8 Great Myths of Kitchen Bath Sales

Many people in Kitchen and Bath sales struggle to make all the sales the want.

Here are 8 Great Myths about Kitchen Bath Designer & Sales that shed light on why you may be struggling to make the money you want to make.

Myth # 1

Great Design Sells Itself

Great design is IMPORTANT. Don’t misunderstand me. But by itself, design is insufficient to make the sale all by itself.

Truth – Great design is important, but it cannot and will not sell itself. Otherwise why do we need you to meet the client and present? If this were true you could sit in back cranking out “great” designs 8 hours a day while a minimum wage worker lays the designs on a table and asks for the sale.

The truth is, YOU matter. You're a vital part of the design sales process. Not just for your design expertise, but your individual persona.

The #1 attribute contributing to the sale of a kitchen or bath project is TRUST. Have it, you’ll sell. Don’t and you won’t. It’s as simple as that. And that doesn't come from a digital drawing or hand drawn piece of paper.

People buy from people. People we like, trust and respect.

Lastly, if it were ONLY about the design, that’s saying your 1st impression is irrelevant, rapport doesn’t matter and none of a dozen other factors that affect your sales every day don’t play a part in your success. That’s simply untrue.

The truth is, many factors affect your success in designer sales.

Myth # 2

I’m not is sales.

This is a big one. You are in sales. You just may not know it.

When I was giving a sales training event for Realtors on the island of Maui, Hawaii I asked the question "How many people here are in sales - raise your hand?"

The room was filled to capacity with Realtors and people who wanted to sell ads to them.

How many hands do you think went up"

ZERO. Not one. Every single person in the room, from Realtors to ads sales people didn't get it. They were all in sales. They just wouldn't admit it. You can't be good at doing something you won't even admit is part of your job.

It's in your job description. Sales Designer.

Many designers have never spent one second in a sales training class or read a single book on the subject of selling. I meet so many designers who are frustrated after spending countless hours designing a kitchen, and then present it to a prospect, only to hear, “Thanks, we’re getting other quotes”.

The highest paid, most successful designers are good at designing and then selling their jobs.

Truth – You must develop sales skills to be successful in this career.

Myth # 3

Feelings are not a Factor in my Success.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Feelings are a big Factor. Emotions sell.

And it’s a 2 sided issue. How YOU feel matters, because it affects your presentation. Are you confident, empowered, trustworthy? How they feel matters even more.

What emotions they experience from your greeting to the time you ask for the sale (and every feeling in between) all affect their decision whether or not to go with you (and your design)

Master the art of being in the right psychological state for every client interaction. Then focus on creating the right emotions in your buyer. I promise, this one will pay off BIG.

Myth # 4

It’s Clear to People Why My Offering is Best

Let me be clear. NO, it’s not.

99% of the time designers present, it's NOT clear to potential clients why you're Different & Better than everyone else in the marketplace.

It's your job to make it crystal clear, Why YOU.

I have friends who travel across America visiting showrooms who’ve said repeatedly, “Everyone thinks their showroom is special and better than everyone else out there. The reality is, most of them are pretty much the same”.

In his best-selling book Differentiate or Die, author Jack Trout makes clear, that any business or individual who wants to succeed in the marketplace must differentiate wildly.

That takes clarity, time & attention and the ability to communicate at a master level. They don’t teach that in design school.

To be continued…

Kirk Heiner is an author, speaker and sales training expert with more than 30 years in sales. He's trained 1,000's of sales designers and sales reps from 100's of companies including Lowe’s, DuPont, Danze, Trend Group the NKBA, KBIS, Stock Building Supply, the SBA and many more. He can be reached at [email protected].