tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72900529685509297612024-03-12T19:24:05.300-07:00FAB Results with Cathy LinardAre you in the retail furniture or interior design industry? Reach your goals by Facilitating Actual Buying Results from more of your prospects! Learn how with me, Cathy Linard. Build a more successful team with one of my personalized workshops!Cathy Linard-in-the-makinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15588218106192386366noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290052968550929761.post-77974090423665486712011-05-25T10:54:00.000-07:002013-04-10T06:49:35.289-07:00Selecting the Perfect Paint ColorI’ve made many paint color mistakes in my own home over the years. I’ve come to find out, even the high-end designers can’t just pick a color from the paint fan and have it be the 1 in a 1,000 perfect color for the room. They usually use a technique like the one explained in this post.<br />
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Here is a sure-fire way to make it right the first time.<br />
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1. Get a piece of drywall from a home improvement store. Saw it in half. <br />
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2. Saw one of those halves into 3 or so equal pieces. <br />
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3. Use those 3 smaller pieces and paint a color option on each one. Don’t paint several colors on the same board - viewing 2 colors very close together can alter how they appear. <br />
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4. Use the other half of the drywall as a neutral background.<br />
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5. Move the color samples and background board to several places in the room during morning afternoon and evening.<br />
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6. Mark the sample that looks best in each location during each time of day. For example, you’d write “Kitchen, Morning” on the sample that looks best in the kitchen during morning light.<br />
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7. Tally up which sample looks best in most locations during most times of the day. Also consider when the room will be used most. For example, if you'll usually be enjoying the room in the afternoon, you may want to select the option that looked best in afternoon light.<br />
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Yes, this technique takes more time than just picking a color from the swatch wall at the paint store. But, it can save you time and money in the long run – when NO repainting is required when the job is done.<br />
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Also, if you’re tempted to skip the drywall step and just paint the color sample on the wall, be advised that those paint samples will need to be sanded down before the actual painting begins. (Otherwise, you'll see the raised edges of the paint sample when you paint over it.) Plus, it may take several coats to cover the colors of those samples painted directly on the wall. (I know because I've tried to take this shortcut. ;)Cathy Linard-in-the-makinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15588218106192386366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290052968550929761.post-67221593936811579892011-03-16T08:07:00.000-07:002011-03-16T08:07:39.598-07:00How to Convey to Your Client that Spring Is A Great Time to Buy.Spring is almost here. The gentle warm-up, barely visible buds on the trees, and sounds of birds chirping remind us that renewal after a long winter is just around the corner. Something deep inside us stirs. It’s an invigorating feeling of energy and excitement - an instinctive sensation to renew our living environment and ourselves.<br />
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This innate human reaction to the season usually manifests itself in a few ways: <br />
1. Spring cleaning to remove the layer of clutter and dust that has accumulated over the winter<br />
2. Dieting for a healthier, slimmer summer body<br />
<b>3. FURNITURE SHOPPING to make things beautiful during what is arguably the dreariest month of the year in the northern half of the country – March.</b><br />
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So, if you’re in the business of selling things for interior spaces, now is the time to “strike while the iron is hot.” People are already naturally motivated to redo & renew. Now, all you have to do is find the right pieces to make their living space “sing.”<br />
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<b>Here are a few dialogs that might help complete the buying process:</b><br />
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<i>"Since you’ve already invested time and energy into shopping around, it usually make the most sense to finalize your interior decisions now, while all your options are still fresh in your mind, and you’re motivated to make the inside of your home look fabulous. Once the warm spring weather rolls around, focus usually shifts to what needs to be done in the yard and furniture decisions will get put on the back burner. Before you know it, it will be fall and you'll be scrambling to try and find the right pieces for your room and get them in before the holidays."</i><br />
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<b>Or how about this:</b><br />
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<i>“Spring is a natural time to want to renew, refresh & redo. Our internal clocks are programmed to begin sprucing up our living environments when the weather starts warming up. If you make your buying decisions now, then you’ll have your new room before summer hits, just in time to do some entertaining - barbeques, margarita parties... And you can just relax and enjoy the fun knowing that your home looks fabulous.”</i><br />
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<b>For regular tips on being successful in the furniture business, "Like" me on Facebook - <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/FAB-Results-with-Cathy-Linard/163042457056691">Fab Results with Cathy Linard</a></b>Cathy Linard-in-the-makinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15588218106192386366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290052968550929761.post-75554858294024151002011-03-12T10:44:00.000-08:002011-03-12T10:44:01.264-08:005 Steps to Avoiding "Spousal Sabotage" of the Sales ProcessHave you ever had a customer 100% happy with everything the two of you selected… only to then have the spouse come in and hate everything. Then, it’s back to square one. That is, if the spouse will even agree to continue working with you. This is what’s commonly referred to in selling as “Spousal Sabotage.”<br />
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And it actually is human nature to do this. <b>People naturally resist decisions they were not a part of making. </b>Even if they say they don’t want to be involved, when it comes down to it, they usually have an opinion or want to feel like they’re needs have been considered.<br />
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<b>If your customer is shopping alone, avoid potential "Spousal Sabotage" by following these 5 easy steps.</b><br />
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<b>1) Collect info on the needs of all decision-makers</b><br />
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First, find out if there are other decision-makers involved in the process, maybe a spouse, girlfriend, trusted “designer” friend, Mom, etc. That way, you can be better prepared for how to handle the situation.<br />
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S<b>tart out with a simple, non-threatening question such as: <br />
<i>"Who will be using this room besides you?"</i></b> This will usually tell you if the person is married, single, or living with a significant other, without specifically asking about their living situation.<br />
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<b>Then, you can also ask,<i>"Who will be the primary user of each piece?"</i></b> e.g. - Does the husband use the chair more while the wife uses the sofa? If this is the case, not each piece of furniture has to fit the comfort needs of both people perfectly. Sometimes, this is impossible to do anyway, especially if the wife is 5’ 2” and the husband is 6’2”.<br />
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<b>Next, when your customer is trying out furniture options, make sure to ask how she thinks the spouse will like the pieces. </b><br />
<i>“You mentioned your husband needs a lot of support for his back, do you think this chair will provide that for him?”<br />
“Do you think it sits deep enough for his height?”</i><br />
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<b>Finally, when your customer brings in her spouse, meet them near the door and take control of the product presentation process. <br />
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2) Give him a quick recap of the info she gave you on their first meeting.</b><br />
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e.g. <i>“Janet said that getting a new chair and sofa are the priorities for your room. She said that you primarily use the chair and she uses the sofa. Your chair has to be big enough to fit your 6’2” frame and give you good back support. Would you agree with that?"</i> (hopefully you collect a “yes” to this question.)<br />
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<b>3) Next, show styles and verify comfort level before showing any fabrics. This will keep the process more focused.</b><br />
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<i>“So, before we look at any fabrics, I just want to concentrate on making sure the pieces we selected are comfortable for you, especially the chair since you’ll be using that more often. I’m going to take you over to a chair style that is deep seated with a high back and a lumbar cushion for back support. We really like the look of the chair for your room so I’m hoping the comfort level will work for you. Don’t pay attention to the leather that is on the chair. It can be customized from hundreds of fabric & leather options.”</i><br />
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<b>Notice how this example dialog conveys how important his comfort is to this process. He’s more likely to go along with the chair choice knowing that his needs were considered.</b><br />
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If the sofa choice isn’t a perfect comfort fit for him, remind him that the comfort level of this piece is suited more for his wife, who has a petite stature, and guests, who will likely not be “lounging” on the furniture.<br />
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<b>4) Finally, before showing any fabric or leather options, review the info that the wife gave you about the room. This way, he has a better understanding of why these particular fabrics and/or leathers were chosen. </b>He’s more likely to go along with it if he first understands the “why” behind the design decisions.<br />
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e.g. “<i>Janet told me that the room currently has a very rustic, country feel. Although you both like that style, she’s looking to update it with a slightly more sophisticated look, since this is the main room that you entertain in when you have guests over. So, a more “Sophisticated Lodge-Look” is what we were going with.</i> <br />
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<i>"To create this look and feeling, we really wanted to incorporate a beautiful, top-grain leather into the room. But Janet said that you wanted a soft, comfortable fabric for your recliner. So we opted to put the sofa in this oil & waxed, dark-chocolate leather. It is super soft to the touch and will conform to the user’s body temperature in just seconds…"<br />
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"For your recliner, we selected this textured chenille fabric in a shade of mocha. It will be super soft to lounge in. Plus, the color will be forgiving to heavy use. We’ll also fabric protect it, since Janet said this is usually where you eat your snacks…"</i><br />
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<b>5) Make sure to ask for his input throughout the process. That way, you’re less likely to get the objections at the end, when you’re asking for a buying commitment. </b><br />
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e.g. <i>“How do you feel about this fabric choice?”</i><br />
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<b>For regular tips on being successful in the furniture business, "Like" me on Facebook - <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/FAB-Results-with-Cathy-Linard/163042457056691">Fab Results with Cathy Linard</a></b>Cathy Linard-in-the-makinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15588218106192386366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290052968550929761.post-83197008622962157282011-03-06T19:34:00.000-08:002011-03-06T19:34:15.019-08:00Tips for Interior Design Professionals: Providing the Agenda for a Total Room Plan Presentation<b>Before starting the actual presentation, provide your client with an agenda so they know what to expect.</b> Otherwise, they may be thinking this is going to be a quick ½-hour thing and they’ll start to lose interest in the middle of it. An agenda can also prevent the client from “jumping around” and asking questions about things that will be covered later on in the presentation. <br />
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<b>AGENDA</b><br />
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<i><b>“Let me tell you what I have planned for us. I know you’re probably excited to see your new room. However, I’ve found that it’s best if I reveal it in phases. </b>This will give you the ability to focus on one design element at a time and make small decisions along the way – instead of getting lots of things thrown at you at once." <br />
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<b>"We will be “building” the room as we move through the presentation."</b><br />
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<b>"The total room presentation will take about 1 ½ to 2 hrs." <br />
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"First I’ll show you the proposed floor plan.</b> I’ll explain why I placed certain furniture pieces in certain areas. These decisions will be based on how you plan on using the room as well as principles of good design." <br />
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<b>"Once we’ve decided on the floor plan, I’ll show you the actual furniture pieces I’ve selected based on your comfort and design preferences.</b> Some of the pieces I actually have in the store and we’ll sit on those to try them out. For others I have pictures. For those pieces, I’ll show you something in the showroom that will sit comparably."<br />
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<b>"After you are comfortable with the actual upholstered furniture pieces, I’ll present the fabrics and/or leathers that will go on the pieces."</b><br />
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<b>"Next we’ll go over the “occasional pieces” </b>like tables and other wood items that will make the room more beautiful and functional for you."<br />
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<b>"I’ll finish by discussing the accessorizing phase </b>that usually happens on or after delivery to put the finishing touches on the room."<br />
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"At any time during the presentation, <b>if you’ve got thoughts, concerns, objections, or comments, please let me know right away.</b> This is your room and I want you to be happy with the final product."<br />
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"If I think one of the design choices will make more sense to you after more of the presentation is revealed, I may ask you to hold your final judgment until a little later. I promise we will revisit those concerns." <br />
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<b>"At the end, I’ll let you know the room total including everything</b> – all furniture pieces, fabric protection & delivery. <b>However, you are always in control of how much you buy and when.</b> Some of my clients do everything at once to get the room finished as soon as possible and some people choose to do it in phases as time & budget allows." <br />
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"Do you have any questions before we get started?"</i><br />
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For regular tips on being successful in the furniture business, "Like" me on Facebook - <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/FAB-Results-with-Cathy-Linard/163042457056691">Fab Results with Cathy Linard</a>Cathy Linard-in-the-makinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15588218106192386366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290052968550929761.post-67795116016590756412011-03-06T19:05:00.000-08:002011-03-09T06:17:12.148-08:00Tips for Interior Design Professionals: Fabric PresentationMost customers have a difficult time visualizing how new furniture will look in their home. And a confused mind always says, "No." So if they aren't 100% sure that they're making the right decision, they'll usually give you the 'ol, "We're going to go home and think about it."<br />
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It's up to the design professional to help the customer "see" their new room with the words they use and the way they present the products. Here are some quick tips to use during the fabric-selection or presentation process.<br />
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<b>Use correct fabric terminology when describing the pattern/weave type.</b> This builds your credibility as a designer. People feel more confident following the advice of someone who seems knowledgeable and experienced in their industry.<br />
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<b>Find creative names for the color.</b> Instead of “shade of yellow”, maybe it’s “Honeycomb” or “daffodil.” This taps into the emotional aspect of choosing new furniture. NOTE: If your customer uses a certain color name, you should use that name, too – even if you don’t think it is 100% accurate. Color naming is subjective and this process is about making them comfortable and happy.<br />
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<b>Before having the customer feel the fabric, fold the fabric in half.</b> This way, their fingers aren’t rubbing the course back side. <br />
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<b>Place the fabrics on the actual pieces the customer is considering.</b> <b>Make sure the fabric sample is oriented exactly the way it will be upholstered.</b> Different furniture manufacturers place the pin tickets/tags in different locations. Consult the catalog to ensure you are displaying the sample correctly. Try to conceal the edges and tags, if possible, by tucking them into the cushions. <br />
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Place the fabric for the pillows around the actual pillow on the floor model. Layer this right next to the sofa fabric so the customer can see how the two fabrics work together. If you are proposing a contrasting welt, fold the welt fabric in half and place it behind the pillow so the folded edge is just peaking out from behind, giving the illusion of a welt.<br />
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<b>If you’re working with three or more fabrics, try to also show the customer the fabrics in proportion to how they will be displayed in the room</b> – sofa fabric being the biggest, chair fabrics folded to display ¾ of the sample, and pillow fabrics folded in ½. <br />
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If the fabric on the floor sample is too distracting, <b>have a yard of solid, thick cream-colored fabric to place on the furniture piece before you place your fabric samples on it.</b> You’ll neutralize the background allowing the customer to better visualize what their fabrics will look like on the piece.<br />
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<b>Justify how the colors and patterns work together.</b> E.g. <i>"Even though we are using 3 different fabric patterns, they all work together because the scale is different. The sofa is an over-scaled floral with a mini-floral pillow. So the florals aren’t competing with one another. The stripe on the chair pulls in many of the colors from the florals, which will tie the pieces together."</i><br />
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<b>When deciding between several fabric combinations, talk about the positives of each.</b> Avoid using any negative words. This process is about what your customer likes & dislikes, not what the designer's preferences are.<br />
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E.g. <i>"This floral combination is soft and feminine. The light cotton fabrics keep it more casual. The chenille tapestry fabric combination is still feminine but the fabric thickness and sheen add a touch of formality." </i><br />
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<b>Then ask a decision-inducing question like,</b> <i>"Which style are you more comfortable with - soft, feminine & casual or feminine with a touch of opulence & formality?"</i><br />
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For regular tips on being successful in the furniture business, "Like" me on Facebook - <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/FAB-Results-with-Cathy-Linard/163042457056691">Fab Results with Cathy Linard</a>Cathy Linard-in-the-makinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15588218106192386366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290052968550929761.post-14895484257542451772011-02-17T07:47:00.000-08:002011-02-17T08:07:29.631-08:004 Quick Space Planning Tips for the Great Room, Family Room or Living room<b>1. Decide on your focal Point(s)<br />
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What will be the most interesting thing in this room – the T.V., the fireplace, the view, a grand piano? Most of the seating should face in that direction. So, this also means not <i>every</i> seat in the house has to face the T.V.<br />
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You may have more than one focal point in the room. Try to create seating spaces that can enjoy at least one. Swivel chairs are a great way to allow the room-user to take advantage of several focal points.<br />
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<b>2. Consider Traffic Patterns & Flow<br />
</b>Keep your <b>main walkways in the room at least 3’ wide.</b> The path can narrow as you move through the room to <b>no less than 18”</b> to comfortably move between furniture; <b>although, cocktail tables can be as close as 14” to a sofa.<br />
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</b><b>3. Create Your Furniture Arrangement<br />
</b>When creating your furniture arrangement, try to work against the general shape of the room.<br />
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- <b>If the room is more long & rectangular, create a more square arrangement,</b> or maybe even 2 smaller sitting areas, to prevent the whole room from looking like a bowling alley (with all the furniture against the walls). Using square shapes – like a square cocktail table or square rug - will help widen the room.<br />
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- <b>If the room is more of a big, open square, try to create more coziness by bringing the furniture into a more rectangular arrangement.</b> You can fill space along the walls with bookcases, a cozy reading nook, or simply a focal wall featuring framed art.<br />
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<b>- Keep each piece in the furniture grouping within a 10’ radius </b>for ease of conversation and an overall feeling of comfort. If pieces are outside of that range, the room can start looking and feeling cold and unwelcoming.<br />
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<b>4. Check for Balance<br />
</b>Balance is an overall feeling of equilibrium in a space.<br />
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It was once explained to me that you should <b>imagine all the furniture in the room as if it were on a platform floating on water. Would one side of the platform sink? </b>If so, that side of the room is heavier and needs to be balanced out. Here are a few quick ways to do that:<br />
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- Of course, choose larger scaled furniture – bigger pieces to balance out the heavier side of the room<br />
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- <b>Select bolder colors of fabric & finish or bolder patterns</b> – they have more visual weight<br />
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- <b>Move 2 or more smaller pieces of furniture closer together to create a larger unit</b> – kind of like the “teeter totter” effect – bringing objects closer to the center makes them visually heavier, while spreading them out to the edges makes them lighter. Make sense?<br />
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- <b>Place something with more visual weight behind the lighter side of the room</b> – a tall book case, an over-scaled piece of art, a tall tree, or opulent window treatments on the windows.<br />
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Want to receive my daily tips on success in the retail furniture biz? Just <a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=41568&id=104932556207682&saved#!/pages/FAB-Results-with-Cathy-Linard/163042457056691">“Like” my Facebook page: FAB Results with Cathy Linard<br />
</a>Cathy Linard-in-the-makinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15588218106192386366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290052968550929761.post-61813134886514114362011-01-14T08:56:00.000-08:002011-01-14T08:56:00.014-08:005 Quick Tips to Get Your Clients to Make An affirmative Buying DecisionWhatever you’re selling – be it cars, furniture, homes…whatever… you are really in the “Decision Making Business.” <br />
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<b>A confused mind always says, “No.” So, your job is to guide the buying process, by getting your client to make small decisions along the way, until they get to the point where they feel confident making a buying decision.<br />
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</b>I’m a professional development consultant for the furniture business. So these quick tips are geared toward getting the client to make a decision on home furnishings.<br />
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1) <b>“This one or that one” </b>– Instead of showing lots of options at one time – just show 2 at a time. Get the client to make a decision of which one they like better out of just those 2 options. Then compare the “winner” of that round to the next choice. Repeat until you have it narrowed down.<br />
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2) <b>Get them to look at the options with “fresh eyes.” </b>Sometimes staring at all the options just gets more confusing. Encourage your client to take a quick break – go for a stroll around the store, enjoy a coffee/snack break (preferably inside the store), or simply get them talking about something other than the decision at hand. <br />
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Usually, when you revisit the choices, you and your client will have a better “gut reaction” to what they like or dislike. At the very least, you may be able to absolutely rule out one of the choices.<br />
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3) <b>Get the customer “thinking out loud.” </b>Ask key questions which will force them to really think through the decision-making process, such as, “What do you like best about this fabric?” “Do you think this will coordinate well with the other pieces you have in the room?” What don’t you like about this fabric?” You’re almost playing the role of a design “psychologist.” <br />
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4) <b>Collect your “Yes”s.</b> If you know your client wants it, but they are just a little hesitant to finalize the buying decision, ask them questions which will create “Yes” responses, such as, <br />
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“You said this fabric will coordinate nicely with the area rug you currently have in the room, right?” <br />
“This sofa is the most comfortable one out of all the ones you’ve tried, correct?”<br />
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Each “Yes” is what is commonly referred to as a mini “close” in selling – getting you one step closer to being able to “ask for the sale” at the end of the sales process. <br />
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<b>Because my philosophy is more client-focused (rather than sales-centered), I call these “Yes”s small decisions that get you one step closer to getting your client to make an affirmative buying decision.<br />
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5) If none of the above techniques work, <b>offer a housecall </b>to take out swatches, samples, and catalog pages so you can both view the samples in the environment that the piece(s) will be placed. <br />
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Want to receive my daily tips on success in the retail furniture biz? Just <a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=41568&id=104932556207682&saved#!/pages/FAB-Results-with-Cathy-Linard/163042457056691">“Like” my Facebook page: FAB Results with Cathy Linard<br />
</a>Cathy Linard-in-the-makinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15588218106192386366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290052968550929761.post-49166959915869105152011-01-10T20:56:00.000-08:002011-01-10T20:56:56.810-08:00Be the best you can be wherever you are right now and doors will open for you leading where you want to go.A couple Sundays ago, I was flipping through the channels before prying myself out of bed and caught a glimpse of Joel Osteen’s sermon. I’m normally not a fan of T.V. evangelists, but his words always have great meaning and lessons that seem to apply to everyone’s life, no matter what your religion.<br />
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He was speaking about reaching your dreams and goals in life. He said being the best you can be wherever you are in life right now will make doors open for you leading to where you want to go. He went on to say that people you may not even be aware of will show up at the right time with the right opportunity for you. It made me think about my unlikely path from a design consultant with no formal interior design education to the exact job I wanted (but didn’t really think I’d ever get) as a professional sales & design trainer in the furniture industry. Joel’s words described my experience perfectly. <br />
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You can get all my background in my <a href="http://fabresultswithcathylinard.blogspot.com/2011/01/why-i-left-my-salaried-ad-agency-career.html">previous blog post</a>. But here is a quick recap. I left my salaried advertising agency job to take a commission-based sales position at an upscale furniture showroom franchise, with only my natural talent, one 2-day training session, and some sales videos to help me out. By exactly following the specified sales program outlined in the training and videos, I managed to become one of the top design consultants in my area. Within 3 months, I was made the manager of the store.<br />
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But management wasn’t really what I wanted to do. I mainly took the position for the increased pay, the learning experience, and to prove to my parents that I made a good decision by leaving my corporate job; kind of like, “Look Mom & Dad, I’m the manager now.”<br />
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What I really wanted to do was become a trainer like the one that had visited our area during my first week in this new career. She conducted a 2-day training seminar on furniture construction, interior design skills and selling techniques. And it was fun! We played games, worked in groups, and even got cookie breaks. That sounded very appealing to me – hosting these fun training sessions (that were more like little “learning parties”), traveling to different cities, helping people become more successful in their design careers, and getting 3 or 4 days off between trips. <br />
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But honestly, I just didn’t know how that could ever happen for me. I was new to the business. Surely there were plenty of other people that had much more experience than me. Plus, I didn’t have an actual interior design degree.<br />
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At age 24, I was doing my best to maintain the daily operations of the store, hire and train a new team (seeing as there was almost complete turnover when the “new girl” became the manager), and handle every customer issue that arose, all while keeping up my own personal sales, which usually fluctuated between 30 and 50k. <br />
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It was a tough road and I wanted to throw in the towel several times. There were many days when I was so busy “putting out fires” in the store, that I had to lock the doors at closing time and stay there until 4am to get a presentation done for my own client.<br />
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So, I was extremely thankful when I was given the opportunity to attend two different training sessions with the franchise's Director of Training, Jim – the guy from those videos I watched in my first couple of days on the job. I needed all the help and information I could get!<br />
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The first time I met Jim, I really wanted to make a good impression. I studied our training manuals from front to back, just incase he called on me. I was dressed very professionally and feeling confident. On my way to the training room, I bumped into him just as he was exiting the restroom. <br />
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I decided to be assertive and quickly introduce myself, “Hi, I’m Cathy Linard, the Strongsville store manager.” <br />
He responded, “Hi. I’m Jim and your zipper’s down.”<br />
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Ugh! I could have died from embarrassment! But I tried to act like I wasn’t fazed by it. During the class, I attempted to make up for this wardrobe malfunction by answering as many of his questions as I could. <br />
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A year later, I was able to go to his “Train the Trainer” class that instructs store managers on how to make fun, beneficial sales meetings for their staffs. We all had to come to the meeting prepared to conduct a 5-minute training segment on a topic of our choice pertaining to the retail furniture biz. Since creativity is one of my strengths, I thought I would do well at this. <br />
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In fact, planning great sales meetings was my strongest management skill. I would sometimes work until 3 in the morning getting materials ready for the next day’s meeting. If my staff was going to come into work 90 minutes early for a “professional development” meeting, I better make it worth their while.<br />
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I decided to make my 5-minute meeting about the importance of social conversation. Specifically, how you can use it to “Break down the brick wall” the customer has when they enter your store. <br />
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My plan was to start with a game of Pictionary to create the “visual aid” of a brick wall. Then I’d go on from there to talk about different social conversation tips followed by a skill practice in which the participants would make quick conversations with the person sitting next to them. Then we’d wrap up by quickly sharing what we learned about the person we talked with.<br />
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However, it started out a little rocky when my audience wasn’t able to figure out what I was drawing. So I had to make a joke about my drawing ability saying something like, “And now you see why I dropped out of art school.” It got a laugh but I wasn’t sure if Jim was impressed with my presentation.<br />
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He gave everyone 3 compliments after their segment was done. I still remember mine:<br />
1. I wasn’t afraid to make fun of myself.<br />
2. I was extremely enthusiastic and energetic. “How could a group be bored with that kind of energy?”<br />
3. I addressed everyone in the group by their first names even though I had just met them all that morning.<br />
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(Now, I can look back and know that these are 3 characteristics of the best trainers: humor, enthusiasm & making each participant feel important.)<br />
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Up to this point, my almost 2 years of management were filled with long work weeks (50-80 hrs/wk) and tons of stress. And now I had a baby on the way. I decided to relinquish the role of manager in favor of a part-time design consultant position when I came back from maternity leave. <br />
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This worked out well for about 3 months. I was able to make almost what I had earned working full-time because I had built up a good clientele during my 2 years as a selling manager. <br />
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But I could tell that the new manager felt threatened by my presence. Although I loved the balance of family and work life that this part-time arrangement gave me, the work environment was becoming negative and uncomfortable. (A few years later, I’d find out I wasn’t the only one who had issues with her management style. Another design consultant would actually hit her in the face with one of those big, heavy furniture catalog binders. Now, as a manager, I may not always have been loved 100% of the time. But at least no one on my team ever bloodied my nose by whacking me with a catalog.)<br />
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Anyway, enough gossiping. So just when I wasn’t sure if I could stay at the store any longer, a “door” was unexpectedly opened for me, like I mentioned in the beginning of this blog. <br />
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It was on one of my days off. I was surprised to see that there was a call coming in from corporate headquarters. It was Jim!<br />
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He was calling to offer me a position with their Training Department; the job I, and so many other design consultants, had coveted. I’d go on a couple trips per month, most about 3 days long. The rest of the time I could spend at home with my new baby. <br />
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He was presenting me with the right opportunity at the right time. I didn’t even know I was on Jim’s radar! He’d only met me a few times. But I had worked incredibly hard for the last 2 years and didn’t give up when most people put in my position probably would have. <br />
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<b>So being the best you can be wherever you are in life right now will make doors open for you leading to where you want to go. Give it your all!<br />
</b><br />
Want daily motivation? Get FREE tips on my Facebook page - <a href="http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=179512555412789&id=1028317888&ref=notif¬if_t=feed_comment_reply#!/pages/FAB-Results-with-Cathy-Linard/163042457056691">FAB Results with Cathy Linard<br />
</a>Cathy Linard-in-the-makinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15588218106192386366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290052968550929761.post-1471546803204377742011-01-08T20:04:00.000-08:002011-01-09T07:35:40.019-08:00Why I left my salaried ad agency career for a commission-only position in a struggling furniture store.After spending 2 years at an advertising agency after college, I realized that this type of “office” environment just wasn’t a good fit for me. The workdays either dragged because I was working on promoting some industrial product that didn’t interest me. Or, I was totally stressed out dealing with ego-driven CEOs and marketing execs, print deadlines, and all the little critical details that go into planning an ad campaign.<br />
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I also wanted to be more creative. I always aspired to work at an ad agency for that reason – to be creative – thinking up tag lines, product names, clever headlines, etc. But I was pegged as a “suit” not a “creative.” And once you’re defined in that role, it’s very hard to crossover to the other side.<br />
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Plus, I became frustrated with the slow income-growth opportunity. I was making $26,000/yr and was likely to only get a $2,000 raise every year. With a new house to decorate (well, new to us) and other “grown-up” expenses, this income level just wasn’t going to cut it.<br />
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Then, one day while my husband was getting his hair cut, I walked into a beautiful furniture showroom a few stores down from the barber shop. It was not only visually stimulating; but it smelled like a combination of leather and freshly-baked bread from the Einstein’s Bagel shop next door. Although I knew I was not going to be able to afford a thing in this store, I still got butterflies in my stomach just by being there.<br />
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I ended up filling my new nest with inexpensive upholstery, flea market finds, antique store curiosities and even garage sale furniture. But guests to my home would always compliment me on how nice it looked. I felt I had a natural talent for decorating. But what could I do with it?<br />
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That furniture store experience stayed with me. My visceral reaction to it was telling me that this was an environment I enjoyed being in. But I thought for sure you would need a design degree to work there. It was my husband who urged me to at least call the store to find out how their hiring process works. The fact that he thought I would be good at this, too, gave me the confidence to make contact with the store manager.<br />
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After going through a couple interviews and design tests, I was offered the job – at an $11 an hour draw against commission with a 90-day “trial” period during which I could be let go for any reason. Plus, even after the first 3 months, I could be fired if I had several months of not hitting my sales quota. O.K. is that even an actual job offer? <br />
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But something was telling me that I would really enjoy this – talking to people about their rooms, coordinating fabrics for them, and going out to their homes to put together a whole room plan. Despite having no experience doing this, it didn’t scare me at all. <br />
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But going on a commission-based structure both concerned and excited me at the same time. I tried asking the manager on different occasions, “How much do you think I will make working here?” Her response was always the same, “It’s up to you. What you put into it is what you’ll get out of it.”<br />
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I asked for a few days to think over the job offer. But now the time had come when I had to make that call back to the manager to give her my decision. Problem was, I still hadn’t made up my mind. Should I take a risk doing something new that I think I would enjoy but came with almost no guaranteed income or long-term employment? Or, keep my steady, salary-based job that bored me to death and totally stressed me out.<br />
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In that moment on the phone with her, I decided to just let my mouth answer and whatever came out, I would do. “I’ve decided to…” then I paused for what seemed like an eternity “take the job.” The store manager was so excited. I was actually surprised she still wanted to give me the job seeing how unsure I was about taking it.<br />
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My parent’s wanted to take me out to breakfast to discuss this job change. It turned out to be more like a career intervention. Basically, my Dad told me he didn’t send me to college to sell sofas. I had job security and a salary at the ad agency, which, in their eyes was better than the promise of commission. <br />
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I was lucky that there just happened to be a training session going on in my area right before I was scheduled to start my new job. To prepare, I tried to memorize the catalog the day before the training session so I didn’t look like a fool due to my lack of furniture knowledge. Despite my research efforts, I remember being in the class when an unfamiliar term was mentioned - a camelback sofa. I thought “What in the world is a camelback sofa?” That’s how little I knew about the industry.<br />
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My first week as a design consultant, I was literally thrown on the floor to start taking customers after just 2 days of watching some sales training videos. Wow! So much for that intensive training program I was told about. I guess it’s going to be more like trial by fire. <br />
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I just tried to do everything I was taught in the class and videos – make social conversation with the customers to build a bond, sketch their room as it is now to get a good understanding of their furnishing needs, ask for the sale, and if you don’t get the sale, at least take their contact info so you can continue to follow up with them.<br />
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During my first week, I mentioned to my new co-workers, “I can’t wait to get my first commission check!” They all laughed and told me that no one in the store makes commission - the store is in a bad location, the people in this city can’t afford good furniture after just buying their big houses, there are 5 other stores within an hour’s drive that sell the same furniture for less…” The list of reasons was ongoing. But there was no option for me. I had to make this work.<br />
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I did begin to get a little nervous, though, when 3 weeks went by and I hadn’t sold a thing! My first upholstery sale cancelled their order the day after they placed it. My first full room design client never showed up for their presentation. <br />
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Then finally, I sold a pair of candlestick lamps for $600. That same week, 3 customers came back in and bought from me. Plus, I sold a $5,000 sectional to a first-time-in customer. My first month’s total was a little over $20k – not a record-buster by any means. But in a struggling store, it was a great first month.<br />
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I even made commission on that month and continued to do so every month after that. When the other design consultants would ask me what I was doing differently than them, I had no idea how to respond. So I just said, “I’m just doing what they tell me to do.” “They”, meaning my manager, the videos, and the trainer. I knew nothing else besides what I had learned from them.<br />
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In my third month,December - which is typically a slower sales month - I had sales totaling $30,000. Not “Super Star” status yet, but being new in a struggling store – it was pretty fabulous.<br />
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That’s when I was offered the store manager position, as my manager was being moved to a different store. This was another hard decision to make. Management would mean working a lot more hours and loads of responsibility and headaches, especially considering I was so new to the business. But I wasn’t sure if this opportunity would present itself again in the near future. Plus, making more money was appealing. So I took it.<br />
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As a selling manager, I almost doubled my ad agency salary. And boy, did I learn a lot from all the hardships I endured by being 24 and running a million dollar furniture showroom. I also went on to bigger and better things which I’ll blog about in upcoming posts this week.<br />
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So, it just goes to show – my manager was right - <b>you do the right things and the right things will happen. </b>I followed my heart to find a job that I was passionate about. I didn’t let my lack of experience stand in my way. I listened to the right people and didn’t get sucked into the current staff paradigm that you couldn’t make money working in that store. And I put a lot of work into this new career– way more than a typical 40-hour work week between in-store time and housecalls.<br />
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<b>Think to yourself, “What do I need to be doing in order to make the right things happen for me?”<br />
</b><br />
Want to receive my FREE daily tips on being successful in the retail furniture & interior design biz? <a href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1561394146#!/pages/FAB-Results-with-Cathy-Linard/163042457056691">Follow me on Facebook at FAB Results with Cathy Linard.<br />
</a>Cathy Linard-in-the-makinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15588218106192386366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290052968550929761.post-56069676263040539132011-01-02T18:13:00.000-08:002011-01-02T18:27:52.060-08:00Serious about reaching your goals this year? This post will start you off on a successful path!<b>“Begin with the end in mind.” </b>– Steven Covey, Author of <i>Seven Habits of Highly Effective People</i> and other best-selling books on how to be successful, fulfilled & empowered both personally & professionally<br />
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<b>“When you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time”</b> – Zig Ziglar, One of the most famed authors & speakers on the subject of professional selling & success.<br />
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These are both famous quotes by motivational gurus that focus on the importance of determining – and aiming for - exactly what you want out of your life and career. <b>In other words, knowing what you want to achieve is the first step on the path to achievement. </b>Your next step is actually declaring that this is what you want to accomplish and creating a plan of how to do it – goal setting.<br />
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Setting goals can sound boring and trite. Or, maybe it’s something that you’ve been forced to do with a boss or coach, so just the phrase “goal setting” gets your eyes rolling. You may be thinking, most people can’t seem to stick with goals anyway so what’s the point in setting them. This is probably true. But, most people do not know how to execute proper goal setting and attainment.<br />
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<b>There are actually 4 simple steps to proper goal setting that will put you on a successful path to reaching your dreams.<br />
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<b>1) Set big & small goals. </b>It’s important to have a main goal you’d like to achieve by the end of the year; something that would give you a great sense of accomplishment and pride - maybe it’s reaching a certain sales level. However, if you weren’t able to do that last year, you are going to have to change something about the way you’re doing things in order to reach that big goal this year. <br />
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This is why it is also important to create smaller goals that will help you to accomplish the main goal. These are the little changes you need to make on a regular basis that will keep you on track throughout the year.<br />
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Remember, goals should be things that you can control, not things your customers or employees will do.<br />
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2) There is another critical component of goal setting that is summed up in this famous quote by Peter Drucker, a management guru that worked as a consultant with many big corporations such as General Electric, Coca-Cola, Citigroup, IBM, and Intel:<br />
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<b>“What’s measured, improves” <br />
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Meaning, <b>your goals have to be quantifiable and measurable.</b> If there is no way to measure your goal, there is no concrete way to determine if you’ve achieved that goal. <br />
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For example, say your goal was to make more follow-up phone calls to prospects this year to try and get people that you’ve invested time in to come back and make a purchase. If you just set that as your goal – make more phone calls to prospects – come the end of the year, there is no concrete way to measure if you’ve achieved this or not. <br />
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Instead, you would set a specific number of calls you should make every day/week/month. Then, you’d develop a way to track the number of follow-up phone calls you make each day. Maybe you create a “call chart” binder where you can track the following things: Customer’s name, what they’re interested in, the outcome of the call (got answering machine, got a family member, left a message, said you’d call back, talked with the customer, etc.) and your next scheduled call to that customer. <br />
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Now, your goal is quantifiable & measurable because you have stated the number of calls you want to make and have a way to track if you’ve accomplished the goal.<br />
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3) As you work on setting your goals for the year, <b>make them challenging, yet achievable.</b> Don’t set yourself up for failure by creating a goal or plan that you’ll unlikely be able to adhere to. <br />
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For example, if you usually only have time to fit in 3 or 4 follow-up calls in between everything else you have to do, you wouldn’t want to set a goal of making 20 follow-up phone calls a day. Setting your goal at 5 or 6 phone calls would be more than you’re doing now – so it would be challenging – but not so much more than it isn’t realistic to accomplish on a daily basis.<br />
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<b>If you fall short on one of your daily goals, don’t get discouraged. Each day is a fresh start </b>– a new opportunity for success. You can always do more in the next couple of days in order to still hit your weekly goal – and stay on track with what you want to achieve.<br />
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Just like having one candy bar doesn’t ruin a dieter’s chances of losing weight forever, one day of being “off your game” at work will not ruin your chances for success.<br />
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<b>4) Structure your daily decision making around reaching your goals.</b> Keeping with our follow-up call example: If a friend wants to go out for drinks from 7 – 8pm, but this is the prime time to call your customers and actually get a hold of them, then you know you either have to decline altogether or suggest a later meeting time. Having your daily goal helps you make a good decision that keeps you on the right path to reaching your big goal.<br />
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<b>Remember to recognize and celebrate your daily accomplishments. </b>These small victories will keep you energized towards reaching that big goal.<br />
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<b>Now, “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.”</b> – Henry David Thoreau<br />
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<b>If you’d like to get my FREE daily tips on being successful in the retail furniture business, “Like” my Facebook page: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1622442012493&set=a.1622441932491.80644.1579747464&ref=nf#!/pages/FAB-Results-with-Cathy-Linard/163042457056691">FAB Results with Cathy Linard<br />
</a></b>Cathy Linard-in-the-makinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15588218106192386366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290052968550929761.post-26304916889155169352010-12-29T18:20:00.000-08:002011-01-02T18:19:52.466-08:00Sell Vs. Cell: How can you sell when your customer is on their cell?I commonly hear frustration from design consultants regarding the rudeness of customers shopping in their showroom on their cell phones. Here are some quick tips to deal with a cell-phone browser.<br />
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<b>First of all, keep your cool and come from a place of understanding.</b> Everyone has more on their to-do list than they can usually accomplish in a day. So, our culture is multi-tasking more than ever. That means it's quite common for people to shop and at the same time conduct business or connect with friends on the phone. <br />
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<b>If you look at it from the customer's perspective, it's their time and they can do with it what they want.</b> They don’t view shopping in your furniture store any different from browsing at Pier One or Ikea. And would you even think twice about using your cell phone in those stores? <br />
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<b>So it’s usually not that they are doing it to spite you.</b> Although, I have heard some Design Consultants mention that the customer’s phone has actually rung while they were “talking” on it – meaning the customer was using their cell phone as a defense against having to interact with a “sales person.” <br />
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Again, I encourage you to approach the situation with understanding and compassion. If you think your customer is pretending to be on the phone to avoid you, they obviously have had very negative experiences with furniture sales people in the past. They don’t know you, or your talents, or how nice you are to work with…yet. So, they assume that all furniture sales people are the same. They assume you will be just like the others they’ve encountered. <br />
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If you ever come across this situation, remember – it’s not you. It’s all the other “sales people” that have come before you that are causing this customer to feel they have to use their cell phone as a defense mechanism.<br />
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So how should you deal with your next “Cell Phone Shopper?” Here are my quick tips.<br />
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1) <b>Interrupting or disturbing their conversation in any way will make you seem like the rude, pushy one</b> – which is exactly what we are trying NOT to be. This customer may already have preconceived notions that all furniture store sales people are pushy. We are trying to step out of the “sales person” role and into the role of trusted, design professional. So don’t attempt to conduct a regular greeting over the customer’s conversation.<br />
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2) <b>Instead, just give them an acknowledgement – maybe a smile, quick “Hello” and a wave.</b> If you happen to get a chance to make eye contact with them, and you feel it’s appropriate, you can say a quick, “I’ll be here for you when you’re ready.”<br />
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3) <b>When you see them conclude their conversation, approach promptly </b>(before they get a chance to make or take another call ;). Acknowledge your courteous behavior by saying something like, “I hope you didn’t think I was ignoring you. I just didn’t want to interrupt your phone conversation so I figured I’d wait until you were finished.” <br />
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<b>Then, try to make some social conversation before getting into “talking business.”</b> Social conversation is the foundation for trusted, professional relationships. So, you’ll probably read something about it in almost every one of my blog posts. If they have an interesting cell phone or unique cover for it, you might even use that as your conversation starter.<br />
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4) <b>If you think this customer may leave without ever getting off their phone, write a quick note inviting them back in the showroom </b>when they have more time. <b>Then hand it to them</b>, along with your business card and any type of catalog or flyer that you have on hand to peak their interest in returning to the store, <b>right before they’re ready to exit.</b> Your note might say something like this:<br />
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<i>I noticed you were on an important cell phone call and I didn’t want to interrupt it. My name is (Your name), a Design Consultant here at (Your store) for the last (number of years you’ve worked at the store). I would love to work with you on creating a beautiful, comfortable home - whether it’s picking out the perfect finishing touches for a furnished space or designing a whole new room. I invite you to stop back in any time. Or, if you’d like to schedule an appointment to make sure I’m available to give you my undivided attention, feel free to call or email me and we can set something up.<br />
</i><br />
<i>Have a wonderful day!</i> <br />
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You might have a couple of these notes ready to go so you aren’t trying to scribble it out before the customer reaches the door. <br />
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These techniques will work much better than getting upset about your “rude customer” being on the phone. Keeping yourself in the “positive zone” is a key to long term professional success.<br />
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<b>If you’d like to get my FREE daily tips on being successful in the retail furniture business, “Like” my Facebook page: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1622442012493&set=a.1622441932491.80644.1579747464&ref=nf#!/pages/FAB-Results-with-Cathy-Linard/163042457056691">FAB Results with Cathy Linard<br />
</a></b>Cathy Linard-in-the-makinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15588218106192386366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290052968550929761.post-43244646996784465202010-12-28T12:39:00.000-08:002010-12-28T12:47:15.631-08:00NEW Room for the NEW Year furniture Store Promotional Idea<b>Want to kick off the New Year with great sales…and keep sales steadily coming in for the rest of 2011? This New Year’s-themed promotion just might help you do that.<br />
</b><br />
It’s called the NEW Room for the NEW Year Program<br />
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Basically, customers that buy in the beginning of the year – January and February – lock in a special discount to complete the rest of their room during 2011. Plus, they receive added perks throughout the year, such as bonus discounts.<br />
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<b>This program can work great for your furniture store for several reasons:</b><br />
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1) It <b>incentivizes customers to stop procrastinating on redoing their room</b> and get started right now. <br />
2) The locked in discount almost <b>guarantees that they will complete the room through your company</b>, instead of taking your ideas and buying elsewhere.<br />
3) Your <b>design consultants can count on a steadier stream of sales</b> from the customers who participate in the program.<br />
4) It <b>incentivizes customers to actually complete the room by the end of the year</b> so they don’t lose the special pricing.<br />
5) The customers who participate are more likely to have a <b>completed room that they’re proud of</b> – <b>leading to more repeat business and referrals</b>.<br />
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<b>Here is how it works:</b><br />
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Customers who are considering redoing their room can <b>receive a complimentary room analysis</b> in the store. They can bring in pictures, rug, paint & wallpaper samples, etc. They then work with a design consultant to create a plan for the space. An in-home visit may or may not be necessary. If it is, it would be up to your store if there is an extra charge for that service.<br />
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<b>If they make at least one purchase of over $500 for that room during January & February, they receive a special discount</b> (say 20%, but you may choose to go higher or lower depending on your mark-up). They can buy as much or as little as they want initially at that discount.<br />
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By making this initial purchase, <b>they also lock in that discount for purchasing the rest of the items needed to complete that room any time in 2011</b>. So, whenever they’re ready to add the next phase in 2011, they’ll always receive that discount.<br />
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Plus, <b>each month</b> starting in March, <b>a different furniture category will be featured in this program at an extra discount</b> (say an extra 5% off on top of their locked-in program discount). For example, in March, you might feature occasional tables at an extra 5% off - on top of their locked in discount rate - for program participants. <br />
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Each month, the participants will get an email letting them know which category is an extra 5% off. It should also prompt them to call their Design Consultant to schedule an appointment if they’re ready to take the next step in achieving their beautiful, new room. <b>Your promotional schedule may look something like this:</b><br />
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March = Occasional tables<br />
April = Sofa/Sectional <br />
May = Chairs & Ottomans<br />
June = Entertainment Centers<br />
July = Bookcase/Shelving/Etageres<br />
August = Dining Tables/Hutches/Buffet <br />
September = Rugs<br />
October = Bar Stools<br />
November = Lamps<br />
December = Finishing Touches/Accessories<br />
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As an added bonus, <b>one lucky participant each month will win a BIG DISCOUNT coupon for the month’s featured category.</b> The discount might be a dollar amount, like $100 off, or a discount, such as 50% - 60% off. So, you’re not necessarily losing money by selling to one person at that discount. For example, in March, the name of one program participant would be drawn to win a 50% off coupon for occasional tables. The opportunity to win this coupon is definitely an incentive to make that initial purchase in the beginning of the year and join the program.<br />
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<b>Y</b><b>ou can add other VIP perks </b>that are appropriate for your store, like attending special store events at no charge, etc.<br />
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<b>You can quickly implement this program via an email to your client base and/or a well-designed in-store flyer that is handed to each customer during January & February. <br />
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Here is some suggested copy for the email/flyer/advertising method of your choice:<br />
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<b>Would you like a NEW room for the NEW Year? </b><br />
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If you’re ready to get started on making your home more comfortable, more beautiful, and more you, then we can help you get started…and finished… with our superior design staff, unlimited design options and locked in year-long discounts when you take advantage of our NEW Room for the NEW Year Program. Plus, you’ll receive lots of fun perks along the way. Here’s how easy it is:<br />
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Schedule a FREE in-store consultation for your room with one of our designers. Bring in measurements, samples (carpet, wallpaper, paint, etc.), pictures of your space, or anything you can think of that we’ll need to design around.<br />
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Your designer will work with your style & design preferences to develop a room plan that you love.<br />
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If you purchase over $500 from that plan before February 28, 2011, you’ll be automatically enrolled in our New Room for a New Year Program.<br />
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Here are the perks you’ll receive by joining this beneficial program:<br />
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A (20%) discount on your initial purchase. And, you’ll lock in that discount rate for the ENTIRE YEAR. So, when you’re ready to add more pieces, your discount will always be there waiting for you. (Of course, if our regular store promotion happens to exceed this discount, you will always receive the promotion that saves you the most money.)<br />
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Plus, each month, we’ll feature a different product category that will be discounted even further for our program participants only. If you choose to buy a piece from the featured furniture category, you’ll get an extra 5% off ON TOP OF your guaranteed 20% off! We’ll notify you of the monthly feature via an email each month.<br />
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And, as an added bonus, one lucky participant will be randomly drawn each month to receive the BIG BONUS COUPON for that month’s featured category – a 50% off certificate! <br />
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Wouldn’t that be wonderful to save 50% on the pieces you need to finish your room, like your area rug, bookcases, or even upholstered pieces? This kind of buying opportunity does not come along often. In fact, we’ve never done it before now!<br />
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You’ll also get other fun perks throughout the year, like VIP status for all our store events, a one-hour complimentary in-home consultation on any other room in your home, and more!<br />
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Need more info or interested in getting started, just notify your design consultant or the Store Manager.<br />
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It looks like 2011 will be a beautiful year!<br />
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<b>Want to discuss how to implement this promotion in your store, email me at cathylinard@yahoo.com to schedule a free ½-hour consultation.<br />
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Want to receive my FREE daily tips on success in the furniture and retail biz? “Like” my facebook page: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/FAB-Results-with-Cathy-Linard/163042457056691">FAB Results with Cathy Linard</a>.</b>Cathy Linard-in-the-makinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15588218106192386366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290052968550929761.post-32920945923549822542010-12-27T13:36:00.000-08:002010-12-27T13:40:50.148-08:00The importance of music as a museI was shopping in a quant little store in the square of Medina and it felt oddly uncomfortable. Then it dawned on me, there was no music playing. I felt like the salesperson was listening to my every footstep and breath. Surrounded with lots of beautiful things, I was bored by it all and left without buying. <br />
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It reminded me how important it is to play music that is consistent with your retail environment to enhance the shopping experience. It should envelop the shopper and carry them away to a new and wonderful experience once they walk through your doors. They should be longing to take a little bit of this experience home with them through making a purchase.<br />
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Shopping can be an emotional or logical activity. With non-necessity items like high-end furniture or gift items, you want people <i>feeling</i> inspired and motivated to improve their daily life with the items in your store. This emotional feeling needs to override the logical thought of spending large amounts of money.<br />
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<b>Songs that are not played on the radio are better</b> - people don't have pre-existing reactions to them. Plus, in general, people are tired of the music that is played on the radio. Hearing familiar songs will mentally take them to a place in their life when that song was popular. So, it actually works against your goal of creating a unique experience for them inside your store.<br />
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Today, I landed on this wonderful blog/web site that used music to complement the blog reading and online shopping experience. She is an artist that sells her creations on the site and also blogs about her life – <a href="http://bushelandapeck.typepad.com/my_weblog/">www.bushelandapeck.typepad.com</a>. While reading her recent blog post – which was about a unique way she and her family shared Christmas cheer with strangers at the mall - and listening to the music that started playing once I landed on her site, I actually started crying. Talk about using music to evoke emotion and enhance the experience.<br />
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Think about what your store has been playing through its speaker system. Are you playing just the music the staff likes to hear or are you choosing songs that create an overall experience for your customer in your store?<br />
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Want to receive my FREE daily tips on success in the furniture and retail biz? “Like” my facebook page <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/FAB-Results-with-Cathy-Linard/163042457056691">FAB Results with Cathy Linard</a>.Cathy Linard-in-the-makinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15588218106192386366noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290052968550929761.post-71281620334848214552010-12-26T16:56:00.000-08:002010-12-27T12:14:31.515-08:00Swimming through Christmas Clutter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aw8eHxTthow/TRfi77vg_dI/AAAAAAAAABQ/L2RYHZ1owQ8/s1600/Christmas%2BClutter%2BBlog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aw8eHxTthow/TRfi77vg_dI/AAAAAAAAABQ/L2RYHZ1owQ8/s320/Christmas%2BClutter%2BBlog.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Well my house looks like a Christmas bomb went off - toys, new clothes, gift boxes and bags, and suitcases of dirty clothes and miscellaneous stuff from the girls' stay at their grandparents' house during the days leading up to Christmas (like the balloon animals from their TGIFriday's kids-eat-free-on-Wednesdays dinner). <br />
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They call this pre-Christmas sleepover, "Gigi's Camp Christmas." Basically my parents (well, mostly my Mom) take the girls and do all sorts of fun holiday activities like making cookies and doing crafts because I am typically working a ton during the weeks leading up to Christmas. This year was a little different, though. I actually put my back out in November and have been "out of commission" lying flat on the couch for weeks. But Camp Christmas is now a tradition for the girls. So even though I was home, they still wanted to go to Gigi’s. Thankfully, this left me some time to do some last-minute shopping now that I was walking somewhat normally again.<br />
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The girls also still insist on sleeping over at my parents' house on Christmas Eve - something we used to do out of necessity when we lived in a tiny ranch-style home that left very little room for holiday celebrations. Plus, my parents (well, mostly my Mom) love having little kids at their home on Christmas morning. And I could never do what my Mom manages to accomplish to make Christmas a wonderful, relaxing day for all of us - a bacon & eggs breakfast, freshly-baked coffee cake followed by a full turkey "dinner" all by 2 in the afternoon.<br />
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So after 3 days of Camp Christmas for the girls, an overnight stay for me on Christmas Eve sleeping in a bed with my parents' affection-loving dog that wanted her belly rubbed at 2am, a surprising and violent stomach bug for my hubby that kept him home on Christmas Eve, 4 rounds of gift-opening at 3 different locations in a 24-hour period, and probably triple the normal intake of food, we were exhausted when we finally arrived home on Christmas night. In our post-holiday stupor, we managed to unload 2 vehicles worth of stuff, during frigid temperatures, into the "Dining Room." (I use that description loosely as we have never actually had dining room furniture in this room.) Yay us for not just leaving it all in the cars until the next day!<br />
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Considering for the last 4 weeks I’ve not been able to take care of the house due to my back issues, plus all the influx of Christmas stuff, I’m feeling pretty overwhelmed right about now. When my living or work environment is in a state of chaos, I can’t relax. At the same time, I feel paralyzed with everything that needs to be done. I’m a procrastinator by nature, but I realize that it’s time to tackle the clutter and start getting my house back.<br />
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I begin by doing the easiest things first: My oldest child’s new “real camping” sleeping bag - that will keep her warm even in freezing temperatures - can easily go up on the top shelf of her closet. Woohoo! That’s one thing out of the dining room. Then I think, maybe I should have gotten one of those sleeping bags for myself. In all likelihood, if she’s camping out in freezing temperatures, I’ll probably be with her. <br />
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Anyway, I create small piles of each person’s things that I periodically take upstairs before they get too heaping. Big piles of stuff overwhelm me. Small piles I can handle easier. Plus, I like getting the extra stair workout. Gradually I pick up steam as more and more items find a home.<br />
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Before I know it, I’m doing more complicated things like reading the instructions and cleaning the parts on my new George Foreman Grill to make hamburgers for dinner. By the way, it works great and everyone needs one to cook easy meals with very little clean up. (Make sure to get the model with removable grilling trays so you can just pop ‘em out to wash it. The other styles have an attached grilling surface and you have to practically juggle the appliance to get it clean without submerging the whole thing in water.)<br />
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My awesome husband tried to assemble the Zhu Zhu Pets Deluxe Skymall…and then had to pack it all back up again when he discovered the instructions stink and there is no way for this thing to actually go together like it shows on the box. Into the car and back to the store it will go. Bummer! It looked really cool. Maybe they can use their… CREATIVITY (gasp!)... to make a maze out of cut-up cardboard boxes like my brother & I did for my real hamsters when we were younger. <br />
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As I move from one vessel full of random stuff to the next, I keep hearing Dory’s voice from <i>Nemo</i> in my head. It's saying, “Just Keep Swimming. Just Keep Swimming...” She says this line in the movie when she and Nemo’s dad are on a long & frightening journey to find Nemo. So this has been my mantra since seeing that movie. If you just keep moving, eventually you’ll get to the end, no matter how daunting the task.<br />
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Well, I’ve procrastinated long enough by writing this blog post. Time to get back to clutter busting! “Just keep swimming…”Cathy Linard-in-the-makinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15588218106192386366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290052968550929761.post-38011807155199458762010-12-19T08:45:00.000-08:002010-12-20T07:47:14.306-08:00How Watching Reality TV Helped Me: Talking Budget with Your ClientsYou’re going to find out soon enough so I might as well just admit it early on in my blogging career and get it over with – I am a reality TV junkie. However, I justify this guilty pleasure by using the real-life situations I observe on TV to learn how to improve my own life, personally & professionally.<br />
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Once in a while, I’ll catch that show <i>Say Yes to the Dress </i>on TLC (The Learning Chanel), where brides-to-be are shopping for that perfect wedding dress and the sales consultants are working tirelessly to make the sale. Every episode is like a mini sales-training video. Although they’re selling dresses & we’re selling furniture, the process is very similar. They are both big ticket items that visually represent the individual's personality and design style.<br />
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One of the most important lessons I’m reminded of with every episode of <i>Say Yes to the Dress </i>is that <b>if a client loves something enough, they will find a way to pay for it. </b><br />
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Every client will come in with one budgetary number in mind, absolutely adamant that they will not spend a penny more. But after being in the store for a little while trying on dresses, they soon find out that none of the dresses in their price range really “wow” them.<br />
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At this point, the consultant will usually say something like, “I have a dress in mind that I think is very much like what you’re describing to me, however it’s outside your price range. Would you like to just try it on to see if I'm on the right track as far as understanding the style you want?” (A low pressure way of getting the client to try it on without thinking she’s going to be pressured into buying it at the end.<br />
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Then the client, or usually her Mom or Dad who are actually paying for the dress, will usually ask, “Well, how much over?”<br />
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The Consultant, who is not afraid to talk about budget openly and confidently (another great tip: always talk about budget early on in the process), will respond, “About $2,000. You told me you wanted to spend no more than $4,000, I know. But I think, realistically, to get the type of look you want, it’s going to be more than that.”<br />
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I love it! Already the consultant is “planting the seed” that the client will be spending more that $4,000 – not because she wants more commission, but because, realistically, this is what the client will need to invest to get what <i>she</i> really wants.<br />
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Inevitably, the client does want to at least try on the dress just to see if the consultant is “on the right track” when it comes to understanding her style preferences. (Basically, the client totally fell into the “trap” at this point ;) <br />
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After seeing the more expensive dress on the bride-to-be,sometimes they will love it so much, they work out some type of arrangement to be able to afford it – maybe the bride agrees to clean her parent's home for the next year if they will buy her the more expensive dress. And sometimes, they decide, even though they love the dress, they don’t love it enough to pay the additional amount.<br />
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Either way, the best part is, when you talk this openly about budget early on and continuously throughout the process, there are no monetary surprises when it comes to the point of making a buying decision. They’ve already had time to “digest” the numbers. They’ve gotten used to the fact that they will be spending more than what they originally intended. <br />
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If you work this way with your clients, you’re less likely to hear the ‘ol “We’ve got to go home and think about it” - which is just a stall tactic usually used because they had no idea what they wanted to buy would cost so much. Therefor, they're not prepared to make that commitment.<br />
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And by the way, I can’t believe people are spending this much on wedding dresses. 13 years ago, mine was about $1,000 after alterations. We thought that was expensive! But this must be exactly how people feel when they go furniture shopping every 10 years.<br />
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Want to receive my FREE daily tips on sales, interior design, merchandising & marketing? <a href="http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/FAB-Results-with-Cathy-Linard/163042457056691">Just “Like” my Facebook page – FAB Results with Cathy Linard.<br />
</a>Cathy Linard-in-the-makinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15588218106192386366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290052968550929761.post-29224754179502452912010-12-17T22:23:00.000-08:002010-12-18T14:52:46.486-08:00A Self-professed Control-freak of Design Relinquished Holiday Decorating Responsibilities to Her Kids, Husband & MomHalloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas just come too close together for me these days. It seems like I just get everything up and it’s time to take it all down again! So, I was experiencing a little holiday decorating burnout. <br />
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And it's a very time intensive process for me. Before the decorating actually begins, there’s sorting through all the tchotchkes that have accumulated over the years in the decoration bins - cutesy knick-knacks given to us by well-meaning friends and family, holiday artwork that the kids made and couldn’t bear to part with, plus all the little trinkets the kids receive – Christmas books, Santa-shaped Slinkies, dollar-store snow globes…and the stuffed animals...What to do with all the stuffed animals we have for each holiday! Do I really have to find places for all these things?<br />
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I just can’t set things out wherever they fit and forget about it, either. Each item must be perfectly placed. I want it to look so good that I feel the urge to stare at the beautiful accessory arrangement I’ve created every time I walk by. I want to elicit “oohs & aahs” from our house guests (despite the fact that most of our visitors are under the age of 10). Otherwise, I figure what’s the point of even decorating if it is just acting as more clutter.<br />
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I did great this Halloween & Thanksgiving. I even posted pics of some of my holiday “tablescapes” on my Facebook page for all to admire. But Christmas decorating came to a screeching halt when my back decided to "go out" rendering me helpless on the coach - and in too much pain to make critical decorating decisions.<br />
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Of course, as soon as my husband brought the bins up from the basement, the kids wanted to open them up to rediscover all of the treasures inside. And then, they want to “help” decorate the house right away. Before you know it, bubble wrap and packing paper is all over the floor, things like dollar store snow globes end up on my étagère amongst the artfully-placed year-round décor, and the tree decorating totally violates the golden design rule of proportion with large, heavy ornaments on small branches and small, delicate ornaments on the big, bulky branches.<br />
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About three-quarters of the way through, the "fun factor" must have run out. Half-empty bins, their lids and random holiday accessories were scattered between the foyer, den & living room for days. Finally, my Mom came over to help me out around the house since I was still incapacitated due to my uncooperative back. She ended up putting the "finishing touches" on the Christmas decor and cleaning up all the bins. "It's not perfect but it's done." she said, knowing how particular I am when it comes to decorating.<br />
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Now that I’m mobile again, I could spend the day rearranging everything so it elicits that “wow” reaction from our guests. But, I’ve decided that my family’s memories of decorating the house together to help Mom and their feelings of accomplishment are more important. (And honestly, I don't have the time.) Maybe I’ll even post some pics of their design work on my blog.<br />
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</a>Cathy Linard-in-the-makinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15588218106192386366noreply@blogger.com0