Design Build Profit’s New Webinar to Help Remodeling Professionals Improve Their Entire Sales Process

Remodeling firms seeking to add a design and build division or enhance an existing one can attend a free “Remodeling Selling System” webinar by Design Build Profit (http://www.designbuildprofit.com). This online sales training session, entitled “Sales Process for the Design and Build Remodeler” and hosted by company mentor Neil Parsons, will show attendees how they can speed up the entire sales cycle by effectively handling all the components of the initial meeting for the shared benefit of the homeowner, company, and sales representative.

The free 90-minute webinar will be held on Wednesday, May 18, 2011 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. EDT. Topics will include:

• Setting up an effective sales process
• Creating an interactive presentation
• Getting positive conclusions at each meeting
• Selling more, faster, and with greater profit

Parsons is a member of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry and has been in the remodeling industry since 1980. His experience includes working as a carpenter, remodeling business owner, sales and marketing executive, and a design and build sales specialist. He has appeared on HGTV and was named Remodeler of the Year. He holds awards from the Chrysalis Awards for Remodeling Excellence, Qualified Remodeler Master Design Awards, Innovation in Construction Awards, the Vinyl Siding Institute Awards of Distinction, and has also won Best Marketing Program.

“I have been sharing advice and tips while networking with other companies through social media and our Design Build Profit blog at http://bit.ly/DBPblog,” Parsons said. “Providing online training sessions was part of the natural progression. This particular webinar will help remodelers to sell more, faster, and with greater profit.”

All attendees will be eligible for discounts and promotions from the webinar’s six corporate sponsors. To register for the webinar, interested parties should visit http://bit.ly/DBP-web.

Sales Process for the Design + Build Remodeler

Design Build Profit and six corporate sponsors are hosting a free webinar on Wednesday May 18th at 2:00 PM EST. 


Email info with hyperlinks to registration: http://bit.ly/DBP-web 


FREE sales training session for remodelers that want to add a design and build division or enhance an existing one.

Learn how to speed up the entire sales cycle. See how to control all the components of the initial meeting for the shared benefit of the homeowner, company, and sales representative. Discover how professional consultants are able to define the project scope, time frames, and a 100% accurate budget during the first meeting to the point of being able to write an agreement, but then realize why they choose not to.

There will be discounts and promotions from our corporate sponsors for all those in attendance!

Learn how to sell more, faster, and with greater profit...starting with this webinar.


The corporate sponsors include:

daily5REMODEL
Remodeling industry resource website with new topics daily

Right Coast Marketing

"We get you noticed online by your target market, increasing traffic to your..."

Certified Lead Services

Remodeling lead generation, qualification, and scheduling services

OPT!

Custom solutions at packaged prices! On-time, in-budget, and guaranteed!

Preferred Contractor

Internet lead generation service

Alside

Manufacturer of exterior remodeling products offering factory-trained installation service

Design and Build Remodeling Estimates

How does a homeowner make a thoroughly informed buying decision when it comes to major home renovations? It is quite difficult, mostly confusing, and all too often leads to an unpleasant remodeling experience.

We have a process that have proven to be mutually beneficial and creates a professional beginning to a rewarding remodeling experience for all.


The initial meeting starts with a complimentary Tier-1 project plan and budget consultation. Here is the slide show that we send in advance of the initial meeting:

http://tinyurl.com/T-1Estimate

Then we firmly believe that the only way to accurately compare estimates is through our Tier-2 level of development. Anything short of that is just a price. At our initial Tier-1 meeting we pride ourselves in providing valuable, in-depth information about your project, investments, and how the process should be before, during, and well after the work. 

Here is a the link to a YouTube slide-show video illustrating our Tier-2 Design and Development  process:

http://bit.ly/DBP-T2

Our Tier-2 level of development includes: three design/layout options, detailed floor plan, 3-D color elevation views, overviews, furniture placement, 47-category scope of work, 50-category breakdown of pricing by project phase, plus and minus options for specifically discussed scope options, breakout of product selection items (both those included with order plus any item that may need to be purchased directly by the homeowner), material list (for certain projects), calendar showing start, duration, and guaranteed completion dates, 300+ job references including project description, addresses, names, and phone numbers. 

This process was not created by us alone. It was actually developed through suggestions made by previous clients at our annual Homeowners Advisory Council. We hold a this dinner to obtain ideas and feedback in order to continually improve the pleasant, rewarding remodeling experience which we provide.

For homeowners that attempt to make comparisons without Tier-2, we do offer our Price Match Guarantee for their protection. At no cost to you, we will review the information you were provide by other remodelers and highlight where differences or shortfalls might be. If the proposal is a worthy match to our company status, quality products, skilled installations and exceptional services then we gladly will match that price! This program was designed specifically for homeowners that expect a positive, ultra-professional remodeling experience, not willing to settle for less, but also want the best price possible.

For more information please contact us at INFO@DesignBuildPros.com 

How expensive is FREE in home remodeling?

Other than advice, a remodeler should never give a homeowner anything for free. Doing so potentially lessens the value of all you do and opens the door for constant negotiations, and even worse, re-negotiations of established costs.

Please do not misunderstand. This should not be confused with the concept of "under promising and over delivering." Let's face the facts. There is no one that works for free. Each person and trade gets compensated for their efforts. This compensation is a part of your job costing and affects a project's gross profit if not accounted for when calculating the client's investment amount.

However, not doing or providing something for free doesn't necessarily mean charging money, but there needs to be a value exchange. What you receive in return may be a personalized recommendation letter, a video testimonial, an introduction to a few neighbors...etc. While these extras may not get recouped in the project cost, what you get in return helps create additional business and will offset some marketing costs.

Furthermore, if a client asks for something extra and you provide it without getting anything in return, often the client feels that perhaps they didn't ask for enough. They wonder if there may have been more product, service, and/or discount available from you. Plus this can add an air of distrust. They may ask themselves, "What would have happened if I didn't ask for..."

In conclusion, set up a program and build a client relationship that is mutually rewarding, fair, and equitable for all parties involved. 

Botched Projects: Who is to Blame?

Unfortunately, in these past few years of poor economic times, we have seen and heard of increased numbers of botched projects and poor remodeling experiences. Whether the shoddy workmanship comes from an unqualified contractor or an inexperienced homeowner, a.k.a. Do-It-Yourselfer (DIY), upon further inspection we discover that frequently the problem begins well before the work actually starts.

In the estimate gathering process, the homeowners, who typically have no life experience in purchasing the remodeling project at hand, are faced with ultra-professional remodelers as well as the lower echelon of the industry. The former will portray a process that is a great advantage to the homeowner while the later will lead with the virtue of a very low price. The quandary begins. The low price is as tempting as low-hanging, forbidden fruit, but the homeowner's level of expectation has been raised by the education provided the ultra-professional. This divide leads to either the client settling for the low price or deciding to perform the work themselves.

The low price comes with a charade, played by all parties up front, that the process and project will be quite similar to the one depicted by the ultra-professional sans the lofty price tag. As the project progresses the "hidden" extra costs rear their ugly head and the warts of lower quality work appear. At this point, halfway through the journey and one foot in quicksand make turning back rather difficult and very costly.

Being wise to this potential dilemma, leads many homeowners to the DIY option to keep the costs as low as possible while hiring someone they trust - themselves. Today, scores of homeowners take this route, frequently fueled by the notion that the renovation is not that daunting of a task. Where does this come from? Courtesy of the many home improvement shows aired on cable TV that depict projects done by other DIYs, with allusions of an unrealistic investment, and completed in a 30-minute episode. Do you also wonder what happens during the commercials?

With this new residential remodeling pattern, we have changed the focus of our initial consultation to act as an industry advocate to inform the client of how the process should be viewed and addressed from concept to completion on their part. We also offer a low-investment, detailed design and development service for a homeowner that can be used as a reference and guideline to enhance their decision process even if we are not the remodeler for this particular project. This information often acts as a safe-guard so they can quickly and easily recognize the short-comings of the low-priced remodeler that is either inexperienced, unqualified, or a wolf in sheep's clothing looking for prey.

The two following links illustrate our initial meeting process and then our design and development services:

http://tinyurl.com/T-1Estimate

http://tinyurl.com/T-2Design

We invite comments and remodeling project experiences, both positive and negative.

Architect versus our Design and Development process

Historically, architects’ work was primarily on new home construction, for developers, and commercial projects. Years ago, when existing homes needed to be remodeled or expanded, either professional plans were not required, or a basic sketch was supplied by the homeowner or contractor. Today, almost all residential remodeling projects involving structural alterations or additional space require detailed plans, sealed and certified, from a licensed architect. These plans must be submitted to the building department for approval. Then the work must be performed and inspected as detailed.


One option, in the remodeling process, is to start with an architect that will design your project for you. The first step in the process is to create concept drawings that depict the proposed remodeling project. These are general plans with little detail. This is typically presented to the client as a floor plan and a simple, exterior elevation view in black and white. There is not enough information provided in these concept drawings for a remodeler to provide an accurate and complete quote to complete the project. While budgets are discussed, most architects estimate the cost of "building" the project, not finishing it. Upon the client's approval, the architect adds the detail required for the final plans, also known as construction documents.

With these plans, a remodeler can create a detailed estimate from the information in the construction documents. Often, a professional, experienced remodeler will list additional costs typically not specified in the plans. These items can include heating and air conditioning, electrical service upgrades, work required to repair or update the existing areas to blend in with the newly remodeled areas (such as drywall, molding, flooring, siding, roofing), dust protection, painting, landscaping...etc. Other remodelers choose not to reference these items and merely treat them as "extras" when they arise. Based on changes and “extras”, the initial budget discussed can vary greatly from the actual investment. Factoring in all aspects to completely finish the project and the repair the affected surrounding areas 100%, making the space ready the family's use, the new and old budget can be as much as 25-100% apart. Because of this budget discrepancy, a large percentage of architects’ remodeling plans that are paid for by a homeowner never become a reality. These plans usually cost a homeowner thousands of dollars.

Another option is to start with a remodeler that is experienced and equipped to do design and development work for you before the project begins. In our Innovative process we start with an initial consultation that has a discussion of work scope, space, use, and a detailed estimate for the complete project including the “extras” often left out by others. During the next step, referred to as Tier-2, our staff creates a full-color computer aided design of the proposed floor plan with interior and exterior 3D elevation views. These are based upon the scope and budget discussed at the initial meeting. Also included is a detailed quote broken down by project phases and 50 task categories, plus/minus options, estimated material list, full scope of work outlined, 300+ previous clients (including phone # and address) as a list for reference, accurate price pledge, price match guarantee, and two alternate design options. At this meeting, the client reviews all and chooses what features they want and what they want changed. The suggested changes are priced immediately so the client can make a clear value judgment on each option and decision without surprises or budget over runs.

Once the Tier-2 design and budget is approved, the client advances to the Tier-3 level of development. During this step the design, colors, and selections are finalized. The client selects their allowance items from our trade partners’ showrooms with our overall management and coordination. After this Tier, we now have the agreement in place and then schedule an architect visit. The result will be architect's construction documents created from the previously agreed design and budget. Since the plans are derived from our floor plans and designs, the fees, already included in the budget, are a fraction of what they would be without our development work. This process guarantees a controlled budget. The design and budget are created in tandem and not one followed by the other. A great design that is over the homeowner's budget is just a great design. A great, interactively created custom-design within the budget soon becomes a beautiful reality to be enjoyed by the family for years.

Taking the stress out of home remodeling

A home remodeling project can be a stressful experience for the entire family...including the pets. From several post-project surveys it appears that unprofessionalism and the lack of planning and organization play a major factor in causes the stress.

Different home improvement firms try various methods to help alleviate the stress. However, many make promises that they cannot, or do not intend to, keep.

To us, it starts with portraying an accurate picture of what the client will face during remodeling. Then we detail our project policies of project management and communication, dust and floor protection, portable johns, daily clean up, and maid service. Then we explain our unique on-time, project completion guarantee with a $500 per day penalty.

Being homeowners and remodeling clients ourselves, we strive to make the experience as pleasant as possible before, during, and after construction. We often repeat one of client's quotes: "It was like a pregnancy. Many pleasant days, some exciting days, a few mornings I felt like throwing up, but the end result was definitely worth the experience."