The Designer's Coach

2008-02-01T08:28:00.001-05:00

The Eleventh-Hour Upgrade

Worried Sellers Splurge on Redos
But Many Won't Recover Costs;
Focusing on the 'Icky' Item

By JUNE FLETCHER
February 1, 2008; Page W8

Christina Lee just spent $150,000 to remodel her house -- for a stranger.

Ms. Lee has lived in her 19th century New York City brownstone for nearly three decades and in that time did just one major upgrade -- a $25,000 makeover of a kitchen 13 years ago. Now, the attorney wants to relocate her law practice to Seattle and sell her place -- which she bought in the Hamilton Heights neighborhood of northern Manhattan back in 1979 for $70,000. So for the past few months, the 4,400-square-foot house has been a frenzy of contractors, who have refinished floors and woodwork, overhauled her second kitchen, changed two bedrooms into sunrooms and redone a bath, complete with vessel sink, new shower and recessed lighting.

The modernistic redo doesn't quite match her own taste. But it did mimic the décor in newspaper real-estate sections. Ms. Lee says she hopes it will cement a quick sale when she puts her house on the market at "something north" of $2 million. "If I didn't do this, I wouldn't get my best price," she says.

Add another hassle to the headache of home selling: the last-minute renovation. With the housing market continuing to weaken, many sellers are going beyond the usual cleaning, painting and "staging" with flowers and pillows, by taking on big-ticket projects.

Some experts warn that sellers are unlikely to get their money back from extensive renovations. But owners often feel they have no choice if they want to sell, especially when builders of newly constructed homes are throwing in hardwood floors, finished basements and other free upgrades.

"There's so much competition, you need to stand out," says Brian Goe, a waterproofing-company owner. He spent $28,000 to upgrade a Bedminster, N.J., house that he bought in 1987 for $187,000. Before it hit the market a couple of weeks ago, Mr. Goe had contractors add pickled oak flooring to the dining room and new carpeting. They installed skylights in the living room, new stainless-steel kitchen appliances and separate sinks in the master bath. He had the interior walls painted in faux finishes.

PAYBACK TIME

Selected remodeling projects with average estimated percentage of costs recovered when home is sold.

PROJECT	COST	AMOUNT RECOUPED
Deck addition (wood) Build a 16-by-20-foot deck, including a built-in bench, planter, stairs and rail system	$10,347	85.4%
Siding replacement Replace 1,250 square feet with new vinyl siding, including trim	$9,910	83.2%
Minor kitchen remodel Includes new laminated countertops and fronts for 30 linear feet of cabinetry, oven, cooktop, sink and faucet, flooring	$21,185	83%
Window replacement – wood Replace 10 3-by-5-foot double-hung windows with new insulated windows	$11,384	81.2%
Bathroom remodel Includes new tub and tiling, solid-surface counter and sink, recessed medicine cabinet, vinyl wallpaper	$15,789	78.3%
Basement remodel Includes a 5-by-8-foot bathroom and a wet bar with under-counter refrigerator	$59,435	75.1%
Two-story addition A 24-by-16-foot wing including family room with prefabricated fireplace and a bedroom with full bath	$139,297	73.9%
Master suite addition A 24-by-16-foot bedroom with walk-in closet and bathroom with shower and raised whirlpool tub	$98,863	69%
Sunroom addition Build a 200-square-foot room with 10 large skylights, casement windows with movable shades and quarry tile floor	$69,817	59.1%
Home office remodel Convert a 12-by-12-foot room with custom cabinetry including 20 linear feet of laminated desktop, computer workstation, wall storage and rewiring for computer, telephone and other electronics	$27,193	57%

Source: Remodeling 2007 Cost vs. Value Report. Cost data from HomeTech Information Systems; includes labor. Recoup values are based on a 2007 survey of 2,700 members of the National Association of Realtors. Data for 60 cities can be downloaded free from www.costvsvalue.com

Such are the decisions homeowners make in a market where the news, for sellers, goes from bad to worse. According to the National Association of Realtors, the pace of sales of existing homes fell 22% in December compared with a year earlier. The median price fell 6% to $208,400.

The depressed market is hurting remodeling overall. Homeowner spending is expected to fall at an annual rate of 2.6% through the third quarter this year, according to Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies. The center doesn't break out separate home-improvement spending by owners preparing to sell. But Kermit Baker, director of the center's Remodeling Futures Program, says, "I suspect that there is a fair amount of this happening, given the softness in the housing market."

An online poll of 445 contractors conducted last week for The Wall Street Journal by ServiceMagic, a national contractor-referral service in Golden, Colo., indicates last-minute renovating is propping up a sizable chunk of the remodeling industry. According to the poll, 26% of contractors said they had been contacted in the past year by prospective home sellers looking to do substantial work. Of those contractors, 48% said such work had boosted their business by 20% or more.

Extensive presale remodeling is often fraught with conflicted decisions, because homeowners are making aesthetic choices they hope will please people they don't know. Tracey Born Fitzgerald, a marketing consultant, recently spent weeks visiting 20 open houses, buttonholing real-estate agents and watching makeover shows on TV to figure out what to do to the 1930s Los Angeles house that she and her two sisters inherited from their mother. She discovered that it wasn't important to install top-of-the line appliances. Instead, she put in good-quality, matching appliances and new countertops -- she had them tiled in seafoam green -- and replaced cabinet fronts, carpeting, doors, faucets, fixtures and lighting in a traditional style that didn't clash with the English Tudor home. All these upgrades cost her $55,000.

Ms. Fitzgerald says it was essential to let go of her personal preferences for the house, which she is planning to list "in the upper $3 million range." "I had to think, if I were a buyer, what would I want?" she says.

No matter what the upgrade, homeowners aren't likely to recoup all the money spent when they sell. According to Remodeling magazine's annual Cost Versus Value Survey, the overall return for remodeling projects is on the decline, falling to an average of 70% in 2007 from 86.7% at the market peak in 2005.

For a project using midrange products, the best returns come from putting on a new deck, replacing the siding and sprucing up the kitchen; the lowest returns come from remodeling a home office, adding a sunroom or putting in a backup power generator.

Tricia Sinn, a Ladue, Mo., remodeler who recently oversaw a seller's $24,000 last-minute redo, says rather than splurge on major upgrades, it is often better to remove aging window treatments and other dated features and to selectively replace worn and "icky" items, such as countertops, shower doors and hardware. "A comprehensive, clean look is better than one newly renovated area," she says. The house she worked on sold at the first open house for $645,000 -- $4,900 less than the asking price.

Some sellers aren't worried about recouping what they've spent. Carl Frederick, a landscape-lighting company executive, spent $23,000 preparing to sell his four-bedroom Boston Heights, Ohio, home. It was only nine years old, but Mr. Frederick replaced laminated countertops with granite, installed new sinks with brushed-nickel faucets, replaced light fixtures -- and put the house on the market in April for $879,000.

Several contracts fell through before it finally sold for $775,000. Mr. Frederick paid $700,000 for the house five years ago -- leaving him with little profit after the agent's fees and closing costs. But he has no regrets. "At the end of the day, I sold the house," he says.

Write to June Fletcher at june.fletcher@wsj.com¹

2008-01-14T07:32:00.001-05:00

WANTED: REFERRAL PARTNERS

If you've been in business for more than five minutes, you already know that the best way for any decorating professional to get clients is by referral. But the process of building sufficient word of mouth to produce the number of clients you need can seem daunting. You can count on some referrals from your existing clients and people who already know you, but that's a fairly limited number. How can you start getting referrals from people outside your circle?

Actually, a better question is how to increase the size of your circle to include more people. In order to refer you business, people need to know, like, and trust you. They want to be sure that you will take good care of the clients they send you. For that, they'd like to be better acquainted than just hearing your name.

Imagine that you had a group of 100 people who were willing to refer clients to you. Now, imagine further that this "circle of 100" were people whose own work put them in touch with your potential clients every day. Sounds ideal, doesn't it? Building a circle like this of your own may be easier than you think.

One of my clients, set about doing exactly this when she first launched her business. She identified a list of people in her city who were likely to be strong referral sources, and began methodically making their acquaintance. Within a few months, she had a steady stream of new clients. Better still, since all these clients were referrals, they were usually ready to do business when they first contacted her, and required little selling on her part.

To use this approach effectively, it's not just a matter of knowing enough people. You have to know the right people. Here's how to begin:

1. Create a most-wanted list of businesses that are frequently in touch with the type of client you desire. A good source are those in the Home Improvement Business. Look for businesses that serve the same clientele as you but don't compete with you. I have started a networking group just for this purpose. You can check out the website: www.rockbiz.org

2. Seek them out, meet with them, and familiarize them with your expertise and the benefits of the service you offer. Find out more about what they do and the type of clients they serve so you can refer business to them as well.

3. When you connect with someone who seems open to sending you referrals from time to time, you have found a referral partner. Add their name to your list.

When you have a specific goal like this in mind, your networking can become much more focused. As you meet new people, you'll be able to decide just from looking at their business card whether following up with them should be part of your plan. Whenever you meet someone whose occupation matches one on your list, ask, "I think we might be able to refer each other clients. Can we get together and talk about that?"

Don't be concerned if you fear that you won't have any referrals to give the people you're talking to. Neither of you are making a promise to send each other clients; you are simply expanding your circles to increase the likelihood of that happening. As you get to know more people in your niche, it's quite likely that you will find yourself making referrals more often.

Over time, you may find that some of the people in your circle aren't particularly good referral sources. That's to be expected. The reason you want so many names to start with is that only a few of them will consistently refer. You can always add more names later to replace some of the people who don't seem as helpful. It's likely, though, that just a few steady referral partners will be more than enough to keep you busy.

Here is a brief list of potential referral partners for our industry:
Painters, Plumbers, Landscapers or Lawncare, Remoldelers, Builders, Realtors, Mortgage Brokers, Headhunters (people relocating), Roofers, Home Inspectors, Title Insurers, Insurance Brokers, Attorneys, Housekeeping Services, Closet and Storage, Art Dealers, Bath and Kitchen Cabinets, Oriental Carpets, Electrician, Security, Heating and A/C.

2008-01-06T07:54:00.000-05:00

IF YOU WANT TO GET CLIENTS, YOU'LL HAVE TO TALK TO THEM
"I've done everything I can think of to get clients," a desperate self-employed professional writes. "I printed a brochure, I have a web site, and I've placed ads. But no one is hiring me. What am I doing wrong?"
This unhappy business owner has made a common mistake. He seems to believe that investing money in placing ads and creating marketing materials will somehow produce clients without the direct involvement of the business owner.
Perhaps professionals who make this mistake are trying to follow a big business model. They hide behind a company name, expensive marketing literature, and a web site. They spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on ads, directory listings, and trade show booths. Far too many self-employed professionals don't even disclose their own name in their marketing.
But people don't buy decorating services from an anonymous company; they buy them from individual people they have learned to know, like, and trust. The more personal -- or the more expensive -- the service you offer is, the more likely this is to be true.
As a decorator, you are asking people to trust you with one of the most personal areas of their lives. You don't earn people's trust by sending them a brochure.
Here are the five things that work best for most decorators to get clients:1. Meeting people in person -- at events or by appointment2. Talking to people on the phone3. Sending personal letters and emails4. Following up personally over time5. Speaking to groups at meetings and networking events
And here are the five things self-employed professionals most often try that don't work:1. Placing ads in the Yellow Pages or local newspaper2. Distributing flyers around their community3. Mailing mass-produced letters or brochures to strangers4. Sending their newsletter to people who haven't asked for it5. Posting their brochure on the Internet and calling that a web site
The main difference between these two lists is that the first list requires you to talk to people. On the second list are anonymous activities that allow you to hide out and never meet the people you are in business to serve.
If you want people to become your clients, they need to get to know you, learn to like you, and believe they can trust you. And for that, they really do need to meet you.
It is understandable why so many business owners gravitate to the least effective marketing tactics -- they are so much easier! To buy an ad, all you have to do is put up the money. To send a letter, all you need is an address and a stamp. It's much more challenging to go out and meet strangers, or to call people on the phone and ask for their business.
But the reality is that this is what it takes. Even if you have the world's best web site, it's a rare client who finds their way to it, reads it, and decides then and there to work with you. The same is true for a brochure. Both of these marketing tools are simply that -- tools. Just like a pair of pliers, they need a person holding them in order for them to work.
What clients want is to get a sense of who you are as a person. They want to see your face or hear your voice, to get to know you over time. If you don't have enough confidence in your business to speak to people in person about it, how will they ever have enough confidence in you to hire you?
What you'll discover if you begin to meet clients in person, talk to them on the phone, and ask directly for their business, is that it gets easier the more you do it. It will build your confidence in yourself -- and the confidence your prospective clients have in you -- at the same time.
If you're in the business of serving people, your best marketing tool is your own voice. So put it to work and start talking to them.To your success,
Neil

No Excuses for 2008

2008-01-02T07:41:00.001-05:00

Interior designers predict a busy 2008.
The San Francisco Chronicle (1/1/08, G1, Fornoff) reported that in San Francisco, Calif., area "interior designers are looking forward to a busy 2008 -- and, odd as it seems, the nation's mortgage crisis may deserve credit for that." Kelly Keiser, Allied Member ASID, noted, "The design market is thriving, and I think that has to do with the shift in the economy." According to Keiser, instead of flipping houses, people are "staying in homes longer" and "investing in their houses." In one sample, the consensus of 11 design professionals "was that business is booming, with budgets so unconstrained that increased customization and one-of-a-kind elements are taking center stage."

To your success!
Neil

Anxious? You Should be!

2007-12-30T08:09:00.000-05:00

NY Times
December 30, 2007
Preoccupations
Anxious? You Should Be. It’s Good for Business.
By ROBERT H. ROSEN
ANXIETY is usually something people want to avoid. The dictionary defines it as “a state of being uneasy, apprehensive or worried about what may happen.” People who experience too much anxiety may find themselves on a therapist’s couch, and doctors prescribe pills to keep this feeling away.
And yet, in my work as an adviser to executives, I have found that in corporate life there is a place for anxiety, as long as it is understood and managed the right way. I have interviewed or advised 250 top executives at companies that include Procter & Gamble, Toyota, PepsiCo, Four Seasons Hotels, Ericsson, Samsung and Novartis. I have seen the positive effect that anxiety has had on their organizations — whether intentional or not.
The success of great leaders is all about creating just enough anxiety — within themselves and their organizations — to unleash the energy that drives powerful leadership, accelerates growth and helps companies succeed.
I have come to realize that both personality and culture influence the way leaders handle change and uncertainty, and the anxiety that comes with them. Just enough anxiety enables the best leaders to embrace uncertainty and to turn challenges into opportunities. It prods them to make meaningful and necessary changes within themselves and their organizations.
What is just enough anxiety? It is the exact amount we need to respond to change, tackle a tough problem or take a leap of faith. It is the right level of energy combined with the right attitude that enables us to perform at our best. Just enough anxiety is a catalyst for individual and organizational growth.
Contrast this with too much anxiety, which is mired in negative thinking and characterized by the desire to attack change. This can lead to arrogance, fear, mistakes and low morale. Or contrast it with too little anxiety, which is grounded in complacency and the belief that everything will turn out O.K., without intervention. This can result in a failure to confront hard issues, mediocre performance and untapped potential. Both too much and too little anxiety inhibit top performance and lead to deterioration and decline.
Having just enough anxiety has led me to become a better teacher and motivator. It propelled me to stretch myself to get my Ph.D. It enabled me to step outside my comfort zone and start my own business. It continually challenges me to grow. And it helps me coach senior executives as they deal with ever-changing issues in an ever-changing world.
Like all leaders, I am constantly moving back and forth between too much, too little and just enough anxiety.
Not long ago my company was working hard to keep up with a growth spurt. I was being pulled in many directions, traveling a lot, and was tired and overly impatient. Even though I am committed to healthy leadership, I was unknowingly taking out my anxiety on my team.
Fortunately, we were testing a new 360-degree performance evaluation at the time. People described me as “bold, honest and a strong leader.” But they also told me I was being “unpredictable and moody” at times. They helped me realize that I wasn’t listening to them very well and was jumping to conclusions. To be honest, I was surprised and embarrassed by the feedback but grateful for the chance to examine my actions. After a candid conversation, we got our team back on track.
I recognized that it was my resistance to my discomfort with the stresses of the business that had created too much anxiety within me. This led to increasing levels of tension and conflict between me and my team. At the same time, it was my acceptance of my discomfort in hearing people’s feedback that allowed me to have an honest conversation with them about my performance. The experience helped me make positive changes in how I look at and handle the pressures of a growing business.
IF you’ve ever taught a child to ride a bike, you know all about managing anxiety in yourself and the people around you. You know it’s up to you to help the child conquer fears. After all, you’re the adult. But you’ve got fears of your own. You want to help him become more independent, to build his self-confidence. But what if he falls? What if he gets hurt? You see the hesitation, fear, and excitement on the child’s face. But he says that he wants to do it, so you let go of the bike. That’s my idea of leadership.
Your relationship with uncertainty and anxiety has a profound effect on your life and your ability to lead people through change. It shapes how you see yourself and others, and how others see you. It influences how you think about problems and make decisions. And it’s a crucial factor in how you manage performance and interact with people.
When you manage this powerful force correctly, you create just enough anxiety inside and outside yourself. You are better able to learn, change and navigate in a complex world. You unleash vast amounts of human energy. And you lead people and companies to levels of success they’ve never reached before.
Robert H. Rosen is a psychologist and chief executive of Healthy Companies International, a consulting firm in Arlington, Va. His book “Just Enough Anxiety” will be published by Portfolio in March.

2007-12-24T07:07:00.000-05:00

NY Times, July 31^st, 2007

Who’s Minding the Mind?

By BENEDICT CAREY

In a recent experiment, psychologists at Yale altered people’s judgments of a stranger by handing them a cup of coffee.

The study participants, college students, had no idea that their social instincts were being deliberately manipulated. On the way to the laboratory, they had bumped into a laboratory assistant, who was holding textbooks, a clipboard, papers and a cup of hot or iced coffee — and asked for a hand with the cup.

That was all it took: The students who held a cup of iced coffee rated a hypothetical person they later read about as being much colder, less social and more selfish than did their fellow students, who had momentarily held a cup of hot java.

Findings like this one, as improbable as they seem, have poured forth in psychological research over the last few years. New studies have found that people tidy up more thoroughly when there’s a faint tang of cleaning liquid in the air; they become more competitive if there’s a briefcase in sight, or more cooperative if they glimpse words like “dependable” and “support” — all without being aware of the change, or what prompted it.

Psychologists say that “priming” people in this way is not some form of hypnotism, or even subliminal seduction; rather, it’s a demonstration of how everyday sights, smells and sounds can selectively activate goals or motives that people already have.

More fundamentally, the new studies reveal a subconscious brain that is far more active, purposeful and independent than previously known. Goals, whether to eat, mate or devour an iced latte, are like neural software programs that can only be run one at a time, and the unconscious is perfectly capable of running the program it chooses.

The give and take between these unconscious choices and our rational, conscious aims can help explain some of the more mystifying realities of behavior, like how we can be generous one moment and petty the next, or act rudely at a dinner party when convinced we are emanating charm.

“When it comes to our behavior from moment to moment, the big question is, ‘What to do next?’ ” said John A. Bargh, a professor of psychology at Yale and a co-author, with Lawrence Williams, of the coffee study, which was presented at a recent psychology conference. “Well, we’re finding that we have these unconscious behavioral guidance systems that are continually furnishing suggestions through the day about what to do next, and the brain is considering and often acting on those, all before conscious awareness.”

Dr. Bargh added: “Sometimes those goals are in line with our conscious intentions and purposes, and sometimes they’re not.”

Priming the Unconscious

The idea of subliminal influence has a mixed reputation among scientists because of a history of advertising hype and apparent fraud. In 1957, an ad man named James Vicary claimed to have increased sales of Coca-Cola and popcorn at a movie theater in Fort Lee, N.J., by secretly flashing the words “Eat popcorn” and “Drink Coke” during the film, too quickly to be consciously noticed. But advertisers and regulators doubted his story from the beginning, and in a 1962 interview, Mr. Vicary acknowledged that he had trumped up the findings to gain attention for his business.

Later studies of products promising subliminal improvement, for things like memory and self-esteem, found no effect.

Some scientists also caution against overstating the implications of the latest research on priming unconscious goals. The new research “doesn’t prove that consciousness never does anything,” wrote Roy Baumeister, a professor of psychology at Florida State University, in an e-mail message. “It’s rather like showing you can hot-wire a car to start the ignition without keys. That’s important and potentially useful information, but it doesn’t prove that keys don’t exist or that keys are useless.”

Yet he and most in the field now agree that the evidence for psychological hot-wiring has become overwhelming. In one 2004 experiment, psychologists led by Aaron Kay, then at Stanford University and now at the University of Waterloo, had students take part in a one-on-one investment game with another, unseen player.

Half the students played while sitting at a large table, at the other end of which was a briefcase and a black leather portfolio. These students were far stingier with their money than the others, who played in an identical room, but with a backpack on the table instead.

The mere presence of the briefcase, noticed but not consciously registered, generated business-related associations and expectations, the authors argue, leading the brain to run the most appropriate goal program: compete. The students had no sense of whether they had acted selfishly or generously.

In another experiment, published in 2005, Dutch psychologists had undergraduates sit in a cubicle and fill out a questionnaire. Hidden in the room was a bucket of water with a splash of citrus-scented cleaning fluid, giving off a faint odor. After completing the questionnaire, the young men and women had a snack, a crumbly biscuit provided by laboratory staff members.

The researchers covertly filmed the snack time and found that these students cleared away crumbs three times more often than a comparison group, who had taken the same questionnaire in a room with no cleaning scent. “That is a very big effect, and they really had no idea they were doing it,” said Henk Aarts, a psychologist at Utrecht University and the senior author of the study.

The Same Brain Circuits

The real-world evidence for these unconscious effects is clear to anyone who has ever run out to the car to avoid the rain and ended up driving too fast, or rushed off to pick up dry cleaning and returned with wine and cigarettes — but no pressed slacks.

The brain appears to use the very same neural circuits to execute an unconscious act as it does a conscious one. In a study that appeared in the journal Science in May, a team of English and French neuroscientists performed brain imaging on 18 men and women who were playing a computer game for money. The players held a handgrip and were told that the tighter they squeezed when an image of money flashed on the screen, the more of the loot they could keep.

As expected, the players squeezed harder when the image of a British pound flashed by than when the image of a penny did — regardless of whether they consciously perceived the pictures, many of which flew by subliminally. But the circuits activated in their brains were similar as well: an area called the ventral pallidum was particularly active whenever the participants responded.

“This area is located in what used to be called the reptilian brain, well below the conscious areas of the brain,” said the study’s senior author, Chris Frith, a professor in neuropsychology at University College London who wrote the book “Making Up The Mind: How the Brain Creates our Mental World.”

The results suggest a “bottom-up” decision-making process, in which the ventral pallidum is part of a circuit that first weighs the reward and decides, then interacts with the higher-level, conscious regions later, if at all, Dr. Frith said.

Scientists have spent years trying to pinpoint the exact neural regions that support conscious awareness, so far in vain. But there’s little doubt it involves the prefrontal cortex, the thin outer layer of brain tissue behind the forehead, and experiments like this one show that it can be one of the last neural areas to know when a decision is made.

This bottom-up order makes sense from an evolutionary perspective. The subcortical areas of the brain evolved first and would have had to help individuals fight, flee and scavenge well before conscious, distinctly human layers were added later in evolutionary history. In this sense, Dr. Bargh argues, unconscious goals can be seen as open-ended, adaptive agents acting on behalf of the broad, genetically encoded aims — automatic survival systems.

In several studies, researchers have also shown that, once covertly activated, an unconscious goal persists with the same determination that is evident in our conscious pursuits. Study participants primed to be cooperative are assiduous in their teamwork, for instance, helping others and sharing resources in games that last 20 minutes or longer. Ditto for those set up to be aggressive.

This may help explain how someone can show up at a party in good spirits and then for some unknown reason — the host’s loafers? the family portrait on the wall? some political comment? — turn a little sour, without realizing the change until later, when a friend remarks on it. “I was rude? Really? When?”

Mark Schaller, a psychologist at the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver, has done research showing that when self-protective instincts are primed — simply by turning down the lights in a room, for instance — white people who are normally tolerant become unconsciously more likely to detect hostility in the faces of black men with neutral expressions.

“Sometimes nonconscious effects can be bigger in sheer magnitude than conscious ones,” Dr. Schaller said, “because we can’t moderate stuff we don’t have conscious access to, and the goal stays active.”

Until it is satisfied, that is, when the program is subsequently suppressed, research suggests. In one 2006 study, for instance, researchers had Northwestern University undergraduates recall an unethical deed from their past, like betraying a friend, or a virtuous one, like returning lost property. Afterward, the students had their choice of a gift, an antiseptic wipe or a pencil; and those who had recalled bad behavior were twice as likely as the others to take the wipe. They had been primed to psychologically “cleanse” their consciences.

Once their hands were wiped, the students became less likely to agree to volunteer their time to help with a graduate school project. Their hands were clean: the unconscious goal had been satisfied and now was being suppressed, the findings suggest.

What You Don’t Know

Using subtle cues for self-improvement is something like trying to tickle yourself, Dr. Bargh said: priming doesn’t work if you’re aware of it. Manipulating others, while possible, is dicey. “We know that as soon as people feel they’re being manipulated, they do the opposite; it backfires,” he said.

And researchers do not yet know how or when, exactly, unconscious drives may suddenly become conscious; or under which circumstances people are able to override hidden urges by force of will. Millions have quit smoking, for instance, and uncounted numbers have resisted darker urges to misbehave that they don’t even fully understand.

Yet the new research on priming makes it clear that we are not alone in our own consciousness. We have company, an invisible partner who has strong reactions about the world that don’t always agree with our own, but whose instincts, these studies clearly show, are at least as likely to be helpful, and attentive to others, as they are to be disruptive.

Pantones Color of the Year is...

2007-12-20T09:20:00.000-05:00

December 20, 2007
Pantone's Color of the Year Is...
By CATHY HORYN
AT least one color authority, Pantone, has taken the plunge and announced its favorite color for 2008. To be sure, this news doesn’t seem as delectable as People’s Sexiest Man Alive or as snugly affirming as Time’s Person of the Year. You probably did not even know that chili pepper red was the color for 2007.
Nonetheless, Pantone’s choice of blue iris, or No. 18-3943, got some news media attention last week, which seemed to be partly the objective of the company, which is based in Carlstadt, N.J. In a statement, Leatrice Eiseman, the executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, said: “Blue Iris brings together the dependable aspects of blue, underscored by a strong, soul-searching purple cast. Emotionally, it is anchoring and meditative with a touch of magic.”
Later, in a telephone interview, Ms. Eiseman said the selection process had been very thoughtful, based on various influences, and that indeed the final choice reflected a “need for thoughtfulness.” Five individuals were involved in the selection process. “With blue iris, we felt that it answered several needs, hopes, desires, that kind of thing,” she said.
If that strikes you as hazy, you’re not alone. “It’s a little bit on the funny side,” said Micha Riss, the creative director of Flying Machine, a branding and design firm in New York, whose clients include ESPN and Sky Italia. “I respect Pantone a lot, but I see them as a technical service. If Helmut Lang were to make such a projection, I would listen.”
Mr. Lang is, alas, no longer making clothes. Still, designers of his caliber tend to avoid such industrial predictions, on the ground that it leaves them less room to exert their particular influence. After all, where would the world be without Miuccia Prada’s beautification of ugly brown, Tom Ford’s elevation of candy-floss lilac? If a fashion label can be said to own a color, then shocking pink belongs to Schiaparelli. Red is to Valentino what orange is to Tide.
The higher-ups in fashion tend to profess a horror of predictions, anyway. It’s so prosaic, like In and Out lists. As Alber Elbaz, the designer at Lanvin, characterized the shortcomings of forecasts, in a call to his Paris office: “We think we can read ‘How to Become a Millionaire’ or ‘Find a Gorgeous Husband in Three Weeks,’ but a book is a book is a book. We have to go with intuition.” He said forecasts are for the mass market, for retailers and manufacturers who want to be sure they have enough blue sweaters in stock next winter.
Pantone provides standardized palettes for a number of industries, mainly graphics, fashion textiles and interior design. Not surprisingly, Pantone’s competitors in the area of forecasting are skeptical of its choice, if not the motive behind it.
“It’s very good for publicity, and it certainly shows a lot of bravado,” said Margaret Walch, the director of the Color Association, a forecasting group founded in 1915, when the vast majority of its members were milliners, glove makers and hosiery suppliers. Because consumer tastes and values are under a variety of influences — economic, environmental, global — anointing one color isn’t all that meaningful, she said. Is there a color she might have picked instead? Ms. Walch laughed lightly, as if to say, “O.K., I’ll play along.” She answered, “My color for 2008 is bamboo.” A yellowed green, chosen from the association’s interior palette, she said, it “represents the stable green that is most on people’s minds.” She said it’s similar to a hue called Vineyard, adding: “I feel it just has a power. You know, these are very insecure times.”
Before you have a complete freak-out and crawl into your bamboo-colored hole to await the purple dawn, let’s pause and consider a few things. There has indeed been a surge of blue on the runways in the last year, beginning last February with Raf Simons’s dresses and pantsuits, in an Yves Klein blue, for Jil Sander and extending into the spring 2008 collections with Nicolas Ghesquiere’s explosive floral prints for Balenciaga. Mr. Elbaz used a deep lagoon blue in his spring Lanvin show, and one found lighter but no less robust shades in collections by Marni and Chloé, and in the men’s lines of Prada and Alexander McQueen. Dolce & Gabbana called its new fragrance Light Blue. And JWT, the advertising and marketing company, just named blue as one of the top 10 trends for 2008, saying that “blue is the new green,” particularly as it denotes ecological concerns.
“I’m thrilled,” Terron Schaefer, senior vice president of marketing at Saks Fifth Avenue, said of the blue news. This fall, Mr. Schaefer worked with an Amsterdam-based designer, Pete Paris, on new shopping bags for the spring. As it happens, the bags have a large element of a watery blue.
Ms. Eiseman of the Color Institute said she gathers information from various sources, including trade shows like the influential Milan furniture fair. From a marketing standpoint, there’s plenty of reason to think that blue may have eclipsed green.
“I think green is being abused to death,” said Regis Pean, creative director of Studio Red, a branding and design division of the Rockwell Group, which works with companies like Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and Procter & Gamble. “Everybody wants to be green.” (Notably, Barneys New York, which is promoting a “green Christmas.”) For educated consumers, Mr. Pean said, the overuse of green in marketing is increasingly a turn-off.
There is no doubt that color influences consumer choices, whether it’s as durable as a Tiffany blue box, as sharp and crystal clear as an Apple store, or as seasonal (and socially attuned) as Gap’s Red campaign.
“What if Coke decided to become green?” said Leslie Singer, the president and chief creative officer of G2 Branding & Design. Well, for one thing, the public would lose a prime visual signpost in the supermarket. “Color drives the way you navigate through a store,” Mr. Pean said, pointing out that stores employ what’s called an r and K strategy, based on a mathematical equation. Either they flood an aisle with a block of color or they go for selective, standout placement.
As Ms. Singer points out, heritage brands like Coke and Burberry aren’t really affected by color forecasts. They already have a look and a palette: why confuse matters? For fashion designers the concerns are different. Mr. Elbaz says a color can look one way in a swatch, another in a bolt of cloth, and still another when you cut into it. “There are three stages and each is different,” said Mr. Elbaz, who finds that some of his best colors come from cosmetics — “because they’ve been tested on the face.”
Paradoxically, fashion may not be as responsible for stimulating interest in color as other creative fields — architecture, furniture design and technology. “In the fashion business, we’re a bit dead at the moment because we sold out to bling,” said David Shah, a clothing maker and a forecaster based in Amsterdam, whose View publishing company produces magazines on color and retail trends (including one for Pantone). “The architects and the furniture designers are the new sexy ones.”
Nonetheless, all these creative forces, along with a desire to have more humor, will feed demand for color, Mr. Shah predicted. “Color is now seen as an item of luxury,” he said. Yes, like an orange Hermès box, or a once-humble box of chocolates.

FW: Invitation to view Neil's Picasa Web Album - Egypt 2007

2007-12-18T14:04:00.000-05:00

You are invited to view Neil's photo album: Egypt 2007

Egypt 2007

Jan 7, 2004
by Neil

View Album
Play slideshow

Message from Neil:

Egypt Pictures

If you are having problems viewing this email, copy and paste the following into your browser:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Thedesignerscoach/Egypt2007?authkey=tfD2lYr3BcE

To share your photos or receive notification when your friends share photos, get your own free Picasa Web Albums account.

FW: On TV and in the newspaper

2007-11-17T06:06:00.000-05:00

Watch my TV Spot

Video: Decorating windows with fabric

Dressing your windows for success

By MARY SHUSTACK

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original Publication: November 17, 2007)

A new home offers a blank slate for decorating, though it might first
feel a bit stark.
One of the easiest ways to cozy things up - or freshen up when it's
time to sell - is to pay attention to the window treatments.
Swags and panels, blinds and shades can help set the tone of a space,
make the surroundings feel lush and luxurious or bold and modern.
No matter which theme is chosen, window treatments are instrumental in
helping transform a house into a home - and adding value to the space,
as well.
Navigating the world of window treatments can be daunting, though.
After all, just take a look at "The Design Directory of Window
Treatments" by Jackie Von Tobel (Gibbs Smith, publisher, $60). The book
is nearly 600 pages long, is accompanied by a CD-ROM and explores more
than 350 individual components that can be used when decorating a
window.
But Karen Kline, a designer who owns Spice Hill Interiors in Ossining,
says the category also offers a unique opportunity.
"Window treatments can be strictly utilitarian but more often, they are
probably the best way to add texture and softness to a room that
otherwise is all hard surfaces," she says.
So start the process, whether it be with silk drapes or wooden
shutters, sheer panels or stretches of brocades.
It's all about the material: Decorating With Fabric
For those who feel they don't know anything about window treatments,
Neil Gordon has a suggestion: Use the words window fashion instead.
"When you think of window fashion, you really think of how you're
decorating your window," he says.
Gordon, the owner of Decorating With Fabric in Monsey, is ready with
countless options. Hundreds of swatch books fill his showroom,
complemented by hardware and embellishments, shades and blinds.
The design staff offers in-home consultations.
"We'll have to see what the room looks like, how the light comes into
the room, how they're living in the room, how they plan on living in
the room, tying in, perhaps, the area rug on the floor, pulling out
certain colors," he says. "That's how we then determine what colors
we'll bring in so there's a variety of ways of doing it."
There's also an on-site workshop, and all installations are completed
by the company.
"We have control from day one until the day it's installed," he says.
"We have a real niche."
Gordon seems almost destined for the home-decorating business. Longtime
Rocklanders will remember Gaylin's, a Nanuet housewares and decorating
store operated by his parents for some 30 years.
Gordon knows customers have to rely on his expertise: "You can't see
what you're going to buy from me until the day we install it."
So he's always sure to ask questions about light, privacy, use,
decorative taste and budget.
Although the work is custom, it doesn't have to be expensive.
He says, for example, a 42-by-54-inch faux wood blind for a single
window could cost $150.
And there are even a few techniques that benefit those counting their
pennies.
"You can, for example, use a more expensive fabric that you've perhaps
fallen in love with but perhaps use it on a cornice, which takes very
little fabric as opposed to swags or jabots which would take a lot of
fabric."
That's not only thrifty but trendy.
"I think a lot of window treatments are becoming simpler in design,"
Gordon adds. "We're not seeing as heavy a window treatments as we've
once seen before. I have a whole category now that I call poles and
panels."
Decorating With Fabric, 302 Saddle River Road, Monsey. 845-352-5064;
www.decoratingwithfabric.com.

2007-11-10T11:33:00.000-05:00

Diva In the House-The Voice of Real Estate Staging Radio/Podcast Interviews Neil Gordon, The Designer's Coach

I had the pleasure of interviewing Neil Gordon on November 9th for the Diva in the House show and hope that you all were able to listen in. If you missed the show, you can catch the entire show via the archived pod cast within a few days at http://www.radiosandysprings.com/ Click on show schedules, click Fridays and then scroll down to the show title section to find not only Neil's show, but all of the archived shows. I encourage any of you who are wanting to bring your business to the next level to check out Neil's show as he shares suggestions on how to make changes in the way you lead and manage your business. Neil discusses the six fatal flaws that can prevent your ultimate success. Each one of the flaws is addressed and then remedies are given to help you avoid these common mistakes. You can visit Neil's website at http://www.thedesignerscoach.com/ for further information about his coaching system and his book.

This coming week, ( November 16th ) Diva in the House is so excited to be welcoming Suzee Miller a Feng Shui Master. I am hoping to not only discuss feng shui for the selling of property, but also to gain some knowledge and advice from Suzee on how to apply feng shui practices in our own homes and offices for personal and professional enrichment. This show will air live Friday the 16th at 1 p.m. eastern time on the home page of http://www.radiosandysprings.com/ site.

Thank you all again for the positive feedback and support of the radio show. As always, I encourage additional suggestions and topic ideas from you all.

Cheers!

Gina

2007-11-10T08:54:00.000-05:00

SWOT

Socrates believed an unexamined life was not worth living. Honest self-evaluation can be a powerful tool to help you quickly and deeply understand your areas of strength and weakness while helping you take advantage of opportunities and stay aware of threats.

A classic tool for accomplishing this is a SWOT Analysis. SWOT, which stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunity, and Threats, can be used on a individual basis, but is most powerful when used by a group of people to evaluate a business or team.

Strengths

1. What do clients say is your top strength?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. What do you currently do better than anyone else?

3. What were you motivation factors and influences in starting this business? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. What achievements have found the most satisfaction in doing?

5. To what do you attribute your current level of success?

6. How do you measure success? What does success look like to you?

7. What are the top five reasons a client should buy from you and not from your competitors?

8. What are two real-life examples where you or your team showed creativity and ingenuity?

9. What are two real-life examples where you or your team demonstrated critical thinking and were open-minded to trying new ways?

Weaknesses

1. What are two or three areas your staff or team members complain about the most?

2. What are two or three areas your clients complain about the most?

3. Of the following areas, which ones do you do the poorest in: customer follow- up, timely billings, marketing, sales, being detail oriented, customer satisfaction, empowering team members to make decisions, and so forth?

4. What does your competition do better than you do?

5. Which areas do you procrastinate the most on?

6. How do you position your company in comparison to your competitors? (The cheapest, most expensive, generalist, specialist, small, big, focused, diverse, and so on.)

7. If you could change three things about your company, what would you change? What would you change first? Why?

Opportunity

1. Who are the people who already have a relationship with your potential clients? How can you start to build a relationship with them?

2. What are you doing to position your company as being on the cutting edge as a leader in the industry?

3. How could you better use the media to position yourself and your company as experts?

Threats

1. What are the five greatest obstacles your company or team currently face?

2. How does rapidly changing trends affect your business model?

3. What are current trends in your industry?

4. How does the economy affect your business for good or bad?

5. What are you currently doing to identify, train, and retain your top employees?

6. What would happen if your top three people were hired away by your most aggressive competitor?

7. How long would it take you be up and running if your company was robbed or your building burned down?

8. What is the worst-case scenario you fear the most?

9. How can you better prepare to minimize the damage this would cause if it ever came true?

Question for Deeper SWOT Analysis

The following four questions are best used after you have already answered the earlier questions because they are based on comparing and contrasting two areas of the SWOT grid to determine different strategies needed for success.

1. How can your current strengths be leveraged to take advantage of developing opportunities? What are the strengths you will need to develop in the next 12 to 24 months to better position yourself or your company to profit from and quickly take advantage of new opportunities as they arise? This is called an S-0 analysis, the upper tier of the SWOT grid of the Strengths and Opportunities.

2. What specific ways can your strengths be used to counteract potential threats? How can you create an environment such that your team’s creative thinking, ingenuity, and exceptional follow-through can flourish and not be diluted by perceived or real threats? This is called an S-T analysis, a cross tier of the SWOT grid of Strengths and Threats.

3. How can your weaknesses be overcome to tap into developing opportunities? What additional opportunities could you benefit from if you didn’t have these weaknesses? What are two ways you could use delegation, outsourcing, or technology to minimize or eliminate your weaknesses? This is called a W-O analysis, a cross tier of the SWOT grid of Weaknesses and Opportunities,

4. Can you change your weaknesses by adding to or changing your team so that you can quickly counteract real threats? How does your team decide whether something is a real threat versus a perceive threat? How can you empower your team to take decisive action, instead of being paralyzed, in the face of a real threat? This is called a W-T analysis, the bottom tier of the SWOT grid of Weaknesses and Threats.

2007-11-10T07:25:00.000-05:00

November 8, 2007

In the Hunt

What Economic Slowdown? Small Businesses Grow Stronger

By BRENT BOWERS

EVEN as oil prices surge, the housing market contracts, Wall Street reels and multibillion-dollar deals falter, small businesses are flourishing and, in fact, are helping to buoy the economy, experts say.

Last week, for example, a monthly report released jointly by Automatic Data Processing Inc., the nation’s largest provider of payroll services, and Macroeconomic Advisers, a St. Louis consulting firm, showed an increase in private sector employment in October of 106,000. That included a surge of 63,000 at businesses with fewer than 50 employees, a gain of 50,000 at businesses with 50 to 499 employees — and a loss of 7,000 at companies with more than 500 employees.

“I travel a lot and speak to a lot of small business groups,” said Joel Prakken, chairman of Macroeconomic Advisers. “What I hear is much more upbeat than what you read in the financial press. Small business owners know about the worries hanging over Wall Street. But they are doing well. Interest rates are low, the stock market is high. They can raise money. The global economy is very strong. They can expand their global reach, and they are doing it.”

The latest numbers marked an acceleration in job growth from an average of 43,000 over the previous three months, Mr. Prakken said. During that time, small businesses were also the main engine of job creation, he added.

Carl Schramm, an economist who is chief executive of the Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City. Mo., and author of “The Entrepreneurial Imperative,” said the figures indicate that the role of small businesses as an engine of job growth is gaining force, especially in troubled economic times.

“In the last recession, young and small businesses created fewer jobs than they do today,” Mr. Schramm said. “In the next recession, the power of small businesses to create jobs counter-cyclically will be stronger,” in part because of the inroads they have made over the last decade into the services sector and the global economy.

Mr. Prakken said the latest A.D.P. report, the only large-scale national study that breaks down results by company size on a monthly basis, “answers the burning question of the day: are the housing crisis and the August seizure of the credit markets spilling over into the broader economy? The answer seems to be no.”

Richard Enos, co-founder and chief executive of StudyPoint, a Boston tutoring company, says he believes he has found a niche neglected by the big companies in the industry. “We want to build the nation’s most successful private in-home tutoring services company,” he said.

Mr. Enos said he had just hired two people, bringing his full-time staff to 32, from 23 a year ago, and planned to hire two more soon.

He projects revenue growth of 31 percent this year, to $4.2 million, and 66 percent next year, to about $7 million. He said he hoped to expand to 30 or 40 cities, up from 10 today. “We’re really trying to ramp up our growth,” he said.

So is Paul Borgman, co-founder and chief executive of the Smoothstone IP Communications Corporation, a business communications services company in Louisville, Ky. He said he had doubled his work force to 100 over the last year and expected to add 40 more employees by this time next year. He said he also planned to open offices in 12 more cities in 2008, up from 7 today.

Meantime, he expects revenue to continue doubling every three years. “Our sales funnel has never been more robust,” he said. “The prospects coming into our funnel have never been more dynamic. We see no effects of an economic slowdown.”

Another report released last week suggests some decline in confidence among small-business owners, but it also contained encouraging signs. The Discover Small Business Watch, based on a monthly survey of 1,000 business owners with fewer than five employees, showed modest declines in the percentage who thought economic conditions for their businesses were improving and who planned to increase investments. The survey also found a bigger drop in the number who planned to hire more workers.

The numbers, though, were “not as sharp as one might anticipate given the overall gloom” about the economy today, said Sastry Rachakonda, director of Discover Financial Service’s small-business credit card unit, which publishes the poll.

Moreover, the most important indicator, the portion of respondents who reported cash flow problems, declined to 42 percent, from 46 percent in September, he said. While that was higher than 34 percent a year ago, Mr. Rachakonda said, it showed that the sector was weathering the current economic storms well.

“If the cash flow numbers continue in the same trend, the small business economy will be fine,” he said.

The latest jobs report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas, an outplacement firm in Chicago, also pointed to a more buoyant economy than headlines about depressed housing and stock declines would seem to augur.

The number of planned cuts by employers declined for the second consecutive month in October, to 63,100, from 71,700 in September and 69,200 in October 2006, the survey said.

“This is definitely a positive report,” said John A. Challenger, the firm’s chief executive.

Similarly, last Friday, the online payroll service SurePayroll released a survey showing that both hiring and salaries at small businesses were up in October.

One reason small businesses may be outpacing big corporations in the uncertain environment is that they are run by entrepreneurs who are known for their knack of spotting money-making opportunities and acting quickly on them.

“We’ve thrived on a formula for medium-sized enterprises that nobody else has come up with,” Mr. Borgman, of Smoothstone, said, which he said was to provide and manage customized phone equipment and telecommunications systems for his clients at all their locations.

“We save our clients more money than our competitors could, and we save them headaches because we offer a single solution,” he said. “This resonates even in this economic environment, when companies’ budgets and hiring are not as robust as they were one or two years ago.”

John-Claude Hallak, vice president for sales and marketing of Hallak Cleaners, an upscale dry cleaner founded by his father, recently spent $250,000 to refurbish his store in Manhattan, $100,000 to upgrade the exterior of his 12,000-square-foot plant in Hackensack, N.J., $60,000 for a Green Earth Cleaning machine and $40,000 to add a truck to his fleet. He plans to invest $100,000 for an automated assembly and bagging system and $100,000 to $500,000 on improvements at his Hackensack building.

He said he had expanded service in Manhattan and planned on hiring at least two more people. He foresees steady revenue growth of 10 to 15 percent a year for the rest of this decade, a modest rate, by his reckoning. “I believe strongly in the tortoise and the hare,” he said.

Mr. Hallak pursues an age-old business strategy of aiming at the highest end of the market, which by definition is limited but, he says, is also very loyal. “For most of the industry, it’s a commodities business, very price sensitive,” he said. Not so for people with $12,000 dresses or $30,000 wedding gowns that need cleaning.

“I track everything,” he said. “I can tell you every time you had your powder blue suit cleaned and what other items you brought in with it. I can see whether accounts are lapsing and what kind. You can gain all sorts of insights. If the percentage of high-end products we get slips to 50 percent from 60 percent, but overall business increases, that means more people are doing one-stop shopping.”

Home

2007-11-05T12:31:00.000-05:00

Online Education: How It Can Work For You

Nik Papic and Aimee Chou, EarnMyDegree.com, Yahoo! HotJobs

Your goal may be to get your foot into the door of a lucrative accounting firm, or you may be a mid-career entrepreneur looking for a way to stay ahead in the technology industry. In either case, getting an advanced degree can be a dramatic stepping stone to your goals.

The prospect of juggling school and work may seem daunting, and rightly so. However, education delivery methods are now so advanced that attending college no longer requires sacrificing your current job. Online degrees are a newly popular, field-tested avenue for career advancement.

In fact, many employers, now seeing the light of online education, are offering tuition reimbursement and third-party billing programs. Individual results vary, but overall feedback is positive from both employers and students.

Up to 3.2 million students can attest to this. That is how many enrolled online in the fall of 2005 (source: Sloan Consortium), up from 2.3 million students in 2004.

High-Quality Marries High-Tech

At their best, online degree programs marry quality instruction with current technologies. There is a unique online class designed for your unique area of study -- with a unique alternative delivery option built into its learning model.

The 21st Century has spawned multiple online learning formats, including:

Webcourse -- consists of web site, online syllabus and email, discussion board and chat room correspondence
Telecourse -- videotaped lessons televised on local cable channels or viewed in campus libraries
Teleweb courses -- videotaped lessons along with companion website for instructor-student correspondence

These interactive formats have opened the door for business professionals to earn an advanced degree at their convenience -- any time, any place. You can find programs across the entire business spectrum through hundreds of accredited institutions nationwide, including accounting degrees, degrees in business administration, MBA degrees, and even online PhD programs.

Many non-degree certificates are also available in fields such as human resource management, financial planning and call-center management. Given the increasing national and international need for greater technical competence, you may gravitate towards earning a bachelor's in e-business, global business or organizational security.

Whatever program you choose, you are empowered by lifestyle control: Tremendous scheduling flexibility and expedited graduation time. Different programs have different rates of degree completion, but you can expect to earn a full-time MBA in as few as 18 months and a bachelor's degree in about 3 years.

When it's all said and done, you will have completed your education about 25% faster online than at a traditional, campus-based university.

Gaining Employers' Online Stamp of Approval

Convenience is a strong selling point -- for online students. But how do employers feel about online degrees? Generally, online colleges have come a long way -- they're now looked upon just as favorably as traditional campus-based institutions. A 2005 Vault Inc. survey revealed that 85 percent of employers believe attending college online is more acceptable today than it was five years ago.

Accreditation is the ultimate credibility check for online degree programs. The same accrediting bodies evaluate all schools -- online or traditional -- to determine if they provide quality education worthy of an accrediting organization's stamp of approval.

According to the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), online schools are evaluated for student achievement, curriculum, faculty, services and academic support.

Possibly as a result of these rigorous standards, many studies now show that online students receive an education comparable to that of a traditional university and that diplomas will be universally recognized.

With more colleges now offering online degree options, finding a program that matches your field of study has made it easier than ever to launch a fulfilling career in business.

2007-10-31T10:28:00.000-04:00

What’s your 10 Second Hook?

“Hi, my name is Neil Gordon and I help businesses create their company story.” That is my 10 second hook. It is what I say when I introduce myself at a networking event, a seminar, or a trade show. I hope to hear back: “Oh, that’s interesting- TELL ME MORE”

In the business of custom window coverings, we start off selling a service which then turns into a product on the day of installation. That is why expectations are so high. Since we are offering an intangible- a service, we must initially sell ourselves. Our success is based on our ability to connect with our prospects, to build up trust and to create a rapport.

The most effective marketing strategies are those that focus on direct contact, networking and referral building. The question is, how do we create awareness to tell the world that we exist? How do we stand apart from the competition? How do we remain “top of mind” so when our ideal client or referral partner has a need for window coverings, they think of us?

The challenges are many, the strategies are few. You first must create a company story. The company story is a marketing strategy. It is a way of attaching an exciting message to a target market so they remember you. Stories are powerful tools in making an impression. The passing of information is bland and forgettable.

The story starts with your 10 Second Hook. When you introduce yourself do you say, “Hi, my name is Neil Gordon and I sell window treatments”. BORING! How about trying “Hi, my name is Neil Gordon and I dress naked windows”.

Creating a company story revolves around getting people to take notice of you. This story is based in any particular aspect of your business that you want to promote at the time. Maybe its automation or yachts. How about kids’ rooms or solar control? Once you have a story to tell, many other aspects of your marketing efforts fall into place.

Let’s use an example of automation or motorization as an example. Your 10 Second Hook could be: “Hi, my name is Neil Gordon and I do Smart Homes.”

This introduction will almost always get the desired reply: “What’s a Smart Home?”

This is your chance then to go into your 30 Second Commercial and describe what a Smart Home is and how you specialize in this fascinating area.

Please take note, that this is not a specialty, but a marketing strategy. You can have several of these strategies going on simultaneously depending on who you are speaking to. If you are speaking to a room full of men, the “Smart Home” story works well. If your audience or target market is young woman, maybe you want to offer a strategy of focusing on Baby rooms?

Once you have established a great hook, then you can use your 30 second commercial at networking events when you get to speak about your company. The 30 second commercial is a more in depth explanation of your marketing strategy. You should practice this and not leave this to coming up with some clever words at the last minute.

The ripple effects are great using this Company Story idea. Also, you can send out press releases, create presentations, write articles, and get published because you have an interesting story to tell.

Why be boring when you can be: The Green Decorator, The Nursery Designer, The Solar Man or The Color Guru?

Neil Gordon is a business coach to designers, decorators and window covering professionals. Visit his websites: www.thedesignerscoach.com and www.thewcu.com

2007-10-30T06:02:00.000-04:00

As Featured in the Minutes Matter Newsletter

Project Management for an Interior Designer

By Neil Gordon

As an Interior Designer you have a clear function as a Leader and as a Project Manager. A Project Manager focuses on one job at a time. As your business continues on and on, a project has a beginning and an end. The business of Interior Design is made up of these projects. Each project needs to have a vision similar to your overall vision for your company.

Napoleon said: “A leader is a dealer in hope”. Hope implies a sense of expectations, and to give this sense, you must offer a clear vision of what will come, a picture your clients and your team can grasp. Any vision of a goal must have a purpose. In decorating what is our purpose? That’s easy: Its complete client satisfaction. What’s not so easy is how to achieve it.

Let’s breakdown the steps of what it takes to keep our promise as well as the actual steps of what it takes to be a Project Manager:

1) Define the Objective

This is different for each job. On one project it may mean creating an intricate drapery design on an arched window. On another job, you may be designing and installing a custom library.

2) Develop a Strategy

On most projects you know what the objectives are, that part is clear. To reach these goals you must have an organization in place. Your core team of employees and/or vendors must understand the vision of the job. To do this you need to establish processes, systems and tools. Additionally, you need to maintain momentum during the production phase of the job and it is up to you to provide the motivation.

3) Strategize on a Solution

As you work with each member of your team, you need to determine what requirements are needed to fulfill the job. This is done through analyzing the proposed solutions and coming up with strategies and if necessary, alternative strategies to achieve the desired results.

4) Create a Vision

Just as you planned your 5 year Strategic Vision, you need to craft a clear and inclusive vision for each project. Your mission is to sell your vision with examples and stories of your plans. Also, it is important to encourage cost reduction of your vendors through the elimination of costly mistakes. Why? Because your vendors will try to make up their errors at your expense, on the next job you do together.

5) Communication

Communication is the key to keeping everything on track. As a Project Manager it should be 90% of your job. Always remember to focus on the positive, speak from experience and be prepared with a solution. It is important to remember that this job requires taking your time and focusing on the details. As General George Patton once said, “Haste is speed without planning”.

To learn more about business development for your Design business, visit my website: www.thedesignerscoach.com. We offer great on-line courses in The Designer's Coach Business School. Visit the site or let me know if I can be of service to you. neil@thedesignerscoach.com

To your success,

Neil Gordon

The Designer's Coach

Comments from Debbie,

Many people in this industry can design and sell but many fall short in the Project Management arena. Managing a project is usually time consuming so many people decide to take short cuts. Sometimes people don't write out a detailed work order and wonder why the workroom did not add welting along the top of a valance, they forget to order hardware that takes six weeks, or maybe they forget to call the painter that is always four weeks behind. All of these details should be addressed and planned at the beginning of the project.

I have attended several of Neil's online classes and found them very beneficial. In fact, Neil and I hit it off so well I am teaching an online class for him on December 5, 2007 "Technology in a Window Covering Business". Neil offers a wide variety of classes on his website, check out his website for a complete listing.

If you know someone who could benefit from these newsletters please forward this newsletter, or suggest that they sign up to receive their own newsletter.

2007-10-29T09:59:00.000-04:00

Interior Design - Designing a Kitchen that Works Hard

Written by ARAcontent

Sunday, 28 October 2007

(ARA) - Years ago, the kitchen served a very utilitarian function – a place to prepare food and clean the dishes. Today, it’s truly the nerve center of the house where families eat meals, discuss the day’s happenings, plan calendars, check e-mail and even entertain.

As a result, more homeowners than ever seek ways to make their kitchens work harder so they can re-focus their energy away from cooking and cleaning, and put it more on their family and friends who have gathered.

High-tech faucets and appliances, expanded work surfaces and carefully thought-through floor plans are just a few elements that have emerged in kitchen trends. But one of the most noticeable differences in today’s kitchen is the demand for multiple sinks and various water sources.

According to Jeff Pratt, of Danze, a manufacturer of decorative plumbing products, many homeowners are using multiple sink areas to increase efficiency. However, they don’t want to sacrifice the ability to showcase their personal tastes and eye for design.

“Homeowners and designers place a lot of emphasis on a sink’s role when planning a kitchen remodel,” says Pratt. “While convenience and functionality have always been concerns, today’s homeowners also want to enhance the room’s ambiance and décor they’ve worked hard to achieve. Style can’t be sacrificed for function or convenience any more.”

According to Pratt, the countertops you surround the sink with and the faucets you place on them, can add much of the design a homeowner seeks.

If you’re looking for ideas on how to make your kitchen more functional and stylish, consider integrating these options into your kitchen remodeling plan:

Main Sink – An all-purpose station primarily used for clean-up duty, the main sink often features a deeper, single basin to handle dishes and oversized pots and pans. Pratt suggests pairing these sinks with a high-rise pre-rinse faucet or pull-down faucet. These faucets improve functionality of the sink area by allowing users to literally “take the water to the work,” but are noticeably fashionable.

In addition to the primary functional faucet, many kitchens feature a water filtration faucet or tap as part of their main sink configuration.

Second Sink – Often located in a center island, this sink helps avoid congestion at the main sink and is a great way to increase a kitchen’s workflow. Many refer to this sink as a prep sink, which quite literally is one of its primary uses. Homeowners commonly use this extra workspace for cutting vegetables, chilling wine or washing hands before a meal. Choosing a faucet style and finish that complements the room’s décor can add an eye-catching decorative piece to an otherwise “ho-hum” island.

Bar Sink – Also referred to as a convenience sink or a beverage center, this area is traditionally used for entertaining purposes. It’s occasionally located on the center island, but is often placed on a separate countertop in the kitchen or adjacent room (if space allows). Make sure to choose a faucet that matches the other kitchen faucets. Danze offers several types of bar faucets including high-arc options, small-scale faucets and pull-down faucets. Choose a style that will make this space “entertaining.”

Looking for another water source without a full sink? Try incorporating a pot filler faucet at your stovetop. These faucets provide a convenient, safe way to add more water to boiling pots or sauté pans. Danze offers a variety of wall mount and deck mount pot fillers in traditional and contemporary options.

As you plan your kitchen remodel or look for ways to maximize your work areas, don’t be shy about making your sinks, work surfaces and water sources work hard for you. But don’t forget that style is just as important in today’s kitchen.

Visit www.danze.com for more kitchen (and bath) solutions from Danze.

2007-10-28T06:41:00.000-04:00

Modern Living, Ancient Concepts

By TAN CHOE CHOE and ANIZA ZAINUDIN

28 October, 2007

An award-winning architect employs feng shui to perfect his designs; an interior designer uses the principles of vastu shastra to build pages on the World Wide Web. TAN CHOE CHOE and ANIZA ZAINUDIN find out if these ancient concepts have a place in our modern world. FROM Shanghai to Singapore, from London to Lucknow, from San Francisco to Kuala Lumpur City Centre, it’s everywhere — if you know how to look for it.

And any architect who ignores feng shui in his designs today is foolish.

Like it or not, feng shui, or geomancy in general, plays a role in shaping and building our society today, says architect Laurent A.G. Lim.

“Learn it, master it and you will be prosperous. Ignore it and it is your loss.”

These are strong words from one who once dismissed feng shui as “mumbo jumbo”.

Lim, managing director of Laurent Lim Architect, was the proverbial sceptic in geomancy when he returned to Kuala Lumpur from London in the early 1990s to pursue his career in architecture.

“I changed my mind after studying some ancient Chinese texts on the subject,” says Lim unabashedly.

“There are clear mathematical formulas and scientific explanations supporting each of its precepts.”

Lim remembers how feng shui masters took “mere minutes” to tear apart some of his painstakingly drawn designs.

Even a simple toilet design he did in 1991 did not escape their scrutiny and subsequent condemnation.

Compelled to understand the subject to find counter-arguments to protect his designs, Lim decided to go into feng shui himself.

“That was the turning point,” he says.

Or you could say he became a feng shui convert.

“By studying the subject, I learnt that feng shui is an environmental science on its own.

“It is an ancient science that teaches us to understand nature and how best to build our lives within it so we can live in harmony with our surroundings.”

Today, Lim says feng shui has made him more sensitive to the needs of his clients and given him better ideas on how to maximise the potential of each piece of land his designs eventually sit on.

From a sceptic to a believer, and now, an advocate of the ancient science of feng shui, Lim has come a long way.

Not surprisingly, his designs have won him various prestigious awards in architecture.

Among them are the Fiabci Property Award of Distinction 2004, the Persatuan Arkitek Malaysia Award for Colour on Buildings, and the Persatuan Arkitek Malaysia 2004 Award for Excellence in Architecture.

Although he is well versed with the basic principles of feng shui, Lim has not branched out into doing consultation for his clients.

He believes it is best to leave the subject to the experts.

“I studied feng shui to help me better understand my clients and provide more suitable designs to meet their needs,” he says.

One of his favourite designs which is “feng shui-compliant” is the headquarters for the Lion Group — Wisma Lion — in Banting, Selangor.

Speaking of it, feng shui terms like “imperial chair”, “green dragon”, “bright hall”, and “water element” flow out of his lips easily.

Looking at the glasses perched on his nose with the light from the screen of his notebook glinting off them, it’s a little hard to reconcile the image of this modern-day architect with that of a luo pan-(Chinese compass) wielding feng shui enthusiast.

But he casually brushes aside the irony of the comparison.

“It’s not a surprising progression really. Feng shui is becoming popular these days and clients are demanding it (feng shui-compliant designs).

“So more and more architects are learning feng shui to ensure their designs are compatible with their clients’ needs.”

As in ancient China, he says good architects then are also good feng shui masters.

“People need to realise that feng shui is not some hocus-pocus stuff but an environmental science that has been developed and proven through many, many case studies over thousands of years.”

For instance, the imperial chair formation was the most stable design to capture and retain good chi (energy) in feng shui.

This was the basis of the design that Lim used for Wisma Lion.

The solid form and steel external appearance, he says, signify the company’s strength and core business.

“And it was inspired by the majestic imperial palaces of ancient China.”

The building is approximately 250,000 square feet and comprises an atrium lobby, office areas, computer labs, meeting rooms, conference rooms, a multipurpose hall, and a cafeteria.

The interior is covered with a glass canopy that creates a bright and airy atmosphere “to signify honesty, integrity, and transparency”.

A water fountain fronting the main entrance to the compound symbolises the continuous flow of wealth and good chi to the people who work in the building.

An interesting feature of the building is a huge suspended steel staircase on the left of the atrium lobby.

It weighs some 12 tonnes and rises to the top of the six-storey building from its anchor in the basement.

“It’s a metaphorical representation of the ‘green dragon’ — the left position of a building or place that represents wealth, prosperity and success,” says Lim.

If the building were built for a female owner, his design would have featured something in the “white tiger” position on the right of the building.

“The green dragon is to strengthen the position of the male owner, while the white tiger is for the female.”

With so much wealth and positive energies channelled to the building, Lim has put in a pair of bronze lions at the main entrance as guardians.

Weighing two tonnes each, one of the lions is seemingly docile and welcoming, while the other looks fierce and ready to pounce with his fangs bared.

“One to welcome good chi and prosperity and the other to chase away the envious, jealous and the negative.”

Construction of Wisma Lion started in December 2004 and was completed by September the following year.

2007-10-27T06:42:00.000-04:00

Dynamics in Design

2007-10-27T06:32:00.000-04:00

This past Thursday, I was the keynote speaker for a program called Dynamics in Design. I spoke to nearly 100 members of the Interior Design Society in Ft Myers, Florida at the new International Design Center.

The presentation -The Marketing Makeover, proposed ideas on Positioning and creating a Company Story.

If you need a speaker for your next event, please contact me at: neil@thedesignerscoach.com

2007-10-24T12:08:00.000-04:00

A quick question:
If you had a $1000 budget to spend on Filling your Pipeline with prospects or referral partners would you rather:
a) Run an ad in the local design magazine
b) Have lunch with 10 influential people who can either give you business or can refer you business.

Of course we all answer b. But why do we do a?

There are a few reasons-it's easy and it's good for our ego. But that is just short-term gratification and not good marketing.

Having lunch with the "Influential" will provide your business with all the leads you can handle. It takes time and basic social skills, but anyone can do it.

Here is a checklist of how to do it:
1) Write down as many names of the "Influential" you can think of. This are only 2 types of people: Prospects or those that can refer you prospects.

2) Record their names, phone numbers and addresses.

3) Create a greeting card to introduce yourself. Include a photo of yourself and a description of what you do. Include your phone number and email address. I recommend using www.sendoutcards.com/6726 as an excellent way to send out cards.

4) You can create a card that says "Let's do Lunch"

5) Send out the cards 5 at a time and follow up a week later with a phone call

6) During lunch make sure you allow your guest to do most of the talking. They should talk 90% of the time. To do this, ask them 2 questions:
How did you become successful?
What do you do when you are not working?
These are great questions to encourage your guest to start talking.

7) Talk very little about yourself, unless you are asked.

8) Follow up a few days later with a thank you card for your guest’s time and offer more information about your company and yourself.

9) Stay in touch with your new friend throughout the year with a card campaign.

Visit my websites to learn more:www.thedesignerscoach.com
www.thewcu.com

To your success,
Neil Gordonneil@thedesignerscoach.com

2007-10-14T15:03:00.000-04:00

The Negotiation Coach
Tuesday, October 16th at 7:00 PM Eastern
Live Session $129 less 25%
Use Coupon Code: # 159324236

Negotiation: the final piece of the puzzle. In this last week of the course we'll pull it all together and help you to hone your negotiation skills, saving you time, money and stress over the long haul. You'll learn concepts that you'll be using for years with suppliers, clients and employees alike. Your mastery of negotiation will pay for this course a thousand times over.
* The Pendulum Principle
* Becoming a Skillful Negotiator
* Selling using Pain or Pleasure
* The 7 Motivators
* Negotiation Defenses
* The typical objections and how to overcome them
* Learn to Nibble
* The 4 personality Temperaments.

To Register Click Here http://www.thedesignerscoach.com/interior-designers-events-conferences-seminars.htm

Neil Gordon

2007-10-14T06:40:00.000-04:00

Project Management for an Interior Designer
As an Interior Designer you have a clear function as a Leader and as a Project Manager. You created a Strategic Vision which is your overall 5 year plan for your company. In order to achieve the goals you set forth, you must accomplish them one project at a time, one job at a time. As I stated in The Orchid Principle; nurturing your clients is the surest way to build a business, and Project Management will be the method to reach your lofty goals.

Napoleon said: “A leader is a dealer in hope”. Hope implies a sense of expectations, and to give this sense, you must offer a clear vision of what will come, a picture your clients and your team can grasp. Any vision of a goal must have a purpose. In decorating what is our purpose? That’s easy: Its complete client satisfaction. What’s not so easy is how to achieve it.

Let’s breakdown the steps of what it takes to keep our promise:

1) Define the Objective
This is different for each job. On one project it may mean creating an intricate drapery design on an arched window. On another job, you may be designing and installing a custom library.
2) Develop a Strategy
On most projects you know what the objectives are, that part is clear. To reach these goals you must have an organization in place. Your core team of employees and/or vendors must understand the vision of the job. To do this you need to establish processes, systems and tools. Additionally, you need to maintain momentum during the production phase of the job and it is up to you to provide the motivation.
3) Strategize on a Solution
As you work with each member of your team, you need to determine what the requirements that are needed to fulfill the job. This is done through analyzing the proposed solutions and coming up with strategies and if necessary alternative strategies to achieve the desired results.
4) Create a Vision
Just as you planned your 5 year Strategic Vision, you need to craft a clear and inclusive vision for each project. Your mission is to sell your vision with examples and stories of your plans. Also, it is important to encourage cost reduction of your vendors through the elimination of costly mistakes. Why? Because your vendors will try to make up their errors at your expense, on the next job you do together.
5) Communication
Communication is the key to keeping everything on track. As a Project Manager it should be 90% of your job. Always remember to focus on the positive, speak from experience and be prepared with a solution. It is important to remember that this job requires taking your time and focusing on the details. As General George Patton once said, “Haste is speed without planning”.

2007-10-13T16:47:00.001-04:00

Do You Need a Coach?

More entrepreneurs are turning to business coaches for that extra edge. Ever since Machiavelli first advised a young prince, leaders have sought the counsel of outsiders. After all, it's lonely at the top.

Seventeenth-century merchants turned to "cunning men," or wizards, for guidance; entrepreneurs today turn to their more modern counterparts: the business coach.

Business coaches are not quite business consultants, whom you'd hire to address a particular operational or technical problem. And they're not psychotherapists, whom you'd tap to work through emotional issues. Coaches generally focus on one thing: improving your performance. They do this in much the same way sports coaches work with athletes: by helping you make the most of your natural abilities and find ways to work around your weaknesses. A good coach will make sure you meet your commitments, behave like a grownup, and otherwise stay out of your own way--things nearly all of us can use a little help with.

Executives at large corporations have long relied on coaches. But entrepreneurs arguably need them more--mostly because they're so isolated. "Entrepreneurs start out excited about being able to chart their own direction," says Allison Linney, who has been counseling business owners for six years as president of Allison Partners, a coaching firm in Charlottesville, Virginia. But eventually, Linney says, many entrepreneurs find that they actually miss having a boss--or at least they miss having a trusted adviser with whom they can brainstorm, set goals, confess their anxieties, and work through the day-to-day challenges. Think about the best boss you ever had (or dreamed of having). "A great coach can provide you with similar resources," Linney says.

So, do you need a coach? I am here to help.

2007-10-13T16:24:00.000-04:00

Emotional Tension vs Creative Tension

Do you have trouble talking about your vision, even if your vision in crystal clear? Why is this?
The main reason is we are acutely aware of the gap between our vision and reality.“I would like to pursue the profession that I love, but I’ve got to make a living”. These gaps can make a vision seem unrealistic or fanciful. They can discourage us or make us feel hopeless. But the gap between vision and current reality is also a source of energy. If there was no gap, there would be no need for any action to move toward the vision. Indeed, the gap is the source of creative energy.

This gap is called “creative tension”. Imagine a rubber band, stretched between your vision and current reality.

When stretched, the rubber band creates tension, representing the tension between vision and current reality. What does tension seek, resolution or release? There are only two possible ways for the tension to resolve itself: pull reality toward the vision or pull the vision toward reality. Which occurs will depend on whether we hold steady to the vision.

The term “tension” suggests anxiety or stress. But creative tension doesn’t feel any particular way. It is the force that comes into play at the moment when we acknowledge a vision that is at odds with current reality.

Still, creative tension often leads to feelings or emotions associated with anxiety, such as sadness, discouragement, hopelessness or worry. This happens so often that people easily confuse these emotions with creative tension.

These negative emotions are not associated with creative tension but rather to emotional tension. Here is where we need to be careful not to confuse these two tensions. We may feel deeply discouraged that our vision is not happening and we might lower the vision.
Emotional tension can always be relieved by adjusting the creative tension. The feelings that we dislike go away because the creative tension was reduced. Our goals are now much closer to our current reality. Escaping emotional tension is easy; the only price we pay is abandoning what we truly want-Reaching our Vision.

Have you created your vision?Do you have a plan for the future?

Join me in my special 6 week course: Creating your Strategic Vision.

To learn more, go to:

http://www.thedesignerscoach.com/interior-designers-events-conferences-seminars.htm

2007-04-23T11:23:00.000-04:00

2007-03-23T20:05:00.000-04:00

I will be in High Point March 28th and 29th. I will be offering 2 seminars. For details go to: http://www.thedesignerscoach.com/interior-designers-events-conferences-seminars.htm
Please try to come if you are planning to be in High Point!

2007-03-12T16:28:00.002-04:00

Here are some photos from the Architectural Digest Home Design Show.

2007-03-12T16:28:00.001-04:00

2007-03-12T16:27:00.000-04:00

2007-03-12T16:26:00.002-04:00

2007-03-12T16:26:00.001-04:00

2007-03-12T16:17:00.000-04:00

I am proud to announce that The Designer's Coach is a member of The Interior Design Society.

2007-02-01T07:55:00.000-05:00

The 2 Day Coaching Conference in Baltimore was a great success!
I want to thank all those that participated. All the attendees were
very pleased.
Here are some testimonials:

"This seminar has been very useful in taking me through the process
of evaluating my business and setting goals.."

"I will definetly be recommending The Designer's Coach to my colleagues!"

"The most useful thing I learned is how to implement systems..."

"Very worthwhile-Served as my own business/intellectual retreat.
It forced me to think about my future in a capsulized approach without
distractions."

2007-02-01T07:47:00.000-05:00

2007-01-31T13:07:00.000-05:00

2007-01-24T06:41:00.000-05:00

Well it's finally here! I heading off to Baltimore for The Designer's Coach 2 Day Coaching Conference. I am anticipating a great event. By the way it's not too late to come. If you can't make it, I'll report back here with photos and comments.

Don't forget I am offering The Home Staging Webinar at no charge when you purchase my new book. The webinar is February 8th at 7 PM Eastern. To buy the book go to: http://www.thedesignerscoach.com/book.htm

2007-01-20T15:22:00.000-05:00

The Designer's Coach 2 Day Coaching Conference and Workshop

On January 27 th and 28 th in Baltimore , Maryland you'll have a rare opportunity to learn exactly what it takes to become an unstoppable force in the design industry! “Give Me 2 Days and I'll Share With You All the Jealously Guarded Secrets and Hidden Keys to Running an Outrageously Successful Interior Design Business…
…so when you walk into your office on Monday you'll be able to put these new strategies into action for immediate results”
Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about the must-attend interior designer event of 2007
From: Neil Gordon
Dear Friend,
If you're looking to stay on top of a rapidly changing industry, rub elbows with other like-minded, forward thinking creative souls, and learn everything possible about exploding your interior design business in 2007 and beyond, then I cordially invite you to…
The Designer's Coach 2-Day Conference and Workshop
What would it be like to attend an event that will be a complete and total information-packed, fluff-free experience, where you'll walk out with a solid plan for growing your business beyond expectations?
How would it feel to be part of a fabulous hands-on workshop that will show you, step by step, how to put the 6 Modules of the highly acclaimed Designer's Coach program to work for your business the moment you exit the doors to go home?
It all happens for you in January 2007 at the Tremont Plaza Hotel in historic Baltimore , Maryland
Even if you've never attended a workshop before, even if you think your business is just fine, this is a can't-miss happening that will kick off the new year in the best, most intelligent way possible for you.
Here's just a quick snapshot of what you'll experience when you attend The Designer's Coach 2-Day Conference and Workshop:
Day One : A Complete Seminar on the Groundbreaking 6 Modules from the Designer's Coach Program
How to Strategize like a Leader on a 5-year plan, not day-to-day…
How Teamwork is the ONLY work in a successful design business...
Why conventional advertising doesn't really generate the leads you want...
How "Amateur" selling might be hurting your bottom line every sale...
Why promises you make at closing MUST be fulfilled to the letter, and on time, every time...
How effective negotiation skills bring you overwhelming long term success…
and Much, Much More!
Day Two : A Hands-On, Interactive Workshop That Will Allow You to Apply the Concepts from Day One
The tools needed to Becoming an Effective Leader
How to create a Strategic Vision
The ways to Apply The Designer's Coach 360
How to Create a Team Chart and a Vendor Agreements
The WOMM! System to create awareness
A way to Finding your Niche
How to Offer Home Staging
Effective Selling Systems
How to create business systems
To think like a Project Manager
Great Negotiating Techniques
And Much more!

2007-01-06T18:19:00.000-05:00

The Pendulum Theory

The Pendulum Theory is based on Newton’s First Law of Motion, which states that a body at rest tends to stay at rest, and a body in motion tends to stay in motion with the same speed, and in the same direction, unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.

Let’s create a visual so you can better understand this concept. Start by drawing a circle and put the numbers

Now draw a thick solid line from the 9 o’clock to the 3 o’clock. On the middle of the line we will place a pendulum. The pendulum can swing back and forth from 9 to 3 and from 3 to 9.

This represents how your prospect feels about your opportunity. At any given time in the sales process, a prospect can feel positive, negative, or indifferent towards what you are selling.

Below is how your prospect feels toward your offering, relative to the pendulum:
Nine – The prospect is not interested (It’s over)
Eight – The prospect is hostile
Seven – The prospect is negative
Six – The prospect is neutral (Indifferent)
Five– The prospect is open to looking
Four– The prospect is excited about your offering
Three– The prospect has decided to buy (Done deal)

The pendulum will move back and forth. Your job is to keep it swinging until it reaches 3 or 9, because that will be the only time at which a prospect will make a committed decision either way.

The neutral prospect is the hardest to sell, because it takes a lot of energy to get them moving. And, without stimuli that will keep the prospect engaged, they will most likely lose momentum and come to rest at 6 o’clock (neutral).

The First Rule
The first rule states that you have to supply the energy to keep the prospect moving. You can never depend upon the prospect to do this alone.

The Second Rule
The second rule states that you can’t count on your marketing alone. Yes – occasionally a website alone will get a prospect to 3 o’clock.

The Third Rule
The third rule states that it doesn’t matter if a prospect is positive or negative on the pendulum; the most important thing is that the prospect is moving. An indifferent prospect will never make a decision (unless it is a decision not to make a decision).

The Fourth Rule
The fourth, and final, rule states that you should always stay slightly to the left of the prospect. In other words, always remain slightly more negative than your prospect.

Let’s take a look at how the typical seller would respond to an enthusiastic prospect who is at 4 o’clock on the pendulum.

Prospect: “I really like your product.”

When the typical seller hears this, she moves to 3 o’clock on the pendulum and says, “Great! Let me take your order.”

The problem is, the prospect is at 4 o’clock and is not yet sold, and won’t be until they reach 3 o’clock (and stay there).

So how does the prospect respond to the excited seller? He moves back to 5 o’clock.
The prospect says, “Well, I’m not sure I’m that interested.”

Have you ever felt you had one, and then were surprised that they never bought? You would have bet the farm that this person was going to buy. This happens all the time, when you use traditional selling methods.

So, why does the prospect react this way is it too much pressure or fear? This occurs in the early stages of the selling process, because a certain level of trust and rapport has been established between the buyer and seller. When the seller responds too enthusiastically, the prospect moves to the protected position of neutral.

The typical seller then panics as she sees the potential new customer slipping away. She becomes even more enthusiastic and begins to pressure the prospect. The typical seller does this by going into their features and benefits song and dance. Let’s throw the kitchen sink at this prospect, and hope something sticks. The problem here is that the longer the seller continues down this path; the likelihood that the prospect will buy diminishes.

How does the prospect respond to this display of emotion from the seller? He senses that something is not right, and begins moving toward 7 on the pendulum…moving right past neutral into the negative zone. Soon the prospect will move to 9 o’clock, set up camp there, and the sale will be lost.

How could this situation been handled to create the expected positive outcome?
When the prospect was at 4 the designer should move to safe ground, let’s say 5 or maybe even 6. By moving to 3 and trying to sell too early, you run the danger of getting between the prospect’s location on the pendulum, and the point to which we want the prospect to move.

Most designers get in their own way, and thus become the reason the prospect did not buy. They frighten the prospect, and kill the sale. All the hard work done to move the prospect to 4 on the pendulum is wiped out in a few seconds.

When a prospect is at 4 and says, “I really like your product,” your safest response would be: “Thanks. However, are you sure you’ve given this enough thought?” This gentle reply will get the prospect moving without feeling pressure.

This statement does two things:
1. It offers reassurance to the prospect, and begins to establish rapport. The prospect will feel that you actually are concerned about their best interests.
2. If there is a hidden objection, it brings it to the surface early, so you can handle it. Unstated objections are a major reason why most sellers loses prospects they should have had. It separates the truly successful designers from those who struggle.

Let’s get back to the example.
The prospect moves to 5 and begins asking questions. These are the hidden objections that could have killed the deal. Now you know what they are, and can deal with them on your own terms. No surprises. You are making this move to bring these objections out when you are prepared for them.

Always remember Newton’s Law of Motion: A body at rest tends to stay at rest, and a body in motion tends to stay in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. And that unbalanced force is you.

In The Designer's Coach Selling System, the designer effectively uses questions to get the prospect moving along the pendulum. It doesn’t matter which direction they move, we just want them moving. Now that the prospect is in motion, she will stay in motion.

By using questions, the designer will eventually lead (rather than drag) the prospect back to three o’clock, the deal is done, and the prospect thinks he got there all by himself. As long as the designer continues to ask questions, the prospect - sooner or later - will swing up to 3 o’clock. It’s the law!

Now let’s talk about a prospect who is sitting at 6 (indifferent to your offering). What does the typical designer do? He believes all the stuff he hears on sales, and thinks if he is enthusiastic about his offering, that enthusiasm will get transferred to the prospect and she will buy. So he runs up to 3 o’clock and shows the prospect how excited he is about his product (makes sense, doesn’t it?). But the more he yells and screams, the more suspicious the prospect becomes. And very quickly, the prospect moves from seven, to eight, to nine o’clock, and the deal is lost.
How should the designer handle this situation? A prospect at 6 is the most difficult to deal with; because he is a body at rest (remember the law?). You have to create enough force (so to speak), to get the prospect moving. Whenever a prospect is sitting at 6, you should move to 9. Work from a point that won’t frighten or threaten the prospect.

By moving to 9 o’clock and gently asking questions, you build rapport and give the prospect space. The prospect feels secure, comfortable, and most of all, in control. Only then will he begin to move. The prospect may begin to move toward 9 o’clock, but that’s okay at this point, because he is moving.

Practicing this technique you are doing something that no other designer has done…you are openly discussing your own demise. And it’s perfectly okay with you if the prospect moves to 9 o’clock from 6 o’clock. Why? Because as long as the prospect is moving, once he goes from 9 o’clock on the pendulum, there is only one direction for him to go, and that is to swing back down. But instead of stopping at 6 o’clock, his momentum will take him to five, four, even three o’clock. The key is the gentle use asking questions. The best part of this is the prospect thinks he got to three o’clock all by himself.

Now let’s look at the prospect that starts at 9. How does the typical designer respond to the negative prospect? First, they fear this prospect more than any other. Since this prospect won’t budge, the typical seller runs up to 3 o’clock and plants himself firmly up there. Then he begins to jump up and down, yell and scream, all in an attempt to get the prospect’s attention. The negative prospect is so far away that he cannot hear the typical seller. All he sees is this crazy person, jumping up and down

How does the designer respond to the negative prospect? She gets behind the prospect at 9 or even 10. She needs to be even more negative then the prospect to get the prospect moving. At this point, there is nothing to lose. Once the prospect begins moving, there’s a good chance he will swing past 6 and all the way up to 3. How did she get him there?

Here’s an example of dealing with a negative prospect:
“Dave based on what you have told me so far, my feeling is that you have absolutely no interest in my service. So, before I leave, can I ask you one last question? Is it over?”

That’s calling the game, and the Success designer got there first. But wait a second. Prospects don’t want things to be over. If anyone is going to call the game, they want to do it. They want to be in control. Let’s see what usually happens…

Negative Prospect: “Well, I never said it was over.”
Designer (carefully and patiently): “Oh. I guess I misunderstood you. What are you saying?”

At this point, it doesn’t matter what the negative prospect says. He feels as if he is back in control, and never saw it coming. We have kept the prospect moving, and now he is moving to the other side of the pendulum.

But what about the prospect who says: “Yes, it’s over!” It does happen, but on very rare occasions. In the event that it does occur, your next move would sound something like this: “Before we say goodbye, can I ask you one final question?”

The prospect almost always says yes. The next question starts the selling process all over again, with an opportunity to get the prospect moving.

How about the prospect that starts out at 3 o’clock? Finally, an easy one, the typical seller thinks. There is a god. Good things come to those who wait. My ship has finally come in. But don’t release the celebration balloons just yet.

What got the prospect to 3 o’clock? Was it your website, an email that you sent or an email that you sent? Possibly, but before we explain how to handle this situation, let’s try this:
Stick your arm out to the 3 o’clock position. Notice how it got there? You had to swing it out, didn’t you? How long can you hold it there? Eventually, you will have to lower your arm. Remember Newton’s Law. An object in motion will stay in motion. Sooner, or later, your arm will fall - we just don’t know when.

That’s precisely the danger of meeting with a prospect who is at the 3 o’clock position. A prospect that is too sold, too early, is dangerous. You will relax, and take you out of your game.
So, what should you do? Move to the 6 o’clock position and gently ask questions to get the prospect in motion. After a couple of these moves, the prospect will no longer be oversold. But don’t worry, the prospect will swing back to the positive (if they are truly sold, they always do). At that point, it’s a done deal.

2006-12-20T17:26:00.000-05:00

I just installed a great design of mine for a client. I don't normally share my drapery work on my coaching site, but it came out so fabulous I couldn't resist.

2006-12-18T12:31:00.000-05:00

Successful Negotiating
The Business Value Message

In all the work you have done through the first 5 modules of “Creating your Strategic Vision”, you have devoted tremendous effort to demonstrating your Value Message. The challenge is how do you do this? It is done by asking the following questions:
1) What does your business bring to the marketplace beyond the basic industry core competencies?
2) What’s unique about your business?
3) How will you communicate this?

Before we get into addressing these questions, let’s try to understand why someone might buy from you. There are several key concepts of understanding the mind of your prospect.

For your prospect to agree to buy from you, she must go through what is called: The Pain of Change. This is a measurement of the prospects feelings and experiences associated with doing something such as decorating.

You need to relate this to the Consequences of Not Changing. This is the prospects losses they incur by not doing business with you. Perhaps it is the emotional letdown of not using your decorating skills.

When a prospect first becomes aware of your business, they believe that are doing fine without you. They also believe that if there are consequences for not doing business without you, this is acceptable. If this is true, then you do not have a prospect.

In order to begin the selling process, you must introduce the concept that there are indeed consequences associated with not doing business with your company. If there are no consequences, there is little chance of making a sale. To educate your potential prospect about the dire consequences of not doing business with you, you need to use questions to raise this awareness.

Before we get into asking these questions, let’s think about you ideal prospect. What would be the potential pain or risk if they were to do business with you? This is what was referred to before as The Pain of Change.

Here are some examples:
It’s too expensive!
I might make poor decisions.
I could end up with poor quality workmanship.
I am afraid to do custom work.
I am not convinced of your decorating ability.
I don’t trust you.

It is up to your Value Message to answer these concerns. Your prospect will work hard to convince you that you do not have a Value Message, so they can base their buying decision solely on price. If you can’t defend your Value Message then you run the risk of being judged as a commodity. It is urgent that you communicate your Value Message so you can separate your business from the competition.

There are certain core competencies that every competitor brings to the market. These competencies are things all competitors do, and are essential to be taken seriously in the marketplace.

However, if you choose to compete based upon only the core competencies that everyone else has, you insure that your business will be considered a commodity. If you only want to discuss things like product quality and price, you will be evaluated solely upon the investment required to buy what you are offering. Your uniqueness of what separates you from the competition will most likely be ignored.

The concept of the Value Message says that you must bring something unique to the market place so you can convince your prospects to go through The Pain of Change and buy from you.

Exercise:
List the 3 strengths or unique features of your business offering:

1) In House Workroom
2) Great Showroom
3) Talented Design Team

For each strength list a corresponding consequence the prospect experiences by not having as part if the offer.

1) In House Workroom-A lack of quality control and higher prices because of no middleman.
2) Great Showroom-No ability to view actual examples of work.
3) Talented Design Team-Not having treatments that you can show off.

For each consequence indicate how does it show up? Who ultimately gets the bill for not having it? Who feels the consequences the most?

1) A lack of quality control and higher prices because of no middleman, results in poorly done treatments that the consumer pays for and is stuck with.
2) No ability to view actual examples of work, results in not being able to picture your custom window treatment ahead of time, and ending up disappointed because of not meeting your expectations.
3) Not having treatments that you can show off, results in not meeting the emotional expectations of the client. This is what she values most. Remember, Decorating is Entertainment!

To review, let’s take one of the strengths and add the corresponding consequence and the result:
An In House Workroom addresses the problem of poor quality control and the issue of higher prices because of no middleman. The result of not having such a service could be poorly done treatments which the consumer ultimately pays for and is stuck with.

.

2006-12-14T16:39:00.000-05:00

The book is published! Order from the Website.

2006-12-03T17:10:00.001-05:00

Free Report Marketing

Free Report Marketing (FRM) is a great way to position your business to your target market. FRM is simply offering a free report on typical problems your potential clients may have and providing effective solutions. As you will see there are many benefits to creating awareness about your company with this great marketing strategy.

When you offer a free report on your area of expertise, Interior Design, you begin a campaign with your target market that builds loyalty because you are educating rather then selling. You can actually convince the buyer that your product is the best because you understand their problem and your company is able to provide the best solution.

Traditional marketing, such as advertising is product orientated and therefore gets stuck in the price-sensitive category. FRM is solutions based and focuses on educating and not selling. You offer solutions to common decorating problems with your company being the answer.

With a FRM program you not only educate your prospects but you build your mailing list through the requests for the free reports. In exchange for you sending the reports out, you receive permission to remain in contact with the prospect via email or direct mail. You can build a list very quickly with a “bait” marketing program by using such vehicles as Google Pay-Per-Click, with your free report being the call to action.

Examples of a Google ad:

The Designer's Coach
Free Report on Referral Marketing,
Your Source for Business Growth
www.thedesignerscoach.com

Home Staging Free Report
Great for Designers and Decorators
Learn ways to network with Realtors
www.thedesignerscoach.com

You can also view an example on my website on how I capture names offering free reports. You can go to: http://thedesignerscoach.com/free_reports.html

Let’s return to the educational benefits of FRM. There are great reasons to offer this strategy: You build client loyalty by becoming a trusted advisor. Those that request educational reports from you will view you as the expert. Additionally, you actually “set the specs” for the standards in your solutions. You establish the guidelines and since you are writing the report, you provide the exact solution to the common problems they are experiencing.

Here are 7 reasons why a FRM program is so effective:
1) You begin the relationship on a positive note.
2) You acknowledge to the prospect a level of respect in wanting to help rather then sell.
3) When you educate, you project a better relationship.
4) Prospects will buy from companies that put their clients first.
5) You “set the specs” and this makes you the perfect solution.
6) You are recognized as the expert in the field
7) People love free stuff, it works!

Prospects have both immediate and future needs. When you reach out to your target market, only 10% will have an immediate need, while the other 90% will have a future need. Prospects are like submarines, they spend most of their time underwater, not in a buying mode. They surface when they are ready. Your goal is to keep them thinking about your company while they are beneath the surface.

You can keep your name in your prospects mind with a FRM program. People will accumulate helpful solutions to their problems for future reference. There is a big difference when you are informing and positioning rather then interrupting and prospecting.

It is important to remember, that we still need to sell. This is not a one-way relationship. We hope to make it evident that we have more to offer then just a free report. That is why you need to include a message at the end of each report that makes an offer to move the client along the path to hiring you. Maybe it’s an offer for a free home consultation and the up selling begins.

FRM is effective and it is a great way to build your business. Start using it today! By the way, if you need help in implementing this concept, feel free to contact me. I am here to help. neil@thedesignerscoach.com

2006-11-30T10:00:00.001-05:00

Achieving Personal Mastery

In the 6 modules of The Designer's Coach, your goal is to create and evolve towards reaching your Strategic Vision. As you continuously strive to improve your business, there are several aspects to focus on.
In the first module The Leadership Coach your work is on your personal leadership competencies. It can also be called “Personal Mastery”. This is a lifelong commitment to learning and making behavioral adjustments in your own evolution. When you work on these challenging skills, you have the ability to achieve results that matter most to you. When you realize that no one else is responsible for your problems, only then can you create your own reality.
In the fifth module The Satisfaction Coach, you study the power of creating systems and systems thinking. This is an interesting web of interrelated actions than when skillfully woven into the life of your business, results in flawless client satisfaction. Creating a vision without systems is like planting a seed and not watering it. Implementation of systems requires discipline and commitment.
Throughout all the modules, but in particularly the 2nd module, The Team Coach, there is emphasis on creating meaningful relationships with members of your team. Be it the employees, vendors, suppliers, craftspeople or artisans, each are significant contributors in reaching your goals. This is done though effective communication techniques that require sharing the aspirations of your Strategic Vision.
The goal is to achieve more as a team then you can individually. If you can get others to join in with your vision of your future, you will add significant value to your company. Having a shared vision is an extremely powerful force. Until you can demonstrate to your clients that your employees and vendors are not merely a collection of businesses, but a trained team that executes your designs in only a way that you can offer, then you will be able to receive your just reward.
As you continue to work on your own Personal Mastery, you and your organization will thrive because you begin to see how your own behavior is the main contributor of your problems. Your achievement is a product of how you think, and no one else is to blame. Your success depends on what goes on in between your own two ears.

2006-11-30T08:40:00.001-05:00

Prospecting vs. Positioning

Who finds who is very important!
Imagine these scenes. It could be any two situations where there's a buyer and a seller...
Scene 1: A prospect is planning a wedding; she needs to decorate her home. You get lucky and just happen to call her that same day. The prospect was on your 'list' and you were able to meet her the next day.
Scene 2: Same prospect. She is planning the same wedding and wants to decorate. She starts keeping an eye out for a decorator. She talks to a friend, reads an article in a magazine - and hears about you. She calls you on the phone to see if you can help.
Which situation is most typical for you? Which one do you like more, scene 1 or scene 2? Well, unless you enjoy making phone calls that are uncomfortable both for you, you'd rather be living in scene #2, wouldn't you?
But there's another factor that's very, very important: In scene 2, you ALSO have TWICE the chance of getting the prospect’s business as you do in scene 1.
Why, because the buyer found you first. In scene #1 you were prospecting. In scene #2 you were positioning yourself.
The buyer naturally has more respect for you in scene #2 because everyone knows you must climb the mountain to find the guru. Gurus don't come down from the mountain hunting for disciples. Who calls who first is very, very important.
A prospect who "finds" you first is more likely to buy from you, than if you find her.
The difference is positioning. The doctor is perceived to be an expert, so you seek his counsel.
. A good marketing system, which helps clients find the designer, can do this for far less money than paying the designer to find the clients. Once an effective marketing system is in place, you can spend twice as much time in front of interested customers and double your income.
There's a hidden benefit to this: When the client finds you, instead of you finding the client, his perception of you is different. She perceives you as a consultant, not a peddler. Clients don't respect peddlers as reliable information sources.
Your Marketing Message
Your marketing & sales message must effectively answer the following four questions:
1. Why should I read or listen to you?
2. Why should I believe what you have to say?
3. Why should I do anything about what you're offering?
4. Why should I act now?
These are very basic questions, but few sales people can fire back fast answers to any of them. There are all kinds of companies who are the greatest in the world, but can't give you a really solid explanation of what they do or why it matters.
Your precise answer to these four questions is your Unique Selling Proposition. You must have this message clearly defined and focused. It must be written down and you must be able to repeat it in the middle of the night when your spouse wakes you from a deep sleep. Everything you do should answer those questions in a consistent way, whether directly or indirectly.
Your Sales Message
Every time you communicate with your customer, you should reinforce the core ingredients of your sales message.
People forget. It's never good enough to say something just once. Once your prospects have contacted you, they should regularly get things from you that reinforce what you told them the first time, and every time you talk to them, you must communicate your core sales message.
It's easy to get tired of constantly saying the same thing all the time, and it's easy to stop doing things that work just because you get bored with them. But you must resist this temptation and consistently, persistently reinforce that message.
Your message will never be consistent unless everyone in the company agrees on what it is. If you change your message every month, you'll never get real traction in the marketplace because customers will have only a vague idea of what you do.

An effective marketing system solves a number of very difficult business problems:
· You have enough “deal flow” that you can choose customers who match your capabilities, rather than taking whoever you can get.
· You have more negotiating power because you can safely “walk away from a deal.”
· Clients have more respect for you because you didn't “chase them down.”
· You can anticipate variations in your available capacity and revenue stream and open up or tighten your sales funnel as necessary, rather than scrambling at the last minute.
· You don't have to alter your manufacturing process or systems to accommodate customers whose needs don't match your capabilities.
· Your time with customers is spent productively, because when they call you, they already understand exactly what you do, what's unique about you and how you can help them.
· You are able to focus on the nuances of solving your customers' problems and building personal relationships with them, rather than worrying about whether or not you can close a deal.
If you sell a product or service, you should lead with information about solving problems, not information about the product or service itself.
It's an old cliché, but it bears repeating: Nobody who bought a drill wanted a drill. They wanted a hole.
What this means for you is that instead of providing information about drills, you should deliver information about making holes. You'll get a LOT more sales leads - with fewer literature collectors - and build more rapport with prospective customers that way.
This is Massively Huge!
This is NOT an afterthought. It is an entire shift in strategic direction that has created fantastically effective results for me, my clients, and my students. As in thousands of potential customers calling, sending emails, asking you for information. And you should incorporate this into everything you do, from your sales collateral to the presentations your sales people make, to seminars and white papers, to advertisements and press releases.

These are very basic questions, but few designers can fire back fast answers to any of them. Your precise answer to these four questions is your Unique Selling Proposition. You must have this message clearly defined and focused. It must be written down and you must be able to repeat it in the middle of the night when your spouse wakes you from a deep sleep. Everything you do should answer those questions in a consistent way, whether directly or indirectly. Every time you communicate with your client, you should reinforce the core ingredients of your marketing message. People forget. It's never good enough to say something just once. Once your prospects have contacted you, they should regularly get things from you that reinforce what you told them the first time, and every time you talk to them, you must communicate your core marketing message. It's easy to get tired of constantly saying the same thing all the time, and it's easy to stop doing things that work just because you get bored with them. But you must resist this temptation and consistently, persistently reinforce that message. Your message will never be consistent unless everyone in the company agrees on what it is. If you change your message every month, you'll never get real traction in the marketplace because clienyts will have only a vague idea of what you do.

2006-11-28T08:22:00.000-05:00

My book is out! To read more about it go to:

http://thedesignerscoach.com/book.html

2006-11-27T11:28:00.000-05:00

I made the cover of Drapery and Window Covering Magazine's October issue.
To read the article click here>>
http://www.dwconline.com/DWC/2006/oct/cover.html

2006-11-27T11:24:00.000-05:00

Here is a photo from a Lunch & Learn event we had last month. A great event and a great Turkish lunch.

2006-11-24T22:10:00.000-05:00

Do the Design; Systemize the Business
"What motivated you to become a designer?" I have found that every designer that I ever asked this question have all replied with a comment about some "deep passion" for the career choice. I have also found that there has become a quick dose of disappointment when one finds that being an Interior Designer is not a glamorous as it sounded before they traveled down this winding road. I am here to tell you that I can rescue you from the drudgery of running a complicated business and restore the glamour you are seeking. You studied and worked hard to become an Interior Designer because you felt a real desire to be creative and use your talent as a career choice. "You should do what you love !" Great advise, it sounds so good. But I hear over and over again these common complaints:"I am doing everything myself. I am always on the phone, so much paperwork". "Why am I working so much, and getting so little done?" "Is all this effort and hassle worth it?" "Why am I always solving problems?" "Why do I feel like I am like a juggler at a circus?" Did you become a designer to handle all these problems ? No, but you are running a business, and in order to free yourself up to "Do the Design", you must "Systemize the Business". To do the design, to fulfill your dreams, to fulfill your client's dreams, you must develop business systems. As a designer in your own business, you are an entrepreneur. The meaning of this, is working with the knowledge of organizing your company to understand 6 basic skills:
1) Providing effective Leadership and a Vision
2) Building a solid team
3) Creating a brand and awareness
4) Selling your designs
5) Fulfilling your promises
6) Being an effective negotiatorTo develop these necessary skills, you need to create systems and techniques for each of these points, in order to release yourself from the torturous bondage of a "job" you hate .
Every system you implement in your company will add value or equity to your business . Why? Because you are creating procedures that do not require you to perform every task. You can assign someone for these responsibilities. Maybe you are the only employee today, but if you plan on growing your business , you will eventually hire someone. This first hire will be greeted with systems in place and an understanding of the requirements of the position. I have created six modules, each one focusing specific discipline of running a successful business . The modules are in a specific order, as you will soon read. It is my wish that you follow each module as they are presented. There is a logical progression from 1 through 6, so if you jump around, you might not get the full benefit of going through the work as intended.
Are you ready? Click here to take the test>>
The Leadership Coach
This is the first area of business development, all about you. You are the leader , and you must look within and become self aware as to the type of leader you will need to be. In this module, the work we will do will depend solely on you, your attitude, believes, your actions. We will examine your leadership competencies , and your leadership profile. How will you take your strengths and implement your vision for your organization ? What will be your Strategic Vision for the future of your company? Are you willing to measure your own behavior with a 360-Degree Feedback analysis?
The Team Coach
All businesses from a one person company to a larger organization, needs to work within a " team" concept. How will you manage, coach and lead your team ? How can you become an effective leader, even if you are a one person operation? In this module you will learn how to create a team-chart , position and vendor agreements and how to employ strategic business systems.
The Marketing Coach
The life blood of any business is to generate leads . We must develop a way to have a constant flow of new leads or we cannot survive. In this module we will examine the current state of your lead generation . Through careful analysis you will determine who your target market is. All successful businesses of your type, relies upon referrals. You will create a Referral Marketing System and The Agenda Letter System .
The Sales Coach
The conversion of a lead to a sale is a strategic part of your business that requires the utmost attention. How do you sell your designs ? Have you established a positioning statement ? Do you serve a particular niche ? Are you delivering the intended message to your target market? Have you implemented a selling system ? We will develop a Client Management System to keep in contact with your clients.
The Satisfaction Coach
Keeping your promise is the best way to grow your business and to encourage referrals. A flawless Client Fulfillment System is critical to delivering on your promise to your clients. We will examine how you get things done, and encourage setting up the various systems. Along with this, we will work on making sure that you are exceeding your client's expectations each and every time, with great Satisfaction Staging ideas.
The Negotiation Coach
Do you understand what happens during the negotiation or decision making phase of the selling process? Who is " The Decider ". How do you know if you can trust what your client says? We will work on becoming a more effective negotiator and we will develop a pricing and estimating strategy . Are you basing what you charge on value you create or costs you incur? Also, in this module you will learn an effective "negotiation defense" against price shoppers and a strategy for developing effective contracts and agreements. Do you have a system to track all costs for each job? Are you communicating your " value-message " that will maintain the margins you need to stay in business?
If you follow the modules and apply the concept, I believe that you will find a remarkable change in your business and in your life as I have. I ask only one thing from you, that you must want to make a change in the way you run your business. The key to succeeding comes only from you and your motivation. I hope that you will find the inspiration , and execute a new way of running your organization and then we can celebrate together.
The Designer's Coach offers one to one coaching and seminars throughout the country. Browse through the site, and let me know how I can help you in making your business great.

2006-11-24T22:00:00.000-05:00

I am pleased to announce that my book: The Designer's Coach is just a few days from being released. I will report back here on the exact day!

2006-09-14T13:53:00.000-04:00

Positive Thinking and Common Sense
A Powerful Combination

I believe that a good amount of our success depends on what goes on in between our two ears. This is: to understand how to remain a positive thinker, and how to have the uncommon ability of common sense. We can all say that we are positive thinkers, until there is something negative in our lives. Then all of a sudden, we become negative thinkers. This is where we need to learn how to manage these thoughts, which is done, most times with common sense.

As a child I was taught by my father to “think positive”. This was told to me over and over. A good lesson, but just being told to think positively is not enough. We must learn how to manage our negative thoughts, so that they do not inhibit our productivity. I can recall many instances when an upset client ruined my day. I became upset and unproductive and probably I might have acted poorly to an unsuspecting client.

We need to practice “self-awareness”. This is a key element of what The Leadership Coach addresses. How do we become aware of our thoughts and actions? How can we manage our own behavior? We become upset, we go into a funk, and we can’t get out of it.

At this point it is time to bring out our best defense: Common Sense. According to The Miriam Webster Dictionary, the definition of common sense is: “sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts”.

Write down your negative thoughts, one by one and challenge each one with a dose of common sense. Most times you can successfully neutralize these emotions and handle them without exhausting yourself. This is an effective way to manage your goal to thinking positive.

Being a positive thinker is critical to many aspects of running a growing and successful business. Learning how to battle your demons by looking within to our basic instincts sounds easy, but it takes work, and no one is immune to showing some unflattering emotions. But who said running a business was easy. Managing our minds and the minds of our employees, suppliers and clients is a daunting task. We must be searching for tools to assist us in this task. Becoming self aware is the first step.

2006-09-11T14:00:00.000-04:00

There's lots of new things in the works.
*I am planning an E Book called: 12 Superstar Designers. A look at how 12 successful Interior Designers conduct and grow their business.
*I also have a CD of an in depth interview with me about The Designer's Coach.
*Also, stay tuned for the release of my book: The Designer's Coach to be published and available soon.
* Tale a look at my website for 2 Webinar programs now scheduled.
Plus many more and exciting projects.
Go to the site: www.thedesignerscoach.com

2006-09-07T08:29:00.000-04:00

The Orchid Principle
How do we build a business? This is the ultimate question. Our quest to grow our company into our vision is something we all strive for. But how do we do this? How do we market ourselves in order to build awareness and attract our ideal clients? Some of life’s greatest questions have the simplest answers. I will attempt to offer my philosophy as to one of business’s greatest questions.

I’ve titled this article: The Orchid Principle. Have you or someone you know love Orchids? Orchids need an incredible amount of tender loving care. They need to be fed, watered, and even placed next to a compatible fellow orchid in order to prosper and grow. You may wonder, is all this worth it? Well, yes! Orchids, when they are properly cared for will bloom continuously for over a year! This is a major payoff. You may be asking yourself, this is interesting, but what does it have to do with building a business?

In my course, The Designer’s Coach I describe 6 Fatal Flaws of a design business.
1) No Strategic Vision
2) Uncooperative Teamwork
3) Haphazard Marketing
4) Amateur Selling
5) Faulty Client Fulfillment
6) Poor Negotiation Skills

Each one of these flaws can be overcome by understanding The Orchid Principle. Let’s look at each flaw, and see if we can relate the growing of orchids to the growing of our business.

No Strategic Vision
Does your business operate without a vision of where you want to be in 5 years? Do you function day to day by making decisions that have no strategic basis? As the leader, you need to lead with a plan.
Let’s look at our orchid garden. Your goal in 5 years is to have the most beautiful collection of orchids. You can close your eyes and see the orchids with their fabulous intricate design and intense color. You have hundreds of them. Your greenhouse is a festival of amazing orchids.
Now, close your eyes and imagine your business 5 years from now. Is it the orchid garden in your dreams? Can you see your ideal business? Like an orchid, can you see the shape of it, the textures, and the colors? Who is your ideal client? How will you reach out and find her?

Uncooperative Teamwork
Whether your company is a one‑person operation or has dozens of people on the payroll, your business must operate as a team. Does your team understand your strategic vision? Do you strive to make sure your messages that you try so hard to create, are not undermined by uncooperative employees or contractors? It is a serious problem when your team works in an unharmonious state.
Did you know that orchids do better when they are teamed next to compatible specie? This is teamwork! It takes a trained grower to know this about orchids. You must build a team too, even if you are the only one in your organization. Team members include not only employees, but suppliers and vendors as well.

Haphazard Marketing
Many times I have seen money thrown at advertising as if it would magically encourage appointments. This is an ineffective attempt to generate leads through misappropriation of resources. What ends up happening is paying an extraordinary amount for a lead. Additionally, the most valued type of lead, the referral, is basically ignored or taken for granted. Many growers of orchids attend Orchid Shows. I recently attended one this spring at Rockefeller Center in New York City. This is truly an amazing event. Each seller of orchids sets up fabulous displays, one outdoing the next. If each vendor sells the same exact product, orchids, how do they generate awareness? The successful ones do it with great arrangements, displays and specialization. They know the magic of merchandising, display and finding a niche.
How will you get noticed? What will separate you from the competition? What will be your niche? How will you create a brand? Simply placing an ad in the local paper, is throwing your money away. Marketing is a careful process of creating a perception and awareness of who you company is.

Amateur Selling
I have seen people try to sell without a plan or system. This leaves the designer working in a confused state. At times you may be selling on price, and sometimes on value. The design team has not established a position in the mind of the consumer, and projects no clear value‑message. There is also the problem where the sales team is not properly trained, and appears unprofessional.
Orchids need to be nurtured and cared for, and so do your clients. Each orchid can give you years of growth. New shoots grow off old ones. Your clients who you take care of will refer you to clients just like her. You build a business one client at a time. There is exponential growth in focusing on getting the most you can from each client. Getting to know all about her, and encouraging her to give you referrals.

Faulty Client Fulfillment
Once the deposit is received and the order process is underway, so begins the task of fulfilling your promises. This is the critical area where most businesses fail. There is very little room for error in meeting the expectations of your clients. This is because, if the perceived value is not achieved, the client will consider that her expectations have not been met, and then the consequences could be an unhappy client. To achieve flawless client fulfillment, systems must be created and implemented.
Did you know that growing orchids successfully also takes a system? Orchids to thrive need proper light and are first fed for growth and then fed to bloom. If problems occur, there are special foods to encourage growth or hardiness. If the orchid becomes overgrown, it must be gently cut, split and replanted or the original orchid may die.
Orchid growers have knowledge of these systems because they have been tested for many years. You must develop your own systems. Some will be unique and some will be time tested industry standards.

Poor Negotiation Skills
How do you negotiate? Do you understand the nuances of the negotiation process? Are you able to analyze correctly who the decision makers are? After establishing your business as value-based, are you able to receive your just reward? It all comes down to this, the bottom line. The final measure of success will depend on your margins. This is a complex business, and unless you understand that your business must work on certain margins, you will not succeed. Most businesses will price each job as to the urgency of the cash‑flow status and not understand the detrimental effects of a price cut.
How does this relate to orchids? Have you seen the price of orchids lately? Do you think orchids are priced on a cost plus method or what the client is willing to pay? Orchids stir emotions, and the orchid seller knows this. How will your business stir up the emotional side of your clients?
Decorating is an emotional based decision. Your business provides the best opportunity to sell products at top dollar. It is up to you, do you want to sell daisies or orchids?

2006-09-05T14:08:00.000-04:00

The Negotiation Coach

You work hard to build a business and it all comes down to one thing: Being a successful negotiator. How do you convince someone to agree to your terms, or settle for a compromise? Let's look at some questions to consider:
1) How can you develop the skills necessary to ask for and receive our full value?
2) How will you develop a negotiation system that will guide you through the selling process?
3) How do you take control of the negotiation?
4) How can you learn the closing techniques of getting what you want, and your clients feeling as if they have won as well?
5) How can you downplay price by increasing the value of your offer?

You must communicate your Value-Message
With an intimate knowledge of your target market, how do you communicate your "value message"?
What are your clients willing to pay for?
What is important to them? What is not?
Creating a value message is important, but you must consider what will your most likely client care about? If you target a price-conscious consumer, a value-based message is something they won’t consider that they want to pay for. They are willing to give up something for a better price.

4 Rules to Negotiating
Rule #1
In negotiating ask for more then you expect to get. When you go in with a high price you achieve some positive points. First, the perceived value of your service is viewed more prestigiously and second, you give yourself more wiggle room to negotiate later.
Rule #2
Buyers usually turn down the initial offer. Be prepared for this and have your defenses up to snuff.
Rule #3
Savvy buyers use the “wince" technique. This is where they make a facial gesture of shock at your price, don't fall for it.
Rule # 4
Play hard to get. A good negotiator will smell out a hungry sales person. Even if you are down to your last cent, don't act like it.

Being an Effective Negotiator
To be effective as a negotiator, you must understand that outcomes are determined by emotions. To have an effect, and influence a positive result, you must address 5 concerns during the sales process:
1) Listen
You need to acknowledge and understand her point of view, regardless of its merit. It is critical that you demonstrate that you are a good listener. You need to communicate that you understand her perspective and honor it.
2) Establish a Rapport
You need to reduce any emotional distance by establishing common bonds. How do you build a rapport? This bond building is crucial to giving you an edge during the negotiation.
3) Who is "The Decider"?
Uncover the source of the decision making responsibilities. Can she decide without consulting him? Is it just to inform? Does he care? What does he care about? Is there going to be a joint negotiation? How do we build a bond with an "invisible stake-holder"?
Perhaps the decision does not require more than informing the other after the fact. Sometimes a partner may have the authority to make decisions, but only after consulting. Then there are the couples that consider decorating a big decision, where all involved want to have a final say.
In decorating, the decision making process is never very clear. Our challenge is to figure it out.
She tells you that she loves everything, but she needs to speak with her husband. You can counter by appealing to her ego. She certainly can make decorating decisions on her own. If she agrees but says she still needs to consult with her spouse, make sure you are clear on the deal that she will present to him. Also, try to get her to commit to something: Maybe a time and date when you can call her for a second appointment.
4) Respect
Many times you may stumble into an uncomfortable situation, where one partner is verbally abusive. You need to tread carefully here. It is a good idea to make the weaker partner feel important and acknowledged. Everyone wants to have a sense of importance. If you can make an advocate without alienating anyone, you will gain added trust.
5) Trust
Determine if the role she is playing is real or misleading. Does she act as if she is using her last 2 cents to decorate? Does she promise you, if you do a good job, and give her good price, she will refer you to her friends, with all of them waiting on the outcome of her decorating project? Does she already know too much information? Are you the second or third designer?

Negotiate the Offer, not the Price
Do you negotiate on price or on the offer?
If you had a series of "negotiating defenses", would this help save on price reductions?
How can you train your sales team to practice and learn these strategies?
You must understand that your prices are not arbitrary, and are based on providing the extraordinary service and products you offer. Until you believe it yourself, you will never be able to convince your clients. Price reductions are not an option, unless the client is willing to sacrifice something in exchange, such as a less expensive fabric.

Get it Back
If you feel that you have given up something more then you wanted during the negotiation, try to get some of it back when the negotiation is psychologically over. Make sure you show obvious signs of defeat when you give in to their demands, this way you add on extras at the end, such as: a few pillows, or maybe a lamp shade, you can recover some of the lost profit. You do this when everything has been decided upon. Maybe you are writing up the order when you say” by the way, why don’t we add in a few pillows”? This is psychologically the best time to do this. Do not wait because they won't feel the same way again.
Overcoming Price
It is a fact, that price weighs heavier on the designer then it does the client. You must not think with your pocketbook. However, you must give your client a reason to spend more. You can do this by convincing them that they can't find a better deal anywhere else. The feeling of getting a great deal is more important then the actual dollar amount spent.
But let's be realistic, some clients want a better price and won't settle for not negotiating on price. If your attitude is "take it or leave it" you will lose out on a possible sale. This is why you must come in with a high price and to be willing to settle. This is the only way for some buyers to feel that they have won.
Here are the 5 reasons to ask for a higher price then you might expect:
1) You might just get it.
2) It gives you wiggle room.
3) It raises the perceived value of your offer.
4) It prevents the negotiation from deadlocking.
5) It creates a climate in which the other side feels they won.
If you do make a price concession, do not agree on the first offer. You must find the middle ground slowly and carefully. If you agree right away, the client will feel that they could have gone lower. Make sure you physically "flinch" at their lower price offer.
Great Negotiating Tip
Do not perform any service without negotiating a fee up front. Your trip to the design center is valuable today, for example: When she is desperate to find a certain trim. But the value of a service will always diminish rapidly after you performed the service. If you tried to get paid a month later, it will not be valued as much.
Why will someone pay more?There are several reasons why you can ask for and get top dollar.
1) When you have a specialty, a niche, you are the expert, and experts get the big bucks.
2) When you create a bond with your clients, they will trust you and they will reward you for it.
10 reasons what a client wants, besides a great price:
1) An easy relationship.
2) Predictability, reliability, and dependability.
3) Quick reaction to their needs
4) Accurate quoting of delivery times.
5) Cost reduction by not allowing costly mistakes.
6) Total product knowledge and sources.
7) A willingness to go to bat when a problem arises.
8) Early notice of any delays of delivery.
9) Ease of doing business with.
10) Quick and no hassle remedies to problems.
And of course, an experience they won’t forget, and they will tell their friends!

Are you tracking all costs for each job?
Do you have a system for tracking all costs of a job?
Are you really tracking all the costs of a job?
How do you value your time?
How much of it do you give away?
It has been remarkable how many times I have coached designers who give their time away. This business requires a lot of time to put a job together. You need to put a value to your time, and track it for each client. Once you see this in dollars and cents, you will be very reluctant to negotiate on price. I use Quick Books, a great accounting program that provides a way to assign labor costs to each job.

Have you created a pricing and estimating strategy?
How does your pricing strategy maximize your profitability?
Do you fluctuate between a pricing strategy of value and price?
If you are able to develop an effective and consistent pricing strategy, how do you think it would add profit to the bottom line?
If you charge with a value message, then your pricing strategy will involve managing the expectations of your clients. If you charge more then the competition, you had better deliver a flawless client experience. Is your company up for the challenge? Where do you need to do to perfect your systems before you charge based on what your clients are "willing to pay" for a great experience?
What are your pricing metrics? Do you charge per hour, per yard, labor per foot? Is there any other way you can change the metrics any add margins to the bottom line?
To remain in business, you must have margins that allow you to succeed. "Volume" is a fool’s game. It can create some impressive sales numbers, but are you making any money? There are many strategies to pricing out your jobs. I do like the concept of charging on what they are "willing to pay". A cost plus method leaves money on the table. Why should you charge the same labor for a swag when the fabric is $30 a yard or $130 a yard? You shouldn’t, you need to charge more. Why? There is more risk; More risk, more reward.

2006-06-11T07:07:00.000-04:00

In last month’s newsletter, I wrote about the Four Temperaments, a philosophy of creating a personality profile. To review this fascinating approach, here is a brief description of each one:
1)The Sanguine is known as an extrovert, always optimistic and very talkative. They have an appealing personality and are considered to be the life of the party.
2)The Melancholic is introverted and a deep thinker. She can be serious and purposeful as well as neat and tidy.
3)The Choleric is an extrovert and considered a born leader. They are dynamic, active and goal oriented.
4)The Phlegmatic is calm, cool and collected. As a patient and well balanced personality, they are easy to get along with and are pleasant and enjoyable company.
Allow yourself to objectively look at these Four Temperaments and understand that there are universal truths that you can employ as part of your toolkit. With this knowledge you may find some interesting applications that could assist your performance with your clients.
Did you know that even color preference can be influenced by personality type? Reds seem to appeal to the Choleric. The Sanguine is inspired with yellows, while the Phlegmatic likes greens and the Melancholic is attracted to blues. Have you ever been surprised by a clients’ color preference? Maybe she loves purple, but you know the color is wrong for the space. She could be a Melancholic and finds an unconscious attachment to the color. It has nothing to do with her design sense. You can honor her feelings and explain that purple will not help reach the desired look of the room. Remember, the Melancholic is goal orientated, so she will appreciate your reasoning.
If you work involves children under 10, there are some interesting applications. For example: A Choleric active child will react to a red room in a calming way. While we know that red is stimulating, it has the opposite effect on the child. The youngster will interpret their red room as it’s opposite on the color wheel. They will unconsciously see green, as soothing color. Why? Have you ever stared at a red piece of paper for a minute, and then looked at a white wall immediately thereafter? You will see the image of green, red’s opposite. This is what happens to a child up until the age of ten, as they get older they will react as we do, to see colors as they are. A Phlegmatic, dreamy child can be stimulated with the typical calm green color as they will unconsciously see red and become more engaging.
As a “master” of the Four Temperaments, you can respond accordingly to the various types of clients you encounter. Upon visiting your client’s homes, you need to recognize behavior and try to reflect their personality. Your challenge is to be a quick study and make adjustments in your sales and negotiation approach to appeal to the client’s unique personality. A “fast talker” doesn’t want to be tripped up by a slow, methodical approach.
You can also be confronted with a husband and wife team with vastly different personalities that require quick self analysis and reaction in order to please both decision makers.
As you already know, we are also trying to understand why people agree or not, to buy from us. This is a question that we are always struggling with. If we can figure this out, think of the possibilities!
I do believe that learning the Four Temperaments can be an asset in understanding how people think, decide and react. It is up to you to be the “chameleon” and learn that empathy is our best skill when thoroughly developed.
It is the skillful designer that can adjust their own personality type to meet the needs of their clients. As we search for a way to tap into their brain’s right- side emotional reasoning, we will establish trust and a strong bond. This is what great salespeople are made of. Do you have what it takes to grow your business by really understanding the personality type of your clients to determine what will motivate their decision making?

2006-06-11T07:04:00.000-04:00

In a recent New York Times article: “The Secret Source is Out” by Kimberly Stevens, May 11th, 2006, the famous Interior Designer Mario Buatta laments:"All of a sudden everyone wants to get democratic and make everything available to the general public and open up the private world of decorating. It defeats the purpose. The reason the D&D exists is that I can go and get my clients special things that no one else is going to have." Poor Mario, his “To the Trade Only” status is gone. Design Centers are opening their doors to the public. Everyone today wants to decorate and wants access to the same products that only designer’s had. What’s a designer to do? How will we make a living?
Toward the end of the article, Paige Rense, editor in chief of Architectural Digest explains: "The field of decorating and design has changed radically in the last 20 years, people are much more sophisticated about design and architecture. It's much more difficult for designers today because people do know so much. There aren't any secrets anymore," she said, adding that it is frightening for a lot of people in the industry. She acknowledged that the most established interior designers, like couture clothing designers, still have a longstanding and loyal clientele. "They swim in a different ocean," she said. But even that ocean may be getting less exclusive. "It's a whole new world," Ms. Rense said, "and you ignore it at your own peril."What ominous words! Our purpose of being an Interior Designer is over. If we can’t sell exclusive products anymore, what are we to do? Relax, I see a silver lining to our cloudy sky. If you have ever read any of my articles from The Designer’s Coach, or attended any of my seminars you would recognize these words:”Everything we do needs to give the perception to our clients that they are buying an experience and not a collection of products”. We are not selling things. People don’t want to buy more stuff, they want experiences, and it is up to you, to find a way to provide them with one.
Being an Interior Designer is not taking the role of a “middle-man”. If that is your only purpose, you will soon be looking for a new career. The source of the products should not matter. I don’t care if the products you supply or specify comes from Target or from The Design Center in your city. If you put the emphasis on the products, you will not be developing your name and company as a “brand” and you will be selling on price and not value. When you build your business on providing an experience of creating “lifestyle entertainment”, your clients’ will understand that you are adding value through your knowledge of design. As an Interior Designer you should be making it very obvious the value that you offer. We sell design, an intangible, un-shopable service. We offer fabulous, artistic creations with our great style, our sense of proper scale, our expertise in color choices, our suggestions of textures, our practical advice on ergonomics and so on.
Your purpose is not that of a “retailer”, though you might be in a retail environment, such as a furniture store or a window treatment business. You will be engaged to assist in making the right decisions based on emotional needs. In order to tap into your clients’ emotional core takes practice and an understanding that there are many personalities and temperaments to learn. We know that there are different ways we all look at things? Everyone has a unique view of things. You are judged from your clients’ perception. This actually can be managed by trying to understand your clients’ own unique perspective on the world.
I have studied recently an interesting philosophy of personalty types, called The Four Temperaments. This is an ancient way of looking at personalities and it was originally explained by the “father of medical science”: Hippocrates. The four types were based on the predominant bodily fluids, that’s why we have these four funny names: Choleric: Yellow bile from the liver. Sanguine: Blood from the heart. Melancholic: Black bile from the kidneys. Phlegmatic: Phlegm from the lungs. In our quest to reduce the emotional distance between us and our clients, I think understanding these four personality types can help take a measure of someone’s temperament. Of course, you may have combinations of types, but if you can get some assistance in understanding the way another person views the world, it can help you in your team building and sales approach. Here are The Four Temperaments:
The Choleric
The Choleric, she is a self-motivated leader. She is someone who can be strong willed, and make quick decisions and relentlessly pursues her goals. Decorating decisions are not something to agonize over. She can be a great client, because she decides fast, but she will turn on you if she doesn’t like the final results. “It’s your fault, you’re the designer, why did you let me select this?” No one can stand in her way. This person typical is logical and practical and doesn’t reveal emotions easily, unless it is anger. They can be at times, stubborn and bossy, and demand loyalty from those who are involved with them. However, if pleased, she will tell the world that you are great!
The Melancholic
The Melancholic likes her time to be quiet and reflective. She likes her home to beautifully decorated and organized. You can usually tell a Melancholic by looking into their closets and seeing how perfect everything is. The Melancholic tends to be very critical and pessimistic, however, if you can please them, they will become extremely loyal and your greatest advocate.
The Phlegmatic
The Phlegmatic can be easy going and is usually likeable. She is someone who is dependable, polite, and even-tempered. This person is not flashy and her decorating decisions are usually informal, she likes a comfortable, easy to live in home. She can be un- opinionated, and this is difficult in making decorating decisions. She will have to be led to choices. If she is unhappy, you might not know it, because, she is not likely to complain about anything. She doesn’t like to stir up a conflict. You will have to push her to complain.
The Sanguine
The Sanguine, is typically the life of the party. She like social activities and has lots of friends. She is creative and imaginative, and loves to decorate. To her, Decorating is Entertainment! Since she is very spontaneous, and will make quick decisions, you need to slow her down at times. The Sanguine can also become easily distracted, and hard to get to focus. She might get angered quickly but she is quick to forgive and forget.
Being a “talented” designer is important, but also having critical “people skills” is equally necessary. How would you use your knowledge of these unique personality types or temperaments to your advantage? What would be the best way to deal with Choleric or a Melancholic? To learn more, send me an email, and I will send you a report on some helpful ways to deal with The Four Temperaments: neil@thedesignerscoach.com
To conclude, yes, “To the Trade” may be dead, but that doesn’t mean you are. Look for a way to position yourself as someone whose service is totally unique. As I mentioned many times before, find your niche, tell your story, connect with emotion and build a career.

2006-06-11T07:03:00.000-04:00

I have conducted seminars for, and coached, hundreds of Interior Designers. I have discovered that most lack a "Strategic Vision". This is a plan for the future of your company, a road map to guide you through the challenging decisions in running a business. Of all the areas to address in imagining your "ideal business", it is apparent that most have not considered the concept of "positioning." Positioning is a strategy of directing an image of your business into the minds of your target market. Being an Interior Designer is not a "positioning statement". What will separate you from every other Interior Designer in town? To do this, you must find a "niche" that you can serve. This niche will separate you from the competition and create awareness of your 'brand", your company.
You might say, "why should I limit myself to being known as an "antique expert" or specializing in traditional interiors?" This is a normal reaction, however, the specialist has a "story" to tell. Stories are very valuable in cutting through all the clutter that bombards the consumer. People love stories, and your story has a chance to be heard if you find something interesting to say. Imagine all of the potential marketing opportunities you can engage in if you find a niche that rises above the many messages that every other business is broadcasting. If you specialize in contemporary interiors, you can offer seminars on the topic to local groups. You can write articles for a newsletter or a local magazine. You will stand out among the clutter and make your company noticed.

The Designer's Coach

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