Success Step by Step
By Kenneth Klein, CGR of Kenneth C. Klein Windows and Doors, Inc. in Reading, Pa.

Success in this industry has very little to do with being a CGR. A CGR is reflective in many instances of those practices that cause one company to rise above another.

We have been operating our exterior remodeling company, Kenneth C. Klein Windows and Doors Inc.,  for 28 years. And like most remodeling businesses, the years have been recorded with a learning curve that never ends, nor should it. It is essential for the successful remodeler to keep a sharp edge and to keep abreast with the latest materials available, new building code requirements, and of course the competition’s products and services.

So how have we remained so successful? Here are a few simple practices that we follow to the “T.”

1. Attend at least one national building convention per year and all the local seminars that may be available no matter what the content. We attend seminars on new building material availability, new installation techniques, selling techniques and styles, and business improvement seminars.
   
   
2. What you say you will do, “DO”. All too often remodelers will promise certain products and time schedules for their installation but neglect to deliver and many times what they deliver is not the quality expected. Many do not have the decency to call and simply inform a prospective customer that they will be late for an appointment or they cannot make the appointment or they will have an estimate next week. They simply don’t deliver.
   
   If I visit a customer today they will have their estimate in a typed written estimate on letterhead and sealed with my CGR stamp the next day. If the estimate is accepted they will have their agreement sent the same day.
   
   The quality of our product is the best and is always on display in our showroom. It is required that after receiving the estimate the client must visit the showroom to see the product. We do not sell product unseen.
   
   
3. Our selling technique is simple. “Be yourself.” Listening is crucial.  Match the product to the customers need. Be honest. In some cases it is necessary to inform the customer that there is really no problem with their present product and that they may NOT need to replace it. We have a saying in Berks County, “If it’s not broke don’t fix it.” Many of our customers appreciate our honesty and many times will acquire our services for future needs.
   
   
4. Selling is so simple when you simply like PEOPLE.  In conversations with our customer, in regards to product, we use the “KISS” method.  Keep It Short and Simple. People’s time is a precious commodity.  Don’t waste their time or your own. In most instances conversation develops around the customers’ personal life. Many have some terrific stories to tell. This is a story in and of itself. Pressure sales are not a part of our vocabulary.
   
   
5. Technology needs to be a part of a remodeler’s repertoire of tools.  Estimate preparations, data collection, time management, and bookkeeping, all need to be made simple, efficient, and professional.  The production capabilities are endless with a simple computer, scanner/copier/printer, and camcorder, the in house production of business cards, estimate forms, agreements, Web site production and uploading, picture and video production, can all be accomplished quickly and in some instances for less than seeking the services of a professional.
   
   
6. Remember the old saying that cleanliness is next to Godliness? We strive to provide the customer with quality products and expert installation and service, but tantamount is to maintain a high level of cleanliness. Our reputation is based upon this single factor.  Remodeling, unlike new construction, requires the presence of the remodeler in the sanctum of a person’s mansion. The mansion is not only measured in size and monetary parameters but what is felt by the homeowner. A home is everybody’s mansion and must be treated as such. It is our policy to keep dirt to a minimum during the construction phase and to leave the premises cleaner than we found it.

If these general tips of operation are followed, success is generally achievable in an industry where 90% or more will fail within five years. [ return to top ]