Improve the "Remodeling Estimate" Experience - part 2

This is the second in a series of blog notes on how to improve the experience of the "remodeling estimate" for remodelers and homeowners alike.

What should you expect at the initial meeting between remodeler and client at the project home? What are the goals and next steps? As mentioned in the previous entry, preparation is a must to maximize time and make the meeting fruitful. Available time is at a premium in today's society, therefore professionals should create scenarios to be thorough, succinct, and efficient.

We often liken the first face to face meeting as a "blind date." Each are not certain what they will find and how the "date" will go. Remodeling-wise, the following are what each party should do and seek to achieve the best experience.

Homeowners:

• Have the project site as clear of clutter as possible for the remodeler to easily inspect
• Let the remodeler take the lead and control the pace, order, and flow of the meeting - the remodeler should follow a prepared outline based on history and experience
• Having prepared a list of questions, hold them until the end to ask
• many may be answered during the natural course of the presentation
• however, if at the end you are left with most of your seemingly reasonable questions unanswered that may be an indicator of the experience level of the remodeler
• If applicable, provide the remodeler with pictures, web links, addresses of other local homes that help portray your vision
• If possible, for any project affecting exterior size, shape, positioning, ground coverage...etc., have a current copy of your property survey to give to the remodeler

Remodeler:

remodeling estimate

• Show up on time, organized, and prepared with a meeting agenda planned
• Make a professional first impression - you and your company will be evaluated with great scrutiny in the opening minutes
• Ask good, relevant questions as many homeowners might not know what to ask or say
• Be a very good listener, don't just wait for your turn to talk
• Be observant, there are many unspoken clues that will reveal much about the home, family, and lifestyle .  This will help create the best possible project.
• Do not ignore or under-value children, pets, and/or visitors as they will most likely also be impacted by the potential project
• Take good notes, either written in a pad or recorded
• Where applicable, have professional tools ready for inspecting, measuring, and picture taking

Optimally, these things should get achieved, or at least introduced, at the initial meeting:

• Project profile analysis of homeowners, family, and home
• Project scope discussed as a "wish list"
• Options for phased remodeling over time and in priority order
• Options for scaling back the wish list
• Detailed budget and investment ranges illustrated, discussed, and customized
• Discuss payment schedule plus funding and finance options
• Calendar time frame for design/development, pre-production, and project duration displayed and agreed upon.
• Next meeting date established
• Determine the action tasks for all parties to be completed before the next meeting

Here is a YouTube slide-show video that illustrates how one remodeler prepares a homeowner before the initial meeting - http://bit.ly/T1-MoER

The conclusion of the meeting is just as important as the start. Before departing, determine what the next actions will be for both parties, agree on time frames for accomplishing, and schedule a next meeting if warranted or desired by both. Many of the blind dates end with, "Goodnight, I'll call you." This leaves the other party subsequently wondering - "Are they interested? Should I call them? How soon??"

Be honest, if you feel the other party (homeowner or remodeler) is not the right fit, communicate that information clearly at this initial meeting or at any point that it becomes evident.  It will save everyone time and alleviate potential anxiety.

If any homeowner or remodeler would like a copy of Design Build Pros' "12 Steps to a Professional Remodeling Sale" outline simply request via email to: INFO@DesignBuildPros.com

This outline was created as a result of the Design Build Pros staff having personally held thousands of these remodeling estimate first meetings. The process continually gets refined and adjusted to remain relevant. We hold annual Homeowner Advisory Council dinners to thank clients for past projects ordered an to have a round table discussion to discover new and better ways to improve the process to deliver the most pleasant and professional remodeling experience possible.

Home Remodeling Design and Development Process

Jason Parsons 

The home remodeling project design and development process is defined by the team at Design Build Pros. The staff has diverse experience in the industry including structural and finished carpentry, extreme remodeling on HGTV, design training from the National Association of the Kitchen and Bath industry, and Computer Aided Design drafting training. Recently, Jason Parsons, Design + Build Specialist at DBP won a "Best Design" award from software provider Chief Architect.

The custom design and development process that Design Build Pros offers provides a homeowner with a project reference binder that 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 and allowances, and a color-coded calendar showing start, duration, and guaranteed completion dates.

These items are illustrated and detailed in this 3:20 slide-show video posted on YouTube: http://bit.ly/DBP-T2

This process and product is typically ordered after the initial complimentary meeting with a staff member. Many have commented that having this project design and development book has made for a more pleasant remodeling experience regardless of the contractor that they have selected.

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

Existing and proposed example

Improve the "Remodeling Estimate" Experience

This is the first in a series of blog notes as to how improve the experience of the "remodeling estimate" for remodelers and home owners alike.

Thorough preparation is the key is improving many activities as well as speeding up the process. The initial meeting between the remodeler and homeowner should not be just the preparation for future meetings, unless time is not important to either party. This first meeting in many ways is like a blind date. There is typically an initial awkwardness with each not knowing the "rules" or procedure. Preparation will help alleviate this and some of the anxiety. 

The homeowner's preparation for this meeting should include:

• having a discussion about available funds, financing, and monthly payments
• listing wants and needs separately as to easily convey what you are planning to achieve
• have a clear view of what the long term plan and goal is for the project and home
• have pictures from magazines and/or the internet that depict your likes and dislikes as far as features, style, and colors
• set aside ample time and try to create an environment where you and the remodeler will not be interrupted much during this first meeting to best evaluate the project and each other.

The remodeler's preparation for this meeting should include:

• having a meeting outline and procedure to make the meeting time the most value packed
• have a series of project related questions available - often homeowners do not know what to ask or say
• send the homeowner information and links regarding your company and related projects to preview prior to the meeting
• have an accurate system to be able to discuss investment ranges and options at the initial meeting
• be organized, prepared, and on time for the meeting!

If any homeowner or remodeler would like a copy of our "What is Really Important to You?" checklist simply request via email to: INFO@DesignBuildPros.com

This checklist is not product or specific project based, but an evaluation of the importance of the credentials, policies, and procedures of the remodeler to be hired.

Design Build Pros

One remodeler's recollection of 9-11-01

In 2001 I was the sales director for a large home improvement company in New Jersey (the photo is from that time). September 11th was a Tuesday. While 9/11/01 is a day that no one will ever forget, I remember the day of the week because we had a very expensive full-page ad

running in a major newspaper that day. Needless to say, that advertisement was useless.

The Twin Towers stood 15 miles from our main office. Watching the events unfold caused our emotions and thoughts to run the gamut. We made a decision that we should try to conduct business as usual as best we could under the circumstances.

Wednesday mornings were our regularly scheduled sales meetings. As it turned out, on 9/11 we had sold three projects, just below our daily average, even though many client meetings had been cancelled or were impossible to hold. That sales meeting was very informal -- like a roundtable discussion that turned into an effective therapy session. Each sales rep, in turn, told of their client meeting from the day before. The common themes included fear and worry, but these were over-ridden by a sense of Americans uniting and standing strong.
We did get a small amount of criticism for running appointments, but most people applauded our efforts to maintain the status quo.

We decided to pitch in collectively to do our small part to help. Cantor Fitzgerald, a financial services company based in the Twin Towers, lost 658 employees on 9/11, two-thirds of its work force. For the remainder of the year we donated a percentage of each sale to the Cantor Fitzgerald family relief fund.

Neil Parsons
INFO@DesignBuildPros.com

Design Build Remodeling Approach Makes Sense

Below is the discussion at a development meeting regarding this potential project illustration.

Homeowner: my architect friend said your design would be nicer with the entry in the center

Design Build Pro: did your friend list all the things that would have to be done to make that happen?

Homeowner: no

Design Build Pro: did your friend tell you how much these things would cost?

Homeowner: no

Design Build Pro: did you tell your friend that you hoped to find ways to have the investment go down, not up?

Homeowner: no

Design Build Pro: what do you plan to do now?

Homeowner: tell our architect friend to mind their own business!

Remodeling Runs in the Parsons Family

by Jason Parsons of Mark of Excellence Remodeling reprinted from the daily5Remodel

My brother Neil, 15 years my senior, has raised me since I was 10 years old. At the time, he was the owner of a small general contracting company, Parsons Construction. During the summer, I went to work with him as a form of “babysitting.” That first summer, he had the cleanest truck and jobsites in town. I started to take an interest in the work soon after.

By the time I was 12, I knew how to frame, hang drywall, trim, install roofing and siding, and work an aluminum break (as well as keep a clean truck). I worked for him through high school, learning not only construction, but communication and work ethic. As we both transcended our careers to sales and design, he continued to (and still does) act as a mentor to me inside and outside of the business. I would not be where I am today without his influence.

My oldest son has already taken an interest in design. He reviews projects I am working on, and tries to recreate them on his easel. I want all three of my boys to pursue a career that they are passionate about, and would welcome an interest in building. It is both a challenging and rewarding field. I only hope I can come close to the guidance and support I have been fortunate enough to receive.


Neil is presently the owner of Design Build Profit

Jason is the top design and build specialist at Mark of Excellence Remodeling and the chief project designer at Design Build Profit

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.