Servicing Plumbing Fixtures: Adding Value to Our Customers. By DPHA Fellow Sarah Jenkinson

When we own a car, most of us have it regularly serviced by our mechanics.  We understand that there are parts that wear and tear and need to be replaced, even when not under warranty.  When it comes to home fixtures like our faucets and showers, this common sense seems to stop. Faucets still have parts that can wear and tear, we have thermostatic valves and steam generators that need to be cleaned, and yet this information is rarely given to the end user. While admittedly I am in the industry, I still have my plumbing products serviced and cleaned every 5 years, any mineral build up is cleaned up and all O-rings are checked and lubricated if needed. My plumber laughs at me, but at the same time I never have any issues. I recently had to get a new switch for my air tub; it is 11 years old and still works, but I could no longer read the numbers.  I didn’t think it was a warranty issue, bulbs go, but the dealer was very surprised I didn’t ask if it was covered by warranty.

So, who is responsible for getting this information to the end user? Most manufacturers have care and maintenance manuals that go with their products, but let’s be honest, it’s hard enough to get the plumber to read our instructions, let alone get them to hand over the maintenance manual to the consumer. A couple of plumbers out here on Eastern Long Island have started offering maintenance contracts where the customer pays a certain amount each year and then if anything goes wrong, the plumber comes in and fixes it.  My sister in the UK purchased a program for her appliances that if it breaks down, they fix or replace, again for a fee, and it covers dishwasher, fridge, washing machine, dryer, freezer and range. This is not an extended warranty but a maintenance contract.

Should our dealers be making sure the consumer understands the maintenance of the product they are providing?  Do your valves need to be cleaned, should your O-rings be lubricated, should you be cleaning your steam generator, etc.?  Or is it the responsibility of the plumber?  Honestly it should be both.

I think that we are missing a business/service opportunity here.  Plumbers could offer a maintenance service if faucets are purchased from a local dealer, not online, dealers could also offer this service if they wished, in conjunction with their plumbers. This is not a free service but again a maintenance contract. We seem to be the only industry where product needs to be serviced where we are not addressing this, nobody complains about having their oil burner or water heater serviced but a shower valve or a steam generator then we all get “isn’t that covered by warranty?”

With the Internet offering cheap prices but no customer service, maybe this is one of things we can do that increase our value to our customers. Architects and Designers are always looking for after use service.

That #^*! Year Is OVER…. So, Will We be Raging In 2021? By DPHA Fellow Jeffrey Valles.

2021 is almost into its third month and things are looking up.  It seems much of last year’s drama may be behind us and now that the Covid-19 vaccines are being slowly distributed, 2021 has potential to be a nice, normal year.  But then maybe it, too, will be one for the ages.

We now know it will take time for the vaccine to roll out  and, until that happens for many, the pandemic will remain a large part of our lives.  Most experts foresee Covid continuing to heavily influence our daily actions through the winter and probably deep into spring.  This means masks, social distancing and staying put  for a few more months.  In the short term, little will change on the surface. However, scratch beneath the surface, and 2021 pandemic story will be very different than in 2020.

People have been cooped up and have not been able to interact with each other for a long time.  Remove the Covid-19 fear of those now inoculated, and people have the potential to  erupt.  Bars and clubs will open and we just might see Studio 54 behavior well into the night.  In fact, future pundits are predicting another roaring twenties, this time in 21st Century style.  People will be checking off their bucket lists and doing everything they can afford.  All the fun stuff we could do prior to the pandemic will become must-do-now.  For the next few years, free time will be precious.    We will want to go everywhere, do anything and make sure our home spaces are just right.  Who knows when the next pandemic will hit and lock us down once more?  

So, what can we all do to prepare for the upcoming party so that our brands will be sitting in the sweetest spot possible?  I suggest keeping it simple and focusing on three things: 

1. Do not take away your employee and customer pandemic safety nets, masks et all.  Leave your protection and processes in place until at least June.  One case of Covid-19 traced back to your showroom, factory or agency will lead to closure, quarantine and negative branding.  The safer people feel about visiting your showroom, the better your customer flow will be.  People are tired of always thinking safety first, that is your job.  Play it safe.  
2. Get behind your community.  Set up a place in your showroom, on your counter and on your website to promote local businesses.  Restaurants and fellow luxury and premium businesses need your help and you theirs.  Boldly label brands that you sell that are manufactured or warehoused in your area.  Then send breakfasts, lunches and dinners to your good clients from local restaurants.  It does not have to be a PK, CEU or new product introduction.  Simply a thank you to the client while supporting a restaurant the community knows, enjoys and misses.  Surprise them all with your gracious community support and your brand will stand out as one that is authentically supporting the market you and your customers call home. 
3. Work on your website.  In the last 8 months, ecommerce has increased from 15% to 25% of the retail economy and that genie is not going back in the bottle.  A key foundation of any business model for generations is that your brand must be where your clients are.  Today, even 80-year-old baby boomers are comfortable online.  This pandemic not only forced people to order from their computers and mobile device.  It has lasted so long that so many more people are comfortable navigating the web and buying whatever they need, want and dream of owning from their sofa.  Then we add in the X and Y generations growing wealth and you have an opportunity to be the luxury DPH brand that is the go-to in brick and mortar and digital showroom destination.  The first companies that effectively create an engaging digital product presentation that works with their bricks and mortar showroom will be very successful.  To quote Kim Frechette from her Connections article last week, “web views and reviews are, without a doubt, a crucial component to the future of business. We’ve seen how reviews shape the perception of a product or company and how reviewers, paid and unpaid, can affect mom and pop start-ups, large corporations and government agencies, to name a few. The world watches and reads what everyone has to say about a product whether what is being said is true or valuable. They can literally make or break a business.”

The good news from all this is that the DPH world has a successful history of creating new customer experiences.  In the 1980’s decorative plumbing and hardware showrooms were rare.  By the end of that decade, many forward thinking and aggressive businesspeople decided that this was a profitable path and they created stunning showrooms that delivered a novel DPH showroom experience.  In the 21st Century’s roaring twenties, that type of opportunity is again available.  Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more…

Best of luck out there and may your 2021 be wildly…

How to Accomplish More in Less Time.

How is your productivity?  Are you able to manage your time efficiently to get the most done in the least amount of time?  Dan Ariely, a behavioral economist who teaches at Duke University and is the author of three best-selling books on irrational behavior, developed a smart calendar application, Timeful, to help people improve their productivity.  Ariely found there are six keys not improving individual time management.

Step One: Recognize that the world is working against you.  Traditional advertising interrupts and encourages you to purchase products and services.  Internet links encourage you to click.   Text messages make you stop in your tracks.  If you responded to every email, beck and call, Ariely claims you quickly would be broke, obese and constantly distracted.  His advice is to develop a plan to reduce distractions.  Set aside a certain amount of time each day to read emails and texts.  

Step Two: Control your environment or it will control you, claims Ariely.  Your environment matters.  Create an environment that makes things that you need to do easy and the things that you should not do difficult.  Google conducted an experiment at its New York headquarters where it offered M&Ms in a basket.  When the company switched containers to a bowl with a lid, the consumption of M&Ms declined by 3 million a month.  

Step 3: Develop daily, weekly and monthly to-do lists.  Seems like a no brainer, but few employees document what they need to do.  

Step 4: Take advantage of the most productive hours in a day.  Ariely found that not all hours in the day are equal.  Most people are more productive in the morning approximately an hour after waking up.  So if you get up at 6am, your most productive time of the day would be between 7am and 9:30am.  Schedule your most important to-do list items for those hours.  Ariely found that most people miss this opportunity, instead focusing their attention on email and Facebook.

Step 5: Avoid the biggest productivity drains; meetings, email, multitasking and structured procrastination.  The latter is defined as focusing on tasks that give the feeling of progress instead of focusing on deep work that really makes progress.  Ariely explains that crossing off items on your to-do list may give you sense of accomplishment, but real achievements take time.  

Step 6:  Reduce the amount of time on email and texting.  A University of London study found that constant emailing and texting reduced mental capacity by an average of 10 points, five for women and 15 for men.  This is the equivalent of working after missing a night’s sleep.

Providing Decorative Product During a Pandemic: Thoughts from the Manufacturer Perspective. By Kim Frechette with contributions from Ben Aliker-HamatUSA, Barbara Kratus-Infinity Drain, Harris Wattles-Amba, Patrick Weidl-Thermasol

The DPH manufacturer concentrates on quality product and superior customer service.  We are expected to provide both at competitive prices and with as little friction as possible, and I would say, most of us do.  However, as we’ve witnessed the ‘Amazoning’ of the marketplace, amplified by a pandemic world, DPH manufacturers are fighting to maintain stability between logical expectations and ‘the Amazon effect’.  While we all appreciate the convenience of an Amazon marketplace, not all products can be treated equally.  Unlike some other industries, hardware, plumbing, appliances and lighting often have specific shipping, installation and service needs.  

Manufacturers are often viewed simply as marketers and salespeople, but as you may have seen when visiting a factory, manufacturing is a multi-faceted and complex business.  Manufacturers in the U.S. and around the world are more tightly bound together through raw materials, labor and freight than may appear from a finished product.  

Raw materials are tied to industries as varied as oil and microchips.  Most can be, and are, sourced nationally, but some must be sourced internationally.  The flow of these products is regulated by countries, politics and commerce vagaries all around the world.  In a normal year, price increases are expected and applied where necessary.  In a Covid year, price increases have been compounded by national and worldwide slowdowns in supply and increases are reflecting the upheaval.

Ben Aliker of HamatUSA explains, “2020 was not kind to many parts of the construction industry, mainly due to increased demand and decreased supply.  Appliances and lumber both faced an initial crunch, and appliances remain on short supply and long lead-times.  For many DPH manufacturers, it was a mixed bag.  Kitchen products, unlike a shower valve or new freestanding tub filler, don’t require an extensive remodel project.  It’s relatively easy to install a new kitchen sink and faucet into an existing kitchen.  Because of a huge number of people staying home across the world, and the relative ease of installation, HamatUSA saw a huge spike in demand over the summer and into the fall for kitchen sinks and faucets – both in the US and in foreign markets.”

Production and inventory for manufacturers is handled in a wide variety of ways.  That is to say that some manufacturers work on a made-to-order, just-in-time basis with very little inventory while others continually produce and maintain large inventories.  There are pros and cons to both, but both take deft skills to balance output with demand and costs with profit.

Freight costs have skyrocketed.  The freight industry has been working throughout the pandemic, putting themselves at risk, but also realizing their undeniable necessity to the buying public.   Their charges are reflecting their increased importance.  ‘Fuel surcharges’ have become more common.  Most DPH manufacturers have decided to keep freight rates as stable as possible, absorb many increases and/or set free freight levels.

Returns and restocks have become a flashpoint.  We know, stuff happens.  We all want to make these transactions as painless as possible.   However, returns in our segment are not as easy as logging on and printing off a return label or simply scanning a QR code.  Returns and restocks are expensive for everyone and cannot be ‘solved’ by simply raising prices to try and speed up the process.  The customer changed their mind?  It happens. But a faucet, toilet, steam unit, drain or tub cannot simply be Rambo-taped back into its packaging and dropped off.  Return transport, reception and inspection, repair (if necessary), repacking (if possible) and return to inventory are only a few of the things that need to happen to a return.  But let’s be honest, we all know that a consumer wants a NEW product so reselling product is difficult and frowned upon.  What can be done with returned goods in our industry?  How many ways are there to reduce, reuse, recycle? Manufacturers are often caught in a difficult position to satisfy consumers even when issues are not manufacturing related.  

“Absorbing the costs associated with returns would most likely come with a price increase,” says Barbara Kratus of Infinity Drain.  “Ultimately, it’s the consumer who will pay for it in the end whether it’s Prime delivery or no questions asked returns---just as they do now on Amazon or any other online retailer where it’s baked into the price.”

Harris Wattles of Amba adds, “Re-stock fees are put into place for a variety of reasons and a price increase simply to help offset a reduction/elimination of restock fees is not the answer to the problem. Increasing our prices for this reason will only make it harder to compete with other brands, especially the low-cost companies that you frequently see on Amazon,  further eroding a company’s image while likely pricing our products out of the market.” 

Labor costs in manufacturing are more competitive than ever.  Recruiting, hiring and retaining the best people at every position is not exclusively difficult to showrooms or agencies.  Most jobs in DPH manufacturing are not on assembly lines but require trade training or artistic skill.  

“Production facilities (during Covid) had less time/resources available for new product production.  As responsible suppliers, we had to initiate protocols to keep production teams safe and healthy,” Aliker explains.  “That universally meant less people in the factory at one time, and different production schedules, and thus decreased production capacity.  We have seen Covid-related delays to the supply chain for new components as they also deal with Covid realities.” 

Service is the other main component to successful manufacturing.  We all remember bad service when we encounter it, and good service doesn’t always get recognized but is expected at all levels.  Good service can be a simple smiling voice or a clear instruction about how to turn something on and off.  Good service to a consumer can be slowly walking through how to operate a control or good service can become bad service by not changing out that same control, that is working properly, because the user doesn’t like how the control operates.  There is a fine line between the customer being always right and easy on-site solutions.  

Labor costs in the field are now jungle competitive.  Skilled tradespeople have never been as busy as they are now.  Product support for warranty issues or installation inspections is a critical component in the overall experience of a product offering.  Your warranty can be 100 years, but if you can’t get a professional to a job site it’s not worth much.  And we are all dependent on how professional and experienced the tradesperson working with us can be during the initial installation or during follow up servicing.

“I think products that incorporate tech could inspire young people to enter the trades,” says Kratus.  “There are incredible innovations in building materials!  We have to tout that at all levels of the building process.”

Patrick Weidl of ThermaSol adds, “ThermaSol, like many of us, is reliant on 2 trades, plumbers and electricians, to install the products.  Have their expectations changed? Yes, absolutely. To meet those expectations, we introduced virtual trainings as it relates to product knowledge, installation and general 101s.”

The web runs the world.  It would be an understatement to say that the web has gotten us through a lot this past year and we have all learned new angles to using it. It has become indispensable to our everyday lives.  You can order a car, a boat, a diamond necklace, your groceries, birdfeed, a towel bar or a potty, all from the phone in your hand.  But as we all know, the web is a catch-22 for everyone selling product, any product, around the world.   Amazon and similar companies ruled the web pre-Covid but now ALL companies have improved their online presence either as a seller or simply as a store window showing off their skills and products. Today, if your storefront isn’t well represented on the web, your brick and mortar isn’t going to get the attention it deserves.  We’ve all become accustomed to checking out a product or business on the web before we head out to see it.  A web search can be simply to see what kind of Covid protocols are in place or to actually see if the product you want is on display or to read reviews of that product or business.  

Web views and reviews are, without a doubt, a crucial component to the future of business.  We’ve seen how reviews shape the perception of a product or company and how reviewers, paid and unpaid, can affect mom and pop start-ups, large corporations and government agencies, to name a few.  The world watches and reads what everyone has to say about a product whether what is being said is true or valuable.  They can literally make or break a business.  So we ask, should we raise our prices to be more ‘Amazon like’?  

It’s been a challenging time for all, but the future of construction and renovation is bright and we are hopeful.

The Lowdown on the New Payroll Protection Program.

On December 27, 2020 the U.S. Congress enacted the Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020.  The Act provided another round of Payroll Protection Program funding to any business with less than 300 people and whose gross receipts dropped 25% or more during any quarter of 2020 compared to 2019.  If your company was shut down during the second quarter of last year, it is likely your gross receipts dropped by 25% or more.  Don’t miss the opportunity to apply for the next round of PPP funding from local banks providing PPP loans.

The December 2020 Act also amended and extended the employee retention credit of the original CARES Act and allows eligible DPHA members to obtain both a PPP loan and claim an Employee Retention Credit for 2020, which was not possible under the original CARES Act.  The eligibility requirements to take the tax credit are complicated but do provide a tax credit of up to $5,000 per employee for compensation paid between March 12 and December 31, 2020, but only on wages where the business was shut down due to government order or experienced a large decline in year-over-year gross receipts.  There are lots of qualifying criteria necessary to take the tax credit.  Determining whether your company is eligible should be determined by a qualified tax professional.  Even if you don’t qualify for the tax credit, don’t miss out on the additional PPP loan opportunity!

The Definition of Success: Are You Growth-Minded or Fixed-Minded?

How do you define success? One certainty is that if you don’t have a definition, you will never know if you are successful. Success is not only definable, but it is also actionable. There are generally two types of people; those who look forward, are driven and willing to take calculated risks, and those who believe they are victims of their circumstances, that others are responsible for their current condition and do not believe they have the ability or opportunity to change. The latter rarely takes responsibility for whatever life throws at them.

In her best-selling book Mindset: How We Can Learn to Fulfill Our Potential, Columbia University Professor Carol Dweck terms these two groups of people as growth-minded and fixed-minded. Dweck writes, “A growth mindset is based on the belief that your basic qualities are things that you can cultivate through your efforts. Although people differ – in their initial talents, aptitudes, interests or temperaments ¬¬– everyone can change and grow through application and experience.” In other words, you can succeed if you take control of what you do.

On the other end of the spectrum, fixed-mindsets believe that they are incapable of changing and there is no use in trying because no matter what you do, the result will be the same. Not believing you can be successful is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Think about the people you know who are successful. Do they honestly believe that their success was pre-ordained? They take risks. They have sleepless nights. They always strive for improvement. They believe perfection is an achievable goal. They make mistakes, but strive to learn from them and move on.

Which group are you in? Fixed- or growth-mindset? If you are in the latter, the chances of achieving your dreams are greatly enhanced. If you are in the former, the is no time like the present to change.

Showroom Training With Your Local Sales Representative: By DPHA President Ryan Paul, with input from Dealers, Manufacturers and Independent Sales Reps.

How do you motivate a showroom sales team to present a product with conviction and passion? How do you best engage your audience and make presentations memorable? How do you approach sales people during a presentation when they each have a different level of knowledge? These are all significant challenges. One thing is certain, a single presentation delivered the same way – over and over – will not impact or resonate with the broad spectrum of personalities in our unique markets. Training salespeople is a craft.  An art.

A great sales representative knows a “one size fits all” approach is a poor way to train. As an expert both on product and on sharing information, a quality sales rep succeeds in exciting and motivating listeners. When focusing on a strategic purpose while also resonating with participants, the sales representative becomes an even more valuable asset to the manufacturer and showroom.  Such expertise often becomes the deciding factor when the showroom chooses to partner with a brand, or a manufacturer chooses to contract with an independent rep agency. 

Your local sales representative knows their local market and has the personal relationship with the showroom sales teams that contributes to effective brand and product training.  As a result, good things happen. Everyone benefits financially.

LOCAL MARKET

A significant aspect of valuable training includes information about what is happening with the manufacturer and the product segment on a national level.  Also important, is how the brand and new product fit into the local showroom and market.  The local sales representative is in a strategic position to understand the micro-geographic market, allowing them to train on how the brand or product fits the need in a specific showroom.  

A quality sales representative focuses training on aspects that most impact sales staff in their specific market.  Styles and finishes that sell in one part of the country aren’t necessarily appropriate for the consumer and showroom in another market.  Local design trends from New York to California to Florida to Texas are often not the same.  Regional certification and code requirements differ from market to market.  Finally, the sales representative can employ relevant examples trending in their market.  

LOCAL RELATIONSHIPS

The local sales representatives in the field maintain and cultivate relationships with the showroom salespeople, architects and designers in the territory.  Consequently, local sales reps know what interests and excites showroom personnel as well as their level of industry knowledge. That understanding enables the local sales representative to cater a training specific to the needs/wants of that showroom and each salesperson. Such presentations connect on a personal level of understanding and empathy.  Personal relationships most often make the difference between success and failure.

The local sales representative is balancing not only the qualities of the brand and products they are engaged to represent, but also the concerns and interests of the local showroom and their sales people.  The local sales rep is best positioned to address genuine concerns from a showroom honestly yet diplomatically, allowing relationships to grow and strengthen. Over time, a bond forms between a quality local sales representative and the local showroom sales people.  That increases the ebb and flow of discussion because everyone feels more comfortable and open to embracing new ideas.  Open and involved discussion during a brand and product training leads to better understanding and willingness to in turn share with clients and customers.  The showroom appreciates and relies on information from a trusted local sales representative with a long-standing relationship. Education takes root.

DPHA SALES REPRESENTATIVES

The industry expects DPHA sales representatives, the crème de la crème, to have a deep knowledge of their industry, the product, and the ins and outs of each brand they represent.  Most representatives have a long and enduring historical perspective of those brands. They tie that background into top-tier training on luxury brands and products.  A respected DPHA sales representative presents with a targeted approach while simultaneously capturing the attention and developing the enthusiasm of their audience.  

In the face of the pandemic, this group of sales representatives has been adapting and changing more than ever.  This includes, amongst other activities, the rise of web-based video training.  Many DPHA representatives have built long-term relationships that open doors and computer screens to the opportunity of conducting a training. 

THE FUTURE OF TRAINING

As we emerge from the pandemic into an ever-evolving world and marketplace, training platforms and approaches will also have to evolve and most likely include a mix of formats.  Web-based live video training is a creative way to stay in touch and help deliver time-sensitive training on new product and programs to multiple people and locations.  In addition, there will be a place for vendor created “canned” video training modules that a showroom can use flexibly to provide training on specific products when time allotment is tight or irregular.

In-person training proves the most effective at building a stronger personal connection, which ultimately facilitates a feeling of trust, comfort, and excitement towards a brand, products, and the people who represent them.  In-person training permits interaction, which fosters reading the audience. Thus, the sales representative directs the discussion where it needs to go for a lasting impact.  Sometimes an in-person training will consist of a complete staff training, sometimes a one-on-one training… sometimes a time slot of up to 90 minutes… sometimes as short as 15 minutes… sometimes very basic… sometimes more advanced and technical.  These trainings are uniquely tailored to the audience and the salesperson’s availability.  

The local DPHA sales representative exudes passion about their industry, their brands and products, and their partnerships with local showrooms.  They offer a valuable perspective for impactful showroom training.  Please invite your local sales representative in and reward the best with mutual support, partnership… and business.

Appliances of the Future: Customizable and Colorful.

Customization in kitchens and baths is one of the biggest trends for homeowners and designers.  We see it in bathroom furniture with companies offering a plethora of styles, configurations and finishes that can combine to offer thousands of options.  Faucets with mix and match handles and spouts in dozens of finishes.  Bathtubs in various sizes that can be painted to match any decor.  But what about kitchen appliances?  

When renovating my own kitchen I knew I didn't want stainless steel appliances.  There is barely any silver in my house, and I couldn't splurge on the high end appliances that could be paneled.  Luckily for me, Café had just rebranded and come out with their matte white appliances with bronze handles that worked perfectly in my space.  What about clients who want something really unique?  Perhaps they want the fridge to just disappear.  Or the space doesn't allow for a tall fridge.  Or maybe they just want something to match their navy blue cabinets.  

Now I know many of our members don't sell appliances, but this new product is too cool not to share.  Samsung is reinventing the refrigerator and all other appliances as well. It’s new Bespoke line, introduced in Korea and set for a Spring 2021 debut in the U.S., enables designers to create customized refrigerators in any size, shape or color at a price tag of $1,000 to $2,000 per fridge. 

The Bespoke line starts with a basic box with flat fronts and modular configurations that enable designers to add components in a stack or fit smaller fridges or freezers into nooks and crannies of a kitchen or other rooms in the home.  The company is also partnering with Benjamin Moore to provide 4,000 different color options to its appliances that will enable homeowners to paint have the appliances perfectly match or complement the colors of their home. 

I wonder what customizations will come next from the luxury manufacturers in our industry?

Putting Off Until Tomorrow What You Should Be Doing Today.

When you put off something until tomorrow or the next day or the day after that, your decision comes at a cost. Procrastination is present daily in your showroom and most likely in your home. How can you avoid having to pay the piper? University of Pennsylvania professor and best-selling author Adam Grant offers guidance. He points out that research finds that putting something off has little to do with work and everything to do with negative emotions. We put off a task if we are uncomfortable, confused, or bored. While kicking the can down the street may make you feel better at the time, the long-term effect is feeling worse because the task remains undone.

Grant says to avoid procrastinating you don't actually have to work more or improve your time management skills. Instead, you have to change your mindset. Often, we are our own worst enemy and critic. We strive for perfection while knowing that perfection is never an achievable goal. Think about how many times you have started a project and trashed your work because you did not believe it was not good enough. Grant advises to remind yourself that you are human; make plans to close the gap between your work and your expectations.

Timing is another tactic. Research finds that chronic procrastinators are night owls. Your brain cannot function at peak performance without sufficient sleep or if it is not alert. If you tend to stay up late, schedule your most important tasks later in the day when you are more alert.

Additionally, surround yourself with highly productive team members. Grant cited one study that found individuals improved their productivity by 10% when they sat next to someone who was twice as productive as the average person.

Avoiding procrastination is not easy. Recognize that there are always tasks that we don't want to do or that emit negative feelings. Managing and, if possible, eliminating negativity will help you and your team stay focused and ensure deadlines are met.

An Editorial on Editorial. By Tom Cohn, Connections Executive Editor.

Last week’s Connections caused quite a stir. Several of DPHA’s members were offended by the Jeffrey Valles’ Thoughts from a Fellow article. Jeffrey ruffled more than a few feathers and there are times when opinion pieces can cause those types of reactions. We regret that the piece was perceived as an attack on independent representatives and mean-spirited. As I read the piece, Jeffrey’s observation is that COVID is changing how training is presented and that trend is likely to continue in the future with more manufacturers likely to conduct training in-house via video. Those observations were more than obscured by Jeffrey’s opinion of who is more qualified to provide training.

The reaction to last week’s Thoughts column raises a larger question. Should DPHA allow opinion pieces? Should there have been additional filtration of the piece that would have made it less offensive? In 20-20 hindsight, perhaps. Jeffrey’s columns appear because he takes the time to write them. His columns are the most popular and well-read pieces in Connections. The opportunity provided to Jeffrey is available to every DPHA member. You have an open forum to express your thoughts, opinions and expertise via Connections. We welcome all comers.

Opinion pieces are just that, opinions. Should they be mean-spirited? Absolutely not. If occasionally – once in the past 350 issues of Connections ¬– a piece offends, let’s use that to start a more meaningful conversation. If you disagree with something that appears in Connections, please tell us why. If you have an alternative solution, please share it.

We want to grow and improve. That’s how we educate. That’s how we connect and that’s how we elevate. We welcome your opinions.

A Benefit from The Pandemic: Do Factory Employees Train Best? Thoughts from DPHA Fellow Jeffrey Valles, Colonial Bronze.

It has taken you years to build your company’s best practices, then 2020 comes and this pandemic wreaks havoc on them. This constant journey into the unknown has forced us to discover new business practices and learn about the technology that makes them work. Some have worked okay, others have been a detriment, and some have been wonderful additions. Now we have the opportunity to see which of these new tools are simply a short-term seal or something that we can further leverage to make our companies better in the long run.

One of my favorite additions is the rise of virtual training done by the manufacturer at the factory, replacing or supplementing the independent sales representatives’ training. For years I have been touting training being done by the people who work full time with the brand and are intimately involved with the products from concept to distribution. As talented as a local sales representative might be, they simply do not have the same level of knowledge and focused passion that an engaged, full time factory employee does.

I have sat through too many PK sessions where the bullet point-heavy PowerPoint presentation came from the factory and the rep is forced to methodically read from the factory’s tedious point by point script. These sessions are painful for all involved, especially the manufacturer as their new product story is dead on arrival. This industry standard practice puts nobody in the best possible position to succeed and, in certain situations, can actually harm a brand. If the vendor's exciting new product message is not captivating, it will create little showroom enthusiasm leading to the frustration of all players by this missed opportunity.

Today’s successful brands are creating intricate products with attractive styles, in dramatic finishes, all supported by continually improving technical foundations. If you were a salesperson at an Audi dealership, would you want to learn about its new electric automobiles from a salesperson that handles multiple auto product lines? I think you would prefer to be introduced to the product by an eloquent Audi team member that works and lives with the product every day. Both people are good at what they do, and to obtain the optimal result they must leverage their individual knowledge base effectively. Let the independent sales representative work the market and the factory do the training.

I believe that training is a factory function and should not be tasked to the local sales representatives simply because it is cheaper. Today, training can be effectively delivered virtually and once we are able to travel, knowledgeable factory people will be able to host effective product knowledge meetings in showrooms.

An important pandemic note to this is that no matter how good a virtual meeting can be, it is a distant second to a live meeting. There is nothing better than in-person training delivered by a knowledgeable factory employee. A person who lives the brand’s culture and is accompanied by actual product samples supported by a well-crafted and rehearsed presentation. That is the best way to introduce a product to the actual people who will be presenting your new, soon to be a hot, hot design, to the designers, builders, plumbers and design engaged homeowners.

As a vendor, why would you not want to completely control how the showroom salespeople are introduced to your brand and its stream of new and exciting products?

As a showroom, why would you invest in a product line that would not take the time to properly educate and motivate your sales team?

As an Independent Sales Representative, why would you want to take your valuable time and minimize the opportunity of a product line you work so hard to promote and support?

As a vendor, wouldn’t you prefer that your local representative is out in the field driving business to your distributors, supporting the products in the field and keeping the showroom sales people motivated with a positive feeling about your product mix?

It is time to agree that the best step for vendor brands is to train the showroom salespeople with full-time employees. The vendor brands that adopt this educational discipline will make the showroom salespeople stronger brand evangelists and allow their local independent sales representatives more time to leverage their local market knowledge to drive customers to these highly trained showroom salespeople.

It is paramount for brand success to always work to place the best possible person in the best possible situation to succeed.

A Tribute to Tony Hsieh, a Customer Service Icon Gone Way Too Soon.

This past week, we lost an American business icon. Zappos founder and CEO Tony Hsieh passed away tragically at the age of 46. He built an incredible company with an even more remarkable story that all DPHA members can learn from.

Zappos is arguably the number one customer service organization in the world. Hsieh once described his company as a customer service organization that happens to sell shoes. Today, Zappos (owned by Amazon) has the world's largest selection of shoes and generates 75% of its business from repeat customers. Zappos does not offer the lowest prices, however. What it does provide is a customer experience like no other.

Hsieh created a culture most businesses can't even imagine. Zappos stocks more than 1,000 brands of shoes. If you order shoes on Tuesday, they arrive on Wednesday. Shipping is free. If you don't like what you bought two, six or eleven months after the purchase, return it for a full refund. No questions asked. Want to talk to a customer service rep? Call the 800 number. It will be answered within a few rings, 24/7/365.

Every recruit who comes to Zappos spends five weeks in a training program. It does not matter if you are the new CFO or the next shipping clerk. Everyone spends time during the training period answering customer calls because talking to customers helps everyone understand what is important to customers. At the end of the five weeks, every new hire receives the "offer": $2,000 not to take the job. Only a handful accept the buy-out.

Other highly rated customer service companies, including Southwest Airlines, frequently visit Zappos to learn its secrets and profit from its experiences. What sets Zappos apart is not its technology, pricing or marketing. Zappos attributes its success to a culture that is so intense, so outsized, so performative that by design, it is not for everyone. That's why Zappos is willing to offer newly trained employees cash to quit to affirm new hires are "all in." Culture drives Zappos and everything it does. Zappos ten core company values are:

• Deliver wow through service
• Embrace and drive change
• Create fun and a little weirdness
• Be adventurous, creative and open-minded
• Pursue growth and learning
• Build open and honest relationships with communication
• Build a positive team and family spirit
• Do more with less
• Be passionate and determined
• Be humble

Zappos' culture is dedicated to delivering happiness. Hsieh understood that there is a direct link between performance and employee, partner and customer happiness.

Tips for Keeping Customer Loyalty Strong: By Stephanie Azran, SH Design-Build.

In the pandemic situation we are currently experiencing, strengthening customer loyalty is more important than ever. This is not only because more consumers are shopping online, an issue affecting brick and mortar retail across the globe. The strongest reason for ensuring customers remain loyal is this: people are much more conscious of their spending habits, due to widespread economic upheaval. Showrooms have to put up a fight to stay in the minds of their customers so when those precious purchases are made, they are made in-store. Taking specific actions during the months to come won’t just help the showroom weather the storm; it will inspire long-term confidence in the client. 

Make the Showroom Clean and Safe

In the decorative plumbing world, the physical store determines everything from the mood of the customer to the range of price points the store can offer. The look and feel of a showroom make a strong impression on customers, and during a pandemic situation, a dated, cluttered showroom will keep potential customers from coming in. Do what is necessary to present a spacious, uncluttered showroom. It’s not about the look anymore, it’s really about making clients feel safe indoors by allowing them to be socially distant. Also, with less clutter, it is easier to sanitize display models as needed; people are definitely taking note of cleanliness in stores these days. This may mean removing displays in the middle of the aisles, curating the products with more care, or investing in new displays that allow for better product organization and layout possibilities. 

Show Gratitude

A thank you goes a long way, but what about showing gratitude by having special hours for at-risk groups or front-line workers? It may reduce the overall number of shoppers during those times, but offering those low-traffic hours may encourage those who haven’t felt safe enough to shop in-store to finally do so. By offering these special hours, you can show a commitment to health and safety regulations that inspires confidence in all your customers, at-risk or not. Special shopping hours can also work great as a loyalty reward. 

Promote the Buy Local Message

Aside from throwing a “Buy Local” icon on your webpage, ads or social media posts, take the time to explain to your existing and prospective clients the importance of buying local during the pandemic. Some of the top reasons people buy local is because it helps people with the following: 

• Avoid supply chain issues 
• Get their items faster
• Easier returns
• Better customer service
• Product and installation expertise

So many showrooms are family-owned and operated and have been in the community for years- tell your story as a way to share the benefits of buying local. Then you can move on to the more general benefits of shopping local. Have fun with this in your social media posts! 

The ups and downs of the past have left retailers and shoppers confused about in-store shopping. More and more people are turning to online shopping, perhaps out of convenience, but more likely out of anxiety of going into physical stores. In a situation like this, strengthening customer loyalty with the tips listed above can make a huge difference.

Empathy Goes A Long Way and Lack Thereof Can Be Devastating: Thoughts from DPHA Fellow Tom Cohn

Many moons ago, we renovated our master bath not necessarily out of a desire to improve the aesthetic or functionality, but more so out of necessity. The contractor who installed the original bathroom placed basic wallboard instead of a material that was waterproof in the shower stall and throughout the entire bath. Tiles were falling off the wall and water was leaking into the living room below. We took advantage of our misfortune to create or ideal bathroom (a big assist to the Goldberg family). We removed a jetted tub that could sleep four with a multifunctional dual shower that has 11 showerheads. We hired a local contractor with good references for the install. He did not do a good job. The shower leaked from day one. Long story short, it took us three demolitions to finally have a shower that did not leak, and the last contractor who saved our day is one of the largest remodelers not only in our service territory, but in the entire country.

We encountered a new problem a few weeks ago. The glass panel that is connected to the shower door was pulling away from the wall and we feared that our frameless enclosure could collapse. I reached out to the owner of the remodeling company, who referred me to a project manager that would help us. When I called the project manager to express the urgency of our concern, I was greeted with this statement: “Your warranty has expired.” What? I was taken back that the representative of a company with a stellar reputation who spends hundreds of thousands of dollars annually advertising and promoting its quality and trustworthiness was only concerned about who would pay for the fix. There was no interest in helping a former client who had a problem. There was no offer to help. There was no empathy. And this lack of empathy reminded me of what is considered one of the great moments in campaign history (if you did not know, I live in Washington, DC where campaigning is a major industry). In 1992 during a town hall, then candidate Bill Clinton was asked by an activist to take a stand and offer his position on the AIDS epidemic. Instead of reciting a policy position, Clinton walked from behind his podium and approached the activist saying, “I feel your pain.” That response is credited as a major reason Clinton defeated Bush and Ross Perot in 1992. It showed that Clinton was a human being and a great politician.

That’s the lesson of my recent less-than-stellar customer service experience. When a client or former customer calls with a problem, teach your customer service team, designers, sales professionals, bookkeepers and everyone else on your team to take a step back and understand that this person has a problem and they are calling you for help. Your customer does not care who was responsible or whether or not a warranty has expired. Their primary concern is the fix. Approaching problems with empathy and feeling your customers’ pain will go a long way toward determining who will rightfully pay for the solution without argument and whether or not you can take advantage of an opportunity to create a raving fan.

The Future of Office Technology

Nine months ago, no one would have imagined that by the end of the year 42% of Americans would be working from home, a number that is not likely to change in the near future. The decorative plumbing and hardware industry certainly has adapted. Virtual meetings are now par for the course for many DPHA members, as they help to save time and improve efficiency while keeping wellness in the forefront.

Advances in virtual technology will continue to redefine the future of work, and in many cases improve productivity and professional accomplishment. AI-driven platforms such as Remesh can give you consumer insights in minutes, enabling showrooms and manufacturers to research markets and collect and summarize anonymized views of up to 1,000 people on a topic or new product. This platform and others allow marketing specialists to react to focus group comments in real time.

Digital tools such as sticky notes, shared digital whiteboards and co-editing tools help to bring team members together if they are working from home. With the ability to video chat and share files, many of our members have adopted Microsoft Teams and Sharepoint.

Advances in technology will help make working and connecting with customers remotely more efficient and easier. Affordable home smart boards and large multi-monitor displays will make it possible for showrooms to project proposed designs from being viewed on a laptop or even smartphone. Advances in 3-D printing will allow showrooms to showcase products from around their world to their clients’ and prospects’ home offices.

Ten years from now, the crackly Zoom calls will be a distant memory as remote work technology will be the next best thing to being there.

It's a Great Time to Tell the World What's New With Your Brand: by DPHA Fellow Jeffrey Valles, Colonial Bronze.

Now that we know the next president of the United States, what’s next?  Who the heck knows!  It is likely the next few months will remain a bit hectic as the presidential decision sinks in, Covid continues to surge and nobody is really sure when the next calamity might hit.  All that uncertainty makes it a perfect time to announce something new and fabulous with your company.

So many businesses are waiting for specific vaccine news, policy rollouts and Wall Street reactions before they even start to plan new market plays.  All the while your team is looking for something new to tout and your customers are bored living the same old pandemic life-limiting style. Do not mistake being busy for being bored.  Being busy doing the same things day after day is monotonous.  Heck, without the stress of the election and the possibility of catching the virus, life would be outright boring.  

This is a great time to roll something out.  It does not have to be big, it just needs to simply be something for your company to present, your team to talk about, and that continues to showcase your brand as unique and the finest partner to have in the marketplace.

And yes, I am talking about now, not in 2021.  Now is the time to shout out.  It is the lull after the storm and people are beginning to feel the disappointment of not being able to get together for the holidays.  A few months back we were looking toward the holidays when family and friends would be able to gather with the pandemic no longer a concern.  Now it looks to be a Zoom holiday season.  So very frustrating for so many.  

Outside of the constant barrage of Black Friday deals, there remains a public looking for something new and innovative to add a spark to their day.  If you have an idea that you have put on hold while waiting for the world to stabilize, bring it out now.  

With KBIS going virtual and ICFF moving to November, there will not be any physical conferences or conventions in the first half of 2021.  So many of us have grown tired of virtual anything that just the thought of shaking someone’s hand is exciting.  

If you tried something in the past and that you believe should have been a hit, but it underperformed, give it another shot.  Second time's a charm!  Stress is the order of the day and, in our perception, there are so few ways to get away from it all.  A new and interesting story from your brand could very well be the news of the day, maybe even the week.  

Does one of your team members have an interesting idea that they have been pitching?  Why not give-it-a-go.  Even if it does not become a big thing, it will reward a talented member of your team and instill a confidence with your other employees that you do listen and are willing to take a chance on their ideas.

Some great things can happen in the strangest of times, and these are very strange times.  Best of luck out there and do give it a go!

P.S. What a time for a Pop-Up!!!

Looking To Improve Your Business? Listen To Your Team. By DPHA Fellow Jeffrey Valles, Colonial Bronze

It was mid May 2020 and I had just finished a webinar hosted by hospitals all over Canada and the US who were cleaning up after their first wave of Covid-19 patients. It had been a harrowing experience. Healthcare individuals went in knowing little to nothing, and now they had an understanding of what had worked and a vision of the future. The webinar’s panel consisted of the heads of Princeton and Stanford hospital divisions, the head of healthcare design at Gensler and the C.E.O of The Center for Health Design. It was a heavyweight group and they all agreed that when they accepted their first Covid-19 patients, they had no real plan and empowered their staff do whatever they thought best. Process was thrown aside and these top institutions were flying by the seat of their employee’s pants. One gentleman openly told us that he was completely overwhelmed and without the insight and inventiveness of his staff, the situation would have been much worse.

They all described amazing homemade protective outfits, industrious engineers utilizing four foot diameter tubing to re-route an entire floors airflow and new, effective triage processes that saved patients and employees lives. The nurses, engineers and custodial teams worked together to fabricate on-the-fly solutions to keep the spaces clean, the patients isolated and create safe accessibility to deliver exemplary healthcare.

These professionals were living in an entirely new situation. They leveraged their many years of experience to create solutions to situations the healthcare world had never seen. Management knew this and listened, acting to create the best situation for everyone’s success. If they asked for something, they got it. NO questions asked. This is a classic example of bottom up learning. Management trusted their employees and were rewarded with stellar results.

Your employees are every bit as talented at what they do, or they would not be your employee. They know their job and consistently deliver solid results. So why not heavily involve them in all your process decisions and give them the tools they request to improve their performance?

In many successful companies, management allows its employees the space to handle their day-to-day situations as they see fit. But rarely does management sit down with their individual team members to learn what company policies are getting in the way and what support tools are lacking. Every day your company has access to valuable information and in many companies all that insight remains locked inside your employee’s brains.

I suggest that you and your managers casually meet with each employee individually, listening to better understand their world and learn what they think is the best way for them to perform at a higher level.

These meetings must be one-on-one. If they are in a group, the loudest member of that team will drown out the more introspective people, and others will fear their ideas will be judged negatively by the group. When you meet with people privately, many people will be more comfortable and will find it easier to share their thoughts. With so much to gain, it is worth the extra time to meet privately.

For the best results, I suggest the meeting follow this simple process:

1. Let the employee know you value their work and you are trying to better understand their day-to-day situations and learn how to help them improve.
2. The first question is WHAT are the situations they dealing with?
3. When they describe a newly emerging issue, ask them how they handle it and what tools do they need. Here it is important to stay away from asking WHY you need that. WHY is this happening, A WHY question here can lead the discussion into personal feelings and that is not the reason for the discussion. You want to learn what is happening, how they are handling and what can be done to make it easier for them to succeed.

If you decide you are going to embark on this learning process, you cannot interview your employees and do nothing. They need to see their honest thoughts acted upon. If you talk with everyone and nothing happens, you have lost short term and long term opportunities to improve your business. Your employees will not trust the process the next time and you will have likely damaged your company’s culture.

Carrying out this process to its end will allow you to gain more insight into your company, increase your empathy for your employees, generate wonderful ways to support and improve your teams and enhance your company’s culture.

Remember: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” Quotation attributed to the late business management guru Peter Drucker.

Inside the Craziness of a Creative Mind: Thoughts from DPHA Fellow Tom Cohn.

I have to admit, I’m struggling a bit. Maybe it's a combination of the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, figuring out how to make virtual events as compelling as those in-person, worrying about good friends facing challenges or keeping the team motivated and happy. What else would explain waking up in the middle of the night wondering how to best communicate the outstanding education programs that DPHA will offer at next week’s virtual Conference October 22-23 and the best guidance for Showcase exhibitors to take advantage of a virtual platform at DPHA? In the middle of the night, my mind races and I can’t go back to sleep.

A better answer just might be one that many DPHA members share; we have creative minds. Unlike most others, as someone who communicates for a living my mind starts to spin when certain words and phrases are uttered or read. An example, when my wife says, “I’m going to jump in the shower”, I respond by advising to stand, it’s much safer. Writers, designers, marketers and many showroom professionals are creative. Their minds never seem to shut down. Why? In his classic work, A Whack on the Side of the Head, Roger von Oech explained the art of creativity is the ability to look at the same things differently. That’s why we see things and imagine infinite possibilities when our friends and others are generally happy with the status quo.

Sometimes I don’t know how or why my mind works the way it does. I wanted to find out how a creative mind works, so I received insight from writer Hannah Heath, who identified nine characteristics of creative brains.

Creatives believe they are the threshold of something big. We believe that perfection is achievable even though we never can get to perfect. We always think that there is a better solution, a more appropriate scheme, a small detail that needs to be addressed even after we publish or hit send. We can’t get discouraged, because the next column, guide, manuscript, etc. offers another chance to reach perfection.

Failure is not an option because we have faith that our talent will always reign supreme. We don’t and can’t quit simply because we are ahead. We push ourselves to try and reach the next level to help assure that we will not fail.

We can’t ignore our creativity. There’s no on-off switch in our brains that controls our creative mindset. When we are not creating something, we are thinking about creating something because it makes us feel better.

We are dreamers. We envision being on top of the profession, being the go-to resource in our market, the person that the trade publications call to ask our opinions because they matter the most.

Creative minds can’t be explained, even to ourselves. That’s why when we walk into the showroom or stand in the shower, fireworks go off. We imagine new spaces, creative applications and better solutions. That’s why we wake up in the middle of the night, ready to go. There is no logical explanation. It’s just who we are.

We are our own worst critics. Yes, we take pride in our work, but we constantly second guess and are not able to evaluate our services objectively.

Being creative can be lonely. We understand that our lens is different from most others. That’s why we feel colors, taste emotions and touch sounds, as Heath notes. At times, we incorrectly believe that we are the only people who see the world the way we do and that can be lonely.

We love what we do. I have started to field questions from friends and DPHA members about when I would plan to retire. My response is why retire? I love what I do and I could not imagine doing anything else. Could you? What makes your creative mind tick? Let’s share experiences on DPHA’s Facebook or LinkedIn pages.

How is Your Communication? Thoughts from DPHA Fellow Kaye Powell

When I was in the showroom, getting a professional to return my call was not too difficult. How-ever, since retiring and moving to a new area where I am not known, getting return calls from showroom professionals and contractors has become very challenging. Calling a business that is busy is understandable, but calling a business that is too busy to return calls at all is unprofessional and will eventually hurt the business. There is a saying that a good review for a company will result in one or two leads, but a bad review will be the topic of conversation for a long time. I do not think these business professionals intend to do this, but I have experienced it again and again.

Thinking that the project is too small or insignificant is very short-sighted. I hired the contractor who renovated my kitchen to do my deck a few months later because of the quality of his work and his professionalism. The showroom that returned my calls and got the quote done on time got the contract. Several showrooms I visited didn’t even show interest in my projects! Now fast forward to Covid-19 times. Communication is more vital than ever as people are more isolated and want-ing the spaces they spend their days in to be more functional and more beautiful.

So how can showrooms approve upon their communication? Keeping track of promises on a scheduling calendar is helpful. Asking the client for a good time to call and suggesting a date or two is a great way to make them feel that their project or business is important to you. Following through is imperative. It only takes a minute to admit that you are running late and ask for an ex-tension or another appointment. However, not returning the call will result in anger, frustration and a loss of business. It is also a good idea to ask if there is a preferred way to communicate. Phone, email and text are all options and some will prefer one over the other. Designers, contractors and industry professionals are focused on protecting their reputations with their clients too. Helping them do that will cement a good working relationship with them.

Managing your time well will also reduce stress. Be sure to block out time to complete the tasks promised before the promised date. During these changing times, be thinking not just of today’s project, but remember that the future may be determined by how well the communication is to-day.

Marketing Content Hierarchy of Needs

The hierarchy of human needs is a psychological theory developed by Abraham Maslov. At the base are the need for basic necessities such as food, shelter and security. Those must be satisfied before moving on to other human needs such as relationships and self-actualization. Marketing expert Mark Schaefer recently used Maslov’s hierarchy to help businesses best employ content.

At the base of the content marketing needs pyramid is the need to answer questions. One of the most effective tools to drive traffic to your website and social media platforms is to answer the questions that your customers ask most often, such as how much does a new bathroom cost? Answering questions can be limiting, however, because once someone has an answer, what is the reason to stay or return to the site?

The second rung of the content marketing pyramid is to teach. Teach your customers and prospects how to select decorative plumbing and hardware, how to prepare for a showroom visit or survive and thrive during the renovation process.

The third rung of the content market pyramid is emotional connection. Emotional content connects customers more deeply and converts them from purchasers to raving fans. Apple and Starbucks are two iconic brands that have established emotional connections with their customers. You most likely have customers who can’t thank you enough for creating a dream space in their home. Leverage their “love” through video testimonials, open houses for neighbors and friends and other means to drive more traffic to your website and showroom.

Inspiration is the final rung of the content marketing hierarchy of needs. Content that inspires prospects to act and stand up and take notice. Inspirational content may be dramatic before and after images, innovative design that most others are not capable of developing or awe-inspiring testimonials from satisfied customers.

DPHA members are in competitive markets, making it essential to capitalize on opportunities to differentiate based on the different rungs of the content marketing hierarchy of needs.