This piece was original published in Mid Atlantic Builder & Remodeler Magazine in September/October 2009. Click here to see it in its original format.
It’s been quite a year for our industry, hasn’t it? I’m told that the words “in this economy” have become so ubiquitous that people are starting to preface everything they say with the letters “ITE” — “ITE I can’t recommend going forward…ITE we’re going to have to downscale the design…ITE everything we planned has to be rethought.”
What should we do — ITE?
I’m reminded of some things our guest speaker, Thad Wittenburg, said at the Remodelers Spring Dinner last April. Thad urged us to concentrate on exceeding the expected – ITE be damned! He stressed the importance of implementing simple, inexpensive, yet high advantageous tactics, such as sending thank-you notes after every meeting, keeping in touch regularly during the warranty period of a job; responding to FAVORABLE input (not just complaints), and making your customers feel comfortable, beginning with the initial sales call.
Recently I asked one of my current customers why she chose me for the job. She told me, “It wasn’t the quote. More importantly, I think we hit it off — that was it. I felt safe. There was just something good about it all.” ITE — the simplest touches can make a world of difference! You can make things happen positively!
As always, you HBAM Remodelers Council is here to help you do just that.
Events of note this fall include our annual Celebrity Chef Night and Auction on October 15th. The theme this year is “Margaritaville” and the evening will feature a steel band playing calypso music along with many HBAM Builder and Remodeler members as chefs. This is the prime networking event of the fall, so make sure you don’t miss it.
In the biggest night of the year for the HBAM Remodelers, the 2009 Remodeling Award of Excellence winners will be announced on November 19, 2009 at the Westin BWI Hotel in Linthicum. This was the location of our very successful spring dinner and I am personally looking forward to seeing you there. If you’re not in the AOE competition, you missed a great opportunity to be recognized as a leader and top performer ITE! Your HBAM Remodelers Council has built the Awards of Excellence into a recognized peer-validated achievement. ITE or in ANY economy, that’s something you can use to build and market your company.
Donald F. Lynch, Jr., CGR, CAPS
President
HBAM Remodelers Council
