Kitchen & Bath Business - July/August 2017 - 37

Susan Serra, CKD, CAPS, President, Susan Serra

Associates, Inc. & Founder, Scandinavian Made
The Sale. Closing a sale is an organic process
- sort of anti-climactic - as all expectations
including costs, materials and design have
been managed from the first meeting. Specifically, reclosing the sale, the timing of cabinet
production, materials access or other services
are always a motivator to the client to be sure
their schedule is met.Then I go over the contract with the client(s), make any amendments
that will be initialed by the client, collect the deposit, and we end with words
of excitement for the forthcoming project. I charge a flat fee, which includes a
block of hours, and the design retainer is deducted from the sale of cabinetry.
Success. I have been more selective in the projects I take on. I must truly be
excited to work on a project.The client must have reasonable expectations and
meet mine as well regarding budget, design services, timing, changes and attitude, and I must have a positive outlook on the prospect of working with the
clients. It must be a fit. My body of work and industry achievements continue
to add important credibility to my perception as an excellent designer.
Marketing Efforts. To generate awareness of my brand, my website serves as a
brochure, I am active in social media, I have visibility from industry brands via
their social media, and I try different things from time to time.

Nar Bustamante, President, Nar Design Group
The Sale. There are some key elements that

have to be in place to close a modern-day deal.
First, you have to know who you are; what
your product, service, price and process are;
what your promise is and if you are confident
about that promise. Second, build trust.
Simply know that this is a personal and unique
approach to every individual you encounter;
there is no better way other than to be completely trustworthy yourself. Closing a sale
should be exciting for the client, not scary nor pressure based. In fact, the client
should be the one to ask the question: "Where do I sign up?"
Success. I measure success by doing what we do day in and day out and always
being there when the clients need us. Success is being there for the next
customer and having the ability to roll into their project from your last project.
If you are counting your money, you will miss the next great client in greed.
Counting money is like bending over to pick up pennies when the dollars are
rolling by. If you are good at what you do, the money will be there.
Charging for Time. I am an anomaly in this department.I charge a flat fee based
on the type and size of project - typically starting at $5,000 for a kitchen and
$50,000 for a complete home.Once I have been hired,I do not limit my company
time; it all evens out in the end.The focus is on the sale of the project and products,
so design is only the portal to get to the rest of the project with my all-inclusive
model.If someone simply wants to speak with me,cheers! Drinks are on me.
Marketing Efforts. I am fortunate that the local and national media give us a
lot of attention for our designs.That alone creates a lot of internet buzz when
people are deciding who to hire for a project. Houzz is good also since it is a
platform with which many people are resonating. I also host many parties
and events in my showrooms, as well as with local affiliates in the industry,
including the National Kitchen & Bath Association, the American Society of
Interior Designers and the National Association of the Remodeling Industry.

Michael Menn, CGR and CGP, Principal,

Michael Menn Ltd.

The Sale. We use a very low-key approach to

the sales process. About 70 percent of our leads
come from past clients, and the remainder
come from marketing and the Internet.
Marketing Efforts. As architects and contractors,
we talk about the one-stop accountability we
provide to our clients.Because of our reputation,
we use past clients as a great source for spreading
the word.Lastly - right after signing the contract
- we ask our new clients if they know anyone they could refer.By asking before we
start the work, we receive more leads than when we ask after the job is complete.
Charging for Time. Whether we are in the design or construction phases,when we
budget/estimate the job,we determine how many hours (for each employee) are
going to be invested. I use a spreadsheet to determine each level of investment,
how many hours of investment and then multiply their time by their hourly
rate and then by the multiplier we use to determine the overall time investment.
At the end of the job, we do a job autopsy to determine how accurate we were.

Amy Ahearn,

Interior Designer/Decorator,
Decorating Den Interiors
The Sale. I'm a soft seller. I educate my clients
on what they already want and answer the
inevitable questions with solid answers, then
I sit back and let them decide to go forward.
If changes need to be made, I make them to a
degree. Sometimes it takes a few tries to realize
you're not meant to work together.
Success. This year's rainmaker for me was saturating the local market with my media advertising. I wanted people to say,"I
see you everywhere!"and they have! I am also quietly tenacious and persevere
in adversity.
Charging for Time. If I am selling product to the client, I typically don't charge
for my time. Unlike a lot of small design firms, being with the Decorating
Den Interiors franchise enables me to be a part of a larger buying group. I
can buy all my products for procurement at wholesale and often am able to
discount a bit off retail.Thus, I make most of my income on product procurement and not strictly on design services. When the client does want me for
design services only, I charge by the hour. If it is a full kitchen design, the fee
would be 10 percent of the project total, and I would be hands on (if not the
project manager). If it is an existing client, the hourly rate is discounted; if it
is a one-off (by that I mean one-time deal for now) or new client, I charge a
higher hourly rate and get paid upon completion of services (that day).
Marketing Efforts. In my market (Williamsburg, Va.) it is a small-town feel,
even though we have a resort that gets between three to four million visitors
a year. People want to work with local businesses, and word of mouth is very
important, so networking is a big deal. I have also taken out 1/4-page ads in
several of the local lifestyle magazines and also in residential golf community
newsletters. Finally, I have engaged an SEO company to keep my website
tight and current and have commenced a pay-per-click campaign, which
I will evaluate after six months. I track every lead that comes in so I know
already what is working and what is stagnant.
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Kitchen & Bath Business - July/August 2017

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