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October 1, 2009
Charitable events create a lasting bond between the dealer and its customers, suppliers, employees
Giving Back
Excellence in Community Service
Superior Products Home Improvement
Denver, Colo.
When his wife was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, Tom Higgins founded Superior Products to be able to control his schedule through her recovery.
For many companies, community service efforts are a bit of an afterthought. But at Superior Products Home Improvement, the company might not...
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October 1, 2009
After 80 years in business, specialty dealer transitions to a new supplier
Out-of-the Box
Excellence in Innovative Thinking
WindowPro
Cleveland, Ohio
The fifth generation of family leadership, Jake Zahnow, president of WindowPro, recently guided the company through a transition to a new window supplier.
When you run an 80-year-old company, you think in terms of decades rather than years, says Jake Zahnow, president of WindowPro. That long...
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September 1, 2009
Window & Door Honors the Industry's Innovators in Products, Manufacturing and Marketing
Window & Door has announced its 2009 Crystal Achievement Award winners. Selected by a panel of judges representing all segments of the industry, the awards recognize significant innovations and achievements in window and door technology, manufacturing, and marketing.
"The weak economy has created tremendous challenges in the window and door market. Our Crystal Achievement Award...
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September 1, 2009
Photography that will help sell your products requires more than a good camera
In the world of selling windows and doors, one rule should always apply–make your product the hero. Whether you’re designing a brochure, revamping a Web site, or promoting a new product line in an advertisement, the product must always be the focal point.
In putting together printed or Web materials, too often manufacturers lose sight of the importance of a good promotional photograph...
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July 28, 2009
Several times in the past year or two I've come across quite a bit of fodder on the generations in this country. The Baby Boomers are welcoming Generation X and Y, and even the Millennial generation (those born from the late 1970s to the early 1990s) into the workplace and the homebuyer market. And homeownership among immigrants has been increasingly rising ever since I started covering this...
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July 13, 2009
Fleet Feet, a premier outfitter for runners, prominently posts a sign which admonishes buyers, "You don't buy a running shoe by color." If that isn't a great sales opening, then I don't know what is. The client is immediately forced into a mindset that says Fleet Feet is serious about running shoes and provides a product that gets the job done!
At Fleet Feet, they will tell you how...
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June 2, 2009
In 1985, a young window salesman was sent to Columbus, Ohio, to negotiate a contract of $275,000. His supervisor had commanded that young salesman to come back with the order and allowed, if necessary, that the salesman had the latitude to adjust the price by as much as $25,000. The very inexperienced young salesman walked into the office and met an intimidating purchaser who quickly exerted...
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May 1, 2009
Presentation and display strategy should reflect products' quality and attributes
Rolling travel bags and sleek cases can give salespeople a professional, pulled-together look when they walk into a home.
Sales and Marketing are two words that are often connected in company structures, position titles or department names, but too often it seems like the marketing department and sales staff are from different worlds. What happens between a great marketing plan and the...
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May 1, 2009
Boosting marketing and PR efforts during recession makes good companies great
There is no news like good news–especially right now. You can’t open a newspaper or magazine without becoming depressed about the state of the economy. At times like this, is there really no good news to share or is it just overshadowed by a dark cloud of recession?
Take note that many great companies were born from recession, including well-known empires, such as Proctor &...
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May 1, 2009
Demonstrating the intangibles makes it easier to sell and upsell
Consumers have new buying criteria, new performance expectations, and a savvy new attitude from the window research they perform on the Internet before the salesman come into the home. Many features that used to be the primary reason for selecting a window or door are being overridden by a product’s energy performance or green footprint. The recent passage of the stimulus bill has put an...
more »
September 1, 2009Photography that will help sell your products requires more than a good cameraIn the world of selling windows and doors, one rule should always apply–make your product the hero. Whether you’re designing a brochure, revamping a Web site, or promoting a new product line in an advertisement, the product must always be the focal point. In putting together printed or Web materials, too often manufacturers lose sight of the importance of a good promotional photograph... more »
May 1, 2009Boosting marketing and PR efforts during recession makes good companies greatThere is no news like good news–especially right now. You can’t open a newspaper or magazine without becoming depressed about the state of the economy. At times like this, is there really no good news to share or is it just overshadowed by a dark cloud of recession? Take note that many great companies were born from recession, including well-known empires, such as Proctor &... more »
May 1, 2009Demonstrating the intangibles makes it easier to sell and upsellConsumers have new buying criteria, new performance expectations, and a savvy new attitude from the window research they perform on the Internet before the salesman come into the home. Many features that used to be the primary reason for selecting a window or door are being overridden by a product’s energy performance or green footprint. The recent passage of the stimulus bill has put an... more »