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A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast

In today's world being a talented interior designer isn't enough to ensure that you have a profitable and successful interior design business. Design school doesn't always teach you the critical business skills to be sure your interior design business be everything you imagined it would be! A Well Designed Business is here to fill in the gaps and give you real live business skills from some of the top interior designers. Your host, LuAnn Nigara shares her 35 years of success in the interior design industry, and she finds the most successful guests to share their interior design business best practices.
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A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast
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Now displaying: February, 2020
Feb 28, 2020

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business! In this episode, LuAnn recounts the way that Sara Lynn Brennan, from Sara Lynn Brennan Interiors, went from being a stranger to her, to someone she treasures as a friend, all in less than two years.

As an entrepreneur, Sara stands out as one of the most unusual LuAnn has met during her entire business career and her podcast journey.

You may have noticed lots of collaboration with Sara over the last few months, and wondered why.

There’s a lesson to be learned here, and LuAnn is eager to share it with you! It has to do with investing in your success.

One of the ways that LuAnn noticed Sara investing in her success was that she steps outside the box by working on things that may have been intimidating or scary. Another way is that Sara has put in the blood, sweat, and tears. A third way that Sara has brought her business to a place of success so quickly is that she invested her dollar bills. When she made money, she evaluated it, and invested money back into her business.

Listen in today to find out what Sara has to share concerning success!

Sara is an entrepreneur, CEO, and Principal Interior Designer at Sara Lynn Brennan Interiors. Sara has become the first and only full-service interior design firm in Waxhaw, North Carolina, who specializes in Transitional Designs, where she and her design-build team take spaces from Bare Bones to Beautiful by utilizing her exclusive, approachable, and stress-free design process, transforming and renovating homes from start to finish.

Sara’s design work has been nationally published six times in the last year including publications such as Romantic Homes, Traditional Home, Window Fashion Vision, and Cottages and Bungalows, who recently offered her a role as a monthly columnist. She’s also been noticed as a rising star among colleagues in the design industry being invited as a guest on podcasts, as a panelist at High Point Market and as a host and speaker at local design events and shows.

Show Highlights:

  • Sara shares how listening to LuAnn’s podcast helped her learn to run her business.
  • Aligning yourself with the people you love and respect and want to be like is pivotal in becoming successful, because you are like the five people you spend the most time with.
  • Understanding the value that you bring to the table inspires confidence.
  • It all comes down to what you planned and what you didn’t plan for, and the expectations that you set. You can look back to see where things went wrong.
  • Sara relates her favorite saying and what it means: “The package is the promise of the process.”
  • Sara takes her own discovery calls because she wants to be the first person a client talks to about her process.
  • Whoever is in this with you - a business partner, a coach - can’t stroke your ego; they have to give you the insights and pushback you need.
  • Hard times in life can teach us the greatest lessons.
  • Understanding yourself as a person will help you to find your passion. This sometimes takes therapy or soul-searching.
  • Learn to “edit” your space and business to create a balance that is sustainable.
  • FYI, LuAnn and Sara will be in Charlotte at the IWCE in March! LuAnn details all the other shows that she and Sara will be showing up at in the coming months.

Resources:

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review!

Purchase LuAnn’s Book!

Power Talk Friday

LuAnn Live

The Power Talk Friday Tour

Interior Design Standard

IWCE Vision

Connect with Sara!

Sara’s Website

Sara’s Instagram

Process Leads to Profit!

Big Thanks to ThisPodcast Sponsor:

My Doma Studio

Book Mentioned:

Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman

Other shows mentioned:

Michele Williams: 137, 180, 395, 424

Nancy Ganzekaufer: 15, 159, 256, 389

Nicole Heymer: 466, 317, 125 

Wendy Woloshchuk: 316

Sandra Funk: 02, 145

Sara Lynn Brennan: 463

 

 

Feb 25, 2020

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business! On this episode, LuAnn sits down for a chat with Denise Wenacur, the principle of DW Design & Décor in Croton on the Hudson, which is a beautiful community just outside of NYC.

Design-build is the hot topic of the day, and you’ll learn the importance of having an interior designer as the point person for the client between the architect, the builder and themselves. She discusses the ways having an interior designer on their team from the outset truly benefits the process and the result of the project.

If that wasn’t enough, Denise will share tips for connecting with people who can introduce you to the type of projects you are looking for.

Tune in to this engaging and informative conversation!

Show Highlights:

  • Denise recounts why and how she changed her business model to include the construction part.
  • She is always the first point of contact as the interior designer. She rounds out each team with an architect, contractor, and whichever trades need to be added, as well.
  • Each team member has their unique perspective and experience that they bring to the job, all working together for the good of the client and a perfect outcome.
  • Making a 3D version of the architect’s plans can assist in both the design and the build in amazing ways.
  • Denise has a video on her website explaining the pros and cons and importance of having a designer involved at the beginning of construction.
  • One big successful project will generate referrals.
  • Sharing on social media tips and ways that your services have made a positive impact will further help you to get noticed.
  • Denise also holds a Construction Manager certificate from Pace University. This helps build confidence when she’s working with the rest of the team.
  • Communication is everything, and it’s all about the client.
  • Denise feels like she’s doing a good job when she gets new clients from her referral partners.
  • Denise shares some ideas on how to meet architects and builders in the area.
  • It’s important to create the relationship first.
  • A CFO surprise!
  • When you know your numbers, it instills confidence and that comes across to your clients.
  • Potential clients will know if you know what you’re doing.

Resources:

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review!

Purchase LuAnn’s Book!

Power Talk Friday

LuAnn Live

Connect with Denise!

Denise’s Website

Denise’s Facebook

Denise’s Instagram

Denise SINGS!The 1-4-5's YouTube Channel

Podcast Sponsor:

Article

Open Your Trade Account with ARTICLE.com Here!

Other episodes mentioned:

#380 Circle Design, John and Theresa Dorlini

#361, #442, Kimberly Merlitti

#441 4Pt Design Build, Laura and Cliff Muller

#181 H2 Design Build, Angela Rasmussen

#202 Enoch Sears

#292 Jana Phipps

 

Feb 21, 2020

Welcome to A Well Designed Business! It’s WTF, Window Treatment Friday! It’s been a while since LuAnn has had a window treatment episode, so she’s super-excited to have her co-host of WTF, Vita (Vitalia) Vygovska back on the show.

Hardware is the subject of today’s show, and if talking about ripple folds, pinch pleats, stationary rods, rod pockets, and rods with c-rings make your heart beat a little faster, then you’ve found your people!

Drapery rods can be a super-complicated thing, but LuAnn and Vita have a way of making this a fun conversation. Join them in this educational and insightful journey into the world of window treatment hardware.

Vitalia Vygovska (Vita for short), CWFP, MBA, is an award-winning window treatment specialist, author, speaker, mom, wife, and a ballroom dance enthusiast. 

Her company, Vitalia, Inc, provides all-encompassing concierge-level, tech-driven fabrication, measurement, installation, and project management services exclusively for interior designers. 

Show Highlights:

  • The more knowledge you have on hardware enables you to sell more window treatments.
  • There are four main components to drapery hardware: the rod, the finials, the brackets, and the rings.
  • The types of rod (or pole) is a basic traverse rod, a decorative traverse rod, and a pole that doesn’t move.
  • Vita explains more about each rod and how it functions with drapery.
  • LuAnn and Vita sing the praises of Kirsch and its Architrac Ripplefold track.
  • Motorized draperies? Yes, it’s a thing!
  • Provide your client with ALL of the options, and let them decide what they want.
  • LuAnn and Vita address drapery issues that designers run into.
  • How to counter a client who asks for a lower price.
  • Drapery hardware can add a lot of profit to a job, but it is its own beast in the world of window treatment professionals.
  • Distributors are there to help you.
  • Familiarize yourself with Kirsch’s website and other drapery hardware websites.
  • Window treatments are a great way to make your company more profitable.
  • Check out LuAnn’s Live Events! She would love to meet you! 

Resources:

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review!

Purchase LuAnn’s Book!

Kravet

To learn more & register for Vita's course: Profit With Window Treatments

To learn more about working with Vita and Vitalia Inc

To learn more about working with Window Works

To receive a free subscription to Window Fashion Vision Magazine

To attend the IWCE where both LuAnn and Vita will be presenting: IWCE

To learn about the WCAA (Window Coverings Association of America)

To learn about Exciting Windows

Podcast Sponsor:

Kirsch

Connect with Your Local Kirsch Distributor Now!

 

 

Feb 18, 2020

Welcome to this episode of Power Talk Friday! Join LuAnn and her guest, Victoria Sanchez, in this thought-provoking conversation about changing things up in the way we educate interior designers. Her concern is if we don’t start to make changes in the design curriculum, then we, as an industry, are at risk.

At one time, Victoria served as in interior design professor at Marymount University and this is where the conversation begins today. As LuAnn will tell you, this is a totally new idea to her and many of us, and sometimes you don’t know what you don’t know! Just wait until you hear what Victoria proposes!

Victoria Sanchez, one of America’s premier design professionals, has been creating one-of-a-kind interiors for hundreds of prominent clients over the past three decades.

Dubbed a home décor “style maker” by Luxe magazine, Victoria is an award-winning designer who offers services ranging from project management and space planning to kitchen and bath design and furniture selection. She and her team are backed by the region’s leading contractors, painters, architects, kitchen and bath pros, flooring specialists, audio-visual experts, and other professionals.

Victoria, whose work has appeared in publications nationwide, is known for her extraordinary customer service, fee integrity and ability to help clients get the highest return on their design investment. She has designed multiple homes for the same clients and has worked with companies to design the interiors of apartment buildings, boutique hotels, and law offices.

Victoria spent the majority of her career in Alexandria, Virginia, providing design services to Fortune 500 executives, lobbyists, military generals, doctors, lawyers, investment specialists and other professionals throughout the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area and along the east coast. While there, she also ran her ‘Victoria at Home’ shop, the area’s leading source of elegant home furnishings and accessories. Her collection of the finest upholstery, furniture, art, lighting, and pillows was carefully and proudly curated from an international network of vendors and suppliers.

Now based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Victoria is keeping busy in ways she had never imagined. From charitable design work to the restoration of heritage buildings, the depth and breadth of her work have expanded while her style becomes more and more influenced by the new colors and nature that surround her. She continues to travel back to the East Coast on a regular basis, taking on projects across the country.

Victoria also speaks at design industry events across the United States. She is currently active in the American Society of Interior Designers and holds Bachelor of Arts and Masters degrees in Interior Design from Marymount University. She also previously served as an interior design professor and was a board member of the Washington, D.C. chapter of the International Furnishings and Design Association.

Show Highlights:

  • The internet and all the design centers being opened to retail now both present concern to interior designers, because consumers now have the same access as designers.
  • A bigger cause for concern is that we are not producing business-minded interior designers when they graduate from their programs.
  • The top ten schools in the country have the same curriculum due to certification requirements.
  • Victoria explains that colleges are trying to pack far too much information into a 4-year program.
  • Students must learn residential design, commercial design, sustainability, and technical presentation skills, in addition to the general education classes.
  • The solution offered by Victoria is to take the programs, pull them apart, and offer three separate interior design programs: residential, commercial, and technical presentation.
  • This would allow schools to offer more courses, such as business law, accounting, marketing, and professional practices.
  • We are moving forward in our profession when we can offer a student the opportunity to be a designer with a business brain.
  • Interior design is very tactile; therefore, a designer misses the basics when rushing through courses and doing work digitally.
  • It’s not that industry leaders are apathetic to change, but they are tasked with the traditional models of teaching the student all of the aspects of interior design.
  • Changing the curriculum to product business-minded interior designers represents a challenge to CIDA (Council for Interior Design Accreditation).
  • LuAnn and Victoria discuss ideas for implementation.
  • LuAnn points out that those running the most successful interior design firms come with experience or training in running a business. It’s a business first, and a design firm second.
  • The younger generation of designers understand that they need business skills, and are currently turning to podcasts to learn what schools aren’t teaching them.

Resources:

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review!

Purchase LuAnn’s Book!

Connect with Victoria!

Victoria’s Website

Victoria’s Pinterest

Victoria’s Facebook

Victoria’s Instagram

Podcast Sponsor:

Article

Open Your Trade Account with ARTICLE.com Here!

Mentioned Episodes:

Dr. Ellen Fisher Ep #71

Ashlina Kaposta Ep #109

 

Feb 14, 2020

Welcome to this episode of Power Talk Friday! Today, LuAnn shares her findings on coaching a diverse group of entrepreneurs. As it turns out, they have several tangible things in common that she was so impressed by that she decided to dedicate a podcast to complimenting these special people and laying out for you what she has discovered in their time together.

As she relates, this has been an ‘A-ha!’ moment for her, and she hopes it will be for her listeners, as well. If you don’t already see yourself in these descriptions, perhaps it’s time that you do something to work toward them.

Additionally, LuAnn brings you exciting news of her upcoming LIVE events that she will be attending spring and summer, and invites you to join her because she LOVES meeting you in person!

Show Highlights:

  • The 3 Traits of Smart Business Owners:
  1. They come to every session with a truly open mind. They listen, ask great questions, and take action on ideas that are new to them and that sometimes even make them a bit nervous.
  2. They understand the importance of having a coach because it is an investment in their business. A coach can help you grow beyond what you imagine for yourself and shorten the learning curves.
  3. They have hope. Hope for themselves, hope for their business, and hope for the industry. They seek out new ideas and new ways to make a profit, to succeed and service a client where the client needs it the most.
  • Companion questions to ask yourself:
  1. Are you open to taking advice? Even advice that you think might not work for you?
  2. If you are the sum of the 5 people you spend the most time what, how does that make you look? What does your crew look like? Do you create opportunities through mentoring, coaching, and eduction that increase your value and your business acumen?
  3. Do you believe in yourself? Do you know your value and how you enrich other peoples’ lives? Do you take your talent and your abilities serious enough to invest in them?
  • March 19this the 4th birthday party for this podcast! Thanks to Kravet Inc. and 200 Lex for hosting this. Please join us 5:30- 7:30 pm at the Kravet Work Space Showroom at 200 Lexington Ave NYC. You can find the RSVP on EventBrite as well as on the website under the events tab.
  • March 21stto 24th Exciting Windows and IWCE / March 25th to the 27th
  • Teaching the Professional Window Coverings 7 Step Process, which is open to the public. Go to Exciting Windows. At the IWCE, Luann will be doing Closing the Sale Begins with Hello, as well as moderating some panels on Profitability with the Vin Man and Michele Williams. Next, LuAnn has a panel with Sara Brennan on Packaging your Process and Working with Window Treatment Professionals with Sara Brennan and Vita. Please visit IWCE-Vision.
  • April 2nd, Thursday, East End Interiors is celebrating 30 years in business this year and they have invited LuAnn to speak at their showroom in Long Island NY. If you were at LuAnn Live last year, then you know Sal and Enza and you already know what a fantastic family business they run. If you are in the NY Metro area, especially LI, you must make the time to join us so you can see everything they have to help you complete all of your design projects. They are a strictly to the trade showroom featuring furniture, lighting, accessory and more. LuAnn is also delighted to share that they are the Exclusive VIP Experience Sponsor for LuAnn Nigara Live 2020.
  • High Point Market in April. It all starts with LuAnn’s PTF Tour on Friday, April 24th, 8 am to 11:00 pm. Yup, all day, this event is jam-packed, loaded-to-the-gills, with eye-opening A-ha’s and advice specific to your business. LuAnn brings you 3 of her PTF Experts and one of them is Sandra Funk, the CEO of HOF. Sandra will be on an upcoming PTF where you will learn how she truly runs the back end of her business. And then, get to spend the whole day picking her brain? Uhmmm, the price of admission is worth it right there, no question. During the next few days at HP, LuAnn will have several presentations and panels. Saturday April 25th,she’ll moderate a panel at the showroom of the newest sponsor to join the show, Jaipur, which will be co-hosted by Revelwoods and the Interior Design Society. They will be talking about the Design Build Process and how to navigate the big-ticket projects.
  • On Sunday, LuAnn will be in the HP Theater at 12:00 noon for a very special one-on-one conversation with a very special friend, designer, and all around outstanding human being…not sure if ASID wants the proverbial beans spilled yet…so just put LuAnn on your dance card! Here’s a hint: If you were at LuAnn Live, you could probably make a good guess as to his name… Sunday at 4:00 pm you can always find LuAnn at the Kravet showroom. This is a wonderful opportunity to see and meet the incredible leadership team at Kravet. Later at 6:00 pm Sunday, there will be a special VIP party with Mydoma Studio. YOU are the special VIP :) This is a kickoff event to celebrate this new collaboration, so please join us.
  • Monday morning, LuAnn will moderate a panel all about Process Leads to Profits. LuAnn’s friend and Process Leads to Profits course teacher, Sara Lynn Brennan will be there along with a few others yet to be announced. This is also hosted by Mydoma Studio. Check LuAnn’s Website later this month for all of the locations and details.
  • Wednesday April 29th LuAnn will be back in NYC and NYSID has invited her to do a solo presentation and book signing. This is open to the public and is an evening event.
  • On May 20th, the Philadelphia Chapter of IFDA has asked LuAnn to speak and her friends at the Kravet showroom are hosting. Please join us.
  • June 4,5,6, ASID California is having their annual conference in Santa Barbara this year and they have invited LuAnn to do a solo presentation and moderate a panel. Currently, they are finalizing the designer speakers and panelists and so far, it’s looking like A-List all the way!
  • A minute later on Jun 9th LuAnn may be confirming an event with the NKBA NJ Chapter, so stay tuned on that.
  • June 16th, LuAnn’s friend, Vita, her co-host from their WTF episodes is having a grand opening party at her brand-new work room and she will be there for this celebration. Hope you will come too!
  • We will get as many of these as we can on my website but if one in particular is right for you and it is not on my site, reach out to the hosting event for the details. LuAnn’s website is LuAnn Nigara.
  • And of course, in the fall there will be LuAnn Nigara Live, It’s About the Conversation again, here in NJ. Please be on the email list for when she announces ticket sales are open—go to LuAnn Live.
  • For now, keep early November open and plan your budget for tickets, flights, and hotels. The announcement will be later this month for sure!
  • Want to make LuAnn’s day? She really does love to take her friendships from virtual to real, so please plan to attend at least one of these events.

Resources:

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review!

Purchase LuAnn’s Book!

Special Thanks to Podcast Sponsor:

Kirsch

 

Feb 11, 2020

Welcome to this episode of Power Talk Friday! Nicole Cole joins LuAnn today for a chat about a-ha moments and the ensuing mindset shifts.

Nicole will be sharing five takeaways she’s learned from both Power Talk Friday and her time with business coach, Nancy Ganzekaufer.

You’ll want to listen in to hear her tips on how she accomplished her mindset shift to being a CEO so that you can implement these ideas for your business, too!

Nicole Cole is the CEO and Principal Designer at vestige HOME, a Philadelphia based residential interior designer firm focused on creating spaces that are interesting, engaging, and that encourage people to live well. As a young adult, Nicole served in the Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer before leaving to pursue work in the corporate world. With her new-found freedom outside the military, she realized that she missed the curiosity and creativity she enjoyed as a child, and decided it was time to build a creative business. Thus, vestige HOME was born!

Nicole and her team provide turnkey design services, which include trade resource coordination, sourcing expertise, creation of detailed plans, and open communication with her clients. With her many years of project management experience, she consistently delivers her projects in the most streamlined fashion with clear goals and expectations and a plan that provides the least amount of disruption possible to her client’s lives.  

Nicole studied interior design at Monterey Peninsula College and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Information Systems from the University of Kansas. She believes in creating beauty and exercising a little creativity wherever possible, whether designing a room in a client’s house, picking the perfect pairing of plants for the garden, or just setting the table for breakfast on a Wednesday morning.  Nicole’s greatest joy is helping clients to create homes that reflect their lives and personalities while honoring the buildings that contain them.

Show Highlights:

  • Systems and processes are fundamental to the way you run a business.
  • Confidence is the reward when systems and processes are used consistently.
  • This confidence spills over to the client and they become confident in you.
  • When you know what you will and will not do, and the why, you will be more selective about who you work with.
  • When you refer a job because you know someone else can do it better than you can, it makes saying ‘no’ so much easier.
  • Nicole’s Five Takeaways:
  1. She realized she was no longer “just” a designer, but the CEO. As CEO, she had responsibilities to herself, her team, and her clients.
  2. It’s important to build a team.
  3. Create the systems and processes, and teach them to your staff.
  4. Focus on the details of the client experience.
  5. Focus on profit, and don’t feel guilty!
  • Lu Ann covers some additional obstacles that she has observed in speaking with designers.
  • How there’s power in using the phrase, “In my experience”.
  • LuAnn provides a designer perspective on how much work gets packed into each billing hour.
  • When you truly explain what details go into what you do, that’s when the client can buy in to your charges.
  • When you understand your own value for the work you do, you can then feel confident in either what you charge or raising what you charge.

Resources:

Join us for The Power Talk Friday Tour at High Point Market

Friday, April 24th, 2020 from 8am - 11am!

Sign Up For Updates HERE!

Sponsors:

Start Your Trial Now!

Mydoma Studio- Your On-Stop Client & Project Management Tool!

Jaipur

A Well Designed Business Podcast® 4th Birthday Party

New York City, New York

Thursday, March 19th

5:30 – 7:30pm 

Kravet Workspace, 200 Lexington Avenue, Suite 210

RSVP HERE!

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review!

Purchase LuAnn’s Book!

Connect with Nicole!

Nicole’sWebsite 

Nicole’s Instagram

Nicole’s Facebook

Podcast Sponsor:

Article

Open Your Trade Account with ARTICLE.com Here!

Links to other shows mentioned:

Nancy Ganzekaufer #389

Michele Williams #180

Ashley Uhl #412

Bethany Mabee #450

Sarah Durnez #418

Brittanie Elms #149

Taylor Dieterich & Yashlie Negron #346

Kimberly Merlitti #442

Sara Lynn Brennan #463

Wendy Wolshchuk #316

Mikel Welch #297

 

 

Feb 7, 2020

Welcome to today’s episode of Power Talk Friday, where LuAnn chats with Nikki Rausch, a fellow seasoned sales guru with a passion for the art of selling.

Nikki has the unique ability to transform the misunderstood process of selling into techniques, tools, and tips that can successfully be incorporated into a duplicatable process.

Nikki Rausch is the Founder and CEO of Sales Maven, where she leverages her 25 years of sales experience to help entrepreneurs learn to sell in an authentic way. As a sales coach, trainer, author, and speaker, Nikki teaches her clients how to authentically move people through the selling process in a way that builds relationships, creates true connection, and results in more closed deals and long-term clients.

Her latest book, Selling Staircase, is sure to leave you feeling confidently equipped to develop a genuine sales process that gets those deals closed.

Listen in to this jam-packed conversation to find out more about how showing up from a place of credibility and being more strategic will help you to reach your sales goals.

Show Highlights:

  • Sales is really about creating strong relationships with people.
  • LuAnn likens closing a sale with being on a first date.
  • Interior Designers often classify themselves as an introvert and therefore don’t develop sales skills.
  • Using your own personality is the best way to grow your business.
  • Nikki helps clients learn how to use language to attract ideal clients.
  • It’s important to be the expert and provide recommendations. You need to be able to explain the “why” so that communication is clear.
  • You can talk people out of buying from you if you don’t recognize a buying signal.
  • LuAnn and Nikki share personal pet-peeves they have when they’re on the receiving end of a sales pitch.
  • Nikki’s 5 Steps of the Selling Staircase:
  1. Introduction: Establish yourself as a credible source and make a powerful first impression.
  2. Creating Curiosity: Is this a potential client or colleague? Tip: Are you answering questions in a way that spurs people to want to know more about you? Nikki explains the difference between using a ‘cat-calling’ and ‘dog-calling’ technique to create curiosity.
  3. The Discovery Phase: Find out what their want/need/problem is, and ask questions that lead to people hiring you.
  4. The Proposal: As the expert, recommend the services that you think your client needs, and not what you think they can afford.
  5. The Close: Use closing language and then zip it! Let your prospect respond first. If they raise an objection, be ready to uncover and overcome the “real” objection.
  • You, as the salesperson, are not allowed to skip any of these steps. Your client, however, can!

Resources:

Join us for The Power Talk Friday Tour at High Point Market

Coming Spring 2020!

Sign Up For Updates HERE!

A Well Designed Business Podcast® 4th Birthday Party

New York City, New York

Thursday, March 19th

5:30 – 7:30pm 

Kravet Workspace, 200 Lexington Avenue, Suite 210

RSVP HERE!

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review!

Purchase LuAnn’s Book!

Connect with Nikki!

Nikki’s Website - Free E-Book ‘Closing the Sale’! Learn why you might be fumbling sales calls and what to do instead, how you can establish yourself as the expert and language to use when asking for the sale.

Nikki’s Sales Maven SocietyFor 10% Off Membership, Use COUPON CODE: luann

Nikki’s Selling Strength Assessment

Nikki’s Facebook

Nikki’s Instagram

Nikki’s Linkedin

Nikki’s YouTube

Nikki’s Books<— Get Them Here!

Podcast Sponsor:

Article

Open Your Trade Account with ARTICLE.com Here!

Recommended Previous Shows

Stephanie Chung # 277

Kwame Christian #129

Madeline McCray #315

 

Feb 4, 2020

Welcome! On today’s show, the creative force behind the Barclay Butera Design Firm, joins us on the show for the second time on the podcast. We pick up with Barclay today, where we left off with him in our previous conversation in episode # 122. He talks to us about his corporation, how it has changed, how he vets potential licensing partners, and what his responsibilities are, in terms of his relationships with his licensing partners. Be sure to listen in today, to find out what Barclay has to share.

Barclay has been the creative force behind his prestigious design firm since 1994, and he is well-known for his approachable elegance and glamorous coastal-chic interiors. He has showrooms in New Port Beach, California, Corona Del Mar, California, and Park City, Utah.

Apart from his thriving interior design business, Barclay is also a stand-out leader in our industry for developing and earning licensing agreements. His licensing partners include Kravet, Jaipur, Bradburn Home Lighting, Castell Outdoor Furniture, Eastern Accents, Leftbank Art, Lexington Home Brands, Mirror Image, Napa Home and Garden, and many others. Barclay also has a long list of esteemed press and media publication credentials. Tune in today, to find out more.

Show Highlights:

  • Barclay talks about his new, sophisticated fabric collection at Kravet.
  • Every license relationship wants Barclay to push to the next level.
  • Barclay discusses what he has coming in 2020with Jaipur.
  • Barclay has recently celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of his business.
  • His next book could be out within the next year.
  • Barclay discusses the real estate revenue stream that he has recently added to his corporation.
  • How his whole licensing empire has grown organically to where it is today.
  • Some tips for capitalizing on licensing opportunities.
  • A lot of hard work goes into Barclay's licensing partnerships.
  • Barclay discusses the kinds of people he has to sell to.
  • Barclay informs everything he does with the very same thought processes he uses to manage his very large design firm.
  • Barclay's company has been built on good personal relationships and he promotes from within.
  • Learning to run a business well.
  • Barclay was raised in a sales environment. His parents were both salespeople.
  • Managing with kindness, not fear.
  • Some things to consider when thinking of growing your business.
  • Barclay shares his thoughts about sharing, caring, and supporting charities, and his mechanisms for doing it.
  • Barclay explains why e-commerce is the most difficult revenue stream.

Previous Episode Mentioned:

Nate Berkus #433

Links:

Barclay Butera

info@luannnigara.com

My Doma Studio: A Well designed Business

 

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