Overcoming the real but surmountable hesitations of the post-recession consumer.
Remodelers must work harder and smarter to capture the discretionary spending dollars of high-end clients in a down economy.
These remodeling companies have been in business for 25 years or more. What’s the secret to their long-term success?
Laying a solid foundation for a working relationship during the first sales meeting.
Tom Kelly is no novice when it comes to buying other businesses. Two decades ago, the Portland, Ore.–based Neil Kelly Co. acquired a kitchen and bath dealership in nearby Beaverton.
Five-year-old Heritage Construction Services, in Houston, has all the work it wants, but founder and president Jeff Hunt wouldn’t change his sales approach even if that weren’t the case. It’s not because Hunt tries to close as many sales as possible.
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Are referrals a point of pride, or a slippery slope?
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Andrew Shore did all the selling for his company, Sea Pointe Construction, for the first decade or so that it was open for business. That changed, the Irvine, Calif., remodeler says, when “I realized that the size of the company was dependent on me doing sales forever — and that there's a finite...
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The day that Jim Fisher met and hired Pete Valentino — the man who would ultimately buy his remodeling business — came about as a result of two factors: analysis and enterprise. The analysis was done by Fisher in the mid-1990s after he observed the manner in which most contractors retired: by...
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The diligent remodeler launches into the vast world of green building.
Warner McConaughey’s drive and strong design/build program serve Atlanta’s upper-end remodeling market well.
Remodelers discover that casting off their sales manager hat can be a way to grow their business.
A picture is worth a thousand words, so when it comes to marketing your work, take the time and money to hire a professional photographer to create a picture that really helps potential clients understand your company’s strengths.
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What began as a way to improve communication between employees at Mitchell Construction evolved into sales training to improve communication with clients.
Tim Cross went into business for himself right out of high school. This was back in 1989, when a recession was wiping out construction firms like a plague in Rumson, N.J., and nationwide. Not an ideal time for a beginner to start his own company, but Cross made it happen.
Sheila Ward, a designer at Harrell Remodeling, in Mountain View, Calif., had as clients a couple doing a whole-house remodel.
Picking up the pieces — literally and figuratively — after another remodeler has left a project or been fired is one of the toughest jobs out there.
A full-service remodeling firm with annual sales of $3 million likely has a sales and office staff of six, including the production manager. Six people working 40 hours per week for 49 weeks per year (allowing 3 weeks for vacation/holidays) is a total of 11,760 hours.
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Two years ago, a consulting program peer mentioned to Mike Powell how advantageous it would be for him to retain a business coach to help grow his company.
When Steve Gray Renovations opened its doors in Indianapolis, one of the company's main goals was to create a lasting relationship with past and current customers.