Welcome to the HBA May & June 2011 Newsletter
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR STEAMBOAT
& ROUTT COUNTY 2011 GRADUATES!
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*News from your Executive Officer*
It is with great pleasure that we welcome our newest member to the Home Builders Association Steamboat.
Pro Build (Formerly Harbert Lumber)
Commercial Door and Hardware, Commercial Sales, Door and Window Showroom, Lumber Yard, Retail Home Center
1500 13th Street
Steamboat Springs, CO 80487
Phone ( 970) 879-0023
Fax( 970) 879-0386
Rod Wille
Helpful Services at Pro Build
- Blueprint Copier
- - Cabinet (Kitchen & Bath) Design
- - Cut Packs
- - Deck Planning
- - Deck, Garage, Pole Barn Design
- - Design Services
- - Doors – Pre Hanging & Matching
- - Estimating
- - Floor Truss Manufacturing
- - Garage
- - Home Design
- - Jobsite Delivery
- - Kitchen & Bath Design
- - Lock Rekeying
- - Milling – Custom
- - Paint Color Matching
- - Pole Barn Design
- - Remodeling and Project Design
- - Roof Truss Manufacturing
- - Tool Rentals
- - Truss and Wall Panel Design
We hope that Pro Build will enrich us with their ideas and lend us their talents.
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*INDUSTRY NEWS*
7 SECRETS TO IMPROVE YOUR SALES TO WOMEN HOMEOWNERS
By Delia Passi for Qualified Remodeler
Nearly 30 million single women own their own homes today and they are buying them at twice the rate of single men. More than 57% of single women are homeowners with no male to rely on for fixing things around the home. Women spend 50% more on home improvements then men do. In addition, women decide on 91% of all houses purchased. 94% of all home furnishings and 80% of all home improvement projects.
The Harvard Business Review called this the “female economy” in September of 2009, time magazine called it the “sheconomy” in November 2010. Whatever you call it; women are in the stronger position than ever to influence household spending. Selling to women is not the same as selling to men, but if you use the techniques that work well with women, you won’t hurt your sales to men. Women decide whom to use for remodeling project much differently than men. Women do more research and consult their friends, family and associated more than me do. You may make the perfect pitch to her, but you still may lose the job if you trip up in ways you find hard to grasp.
Here are seven things you may want to remember when you are trying to persuade a woman or a couple to use you instead of the competition.
1. THE FIRST IMPRESSION IS CRITICAL!
When you first meet your prospect, whether it is at your office, showroom or at her home, she will make a quick judgment about your professionalism. Do you dress neatly? Does your showroom or office make a good impression of your products or services? If you have to blow the dust off a sample, hunt for a catalog or park that dirty truck in her driveway, she’ll think you are not attentive to details and will probably presume the same will be true of your impact on her home. If you have special accolades for your business, such as being WomenCertified (a program administered by WomanCertified.com), make sure she knows it.
2. GET A GRIP ON YOUR HANDSHAKE!
Yes, your handshake will say a lot to her, but she’s not looking to get her hand crushed.
She wants to feel respected so use a firm handshake that wouldn’t bruise a banana. Don’t give her a nothing grip or a two finger and thumb squeeze. If you meet her along with her husband or partner, do not reach past her to shake his hand first unless you have more work than you can handle. If you only have one card to give to the couple, give it to her, she’ll remember you gave her the additional level of respect, if you have more than one, give him one also to make him feel important.
3. THE EYES HAVE IT
Woman like eye contact, men don’t notice. If you give them equal amounts of eye contact, she will actually think you gave him more attention. Look her in the eyes as much as you possibly can. Again, this kind of thing registers with women. They appreciate respect from men, especially in the matter where they are often overlooked.
4. PAY ATTENTION
It’s often easy to launch into a preset pitch, but when selling to women, it is best to start with a question: “How may I help you?” “What do you have in mind?” “What do you want to accomplish?” Then be prepared for a story. Women are likely to tell you a lot more than what they expect you to accomplish. You might hear about problems with kids, in-laws, getting things done or just what’s bugging her. LISTEN! This is not the time to jump in with your solution. Wait until she’s done before you speak. What’s recommended is counting to four to yourself. Remember women hate to be interrupted and if you start too soon, she may think she didn’t get to finish.
5. SHOW HER YOU WERE LISTENING
While she is talking, give her some indication that you are paying attention. It doesn’t take much more than a nod or a simple word of encouragement like “ok or I see”. When she’s finished (remember to count to four), let her know you’ve been listening by giving her a summary of what you’ve gathered from her description. “Let me see if I have this right, you are looking to accommodate your in-laws when they visit, so you want to explore options about adding a room & bath but they don’t like stairs.” Pay attention to the words she chooses and repeat them back to her, if she calls a closet a pantry, call it a pantry.
6. OFFER OPTIONS
Contrary to what you may think, women are not always looking for someone to tell them what the solution is. They would prefer someone help them arrive at the right decision. Together, work out the advantages and disadvantages and they will be comfortable with the outcome. Give her a set of alternatives and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each. If she balks at making a decision on the spot don’t follow the prevailing sales wisdom that once you leave or once she leaves that the sale is lost. If she says she wants to think about it, it generally means just that. It also gives her an opportunity to discuss her decision with others; women are not resistant to asking other for help with decisions.
7. ASK FOR REFERRALS
Women are natural referral machines. They like to talk and studies have shown that women use far more words in a day then men. Women are five times as likely to spread the word about the products and services they have purchased. That includes the ones they like and the ones they don’t. If you make them happy they will tell everyone, make them unhappy and even strangers will know. Don’t be shy about asking her who she knows that might interested in your services. She may already be thinking of someone or you just might jar her memory. If you have been attentive and have shown respect, even if she didn’t choose you for the job, she may be willing to recommend you to someone else.
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INFORMATION FOR THE CONSUMER
Tips for recycling the stuff you take out of your home during a remodel
More and more people are becoming concerned and proactive about preserving the environment and improving all of the processes used in life to have less of an impact on the environment. Many people are choosing to make their homes more `green’ and are taking on remodeling projects to improve energy efficiency and to reduce the cost of maintaining a home. But one step that many people forget about or neglect is to recycle, reuse or dispose of the old items that are being taken out of the home that aren’t fit for continued use.
Remodeling a home is generally done because the look and feel of decorations isn’t what is desired or is very inefficient and doesn’t allow for good use of energy or space. Most remodeling projects begin with a severe and almost brutal demolition removing many things before new ones can be put back into the home. Demolition can be fun and exciting while swinging a hammer of targeting a saw to tear things out. But being delicate with demolition can keep things cleaner in the house and can also preserve things so that they can be used again.
Even though you may not plan on reusing materials, doesn’t mean that they can’t be useful to someone else or for another project in the future. Many items in the home can be reused and are quite functional still and can be recycled. Cabinetry and appliances are among the most commonly repurposed or reused items in a remodeling project. Cabinets can frequently be reused, but only if they are removed delicately and not damaged in the process of demolition. Even some things, like tile, which will almost certainly not be reused in the same space, can be made into a sort of art project that can be used as a memory or memento of the old home.
Many things that people don’t assume can be recycled can now be used for many other projects. One thing that you may not even consider recycling or reusing is carpet, but there are more and more companies each year that are committed to creating new and interesting ways of recycling things that wouldn’t normally fit the bill. It may take some additional effort and even additional cost to make sure that you are recycling everything you can in your home remodel project. It is easy to just throw everything into a big dumpster in the driveway, but it is worth the extra time and effort to make a good contribution to the environment by reducing the amount of waste from your project. It may take some additional time and energy, but you can probably find places online that do a great deal of recycling of materials that you wouldn’t normally consider.
Another way that you can reduce the amount of waste from your remodeling project is to reuse different items taken out in other parts of the house. Many old homes have wood paneling in the basement or other rooms. Most people think that this is not an attractive way to decorate a room, but the wood can be reused and made into furniture or art of some kind. This is especially true of solid wood. You May also have tile that you are replacing with another type of flooring. Much of the tile will probably be broken when you are taking it out, but even the broken pieces can be used to decorate a table or other item that might be used outside. You can take the pieces and make a design or mosaic with the broken tile. It may not be possible to reuse or recycle everything from the job, but make some effort and use your creativity and you’ll find that many things can be done to make your remodeling job more environmentally sound.
Posted by DK at HomeBuildingRemodeling.com
Expert Offers Tips for ‘Greening’ the Kitchen Kitchen & Bath Design News
Falls Church, VA — There’s a color sweeping the nation…and it’s green! Many people are beginning to understand the impact, or carbon footprint, that their lifestyle choices make on the planet. As a result, they’re starting to seek ways to reduce their impact. One way they can do so is by turning their attention to their kitchens and tweaking what products they use in there.
“The good news is that [changes made in the way people use their kitchens and to what products are used there don’t] have to break the bank. People don’t have to do a 180º overnight. Making small changes here and there can add up to big results, over time,” says Chef Paul F. Magnant, dean of culinary at Stratford University, here.
Here are a few tips from Chef Magnant to help you start greening your kitchen:
- Start with what you bring into the kitchen. Buy as much food that is locally produced as you can so that fuel isn’t wasted trucking it to you. And forgo the paper-or-plastic debate by sticking to reusable bags you take to the store.
- Skip the disposables. Whether it’s for a picnic or a party, opt for utensils, dishes and bakeware that can be reused to save on resources. Invest in a set of cloth napkins, and turn old sheets, towels or clothing into rags for cleaning by cutting them into small pieces.
- Keep it going. Stick a wicker basket in your kitchen to contain all of the items destined for recycling. Once the day is over or the basket is full, just take it to the larger bins to be sorted.
- Recycling saves a lot of items from heading to landfills, and reduces the amount of garbage at your curb each week. You can also reuse your raw vegetable left-overs and scraps by setting up a composting system and using the collected matter in your garden.
- Drink home water. Skip buying the bottles of water and invest in a water-filtration device for your kitchen. You’ll save a lot of money in the end and will avoid adding to the water-bottle problem our country faces.
- Clean green. Save money by using natural cleaning supplies and keep unnecessary chemicals out of the environment at the same time. Take a spray bottle and put equal parts water and distilled vinegar in it; this can be used as an all-purpose cleaner for everything from counters to sinks.
- Think big. When it’s time to buy new appliances, opt for ones that are energy-efficient by specifically looking for the ENERGY STAR endorsement. ENERGY STAR is a government-backed initiative that ensures you’re buying an energy-efficient product. Bigger isn’t always better, especially if you don’t need the extra room. Smaller appliances will shave money off your bill each year.
“Nobody is going to make all these changes overnight,” adds Magnant. “But making a couple each year will have your kitchen as green as can be before you know it. We what save, saves us!”
Stratford University’s culinary arts program offers several degrees, including concentrations in baking and pastry, as well as advanced culinary arts. The school also offers non-degree public one-day culinary courses covering such topics as beginner baking, knife skills, vegetarian cooking and cake decorating, as well as parent-and-child cooking.
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Steamboat Chamber News ~
Economic Summit 2011
“Innovate-Create-Evolve”
Join the Steamboat business community for a learning and growth opportunity featuring noted economists, tourist industry experts and local entrepreneurs.
Admission for the 2011 Economic Summit is $65, and includes admission to all speeches and sessions, as well as lunch and a closing reception Thursday, May 26.
Where: The Steamboat Grand
When: Weds. May 25, 5:30-7:30pm and Thurs. May 26, 7:30am- 6pm
For more information about the Economic Summit, visit steamboatchamber.com/ecosummit
To register offline, contact rsvp@steamboatchamber.com or (970) 875-7000.
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