CONGRATULATIONS!
Every Member is doing a great job growing your business and leading competition. We just completed our seven city regionals and in every city heard from you that business is good, sometimes spectacular! Every Member with a balanced business – at least 40% draperies and soft products – experienced increases and growth the first quarter and a gangbuster April was reported by almost everyone. Blinds specialists are still struggling with flat sales to 20% behind. Count your blessings that Exciting Windows! is targeting the power market where everyone wants to be and few know how to get there.

We have never had a more powerful reception to Exciting Windows! marketing initiatives. Kathy Cragg gave new tips and listened to great stories about trunk shows working as this activity gains steam. She reported on the FABULOUSLY successful Michael Payne $10,000 Exciting Windows! Sweepstakes. You will see more later in this bulletin. Target Neighborhood marketing became clear as a bell with new information to help you understand the power of intensive awareness with a small group of homeowners – as few as 1000 homes bringing outstanding sales when marketed correctly. It was great seeing you all and hearing your high spirits as Exciting Windows! leads America with the right products and the right marketing at the right time!

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

Exciting Windows! by Walls and More
Loveland, Ohio, Murray Feldstein, owner (right)

Scott Hay reports over $40,000 immediate sales from the Sweepstakes and more than $20,000 pending. Scott promoted the program correctly and received the benefit. Scott used flyers and direct mail, got a great business profile in his local newspaper and follow up on ALL his leads. He made contact with customers seeking immediate attention – and sold four jobs within a few weeks. Scott is absolutely thrilled with his success.

Other success stories – Garijo Brierly registered over 300 entries at a home show…. Susan Day used the sweeps to collect over 180 contacts at a Decorator Show House and Lisa Roth gave out the entry forms to 200 people during a Street Fair Festival in her community. We want to hear from you …. Send Kathy Cragg your results (with a copy to us) and any other information that you can share about this marketing tool.

Apprentice and Associate Sales Consultant Programs - July 15-16 will be the introduction for a new, improved plan to take new consultants through the beginning phase of their new career from apprentice level to Associate Consultant status. This decorator induction plan when combined with the new B-151 Career Development Course, is an ideal way to bring new consultants to your business with a planned system to maximize their success potential – and YOURS.

D&WC MANAGING FOR MONEY COLUMN

Check out Steve Bursten’s next column in the July issue in Draperies & Window Coverings - reminding us that “Emotions Can Be Worth 100 Times the Value of Function”. Go see Sex and the City and watch the four stars and their quest for fabulous clothing…. And watch the reaction of women in the audience! Experience the delight and excitement in their faces as they see the colorful parade of fashion streams down the runway. This is your customer you’re watching!!!

Most all members are achieving excellent results and growing their business. Members who are struggling fall mainly into two groups. Group I is making decisions on feelings, not facts. They aren’t keeping track of their appointments, closing rates, and sales stats. Then when times are challenging, they cannot identify where the problems lie, and business guidance is much more difficult to provide. Group II are members who joined Exciting Windows! for training and management guidance, but never bought into this “branding thing”. That means they aren’t promoting Exciting Windows! in their marketing, aren’t using the Michael Payne Sweepstakes program, don’t use the fabulous 4-Way Guarantee with customers, don’t have an ExciteVan! , and in general haven’t embraced Exciting Windows! and aren’t taking advantage of the powerful Good News opportunity of their affiliation.

In a war fought back in the 1800’s in the Sea of Cortez, a general gathered his army on the island shore and had them watch as he burned their ships. “We win or die!” With no other choice, the small, vastly outnumbered army prevailed. They were committed with no turning back or second thoughts. Maybe it is time for you to burn your ships… Use the tools available, get an ExciteVan! and embrace the full possibilities that quality branding with Exciting Windows! can bring to your business.

“IMPROVE YOUR OUTLOOK” MID YEAR CONFERENCE,
SHERATON HOTEL, ONTARIO, CALIFORNIA – August 6 & 7

This mid-year event promises motivational and educational value and is packed full of great information, terrific networking and an opportunity to learn. Jackie Von Tobel, author, designer and EW website columnist, will teach advanced window treatment design; Michael Payne will provide Design Directions for EW and tell us more about “Designing for the Sexes”; Linda Burzyniski will present ‘Dare to Dream Big – In your Life and in your Business”; Kathy Cragg will present a Window Fashions Trunk Show that will be open to the public AND LOTS MORE. More info coming, SAVE THE DATE! We look forward to seeing you there.

Sweepstakes Distribution - The deadline for mail-in entries was June 6. The corporate office submitted the final mail-in lists on Tuesday, June 10. We are beginning the final run for sweepstakes distribution now and this should be complete by early next week.

Local search setup - Google maps setup is complete. You should have received a postcard from Google with a PIN number. This PIN number needs to be sent to markm@excitingwindows.com and we will activate the account. If you have already sent your PIN, then you are all set. Yahoo setup is commencing now and Yellowpages.com will begin by mid June. We will provide more details as we move forward with these.

Global SEO - The global SEO has been a great success thus far. We continue to receive leads for our members through the global site. We’ve forwarded about 20 leads to our members in the last month. We expect this to get even better as we continue our SEO efforts.

New HomeTown Websites - You should have received a login and password for Word Press which is the program that will allow you to add contact to your Exciting Windows! web site. If you have not received this, please contact markm@excitingwindows.com and I will reset your password for you.

Blogs - There is a short tutorial at this address www.excitingwindows.com/members on blogging and another that is coming soon regarding adding a gallery/portfolio of images.

Van-Wrap Graphics - We have posted a site where the van-wrap graphics can easily be downloaded. The address is www.excitingwindows.com/logo/. Any graphics that are excessive in size will be posted here in the future.

Good News from Members!
Susan Day participated in the Centennial Park Parade of Homes – an 8-home house tour that served as a fundraiser for a local hospital. She volunteered to do all the window coverings for the six main rooms in this ‘target’ neighborhood– and came away from the 6-day event with 180 sweepstakes entry forms and at least fifteen new contacts. She made good friends with one of the homes’ interior designers who has hired Susan to handle her customers’ window treatments. The week after the event, she got three calls for appointments and has already sold two jobs. When she sells the third, her sales total will be $7,500. Even though it was a huge investment in Susan’s time and money, she feels it was totally worth it.

Congratulations to Sarah Youngblood on her biggest sale yet -- $37,500 for a master bedroom!!!! Sarah worked for the couple five years ago and kept in touch via newsletters, emails and greeting cards. Two years later, when the couple with five children, bought a 15,000 sq. ft. house, they reconnected with Sarah, but didn’t buy at that time. But Sarah persevered and continued to followup with them – and in March, she got a call that they were ready to start!

Marketing Message: Perseverance and follow-up pays off.

Kudos to Karen Essary (Left, pictured with Susan Day and Kathy Cragg) on her $20,500 Silhouette shadings sale for a large lakefront home in Michigan. Her client, a female MD, contacted Karen because she believes in ‘entrepreneurial spirit’ and wanted to work with an independent businesswoman.

Maria Hernandez of Plantation, Florida reports that she’s ahead of her goals for this year. She made a $4,000 sale from a recent Trunk Show that she coordinated for a women’s group in her community.

Marketing Message: Use the Trunk Show as a way to connect with your community and get new clients.

Lisa Roth reports that her participation in a recent Street Fair in her community of Carlsbad, Ca. was a great experience. She was very pleased with how her booth looked and how easy and transportable it was for her to set up. She enjoyed talking and connecting with many people who were interested in her services –In another ‘turn of events’, Lisa’s local chamber of commerce promoted her Fine Fabric Furnishings with a free “ribbon-cutting” article in their Newsletter to help promote her business throughout the community.

Marketing Message: Your local chamber of commerce wants your business to succeed. Work with them!

Dian Garbarini (left) was asked to speak on "Publicity" to a group of about 23 IFDA members at their National Conference in Los Angeles, on May 3, 2008. Shown here with Dian is Dave Gilbert, national president, International Furnishings and Design Association. Marketing Message: Connect with Interior Designers-Let them know you want to work with them.

Great job to Debbie Priovolos for contacting her local community newspaper and getting a press release into the Business Notes section with the headline: “North Potomac Decorator Announces Deadline for Room Make-over Contest”. This release – and others – are posted on ExciteNet (search: press releases) and all EW members can ‘tailor’ the release with your own information and submit to your local editors. It’s easy!

Hats off to Lisa White whose beautiful window fashions job was featured editorially in Luxe Magazine – one of Colorado’s top design publications.

Carol and Paul Tomasetti recently wrote to the editor of Décor Magazine – the largest trade publication in the picture framing business – about the increase in their business since becoming associated with Exciting Windows! The editor loved the idea of combining frame sales with window treatments – and asked them to submit a press release about their business – which will run in the July issue. Way to go!

Jeffrey and Lisa Stein reached out to the editor of their Chamber of Commerce newsletter and asked if a story about their new business could be included. Last month, the SignPost of Great Neck did a full-page feature with photos about the Stein’s and their Exciting Windows! business.

Joe Barnett is pleased to report that he and Victor Hamel, Beverly Ferguson, Pauline Doody and Elaine Monaco were featured in their local Massachusetts community newspapers’ business section as winning the Sales Leadership award for Exciting Windows.

A write-up about Michael Lin’s success with Exciting Windows! was seen in his local Buffalo community and business newspaper.

You, too, can all get this type of great publicity by simply reaching out to your community newspapers and magazines, Chamber of Commerce newsletters and online websites. If you’re a new EW member, there’s a standard “New Business” press release on ExciteNet to download and tailor for your company. Also, take advantage of the Trunk Show press releases – which are always welcomed pieces for community newspapers.

• Lesson B-608 Top Treatment Ideas
  Tuesday, June 24th 4:00 Eastern
  Instructors: Neil Gordon, Judy Wilfong
  In this lesson you will learn the various types of Top Treatments and where to use them. From the classic Swags and Jabots to the elegant Kingston valance, you will learn what is appropriate for your customer’s home.
• Lesson B-305 Business Building Systems
  Wednesday, June 25th 4:00 Eastern
  Instructor: Neil Gordon
  In the window covering business the most critical area in creating systems is in customer fulfillment. This is from the time of deposit to installation. In this lesson you will not only learn the importance of Business Systems, but also how to actually create a system.
• Lesson B-609 The Decorated Bed
  Thursday, July 10th 4:00 Eastern
  Instructors: Neil Gordon, Judy Wilfong
  Are you looking for a way to sell more products to your existing customers? Custom bedding is a natural extension to your product line. In this lesson you will be introduced to the extensive choices there are in decorating a bed -- from headboards to pillows to bedspreads and comforters.
• Lesson B-412 Closing the Sale
  Tuesday, July 15th 4:00 Eastern
  Instructors: Neil Gordon, Judy Wilfong
  Trying to understand the mind of the prospect is one of a salesperson’s greatest challenges. Knowing when and how to close is a skill that can be learned. In this lesson you will be exposed to time-tested techniques of this most important skill.

Best wishes to Katelyn, daughter of Kathy and Curt Cragg, on her graduation from the 8th grade.

Congratulations to Stefanie, daughter of Mark and Julie Mills, on her graduation from high school.

Check out Susan Day’s 18-year old daughter’s website www.maggiedaydesign.com . She’s incredibly talented!