Managing For Money
Hire New or Experienced
Decorators ?
Here are some new ideas for this old challenge.
by Steven C. Bursten
Until your sales are
over $300,000 a year, you probably don’t need to hire a decorator.
From $300,000 to $500,000 a year is a gray area, it can go either
way. When you reach $500,000, if you still want to grow, there is
no choice. And, later, by the time you reach the magic million-dollar
mark you will have hired several decorators/sales consultants. (Whether
you call your salespeople decorators or window fashions sales consultants,
the message in this story is the same).
HOW DO YOU FIND A GOOD DECORATOR?
I am asked that question all the time. My answer is always the same:
Hire 20—you’ll find a good one. Sure, that’s dramatic,
but close to the truth—if your business is over a $1 million
and growing.
If you are at $500,000 to $1 million in sales you can hire more slowly.
You can carefully nurture a friend or employee to join your business.
But, that approach won’t work at higher sales levels. You need
coverage in your area.
NEW OR EXPERIENCED?
This is the age-old dilemma. Should you hire new or experienced decorating
sales consultants? It seems like you have a clear choice, but you
don’t. Why? Because 90 percent of decorators who tell you they
are experienced aren’t! Ask them to show you their sales orders
for the last two years in which they sold over $100,000 a year in
window coverings. Chances are you will never see them.
By experienced, they mean they have worked in a shop somewhere doing
various tasks; or they helped some neighbors pick out fabrics in a
yardage store. Ask them to measure a window and write a drapery order
on a print fabric you select; or write an order for a vaned fabric
shade.
The bottom line is you will be fortunate to find one qualified, experienced
decorator every two or three years. Why? Because experienced decorators
don’t leave their jobs. If they are selling well and making money,
they aren’t reading want ads.
TAKE A DIFFERENT APPROACH
When you know from the get-go that it is near impossible to find experienced,
successful sales consultants, then you can take a different approach
in your recruiting.
Assume everyone you interview will have limited experience or none
at all. But, they might have an interest in the window fashions and
decorating field.
Job or career? This is the first question to have answered. Do they
want a job or a career? If the person wants an assured, guaranteed
wage with hospitalization and health benefits, chances are they will
not work out for you. What you are looking for is someone who loves
the industry, loves working with the terrific, upper-income customers
we sell to, loves the freedom and flexibility, looks forward to constant
learning and self-development and other satisfying but non-financial
rewards in the window coverings business.
HIRE THE SMILE, TRAIN THE SKILL
Nordstrom’s is famous for its policy to hire people with great
attitudes and then train them for their jobs. Realistically, that
is unrealistic for our industry—it takes too long for people
to learn decorating sales. But, using that philosophy as a baseline,
remember always to give preference to the person with personality
over the person with design credentials.
This is a touchy-feely, human-interaction, friendly business. At the
highest levels, the client and sales person will become friends, or
at least respectful acquaintances for years and years. In training,
I teach decorators and sales people this concept: Tell your customers—
“I want to be your decorator for life. I am here to help you
with things I don’t sell. I want you to come back to me and send
me your friends. I want us to work together as a team to make your
home the beautiful environment you want it to be. We’ll do it
over time as your family and your budget are ready. And we’re
going to have fun doing it together.”
If the decorator you interview gives you a good feeling—a sense
you would enjoy working with her over the years—find some way
to attract her to your business and help her build a future for you
both. The way you will do it will not be by paying a huge draw. You
may pay no guarantee at all. You will do it because they believe in
you and your company, and they see themselves growing their incomes
in a career field they want to be a part of.
IS RECRUITING SALES CONSULTANTS IMPORTANT TO YOU?
There is much more to be said about hiring sales people. Yet, only
a small number of window coverings retailers have reached the point
where they are ready to do it. If there are only 10 business owners
who want to hear more, I will write another article or two.
Send me your email, and I will reply with your number. When it reaches
10, I will write more for you. Send to: hire.decorators@ custEmers.com
Make the subject: “Hire Decorators – Yes.” Tell me
your city and a little about your business. Include your phone number
if you like. I may want to talk to you about future stories. Have
a great summer and fabulous fall season.
Steven C. Bursten is the retired founder of Decorating Den Interiors
and author of a how to book on new business start up, “Bootstrap
Entrepreneur.” He is president of custEmers.com, specializing
in affordable Internet marketing tools along with tried and true techniques.
He welcomes your questions about marketing, sales and customer relationships.
Request a free report: How to Improve Sales Performance for Yourself
and Your Decorators. E-mail: selling.dwc@custEmers. com.
Whether you are the sole manager who aspires to higher sales, or you
manage 50 window fashion decorators in a multi-million dollar business,
this series will help you manage sales better and increase your profitability.
The series is based on Bursten’s actual experience studying sales
and financial information with hundreds of window fashions businesses.Until
your sales are over $300,000 a year, you probably don’t need
to hire a decorator. From $300,000 to $500,000 a year is a gray area,
it can go either way. When you reach $500,000, if you still want to
grow, there is no choice. And, later, by the time you reach the magic
million-dollar mark you will have hired several decorators/sales consultants.
(Whether you call your salespeople decorators or window fashions sales
consultants, the message in this story is the same).
HOW DO YOU FIND A GOOD DECORATOR?
I am asked that question all the time. My answer is always the same:
Hire 20—you’ll find a good one. Sure, that’s dramatic,
but close to the truth—if your business is over a $1 million
and growing.
If you are at $500,000 to $1 million in sales you can hire more slowly.
You can carefully nurture a friend or employee to join your business.
But, that approach won’t work at higher sales levels. You need
coverage in your area.
NEW OR EXPERIENCED?
This is the age-old dilemma. Should you hire new or experienced decorating
sales consultants? It seems like you have a clear choice, but you
don’t. Why? Because 90 percent of decorators who tell you they
are experienced aren’t! Ask them to show you their sales orders
for the last two years in which they sold over $100,000 a year in
window coverings. Chances are you will never see them.
By experienced, they mean they have worked in a shop somewhere doing
various tasks; or they helped some neighbors pick out fabrics in a
yardage store. Ask them to measure a window and write a drapery order
on a print fabric you select; or write an order for a vaned fabric
shade.
The bottom line is you will be fortunate to find one qualified, experienced
decorator every two or three years. Why? Because experienced decorators
don’t leave their jobs. If they are selling well and making money,
they aren’t reading want ads.
TAKE A DIFFERENT APPROACH
When you know from the get-go that it is near impossible to find experienced,
successful sales consultants, then you can take a different approach
in your recruiting.
Assume everyone you interview will have limited experience or none
at all. But, they might have an interest in the window fashions and
decorating field.
Job or career? This is the first question to have answered. Do they
want a job or a career? If the person wants an assured, guaranteed
wage with hospitalization and health benefits, chances are they will
not work out for you. What you are looking for is someone who loves
the industry, loves working with the terrific, upper-income customers
we sell to, loves the freedom and flexibility, looks forward to constant
learning and self-development and other satisfying but non-financial
rewards in the window coverings business.
HIRE THE SMILE, TRAIN THE SKILL
Nordstrom’s is famous for its policy to hire people with great
attitudes and then train them for their jobs. Realistically, that
is unrealistic for our industry—it takes too long for people
to learn decorating sales. But, using that philosophy as a baseline,
remember always to give preference to the person with personality
over the person with design credentials.
This is a touchy-feely, human-interaction, friendly business. At the
highest levels, the client and sales person will become friends, or
at least respectful acquaintances for years and years. In training,
I teach decorators and sales people this concept: Tell your customers—
“I want to be your decorator for life. I am here to help you
with things I don’t sell. I want you to come back to me and send
me your friends. I want us to work together as a team to make your
home the beautiful environment you want it to be. We’ll do it
over time as your family and your budget are ready. And we’re
going to have fun doing it together.”
If the decorator you interview gives you a good feeling—a sense
you would enjoy working with her over the years—find some way
to attract her to your business and help her build a future for you
both. The way you will do it will not be by paying a huge draw. You
may pay no guarantee at all. You will do it because they believe in
you and your company, and they see themselves growing their incomes
in a career field they want to be a part of.
IS RECRUITING SALES CONSULTANTS IMPORTANT TO YOU?
There is much more to be said about hiring sales people. Yet, only
a small number of window coverings retailers have reached the point
where they are ready to do it. If there are only 10 business owners
who want to hear more, I will write another article or two.
Send me your email, and I will reply with your number. When it reaches
10, I will write more for you. Send to: hire.decorators@ custEmers.com
Make the subject: “Hire Decorators – Yes.” Tell me
your city and a little about your business. Include your phone number
if you like. I may want to talk to you about future stories. Have
a great summer and fabulous fall season.
Steven C. Bursten is the retired founder of Decorating Den
Interiors and author of a how to book on new business start up,
“Bootstrap Entrepreneur.” He is president of custEmers.com,
specializing in affordable Internet marketing tools along with tried
and true techniques. He welcomes your questions about marketing,
sales and customer relationships. Request his most popular free
report: “How to Improve Sales Performance for Yourself and
Your Decorators.”
E-mail: performance@custEmers.com.
Whether you are the sole manager who aspires to higher sales, or
you manage 50 window fashion decorators in a multi-million dollar
business, this series will help you manage sales better and increase
your profitability. The series is based on Bursten’s actual
experience studying sales and financial information with hundreds
of window fashions businesses. Past articles can be found on D&WC’s
online archive categorized by author and subject: www.dwconline.com/DWC/ArticleIndex.html
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