Families Fight Over Flooring
I had an interesting experience the other day where two families I had been helping from earlier in the week came in approximately the same time to make their final flooring decision. Both of them were debating among themselves, and I was going back and forth between them answering questions and checking stock for them. Then one of them told me they had decided and were ready to purchase the Passport 2 Smoked Almond. I said ok, and then turned to the other couple, letting them know that they would have to wait a few weeks if they also wanted the Smoked Almond, as the other couple was ready to buy! As I wrote up the order for couple #1 he whispered about couple #2 "you snooze, you lose".
What it got me thinking about is that I sell a much higher percentage of my personal favorites than the other colors in a collection - and if my favorites were the same as other simpleFLOORS team members. After taking a brief poll, here are some other employee favorites!
3/4" Hardwood (*3/4" and hand-scraped)
*Any Reclamation Plank (Stephen, Sherin)
*Indian Red Reclamation (Ryan, Kristina)
*Prairie Acacia Reclamation (Charlie)
*Sable Reclamation (Chace, Rick, Tommy, Cece)
Amber Blaze (Len)
Brazilian Cherry (Shannon)
Brazilian Walnut (Debbie, Lesley, Cece, Dave)
English Saddle Acacia (Tommy, Jason)
Smoked Almond Acacia (Julie, Lesley, Lidia, Len, Tammi, Sherin, Reneelyn)
Tigerwood (Charlie, Kristina)
Link to Top Favorite 3/4" solid - Smoked Almond Acacia
http://www.simplefloors.com/products/Exotics-Flooring/Passport-Collection-2/Smoked-Almond/flooring727.aspx
Second mention - any of the Reclamation Plank
http://www.simplefloors.com/products/Hand-Scraped-Flooring/Reclamation-Plank/collection21.aspx
Bamboo
ANY Strand (Lidia, Len, Reneelyn)
Burnt Mocha (Debbie)
Strand Bora (Chace, Rick, Tommy, Tammi)
Strand Carbonized (Julie, Shannon, Lesley, Cece, Jason)
Strand Natural (Dave)
Zebrano Charred (Ryan, Stephen, Charlie, Kristina)
Link to Top Favorite Bamboo - Strand, Strand, Strand
http://www.simplefloors.com/products/Bamboo-Flooring/Nature-Strand-Woven/collection39.aspx
Cork - (sorry I forgot to put this on my poll, so only a few people gave their opinion)Cobblestone (Debbie)
Durango or Harmony(Cece)
Hand-scraped
Acacia Old World Chisel(Christian)
Any Old World Chisel (Julie, Sherin, Reneelyn)
Brazilian Teak Vintage Couture (Tammi)
Golden Topaz Old World Chisel (Dave)
Hickory Old World Chisel (Lesley)
Lapacho Vintage Couture (Stephen, Lidia)
Machu Pichu Old World Chisel (Jason)
Natural African Hickory Old World Chisel (Lesley, Cece)
Natural African Walnut Vintage Couture (Debbie)
Roasted Almond Old World Chisel (Chace, Ryan, Rick, Mallery)
True Teak Vintage Couture (Shannon)
Link to Top Favorite Hand-scraped - Roasted Almond Old World Chisel
http://www.simplefloors.com/products/Exotics-Flooring/Old-World-Chisel/Roasted-Almond/flooring752.aspx
Laminate
Aged Hickory True Timber (Stephen, Rick, Len, Reneelyn)
ANY Masterpiece (Lidia)
Calladium Block Genva-Loc (Julie)
Cedar Masterpiece (Lesley, Cece)
Cinnamon Genva-Loc (Len)
Fedora Masterpiece (Chace)
Purple Heart True Timber (Ryan, Tommy, Charlie, Kristina, Jason)
Santos Mahogany True Timber (Shannon)
Varnished Walnut Masterpiece (Debbie, Tammi)
Link to Top Favorite Laminate - Purple Heart True Timber
http://www.simplefloors.com/products/Laminate-Flooring/True-Timber-Premium-Laminate/Purple-Heart/flooring809.aspx
In case you are interested - both couple #1 and couple #2 purchased their beautiful new floors from simpleFLOORS that day :)
Premium-grade design-conscious wood flooring at guaranteed low prices, shipped direct to you in the U.S. and Canada.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
How to Build Your Personal Brand and Sell More!
How to Build Your Personal Brand and Sell More!
What is a brand?A distinguishing symbol, mark, logo, name, word, sentence, or a combination of these items that companies use to distinguish their product from others in the market. (Dictionary.com)
How do you build your "brand"?
Internet - Website, online reviews, rankings on search engines, SEO, links, social networks such as Twitter & Facebook, and advertising.
Reputation - Being known for something whether it be particular product, quality, customer service, experience.
Word of mouth - Customers telling others about your brand/product/service.
Guerilla marketing - Unconventional marketing intended to get maximum results from minimal resources.
Advertising - Online, print, mailers, coupons, etc.
Quality - Making sure that what you sell is quality, whether it be product, education, customer service, or experience.
Google and other search engine searches - Rankings, reviews, advertising and websites.
Viral marketing - Viral marketing describes any strategy that encourages individuals to pass on a marketing message to others, creating the potential for exponential growth in the message's exposure and influence. Like viruses, such strategies take advantage of rapid multiplication to explode the message to thousands, to millions.
How many times do you need to see something before you recognize a brand?
I have no idea!! But I do know that the more your "brand" is recognized- the more success you will have reaching your potential customers as well. When doing direct mail or email campaigns, you get an increased open rate when they have a positive reaction to your name (hey- it's an email fromTammi at simpleFLOORS!)
Current open rate for direct mail advertising - 2.61% (varies based on industry)
Current open rate for email advertising 14 - 17% (for Retail)
Brands that may not be "the best in their category" but because of their brand awareness are recognizable to a huge population.Bruce hardwood
Pergo
Band-aid
Kleenex
Coke
Nike
Google
Campbell's soup
Marlboro
Chesterfield - if you don't know what the heck this is, please contact Dave
How do you build your personal "brand"?
Do you what you say you will do
Educate - your customers know what they want even if they don't know they do
Under-promise, over-deliver
Ask for referrals
Be honest
Quality
Get recommendations or reviews posted about you and the product you have sold
Have integrity
Why invest in creating your own personal brand?Look at this equation...
You get 1 person to recognize your "brand" with quality (product, follow through, personality, customer service, you name it) - and so they buy from you (you personally or your company- depending whose brand they believe in) instead of the competitor.
This one customer tells a couple of friends (you remember the commercial if you are old enough) and 2 of them decide to try you out based on getting that same branding experience (customer service, honest answers and information, fabulous product and price, etc.). This continues to build as your name gets passed on because you have a brand that people trust. This has unlimited potential.
1
What is a brand?A distinguishing symbol, mark, logo, name, word, sentence, or a combination of these items that companies use to distinguish their product from others in the market. (Dictionary.com)
How do you build your "brand"?
Internet - Website, online reviews, rankings on search engines, SEO, links, social networks such as Twitter & Facebook, and advertising.
Reputation - Being known for something whether it be particular product, quality, customer service, experience.
Word of mouth - Customers telling others about your brand/product/service.
Guerilla marketing - Unconventional marketing intended to get maximum results from minimal resources.
Advertising - Online, print, mailers, coupons, etc.
Quality - Making sure that what you sell is quality, whether it be product, education, customer service, or experience.
Google and other search engine searches - Rankings, reviews, advertising and websites.
Viral marketing - Viral marketing describes any strategy that encourages individuals to pass on a marketing message to others, creating the potential for exponential growth in the message's exposure and influence. Like viruses, such strategies take advantage of rapid multiplication to explode the message to thousands, to millions.
How many times do you need to see something before you recognize a brand?
I have no idea!! But I do know that the more your "brand" is recognized- the more success you will have reaching your potential customers as well. When doing direct mail or email campaigns, you get an increased open rate when they have a positive reaction to your name (hey- it's an email fromTammi at simpleFLOORS!)
Current open rate for direct mail advertising - 2.61% (varies based on industry)
Current open rate for email advertising 14 - 17% (for Retail)
Brands that may not be "the best in their category" but because of their brand awareness are recognizable to a huge population.Bruce hardwood
Pergo
Band-aid
Kleenex
Coke
Nike
Campbell's soup
Marlboro
Chesterfield - if you don't know what the heck this is, please contact Dave
How do you build your personal "brand"?
Do you what you say you will do
Educate - your customers know what they want even if they don't know they do
Under-promise, over-deliver
Ask for referrals
Be honest
Quality
Get recommendations or reviews posted about you and the product you have sold
Have integrity
Why invest in creating your own personal brand?Look at this equation...
You get 1 person to recognize your "brand" with quality (product, follow through, personality, customer service, you name it) - and so they buy from you (you personally or your company- depending whose brand they believe in) instead of the competitor.
This one customer tells a couple of friends (you remember the commercial if you are old enough) and 2 of them decide to try you out based on getting that same branding experience (customer service, honest answers and information, fabulous product and price, etc.). This continues to build as your name gets passed on because you have a brand that people trust. This has unlimited potential.
1
11
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So my advice is to live up to your potential! If you need help doing that, please reach out- your team here at simpleFLOORS is here to support you!
Interesting links re: brand
Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brand
Social Definition of a brand
http://www.engagingexperience.com/2009/08/a-more-social-definition-of-brand.html
A is for Advertising, B is for Brand - article
http://www.zpd.net/shtimes.htm
Email marketing metrics
http://cdn.mailermailer.com/documents/email-marketing-metrics-2008h2.pdf
So my advice is to live up to your potential! If you need help doing that, please reach out- your team here at simpleFLOORS is here to support you!
Interesting links re: brand
Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brand
Social Definition of a brand
http://www.engagingexperience.com/2009/08/a-more-social-definition-of-brand.html
A is for Advertising, B is for Brand - article
http://www.zpd.net/shtimes.htm
Email marketing metrics
http://cdn.mailermailer.com/documents/email-marketing-metrics-2008h2.pdf
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