You started out with a passion for design and a love for human connection.  Working with people who appreciate the things that are important to you was like singing Kumbaya in a warm glow, enjoying a S’more with friends.

But a funny thing happened along the way.  In business a while, older and wiser with bills to pay, the sticky subject of your melting profit now has you worrying awake at night. Finding customers who value and can afford you is no vacation, and the endless details of running a business are overwhelming to the point that any naïve optimism –  the kumbaya that fueled you for a time –  is now N’more… burned out like that flaming marshmallow.

Most entrepreneurs start off in smiling, kumbaya mode.

They’re excited and optimistic about finally merging their passion into how they spend the majority of their waking hours earning income.  The term kumbaya  was originally associated with human and spiritual unity but today, it’s also alluded to in cynical ways which suggest naïvely optimistic views of the world and human nature.  The shift in perception usually happens slowly over time.

If you’ve been in business awhile, stop and ask yourself if your kumbaya has changed.

After the past few years of economic turmoil, we’ve all been humbled by the number of businesses that are no longer around and not many of us are laughing, Lord, no.  In fact, a few are even to the point of crying out loud… Kumbaya!

Good News!  This is a new “Designed for Profit” community and we’re done with crying. We’re creating businesses that express who we really are and give us all the good kumbaya we want in life.  This community gets rid of what doesn’t work.  We toss it like a pinecone in the fire so we can move on toward growth.

So load your marshmallow on a stick, stoke the fire and lean in…

Here’s Four Secrets profitable kumbaya window fashion professionals know

1.  If you build it, they will not (necessarily) come.

Sincerity is wonderful.  Beauty is wonderful.  Spending countless hours designing a beautiful window treatment (and measuring, and pricing, and writing up that estimate) that no one buys is NOT wonderful.  Charging too little to make a profit is not wonderful.  Getting to the end of a job with such slim margins that you cannot afford even a simple mistake like realizing you forgot to charge for freight,  that too, is not wonderful.

Sure, you can design a beautiful window treatment, but if you spent hours and hours on it and then the customer doesn’t buy it from you, or if you can’t make a profit when it’s all said and done – if your business isn’t nurturing a community of paying customers – are you really in business?

The idealistic kumbaya crowd may get uncomfortable with the thought of “self-promotion” or worse yet, “being in it to make a buck” – but if your ideas are going to find their community, you need to get over that temptation to always hide your light under a bushel and to charge what you are worth. There are fabulous resources for people who want to self-promote (market effectively) and learn how to run a profitable business without pushing too hard.  Invest in yourself to learn new skills, and get comfortable shining the spotlight on yourself once in a while.

2.    It’s not immoral to make a living.

One of my favorite bloggers, Sonia Simone, wrote the blog that inspired this post.  In an article about kumbaya bloggers, she said this, talking about making a living doing what you love.

“I think you have every right to keep a decent, comfortable roof over your family’s head.  I think it’s a good thing to be able to afford access to quality health care.  I think it’s useful and pleasurable to be able to broaden your experiences.  I don’t think it’s sinful or bad or wrong to enjoy material comfort.  Donating to a charity that turns you on is one of the more significant lasting legal highs around.  Interestingly enough, I’ve also seen “making a buck” give people freedom to stop doing things they don’t believe in.”   ~Sonia Simone, Copyblogger.

Amen, Sonia, and kumbaya!

Putting your children through college without student loans, financing family vacations, or just plain paying the mortgage each month when it’s due are all really, really good reasons to step out of idealism (which means, most likely, to step out of your comfort zone) and do what it takes to grow into a profitable business.  Make a decision you want to learn how, find the resources and people who can help you get there, and then just do it.

3.    The best way to make a living in window fashions is to help other people.

You don’t just sell window treatments… you change peoples’ lives in a truly helpful way.  You help families create a kumbaya place in their home for community building, needed more than ever in this hectic and disjointed world, and you solve real life problems, even if you (gasp) make a buck at it.

Fortunately, you are in a ‘service’ business where the opportunity to help others is all in how you view what you do.  The beauty you bring to your customers’ home makes her feel better about who she is.  It helps her feel good when the family and friends gather.

As a matter of fact, you must be profitable, because if you don’t make a buck, you cannot stay in business.  Your customers need you to keep doing your thing so they can continue to get the benefit of their family and friends gathering in a beautiful home.

4.    You have a tremendous advantage when you introduce fabric and uniqueness.

Kumbaya folks know what’s really important.  You know that creating a space for your customer that is more than functional – one that answers a need for uniqueness and individuality – is what will really make her sing the happy song in the long run.

Color, fabric, fashion and style will make her happier in the long run than solving function alone can, and smart window fashion professionals make sure to show her how she can move up from function to fashion, even if her budget is small to start with.

Find a way to figure out a stylish solution that is unique to her.  Don’t show her the same old thing everyone on the block has.  Give her an option to have something individualized and personal to her likes – and learn sales techniques to get her budget and ideas about what is important to her before you spend hours designing something she can’t afford to have.  Developing your skill in this area will change your business forever and move you toward growth and profit.

A profitable business leads to more of what matters

A kumbaya window fashion professional knows this is true, not only for them, but for those they care about, including their customers.  They know how to build and participate in a community of like-minded people.

They’re done with late night insomnia, alone in the kitchen where the only sweetness to be found is a stale marshmallow roasted on a single burner.  Kumbaya folks know it’s better to be in a community of like-minded people because they can be better together than any one person trying to go it alone in business.

The Designed for Profit community is made up of kumbaya window fashion professionals, in the best sense of the word.

Stick around for s’more success tips, and together, we’ll tell the stories of how to create passionate and profitable businesses. You’ll always find someone’s smiling, here… kumbaya!

Join us.  Subscribe here to the eZine “Designed for Profit” and invite your friends along too!

Kathy Cragg, VP of Consumer Marketing and Member Services at Exciting Windows! has been a “kumbaya window fashion designer” for 20 plus years.  Her specialty now is helping others in the design profession enjoy pleasurable and profitable businesses.   She provides coaching, business management, marketing and sales strategies for business growth.

 

 

One very effective program over the years at Exciting Windows! is called “Take Action Boot Camp.”  Through a series of conference calls, our members learn new concepts and hold each other accountable to doing the actions necessary to achieve the goals they set for themselves.

Over the next months, I’ll share some of the bootcamp principles that lead to more profit and a growing business here.

 Principle #1

 “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.”

There are Three Magic Numbers to always track.

With them, you can unlock secret answers to solve ANY PROBLEM within your business!  Yes, I really did say ANY problem.

As we progress, you’ll discover how easy and important it is to track and record these numbers every single month without fail, and to review them with a trained eye.  They are the basis of good management decisions based on facts (what is really happening) and not on emotion (what it feels like is happening)

 The Three Magic Numbers.

NEW Appointments:  

How many new appointments have you gone on, total for the month?  By New Appointment, I mean it’s your first time calling on this client for a new design project, not a follow up.  They may be a past customer you have sold before, but it is counted as a New Appointment if you are discussing a new project.

Sold Customers:

Another way to say this is, How many ‘potentials’ turned into actual customers by writing you a check?  It is the number of people who bought from you during the month – no matter if it was the first time you saw them, or a follow up.

Total Sales:  

The total dollar amount sold for the month.  Do not include sales tax.

Divide that by the number of push-ups you can do in two minutes (just kidding!  It’s not THAT kind of boot camp).

Don’t worry when new appointments and customers sold are reported in different months for the same people.  Just track the three magic numbers each month, and it will all even out over time.

From these three numbers, you can determine your closure ratio and average sale and have all the information needed to track your progress.  This is what I mean by making informed management decisions based on facts.  You must know where you are in order to know what changes are needed for improvement, then when you take action, you must measure from there to see if those changes are effective.

Over the next weeks and months, you’ll hear more about managing by the numbers as we take action to grow your business to more profit!

Your boot camp assignment this month is to keep a record of the three magic numbers.  I’ll tell you more about what they mean and the magic you can create with them next month.  If you’re really serious about growth, you’ll go back over the last ninety days, and look at the three magic numbers for that period of time.  With those facts as your “Benchmark” you know where you’ve been, so you’ll be able to know if you’re improving.   Managing by the numbers is the foundation of any business Designed for Profit.

 

Kathy Cragg, VP of Member Services isn’t always a meany Take Action Boot Camp Drill Sergeant.  Sometimes she’s just a knowledgeable and motivating business coach, willing to help when help is needed.  But either way, she knows that we all need a good swift kick of accountability (managing by the numbers) to help us get where we want to go.

April 2012

 

HEADLINE NEWS FROM THE STEVES

2012 – “A RETURN TO GROWTH!”

IT’S HAPPENING ON OUR NEW FACEBOOK MEMBERS’ GROUP PAGE

It started as the theme for our Conference in January, and just keeps getting better. 2012 is the year to “RETURN TO GROWTH” evidenced by your posts sharing triumphs and successes, helpful tips, information, and encouraging each other daily. Along with news from corporate, you have filled the posts with wonderful stories of your successes so far in 2012! Congratulations, Exciting Windows! members. Collectively, you are returning to growth!

Be sure you are registered and receiving notices on this Exciting Windows! Members Facebook group. It is becoming our leading place to get notices, information, and notices. If you are not registered, do it now. Just E-mail support@excitingwindows.com.

LIVE NATIONAL MEETING IN CHICAGO

Plan to attend the Chicago Regional Meeting held in conjunction with VISIONS 12 – IWCE on Monday, April 23rd, 1 pm to 5:30 pm with a social gathering afterward. Agenda highlights, registration information, hotel, meeting locations and maps can be found in “Events” on our Facebook group page.

Exciting Windows! will be hosting a full day of Business Success Workshops for IWCE on Wednesday. Many of our members are featured and will be sharing their expertise on panels and in classes. Take advantage of the great opportunity to attend your National meeting packed full of information to help you grow your business on Monday, and then join fellow members, staff and industry leaders for the largest window fashion industry networking and professional event. The Exciting Windows! staff will be staying at the Swissotel, which is the official hotel of the event and highly recommended by those in the area.

Make your reservations here: www.onpeak.compassreservations.com.
Last year 29 members attended the event in conjunction with VISIONS 11 in Las Vegas.

NEW WOW! BROCHURE READY TO ORDER

 

The new Windows with WOW! brochure is on-line with BFC. As with all our marketing pieces, you can personalize it to include your photo and customize Exciting Windows! by either your personal name, or your business name. As we mentioned at the conference, the new brochures will include your new print tracking phone number! Now you can track how customers contact you with an accurate Lead Report each month. Your new tracking phone numbers for print material have been given to BFC and will populate to all new print orders. Click here to order your new brochures: www.nationsprint.com/clients/excitingwindows.

 

ANNUAL CONFERENCE RECAP

 

This year’s Exciting Windows! conference didn’t waste any time kicking off to a great start. Keynote speaker Evan Hackle got the ball rolling with team building exercises on Reaching Higher Together and how to go for the green – and I’m not talking about St. Paddy’s Day. Sally Morse had a humorous and dynamic delivery entitled Nobody Notices Normal — how to get your customers attention and set yourself apart from your competition.

(Photo right: Steve Bursten introducing Sally Morse)

Kim Lyon, Mason, OH, gave a dazzling presentation on Trunk shows using PPG color trends in conjunction with B & W fabric samples. Members are already having great results with their own trunk shows. Members committed to scheduling shows within eight weeks of the conference and it’s obvious many aren’t wasting any time! Live Business Advantage phone calls demonstrated the power these monthly calls can have on your bottom line. Members were able to meet with the folks that head up the calls.

IWOW YOUR CUSTOMER!

Marisol Hernandez, Plantation, FL, was the lucky recipient of a fully loaded IPad. She had this to say, “You know when you were a kid and you wanted a toy so bad that all that was on your mind was that toy and how you were going to get it? Winning the IPad felt like a kid opening that present. It is one of the most amazing tools nowadays for business. I have put all the reference guides from all my suppliers on IBook’s, I have downloaded a lot of pictures into albums and that is just the beginning. I get clients amazed on how much you can do with this tool and the amazing thing is that I have only touched the surface of it. Let’s just say that I am one lucky person. Thank you Exciting Windows!”

Susan St Pierre, Cranston, RI, had this to say about her IPad, “I am now using my IPad for many sales calls and people love it. Showing off my portfolio this way is the greatest tool I’ve ever had. Love showing other Decorator’s work that’s in Dropbox and hoping that my fellow decorators would take a little time to add theirs, too. If I can do it, then anyone can because I rely normally on technical assistance for my support. Mark is a great help, of course. “

IPAD PRESENTATION ROCKS!

Matt Cookson, Vaughn, ON, taught to a standing room only crowd on how to effectively use an IPad in your presentations. Between Matt and Mark Mills, they demonstrated its many uses: supplier pricing and information right at your fingertips, picture galleries, business forms, training manuals and more. All this information has been made accessible so it is easy to download through Dropbox. Mark, IT extraordinaire, is available to help all members get on board! If you need help, E-mail support@excitingwindows.com.

NEW PROGRAMS OFFER VALUE TO MEMBERS

Return to Growth is more than a theme! New strategies and insight were offered with the realization that more customers are staying in their homes and are spending more on improving their existing home. New SEO services, which we are on target, will assist members to achieve higher rankings on the web, along with monthly personalized blogging in their local area using researched top key words, and advanced tracking systems. The IDEA Studio website has a fresher, cleaner look and enhancements to allow for more interaction with the customer. My Home Values Newsletter is a new addition being sent out now to your customers as an appointment generation tool you can track – and intelligent landing pages are in the works!

GALA EVENT TAKES CENTER STAGE

The Gala Event has nothing over the Oscars! Awards were presented to Kim Lyon, Mason, OH, as the Business Owner of the Year, Karen Essary, Monroe, MI, was awarded Personal Business Sales Leader of the Year (achieving the highest level of personal sales within the network), new member Renee Hanks, Missouri City, TX, took top honors and was presented the Valerie Award for outstanding design, 2nd place winner was Karen Essary, Rick Baker, Van Nuys, CA, took 3rd place and honorable mentions were awarded to Jacque Peterson, Colorado Springs, CO, and Susanne St. Pierre, Cranston, RI. Congratulations to all these talented members! We would also like to give our thanks to our Success Panel: Rick Baker, Joyce Holt, Little Rock, AR, Susan Gailani, Naperville, IL, and Kim Lyon.

EXCITING NEWS FROM MEMBERS

Morgan Lopez, Anchorage, AK, congratulations to Morgan and her husband on the latest new Exciting Windows! member. Welcome, Aubrey Belle! Morgan has wonderful pictures on her Facebook site, what a beautiful little girl. Be sure to check it out — not to mention her bedroom that is fit for a princess!

Richard Bernath, Simpsonville, SC, delivered close to 300 flyers in his target neighborhood. We’re waiting to hear the results Richard.

Donna Horner, Scottsdale, AZ, we are waiting to see her new vehicle wrap for her Valentine’s gift of a new Chevy Traverse. Won’t it be great having your own billboard? Donna also had this to say, “Positive thoughts spoken out into the universe are received.” Don’t believe it? Try it!

Matt Cookson, Vaughn, ON, had an hour between appointments and decided to knock on doors. The result: he booked two appointments, left marketing material for those not home, ended up with a 100% closing ratio and total sales of five figures! What an investment for an hour of your time!

Barbette Jones, Lees Summit, MO, gave a trunk show with the builder’s association. A total of 25 were present, mostly men, who had great questions and complimented Barbette on her presentation. She used paint decks as door prizes and a realtor friend was willing to pay her to do a trunk show for her clients. Way to go!

Joyce Holt, Little Rock, AK, received a great lead from the Hunter Douglas website netting her a five figure sale that included draperies, Duette’s and shutters! Joyce commented, “Made my day!”

Sarah Youngblood, Cummings, GA, gave a Color Trends Trunk Show right after Conference. One of the attendees booked an appointment on the spot and referred a friend. A couple of Saturdays later she booked a very lucrative drapery and shades sale. She is so excited that she two more color trunk shows! Customers love color!

Susan Day, Springfield, IL, had three appointments last week in her target neighborhood thanks to yard signs, postcards (photo on right) and flyers! Susan also had a sale from a customer who saw her yard sign years ago and she remembered the bright colors! She is also a strong networker with her local business association that has netted her two inquiries from members. Her ambitious marketing efforts continue to payoff. As you can see from the picture on the left, it is her destiny!

7 STEPS TO SUCCESS – A GREAT REMINDER

Sarah Youngblood had this to say about the seven steps, “Reviewing the seven steps is helpful no matter how many years we’ve been in business. I went on a call this am and asked my client how she wanted her room to “feel”. She hugged me at the door when I was leaving and said I hit the nail on the head. She knows how she wants it to feel but has no idea how to achieve that. I assured her that my job was to make that happen. She cannot wait for her new Roman shades! I taught this concept to a class and it was a good reminder to me, too.”

Karen Essary, Monroe, MI, had the best January in five years meeting sales goals for the month. February netted 26 appointments beating her sales goal by 50%. She did two home shows, one with Fawn Chang presenting two seminars. Karen put together four story boards created from the “Color Trends Trunk Show” class in Baltimore and is looking forward to strutting her stuff as a new certified color specialist. So far Karen has completed three jobs using her new color skills and each client was ecstatic with the results — not to mention that the jobs were much higher than her average sale. There must be something to that, huh? What a WOW two months! You have a great head start on winning the Sales Leader of the Year award at Conference next year!

Wilma Kulyk and Christine Nault, Newcastle, ON, did our Color Trends trunk show at a local library with great success and booked several appointments! Plus, she is giving another show at an older adults association with the theme — Bring the Indoors Out! Christine was so inspired with the IPad, she bought a tablet and has her portfolio presentation ready to go. In January, they had a grand opening at a home décor store and Wilma is busy training a new drapery consultant, Debbie Miller, for her business. It sounds like you have a full plate and much success to come!

Kelly Conklin, Willison, VT, had Michael Payne at a local home show and said the results were amazing. There was a lot of buzz and the leads were FABULOUS!

Rose Mendoza, Mission Viejo, CA, is all about affiliate partners. She has been working with a window replacement company that has consistently given her referrals for the past five years!

Rose is also showcasing her color expertise in her portfolio (left photo).

Suzanne St. Pierre, Cranston, RI, had a great appointment with a couple who had lost their young adult son in a pool accident last year. They were so excited about the 11 faux wood blinds that she received warm hugs and promises for more purchases next month. They said that this is the happiest they have felt in a very, very long time. Suzanne commented, “Boy, do I love my job!” Suzanne can’t say enough about the semi-annual postcards. She got a call from a past client that’s been “meaning to call” for a year. The result: eight pair of draperies, three roman shades, and re-upholstery.

BUSINESS ADVANTAGE CALLS

The Business ADVANTAGE calls were a great source of learning this month. You showed up in record number to share and support each other. Richard Bernath has a great story regarding customer service! He was inspired from the last Thursday morning call, “I was at my bank and they were taking down signs from the windows and nobody had a ladder so I offered to help. After taking the signs down with my ladder, the branch manager thanked me and asked what I did. He asked me into his office and immediately dialed his regional office and introduced me to their purchasing manager. The bank is building a regional call center here in Greenville and has over 120 windows that need blinds or verticals. You just never know!”

CUSTOMER SERVICE CAN BE PRODUCTIVE, TOO

Kim Lyon not only showed her fabulous customer service skills but made it productive! She spent a whole morning calling past customers from 2009/2010! She booked an appointment and was asked to call a couple other clients the end of the month for a new project! She even helped service a broken shade. Pretty great for a morning’s worth of work.

Have you walked into a Target store lately? Your customers don’t even have to leave home to get the message that Color Changes Everything – just click on that link and you’ll see what I mean. Read the latest shelter magazines and look at the homes. Look at the catalogs in your mailbox. Still don’t think your customers WANT color??

 

 

Just ask a few of the attendees in our 4-Week Color Coaching Camp. Seventeen members are working together to connect with more customers using Exciting Colors! You’ll hear their successes over the next weeks as they post them in our Facebook group, but let me just say this … color does change everything! It connects you with more customers, more sales, more profits, and more referrals with Our Target Customer – the one who doesn’t want to go shopping from store to store for important things like window fashions and wall color advice. She wants you to come to her, and she’s willing to pay more for the value of your expertise and great ideas for a unique and customized home. Exciting Colors! is helping members connect with color to more customers.

DID SOMEONE SAY YARD SIGNS?

Susan Day to the rescue with everything you need to know to start putting yard signs in everyone’s yard–especially in your target neighborhoods! Susan usually buys about 10 at a time from Fletch Graphics. They have the Exciting Windows! template, and when a member wants to order they contact me so I can make sure we get a proof and the information is correct, then members can place the order. There is a one-time setup charge of $25 for each individual/new design.

 

5 Yard Signs $78.30 ($15.66 per sign)
10 Yard Signs $130.50 ($13.05 per sign)
15 Yard Signs $150 ($10 per sign)
20 Yard Signs $175 ($8.75 per sign)

All yard signs are white, 4mm thick, 24″ x 16″ and include one H stake per sign. For any other size sign and additional H stakes, please contact Stacy Finn at: W: 888-933-8249; M: 608-290-1962; F: 888-771-3179 for special pricing. Also, please note, this pricing DOES NOT include shipping. Thanks Susan for this useful information.

 

Star Search – be a Talent Scout for Exciting Windows! Help grow Exciting Windows! Benefit yourself and fellow members Refer dealers and professionals you like! Tell your friends: to succeed in the New Era they want to be part of a national network that understands Websites; customer e-mail messaging; blogging; advanced training on marketing and sales; product trends; Internet database management; and advanced At-Home service….AND, that Exciting Windows! is the best network for our industry. Send names to StarSearch@ExcitingWindows.com

Have a Decorating Tip or a Great sale you would like to share? Send it and all of your Good News to Make the Newsletter Even Better! Send YOUR Good News to lindad@excitingwindows.com . I look forward to hearing from you!

Click here to download the Document File.

Let’s bring more window fashion ART into the world because it matters!

 

If you’re like me, you probably got into the window coverings business because you love to create and sell window fashions that make your customers feel good about their beautiful home – It’s your ART, and it brings you joy to help others.  And because the title ‘starving artist’ isn’t really what you’re going for,  you really like getting paid for doing something you love.

If that describes you, why not Step out and go for growth this year.   Wouldn’t it feel good to increase the number of customers that will enjoy your art every day?  You can do it, if you’re willing to pay attention to the “business” side of your business as much as the creative side that you love so much.

I work daily with window fashion business owners and I have observed that those who are most successful share two foundational things in common.

The first is PASSION.

They are passionate about what they do and believe it MATTERS.  They don’t just sell window treatments. They change people’s lives and help them feel happier and live better in their home.  They want their business to grow, not just for themselves, but so they can help more people get what matters.

The second is DESIRE FOR GROWTH

Both personally and professionally, they push themselves to learn new things and invest in growth.  They passionately desire more clients –  and yes, I’ll say it, more profits – because profit matters too.  You may serve more clients, but if you don’t make enough profit, you will not stay in business and can’t help others be happier in their home.  A desire to grow, both personally and professionally – for more clients and more profits – allows you to bring more of what matters into your business and into the world.

If you have a passion for window fashions, and a desire for growth through more customers, and more profits –The timing is right!

VISIONS 12 is just around the corner, the economy is loosening up and customers, especially women who want their home to be more beautiful, have waited long enough… they’re ready!  Are you?  Do you have the right connections that can help you grow?  Do you know how to find the right people to buy your beautiful window fashions at the right price so that you can make the profit you deserve and bring more of your art into the world?

Make this your year to GROW.

Come to Visions 12 in Chicago with the determination to step out on to a bigger stage.  Come with a mind set to nurture and develop – and downright push your business side and connect with other professionals who can help you.

Check out Wednesday’s Business Success Workshop Series.

You’ll find seminars for business growth and management from top leaders in the window fashion industry – and when you participate you will become a part of the successful business owners who invest not just in creativity but in creatively growing their customer base, their business skills and their profits.

You’ll find that happy, growing business owners put high value on improving their business skills, and they show they value it by investing money as well as time to help them learn how to grow.  They do this because they love helping their customers have a beautiful home so much, they know that their business must grow and thrive in order to be able to keep giving their creative gift to the world!

I’ll be speaking in two business growth workshops specifically at VISIONS 12, and I want to invite you to join me!

The first one is in the series titled “Moving Up to the Next Level” –  I am moderating a panel called
Moving up to $300,000 – the optimum profit for a home based business
If your sales are $10,000 to $200,000 yearly, this is the perfect session for you. Discover how others grew their business from home while raising children and caring for family.  I’ll also be teaching “Designing for Profit” – Elements and Principles to more clients and more money.

It’s fun to leave a trade show with cool free stuff, and anyone who takes classes with me, or stops by Booth #600 for Exciting Windows! and Exciting Colors! will leave with some free give-aways that will help you grow your business.

I know you’ll find just what you need at VISIONS 12 – and I hope while you’re there, you’ll find me and say hello!  I’d love to connect with you and hear about your passionate desire for growth, and if I can help, then you can bet I will do what I can to help you – because this is my year for passionate growth as well!

 Kathy Cragg is VP of Consumer Marketing and Member Services for Exciting Windows!  Highly skilled in the art of training and coaching, using proven business management strategies and marketing systems, Kathy helps business owners achieve higher success.  It is her passion.

Want to attract more “Yes!” customers to your business?

Repeat after me… “I am a customer magnet.  My business attracts customers who love to say “Yes!”

Sounds good, doesn’t it?

Who wouldn’t love more Yes, in life and in business!  But if you’re like most entrepreneurs, you’ve probably had your fair share of frustrating days saying, “I need more appointments and more customers.”

How to get them is the number one problem plaguing business owners today.

When I ask “What draws customers to your business?” most owners reply passionately that their service sets them apart from others.  Yet great service and even the best design talent are not enough to have customers knocking down your door.  And you don’t want just any ole’ customer either… we’ve all had enough of the ‘compare on price alone’ kind.

The thing is, attracting the right target customer and communicating effectively so that you draw them to you like a magnet requires knowledge.   Most businesses have no plan, no strategy in place, not because they don’t want more customers, but because they don’t know what to do.  Communicating effectively and consistently with the right people is the secret to getting more Yes customers.   Over time, they become aware of what you do, find you “attractive” and will consider you a viable alternative when they are ready to purchase window treatments.

Our successful Exciting Windows! members will tell you that to be a customer magnet you need three things:

1.    A MARKETING PLAN - In other words, you actually write it down, budget for it, schedule the tasks, measure the results regularly, make adjustments as needed.  “Yes!” does not happen haphazardly.

2.    TARGET CUSTOMER Knowledge - 80% of people cannot afford custom window fashions designed and fabricated especially for them, so why spend time, effort and money marketing to everyone, when 8 out of 10 cannot say “Yes.”

3.    A PROVEN SYSTEM  to Reach Them - and the motivation to keep at it consistently.  An ad in the newspaper, or one round of fliers on the door won’t do it alone.  It takes multiple points of contact in a compressed period of time to achieve awareness.

Attract more YES with the right plan, knowledge and strategy…

…It doesn’t happen overnight, but we have proof that it works. A little planning will go a long way toward being a customer magnet; starting with good communication skills.  Business that reach out with interesting, helpful content to start a conversation get more “Yes!” than those that wait for the customer to come to them .

Plan about 25% of your time communicating through marketing activities.   A good tip that starts with your calendar is, if you do not have an appointment on a day when you would normally like one, do something proactive during that time to pull new business to you.  Call past customers, deliver fliers to a targeted neighborhood, plan a mailing or a decorating workshop.  You’re magnetic business will attract “Yes!” customers like George Clooney attracts… well, you know!

Enjoy these Top 10 Tips to Attracting More “Yes!” from Exciting Windows! at  VISIONS 11 International Window Fashions EXPO

Kathy Cragg is VP of Consumer Marketing and Member Support for Exciting Windows! In addition to running her own business, Kathy has traveled throughout the United States providing training and motivational speaking and is an Executive Instructor for Window Coverings University. Through programs like Professional Window Covering Sales, Boot Camp, Business ADVANTAGE calls, and Target Neighborhood Development, she coaches business owners to become CUSTOMER MAGNETS.

Attend Exciting Windows!
Annual Conference

Baltimore, January 29-30 
Request complimentary invitation! 

Steve Wishnow stevew@ExcitingWindows.com

Meet and exchange ideas with successful business owners from California to Toronto.  Attend classes and manager sessions to build your business with the RIGHT kind of customers that appreciate quality custom window fashions. Learn affordable advertising that works!   Strip the confusion from Internet, SEO, and email.  Learn how you can increase profit by thousands:  Inspire 70% of customers to upgrade their purchase.  Request information:  Steve Wishnow stevew@ExcitingWindows.com

“You used to be much muchier before. Yes, you were much more Alice the last time we met. You have lost your muchness.” – Mad Hatter

It’s easy to feel like the shrunken character in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland.  We  wake up and think “What’s the ‘hatter’ with me?”  Why is there never enough time to do everything that needs to be done?  Never enough appointments, enough profits?  And deeper still, the shrinking fear that I am never enough…

I’ve lost and found ‘muchness’ many times over the years raising a family and owning a business, and now I coach business owners who know the feeling just as you do; lying awake in the dark as if you had swallowed an elixir and suddenly… lost, shrunken, paralyzed with fear.

Fear makes us small. It makes us think small, believe small and see small results.  It keeps our businesses small.  We feel alone and tempted to pull the covers up over our head and give up.

“There’s no use trying” said Alice. “One can’t believe impossible things.” “Well, I daresay you haven’t had much practice,” said the Queen. “When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as SIX impossible things before breakfast!” – Lewis Carroll

If you’re searching for wonderfulness again in your business, start to think like the Queen.   Surround yourself with people who dare to believe in what seems impossible, who read books and attend workshops and training for personal growth.  Through networking organizations, find others who have businesses you admire and come alongside them, sharing successes and defeats.  Find a mentor or coach who helps you develop a plan and holds you accountable to follow it.

We’re never as good by ourselves as we can be when we share ideas for success with fellow business owners, and it’s hard to grow alone.  In the company of others, we quickly crawl out of that fearful rabbit hole of the underland – right back into our own exciting Muchness!

Kathy Cragg is VP of Consumer Marketing and Member Support for Exciting Windows! In addition to running her own business, Kathy has traveled throughout the United States providing training and motivational speaking and is an Executive Instructor for Window Coverings University. Through programs like Professional Window Covering Sales, Boot Camp, Business ADVANTAGE calls, and Target Neighborhood Development, she works to bring out the Muchness in business owners, helping them realize their goals for growth.

I am often asked what are some of your best columns in DW&C to help me manage my business.  I have developed a listing of favorites organized by Attitude & Fears, General Concepts & Ideas,  Goal Setting & Planning, Hiring And Managing Sales Consultants, Lead Development, and Selling Techniques.  I have listed the most popular articles in each category.  If you would like the list, just send me an email with your request.  Subject line:  DWC Articles to steveb@excitingwindows.com. I will get it back to you right away.  No charge of course.  In the meantime, here are a few of my favorites that were asked for by readers…

The Power of Emotion July 2008
by Steven C. Bursten
In early June the movie “Sex and the City” whipped “Indiana Jones” at the box office by a whopping $10 million, and at nearly $57 million became the…

10 Fears and Myths that Stop you From Growing February 2006
by Steven C. Bursten
My most popular column in Draperies & Window Coverings was “Fear—How It Stops Us Cold” (see D&WC, November 2004, page…

The High Cost of Advertising September 2006
by Steven C. Bursten
You and I both deplore the high cost of advertising. It costs too much to use the newspaper. It costs too much to buy…

Is it Time to Manage Sales Performance? December 2002
by Steven C. Bursten
Editor’s note: Whether you are the sole manager of a business or manage 50 window fashion decorators, this series of…

I have met, talked with, and studied over a thousand window coverings businesses since I first started traveling Kansas roads selling drapery fabrics in 1960.  For years, I asked every business owner, interior designer and drapery specialist, “What makes you successful”. 

I received a lot of answers like, “I give great service”… ”I use color-matched thread”…”I miter the corners in each drapery”.   It took me years of asking that question, before I understood the real answer.  The real difference that set apart successful business owners – the one or two out of ten who served several homeowners a week, not just one a month – was a special quality.  A quality they did not realize themselves. It was intangible, a matter of attitude, not just behavior or craft.  It was a mysterious quality that lifted them above the ordinary to the pride of success.  What was this quality.  Or, better, what IS it.  The quality is identical today to the one I first observed some 50 years ago. 

Confidence Built on Failure 

In a nutshell, the fundamental, personal quality that lifts the exceptional business owner above the crowd is simply this: willingness to make a mistake. I never met a successful person that had not tried, and failed, along the way. The fact that they were willing to make a mistake, learn from it, and try again is the quality that set them apart.  Overcoming mistakes yields experience.  Experience yields confidence.  Confidence yields success. 

Learn from Mistakes of Others

Not every mistake has to be yours!  Pilots call it “hangar flying”.  They swap stories about harrowing experiences and how to survive them. You can do the same. Listen to leaders to improve your business.  Learn from their mistakes instead of your own.  It’s faster, and works just as well.  But, don’t ask advice from the 80% who have ordinary businesses.  If you want to be successful, learn from business owners who have achieved success.  Meet them at trade shows and learning events. Invest whatever it takes to be there. Travel to meet them at their business. Then, before long, you will be the leader that others listen to.  

Now, go, make a mistake and become a success! 

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Steven C. Bursten is Co-founder of Exciting Windows! the leading national shop-at-home window coverings service featuring all window products and great ideas.  He is co-founder of Window Coverings University and co-founder of the International Window Coverings Exchange.  Bursten is author of “Bootstrap Entrepreneur”, a book on business startup published by Thomas Nelson, plus author of more than 100 articles in leading window coverings magazines.  With 50 years in the industry,  Bursten has guided more than 600 new business owners in starting their businesses and trained more than 1000 sales consultants.  He is also founder of the world’s largest interior decorating franchise, Interiors by Decorating Den, having sold his interests to the current owners over 10 years ago.

“I want to stand as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can’t see from the center.”

~Kurt Vonnegut

We talk a lot at Exciting Windows! about successful entrepreneurs being those who have the courage to go outside of their comfort zone and do what others won’t – like make that first phone call to a prospect, learn tricky technology, or speak in front of a group at a decorating Trunk Show. That “edgy space” between where you are, and where you want to be, is less scary when you feel that you aren’t there alone.

In my position in Exciting Windows! I have the challenge of pushing each one of our business owners right out there to the edge in one way or another because I know they have goals and dreams for business growth that are far reaching and everyone needs a push once in a while (and a little more profit never hurts either).  I also have the privilege of seeing our members help and encourage each other to LEAP, if that’s what it takes to get what they want.  We do this through programs such as Boot Camp, Business ADVANTAGE calls, Regional Meetings, Book Club and on-line gatherings.  It reminds me of a quote from Richard Bach, of Jonathan Livingston Seagull fame, that says:

“When you have come to the edge of all the light you have and step into the darkness of the unknown, believe that one of two things will happen to you.  Either you’ll find something solid to stand on or you’ll be taught how to fly!”

At Exciting Windows!, one more thing will happen.  You will be greeted and supported all the way by our staff and fellow members, and THAT is the kind of Edgy Excitement! that makes us – together – able to “see all kinds of things” and accomplish so much more than any one of us could do alone.

Kathy Cragg is VP of Consumer Marketing and Member Support and is proud of the multitude of Exciting Windows! members who, in the first six months of 2010,  are on target or have surpassed their goals!  Find Kathy on Facebook.