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Over 100 years of industry knowledge
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Your successful business All companies operate different systems and with varying company priorities and goals at the forefront of their business ethos. We asked the directors of James Dunlop Textiles to share their advice on what they believe makes a successful textile business, based on their considerable experience in the industry.
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Ben Moir
Nick Dunlop
Bridget Moir
MANAGING DIRECTOR
SALES DIRECTOR
INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR
“The key to success in this industry is a passion for the product you are endorsing and a genuine interest in making your customers lives as easy as possible. It is imperative to demonstrate decent human behaviour which includes listening to your customer’s needs, guiding them to choose the correct fabric with your extensive knowledge and supporting them to ensure their purchase is a satisfying experience at every stage, from initial consultation through to final installation and after sales support.”
“People appreciate proactive, not reactive, customer service. This industry relies on repeat business, there is a magnitude of adequate textiles in the market and among your competitors there will be similar product to those you are offering. The key to winning your customer’s loyalty, and business, will almost always be the service you provide.”
“Your enthusiasm is infectious, never underestimate the influence you have on your customer. Working with them to create solutions as a partnership will win their confidence and in turn, their continued business.”
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JAMES DUNLOP TEXTILES / AUCKLAND SHOWROOM
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James Dunlop’s directors summarise their key to success as the following:
Contents: 1
• Listen and offer solutions to your customer’s problems.
Communication and marketing
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Customer value
• Knowledge is power – create a culture of continued training and improvement within your team.
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Meeting with your client
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Quality, service, style and value
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Summary
• Practice proactive customer service – always be mindful; empathetic and supportive customer service is paramount. • This paired with a passion for your product will win the hearts, and ultimately, the business of your customer. Within this chapter we discuss our customer-centric focus, offering advice on creating a professional and engaging client experience.
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GATHER INFORMATION ON ALL CUSTOMER ENQUIRIES:
EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION:
Communication and marketing
External communication is the interaction your company has with people outside of your organisation, generally customers and potential customers. There are many ways in which your business communicates externally – from the administrator that answers the phone, to the retail assistant on the showroom floor, to the advert placed in local print or the post on social media. It is important that any external interaction that customers or potential customers have with your business is positive.
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Here are several examples of ways in which you can maximise external communication: ASK FOR REFERRALS: This is the best way to build your business. Always ask a satisfied customer to recommend you to their network. A referral from a satisfied customer will result in a confirmed job more than 90% of the time. Keeping in regular contact with your existing clients is an effective way to help generate referrals. Maintaining a mailing list for your customers may also help to keep your business top-of-mind.
Every enquiry your company receives is a great opportunity to provide your services to a client – new or current. Always use this as an opportunity to gather as much information as possible about the scope of the job – i.e. how many windows and rooms? What ideas do they have already? What colours and fabrics do they like? This will help you prepare relevant samples and it will give you an idea of whether they already have a quote. It is always good practice to ask how the customer heard of you – this information can help with marketing. HANDLE COMPLAINTS WELL: Although it is encouraged to always be proactive in finding solutions, it is wise to not take it solely upon yourself to deal with a complaint from one of your customers. If the complaint concerns any aspect of your performance, by not involving your manager you may be seen as
LOOK FOR REPEAT BUSINESS: Quality fabrics have a useful life of between 8 to 10 years. If your company has been in business for a number of years, a letter/ email to existing customers can produce great results. Having your customers on a detailed database with future possible work noted, presents a great source of opportunity. As new ranges or products become available, a personal note from you to existing customers highlighting these new products is engaging, effective and good value. Remember your competitive edge: You are in a competition to win customers. Always remember – you have competitors who will be trying as hard as you. It is reasonable to assume that your competitors will have similar fabrics of similar quality, so your edge is the reputation of your company, the quality of your service and the value you add through personal knowledge and expertise.
trying to hide the problem. It is better to bring the complaint out into the open, present your side of the story and perhaps let someone else help deal with the customer to try and reach a satisfactory solution. Your company will have its own complaints process and policy and it’s important that even if a customer has complained, they can see that you, and the company, are committed to resolving the issue. HAVE A GREAT ATTITUDE: The best form of external communication is to ensure you are always friendly and genuine with customers. It’s really important that a customer goes away feeling helped and valued. Be mindful and don’t let external circumstances dictate your interaction with a customer. People remember bad service and this will directly influence the likelihood of a customer’s repeat business.
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3, the true cost of winning a job would be $600.
than ignoring the customer’s requests.
So in reality, the first $600 profit on any job has already been spent. This highlights the need to maximise profit through “addon” sales and the need for referral business from the customers attracted by advertising, because a customer gained through referral does not carry either an “opportunity” or “customer” cost. This in turn lowers the overall opportunity costs to the business.
INTERNAL COMMUNICATION: Internal communication is the interaction you have with colleagues within your company. Different levels of communication take place between leaders, managers and employees – or peer-to-peer, leader-toleader, employee-to-employee, for example. Good internal communication ensures the people within your business understand and are committed to achieving united company goals. When these goals are shared it ensures that all employees are supporting the company’s beliefs, behaviours and culture. It means, when speaking to customers, all employee language is constructive and on brand, which in-turn reflects favourably on your company’s reputation.
Customer value Customers have an “immediate” and “future” value. Their immediate value is in the first job they give to your company. Their future value lies both in the jobs they may bring to your company in later years and the value of the work that they generate for your company through recommendations to family and friends. There is always a cost associated with getting a new customer.
MARKETING: Marketing is the process of teaching customers why they should choose your product over your competitors. It can be a very broad term and many companies make the mistake of thinking that marketing is just ‘one’ thing when in reality, marketing is every touch point that the customer experiences when dealing with your business. This ranges from the magazine advertisement they saw, to what they heard when visiting your showroom, to the customer service that they receive, right through to the follow-up care that you provide. Most companies will have a person that works on marketing for the business.
• Your ability to listen carefully to their requirements and respond with appropriate recommendations.
MARKETING ACTIVITIES THAT YOUR BUSINESS WILL MOST LIKELY ENGAGE IN ARE: • Advertising – magazines, newspapers, radio, television. • Direct marketing – print & email. • Marketing collateral – brochures. • Online – company website. • Social Media – Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, etc.
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The key to effective marketing is defining the right message to educate and influence your customers and finding the right method to communicate this. Marketing is an ongoing process and will constantly evolve as market requirements change and new technologies develop. It is absolutely vital for companies to embrace and evolve with technological advancements or else they may run the risk of being left behind by more progressive and agile competitors.
Your company invests in advertising, via print, online or other forms of appropriate media. The monthly expenditure on advertising and marketing, divided by the number of quotations produced each month, will give you a rough “opportunity” cost. While the quotations confirmed as jobs, divided into the monthly advertising and marketing costs, will give you a general idea of the cost to attract each customer. There are other indirect costs to be added, such as quotations and overheads. So it is not unusual for the “opportunity cost per customer” to be in excess of $200. With an “opportunity” cost of – say –$200 and a conversion rate to confirmed jobs of – say – 1 in
• Your in-depth product knowledge. • Your skill in fabric and colour selection. • Your use of up-to-date technology – laser measure, software quoting package, and a typed professional quotation, in soft and hard copy.
These figures are important to note as they will help you to monitor the effectiveness of your advertising costs and conversion rates versus the amount of quotes and jobs completed. Once again, this highlights the need for you to meet or exceed your customer’s expectations.
POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS WILL NOT APPRECIATE: • Criticising their ideas. • Dressing in a manner that they regard as inappropriate for a person in your position. • Inappropriate language.
A potential customer will have contacted your company expecting to receive professional help and advice. Because you are offering a custom-made service, you are expected to provide specialist advice coupled with in-depth product knowledge and design flair. How successful you are at winning the business will have a lot to do with how much better you are at delivering these things, or put another way, exceeding expectations, beyond your competitors.
• Making negative comments about their existing curtains or furnishings. • Multiple avoidable visits to their home e.g. Needing to re-measure or confirm details that should have been accurately recorded the first time, or arriving without the appropriate tools. • Negative comments about your competitors or suppliers. • Not following up after the quotation has been sent. • Slow response on providing a quotation.
POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS WILL APPRECIATE:
• You being late for an appointment.
• Appropriate follow-up as required – samples, alternative options and further advice. • Expert advice on all aspects of furnishings. • Honesty and integrity. • Your ability to improve on the customer’s initial requests and to present these in such a way that they are regarded as a positive improvement rather
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and it is your role to guide the customer to choose the best possible soft furnishing solution for them. Key points: • Ask the customer questions to find their budget range. Are they staying in the house, is it going on the market, does the end result need to match an existing décor or are there other renovations occurring at the same time? The more information you have to work with, the easier it is to overcome objections later on in the process.
Meeting with your client
• Do not be afraid of raising concerns with your customer if you believe that the fabric they have chosen is not a suitable solution. Tactfully go through the reasons why it may not be the best choice if you believe it is not going to produce an acceptable result.
When you meet with a customer you have two things to offer – product and expertise. Your competitors are likely to offer the same or similar products so the real point of difference will invariably come down to expertise and connecting on a personal level with the customer. The textile industry is personal, interactive and elicits a sensory reaction and based on this, when purchasing textiles, the customer will often make a decision that is based on an emotional connection. This explains why jobs are not always awarded to the company with the lowest quote. Never underestimate the power of connecting with your customer. If the customer likes you, likes your suggestions on fabric and design and trusts you (and therefore your company), you can reasonably expect to win the job.
There are certain things that you can do to create a favourable impression with your customer and generate sales: 1. PRESENT A PROFESSIONAL IMAGE
2. DEMONSTRATE YOUR EXPERTISE: Demonstrate the advantages of custom-made product, including manufacturing and installation. Most customers do not realise the difference in quality workmanship nor the variances available in fullness. Use your expertise to teach your customer about the quality of your product. Open by asking your customer how much they know about custom made soft furnishings. Generally customers are apprehensive of change and as custom-made soft furnishings are purchased on average every 8 to 10 years, your customer will want to be sure that their decision will result in a finished product that is both beautiful and functional. Remember you are the expert
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• Many customers have a preconceived idea that custom-made soft furnishings are expensive and are afraid to be put in a position to say they cannot afford them. This presents the opportunity to discuss the increased value that a customised redecoration can add to your home. More often than not your customer is looking for 3 factors: 1. Price 2. Quality 3. Service • One of these, or a combination of all three, will likely be the key in making the sale. It is beneficial for your success to determine which of these factors has the most influence on your customer’s decision. Watch for signs of importance (pay attention to body language) and be open to adapt
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and ask the customer how much they want to spend. You can then look at the difference between your quoted price and their figure. If price is still an issue, you may need to offer alternative, less expensive, fabrics to meet their budget.
your sales tactic if necessary. • Some customers know exactly what they want. What they need is a professional opinion confirming their choice. • Some customers may need you to suggest professional design solutions and when you support these suggestions with intelligent reasons, you will be surprised how easily the sale will be made.
TIP: Remember to emphasis that custom-made soft furnishings tend to be purchased every 8 to 10 years. When amortised across that period, custommade furnishings will likely cost only X amount more per year than a ready made alternative, and they will have exactly what they want, together with improving the value of their home.
3. FIND OUT WHAT THE CUSTOMER WANTS 4. DEAL WITH OBJECTIONS IN A HUMBLE, SINCERE WAY There are three common objections: 1. Half-hearted objection: These are generally delivered in an apologetic or hesitant way. The customer may say “I don’t know.....” or “Maybe I should wait.” But more often than not, what the customer means is “I need you to convince me”. Give your customer the reassurance they seek and ask for the order.
5. CLOSE THE SALE: Watch for buying signals. When a customer is excited about a particular fabric selection, stop selling and try to close. Experience shows that over 90% of appointments made are with people who want to buy your product and can afford it. If you don’t get the sale, it is often because you have not overcome the customer’s doubts and these, in reality, are often simply requests for reassurance.
2. Stalling tactic: The common ones are “Let me think about it” or “I’ll let you know”. You must deal with these directly and ask why they are hesitating. By getting the real objection out into the open, you can deal with it and keep the sale alive. Once you have dealt with the objection, try again to close the sale.
TIP: Remember, every time you overcome an objection, try and close the sale.
3. Price: The price of custommade soft furnishings is a common obstacle that you will regularly face. Regardless of your customer’s budget, everyone wants to know that they are getting value for money. Lowering your price as soon as you encounter a price objection is not the answer as this simply signals to the customer that you were overpricing. We advise you acknowledge that price is important
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that they have a specific deadline for the job. The customer may tell you the competitor’s delivery time and ask if you can do better. Tailor your presentation around how quickly you can deliver their requirements – however do not over promise and under deliver. 3. STYLE
Quality, service, style and value These are the four elements you are offering when selling. Their order of importance will vary from customer to customer. To successfully manage the customer you need to establish the correct order for each customer and tailor your presentation to suit. From your initial contact with a customer, you should be trying to ascertain the information you need. 1. QUALITY When quality is the key factor for your customer, they will want to be satisfied that you are knowledgeable and that your company has the expertise to deliver the quality they want. Start your presentation by pointing out the performance features of your product; the quality of yarn constructions and specialised finishing processes as well as the quality of your manufacturing techniques.
A customer whose main focus is on style will emphasise from the start on how their drapery, upholstery and/or accessories should look, how they should complement surrounding décor or architectural and environmental aspects. You need to assure this customer that you have the expertise to interpret and deliver their vision. 4. VALUE (PRICE) You will know this type of customer when they keep asking questions on price throughout your discussion. When working with a customer who has price as a priority try giving them a range of options, across price brackets, to allow your customer to understand the impact of reducing their budget. We recommend working slowly, starting with a budget focused solution, and then trying to build up the sale if appropriate. If you encounter resistance at the lowest price range option, you are probably out of the customer’s budget and it is best to know this early on.
2. SERVICE You will soon know if service is the key factor. The customer will ask you early in the appointment how busy you are or they will tell you
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REFERENCE FOLDER OR ONLINE PORTFOLIOS: • Stay updated on all new design styles and solutions and manufacturing techniques. • Create an image rich portfolio, Note: for account holders, this can easily be done online through the portfolio portal at www.jamesdunloptextiles.com TOOL BOX: Keep this tidy. Remove any unnecessary clutter. Ensure that your ‘tools of trade’ are easily accessible. Example of tool box contents:
Summary
• Angle measurer
AVAILABILITY:
DESIGN TRENDS:
• When service is the customer’s primary focus, there is no point recommending a fabric that is out of stock and has a long lead time.
• Keep up to date with interior design trends using magazines, online sources such as Pinterest or design blogs.
• Contact the fabric supplier to confirm the fabric is available in the cuts that you require at the time of quoting (please note account holders can check stock levels and place reserves online at www.jamesdunloptextiles.com). COMMUNICATION: • Make sure you can be easily contacted and always return messages promptly. Remember to be solution focused. COMPETITORS: • Never criticise a competitor. Always acknowledge their good work and simply state that your company strives to be the best they can be. COMPETITOR ADVERTISING: • Be aware of your competitors’ offers so you can develop a strategy to counter these in the market place.
• Reputable suppliers will also give you insight on colour and design trends. • You must be able to provide relevant interior design and colour trend to your customers. GUARANTEES: • Your company should provide you with details covering guarantees on fabric quality, workmanship and installation. There will be separate supplier guarantees covering the quality and performance of individual fabrics. • It is important that you fully understand the various guarantees offered by your company so that you can accurately answer customer’s questions. Never overstate the performance of a fabric. Refer to the supplier’s ‘data sheets’\ for accurate information on the suitability of a fabric for a particular application.
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• Below is a copy of a ‘Product Specification Sheet’ which is downloadable from www.jamesdunloptextiles. com in PDF format. Refer to these documents for all relevant product information and care and maintenance instructions. It is important to understand that the content on these sheets are your supplier’s recommendations, failure to follow these will negate supplier responsibility should as issue arise.
Colour
Alabaster
Status Brand Collection
Active Mokum Utopia
Composition Width Weight Horizontal Repeat
57% CO, 29% VI, 7% LI, 7% PC 137cm / 53.9" 768.0g/m / 702g/yd None / None
Finishes Abrasion Colourfastness Fire Retardancy
Teflon Finish 20,000 Martindale Cycles UV 6-7/8 Blue Scale NFPA 260
MISSING IMAGE Italy
Vertical Repeat
None / None
Flammability
–
Care Instructions
Do not bleach
Do not tumble dry
Drycleaning Gentle cycle
Low iron max 110C
Do not wash Warning: Iron reverse side use barrier cloth
Usage
Upholstery Heavy Duty
Accessory
Attributes
Stain Repellant
Nirvana is also available in Dawn, Dove, Driftwood, Ecru, Ginseng, Mist, Oasis, Ochre, Opal, Pebble, Powder Blue, Rose Quartz, Seaspray, Serenity, Smoky Quartz, Sunset, Twilight. Generated Thu, 30 Mar 2017 11:14:07 +1300.
• The positive reputation of your company must be preserved and developed. • All your dealings with customers, suppliers and your own company staff must be handled with total integrity and trust. PAINT COLOURS: • Ensure that your paint colour samples are kept current to reflect changing trends. PEOPLE SKILLS: • Constantly refine your technique of quickly putting customers at ease through a professional empathetic manner. This will be your single greatest asset in winning business.
Nirvana 12271-802
Country of Origin
• Best selling range of fabric swatches
INTEGRITY:
• Delivering a sincere and confident presentation is key. Invest time in personal development to improve your interpersonal skills through training in public speaking, your ability to read body language and refining your emotional intelligence across a wide range of topics.
• Engagement with your customers should be a mutually enjoyable experience – and success will follow.
• Calculator
PERSONAL PRESENTATION:
• Measuring book
• Your personal presentation reflects your ability to give effective, professional advice to the customer.
• Pens
• iPad (with online image portfolio noted above) • Laser measurer • Paint colour charts • Tape measurer • Track/rod colour swatch
• Never present yourself unless you are well dressed. In this creative industry people will take note of your appearance so make an effort to be well maintained – as Oscar Wilde once said “You can never be overdressed or overeducated”.
SAMPLE RANGE: • Keep your sample range current. Work with your fabric supplier to ensure you aren’t representing discontinued lines. Regularly replace any damaged samples. VEHICLE PRESENTATION:
PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE:
• The customer’s impression of you and your company will be influenced by the state of your vehicle. Keep it clean and tidy.
• Give samples of new fabric releases to your workrooms for their comments. • Keep up to date with all of your supplier’s product ranges. • Make sure you get product specification sheets on all new fabric releases (available to download at www.jamesdunloptextiles.com).
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JAMES DUNLOP TEXTILES / CHRISTCHURCH SHOWROOM
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