they offer some of the best and most unique merchandise (and very expensive), but the shopping experience has gained a reputation for being top-notch and truly special.

When I see or hear of any company that states “for a truly unique experience”, or anything like this, I am immediately skeptical. If the overall experience is unique, they wouldn’t have to say so.

It has been determined through surveys that more than half of consumers based their decision to buy not because of the product or service offered, not because of the perceived value-to-price ratio, but because of their overall buying experience.

For that reason, you must be different and if you are, in your client’s view, you will be successful.

Please don’t advertise it, just DO IT!

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I was having a great discussion with an aspiring designer at KBIS this year who is finishing up his last year in college. We were talking about his goals, aspirations, etc. and I thought he had a really good head on his shoulders, and the fact that he was at KBIS and was connecting with others in the field to help learn the ins and outs of the trade spoke volumes.

Towards the end of the conversation, he asked me what advice I might be able to offer him as a new designer. I thought for a minute because really, where do you start with a question like that? Then it occurred to me, the one thing that a designer needs to know to be successful and I delivered my answer. “Learn how to sell your work”, I said, “in any number of ways, starting with seeking out books on selling”.

A successful sales professional will actively seek out current techniques on how to sell, and also learn as much as they can about the product or service they are selling. There is a lot of focus in the interior design and kitchen and bath design industry on product and design, as there should be, but to be a successful designer, shouldn’t you also focus on how to successfully present and sell your work?

When I began my Voices From the Industry session this year, I asked how many people have received or sought out training on kitchen design and nearly everyone raised their hand. I then asked how many people have received similar training on selling their projects and only one person raised their hand. Do you see the problem here?

It is important, of course, to receive training and expert advice on all of the many elements of design if you are to be successful. Just some of these are balance, light, color, texture, form, functionality, and so on. Also important is being able to express these elements of a design to your client.

Wouldn’t you agree, though that it is also important to receive training on elements of selling and presenting your work? This would include things such as prospecting, discovery, setting expectations, communication, how to negotiate, and finally, how to sell the project.

You can be a brilliant and talented designer, but if you can’t manage to overcome some of the hurdles in order to sell your work, you will not succeed.

My advice: Learn how to sell, using up-to-date methods, sourcing material, and mentors that are using modern methods that are proven effective with today’s savvy clientele. This can prove to be invaluable in learning how to effectively present and sell your work. A great starting point would be some good books on sales and selling. These do not have to be specifically written for the interior design industry since most presentational and selling methods can be applied to practically every industry.

The reality is you, as a designer are a salesperson also, and if you aren’t selling, you aren’t making money. Last time I checked, this is kind of necessary if you want to succeed. This does NOT mean you have to practice out-of-date “salesy” methods that make most people cringe. It means that you are guiding your prospect through a series of choices to help them achieve their goal: a newly designed space.

Since I have been in the kitchen and bath industry, I have been working with designers on how to present and sell their work with great success. I developed my coaching agency, SaPré, Sales and presentation training for designers and artistic professionals, to help them succeed.

Tell me what you have done to help sell your work.

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As always, your comments and thoughts are welcome!

If you are in the Kitchen and Bath industry, you most likely know that KBIS (The Kitchen and Bath Industry Show) is the event to attend every year if you want to stay completely up to date on what the newest trends are, what the consumers will be looking for in their spaces this year, and what the newest available products are.

By now, you have most likely seen many photos from the show this year on products and designs that showed off their innovative ideas and looks. It really was very exciting this year to see everyone together again since last year, everything for the show was done virtually and the excitement this year was fantastic!

I have done presentations as part of the Voices From the Industry Series (VFTI) for the past 4 years running and have been very grateful to have this opportunity to help guide designers through this forum. During this, I have the benefit of attending many of my colleagues’ presentations and I thought I would touch on some of the most common talking points that I heard this year.

The presentations and workshops at VFTI covered the topics we typically see such as Living in Place, Wellness, Color in Design, and Materials. The overwhelmingly common topic though was on how to manage all aspects of your business, how to market yourself, and how to best communicate with your clients.

The feeling I got from this was that there are so many digital solutions to marketing and managing your business that many independent owners are feeling overwhelmed and not sure of the most effective methods and tools.

As a presenter, I am always reassured when my talking points are consistent with other presenters. This lets me know that I am on the right track with my ideas with regard to providing information that people are craving, and also that my material is not outdated. This year was no different, and I thoroughly enjoyed discussing my thoughts with others.

In all of the VFTI presentations, there were two ideas that were very prevalent. The first was about identifying your target client and marketing to that specific person. You will not be a perfect fit for everyone, so don’t try to be. If you spend the time to focus your marketing and business plan around a specific clientele, you will see a far better return on your marketing investment and effort.

The second very prevalent recommendation was to make all of your targeting, and branding consistent across your marketing efforts, and platforms. This includes your social media accounts and your website. If your branding is consistent wherever your prospect finds you, they will know what your company is about, who you are targeting, and you will be more recognizable.

One common discussion throughout the show this year also was social media marketing, how to use it effectively, and what platforms to use. The biggest takeaway that I got from this is not to try and use every platform just because you can. It is best to identify which platforms your target client uses the most and focus on those only.

It was great to see everyone this year, catch up with old colleagues, and make connections with new people in the industry. If you were there, I am sure you thoroughly enjoyed it as much as I did. If you did not make it, I highly suggest you check out KBIS next year, 2023 in Las Vegas!

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As always, your comments and thoughts are welcome!