Professional trade group partnerships for 2010

BY PETER SCHOR
Showroom specialist

If you are going to be successful in 2010, a tough economic year, you will need to reach a greater portion of potential buyers and influencers. Knowledgeable trade partners can help create a conduit between you and the consumers. Professional trades can make “house calls,” while most of you do not have this option. Remember “The Three Command­ments of Successful Showrooms”:

• Qualifying clients
• Determining who sent the client in
• Finding out who is buying the products?

Today, any of the trade groups listed can be the buyer. All the other trade organizations can give positive affirmation to buying decisions.

In every single professional trade segment, there are good and bad members. Please throw away your judgments if you want to be successful in working relationships. Yes, there is a difference between professional interior designers and interior decorators, just like between good and bad plumbers. If you are aiming for the high-end luxury buyer, you might want to become a “design/build” organization like many professional interior designers. In other words, they buy bath/ plumbing products and subcontract the work to plumbing contractors. I 100% support the plumbing contractor if it is a “win-win” working relationship.

Following are some great trade groups, their number of members and websites:

• PHCC — Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling Contractors, 4,100, www.phccweb.org
• NAHB — National Association of Home Builders, 235,000, www.nahb.org
• NAHB — NAHB Remodelors Council, 14,000, www.nahb.org
• NARI — National Association of Remodeling Industry, 40,000, www.nari.org
• ASID — American Society of Interior Designers, 40,000, www.nari.org
• IIDA — International Interior Design Association, 13,000, www.iida.org
• NKBA — National Kitchen and Bath Association, 40,000, www.nkba.org
• AIA — American Institute of Architects, 86,000, www.aia.org.

Some tips, secrets and rules of thumb regarding success within the professional trade groups – collectively and individually are:

• Joining the association — Join as an Industry Foundation Partner (manufacturer/distributor), go on their website, click on their chapter map and go to your nearest chapter. The local chapter will come up and usually will have their own website. It will list chapter board executives, events and much more. When was the last time you were at an ASID local trade group monthly event?
• Attending and participation — Do not expect to get business from the group collectively or individually unless you attend the monthly meetings and participate in their other events. It takes establishing personal relationships to have real success. It is just as easy to make good personal friends and clients at the monthly trade group meetings as it in your neighborhood.
• Design homes — Called by names such as The Parade of Homes or Street of Dreams. Contributing plumbing and bath products, whether it is for a reduced cost or free, will not buy you into the group. It takes one-on-one personal relationships.
• Table tops and display areas, monthly meetings and other events — Most of the trade groups have 8-foot table tops and display areas for Industry Foundation Partners (product sellers). The cost can range from $50 to $250 depending on the size of the chapter and the monthly turn-outs. Showroom promotional pieces, manufacturer literature and some small knock-dead faucets will work well here.
• Open Houses at your showroom — Most of the events I have attended in the plumbing wholesaler showrooms have missed the mark. Professional trade organizations will not give up their time for food and beverage only, or a weak event that you honestly would not attend yourself if you did not work for the company hosting the event.
• Local trade group monthly chapter meetings — Since professional trade group chapters are not money making, many are strapped for cash and have difficulty hiring professional speakers for monthly programs. The exception is one or two major programs or events a year where I or others have been hired to conduct day and evening seminars and keynotes. I highly recommend that showrooms partner with your manufacturer and manufacturers’ rep partners to come up with an exciting program on bath and kitchen trends, what’s new and hot in bath and kitchen products, and much more. It must be thoroughly entertaining with lots of value. The trade group will not accept a “commercial” type program.
• Trade group conferences and Expos — Many trade groups host an annual or bi-annual event with one to three days of educational programs coupled with an Exhibitor Expo. These are great vehicles to show your wares. It is also a great place to network with the other local home suppliers who serve the trades. Example: Lighting, appliances, windows, doors, tile, surface materials, and much, much more.

Would you eat a cup of worms for $10,000?

Now that I got your attention, I have a “Target the Trades” Contest for you and your showrooms. The award is that you will be acknowledged in this monthly column in the June column with your name and showroom. I will also personally send you a crisp $20 bill! First, do you have a Master List of all of the types of professional trades — plumbing contractors, builders, re­modeling contractors, interior designers and architect within marketing distance of your showroom?

All you have to do is go to www.thewholesaler.com. Click on “Archives” and go to the August 2007 monthly showroom column, “Driving better traffic to your showroom.” Then just follow the instructions. The results will be:

• You will be able to identify all the trades in each group category by zip code within your market area.
• You will be able to create your own target market mailing piece or by using one of your manufacturer mailing pieces to get them to come to your showroom.
• The end result will be a greater amount of business in 2010.

All you need to do is send me the target market groups and numbers in each area as well as the number of accounts (no names) in each trade group category, and total trades. Then send me the target market piece that you used. Everything will remain 100% confidential. I will announce all the winners in the June issue of The Wholesaler. This is a 100% proven method to reach all of the professional trades in your immediate market. Even if “you think” the designers or architects don’t buy, they may influence the buyer in making their decision, constantly remodeling their own residence, and can recommend your showroom. My offer is to acknowledge you and motivate you ($20 bill) to be more successful in 2010!
If there are any important issues that you would like me to address in this monthly column, please feel free to e-mail me.

Peter Schor, president of Dynamic Results Inc, is a bath/plumbing industry speaker, educator, author, columnist and consultant in the many segments of our industry. For the past 20 years, he conducted seminars and speaks at numerous conventions. Schor has great expertise in the field of showrooms and hotel bathrooms and has won many industry awards. He also consults manufacturers in taking their products to market in the areas of sales, marketing and public relations. Schor can be reached at 1302 Longhorn Lane, Lincoln, CA. 95648, phone 816/408-5346, fax: 916/408-5899. e-mail pschor@dynamicresultsinc.com or visit his web site: www.dynamicresultsonline.com.