The Newsletter - Grabill Cabinets

Photo supplied by Griffin Interiors, Wenham, Mass.,
and Northeast Kitchens in Middleton, Mass.
“The kitchen is the
heart of a home.”
Vilas Schertz - founder
Grabill Cabinets
Dovetail
Newsletter
The
June - August 2014
Valuing Relationships
One of a Kind Cabinets.
One of a Kind Dealers.
One of a Kind Relationships.
In December we announced our focus for 2014 and the One
of a Kind string of communications: One of Kind Cabinets,
One of a Kind Dealers, and One of a Kind Relationships.
In March we spoke mainly about going above and beyond
manufacturing to provide supporting services and how that
enables us to help you become a One of a Kind Dealer.
This quarter, we’d like to focus our attention on One of a
Kind Relationships because relationships are one of our
core values at Grabill.
We are committed to building strong,
lasting partnerships.
We will treat everyone with respect.
We will partner with our dealers to mutually grow
their business and ours.
We believe that together everyone achieves more!
Why do we share this?
There is a great book called “The Speed of Trust - The One Thing That Changes Everything” by Stephen M.R.
Covey. The takeaway is that trust is based on character + competence. He uses a tree metaphor with
character as the root of the tree and competence as the branches. Character is a product of integrity +
intent. We want to share our core values and commitments so that you can witness our integrity; that we
do what we say we’re going to do. We also share our core values so that you know our intent. We know
that in order for us to build a One of a Kind Relationship with you, it must begin with our integrity and
intent.
The purpose of this newsletter is to improve our communication with you. The following Sales and
Marketing Tips, and Team Highlights will build on the importance of relationships. We hope you find it
helpful.
Communication is a two-way street. Please share your feedback on this newsletter with us as you’re
working either with the two of us directly or anyone here at Grabill. We’re committed to a One of a Kind
Relationship with you.
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Martin Heiny
David Carnahan
President
Vice President and General Manager
Dovetail
Newsletter
The
Grabill Cabinets
June - August 2014
Sales & Marketing Tips
Grabill’s team members travel to many states
and have seen a lot of paths to dealer success.
Whether it’s a big showroom with a lot of designers or a
single person business with minimal displays, a common denominator
to success is the development of relationships with interior designers, architects
and builders.
So how do you do it effectively and efficiently?
Write down the names of the people
you want to get to know. This can be on
paper or in a CRM system but you must build
the list. Learn about them. Who do you know
that knows them? (use LinkedIN to help) What
groups do they belong to? (ASID, Builders
Assoc, AIA, etc) Visit their website and study
their work. Identify trends they are dealing
with. Put yourself in their shoes.
1
Offer them what they are craving.
Create an opportunity for them to
engage, gain insight, get educated, download
instructions, see examples of work, use free
samples, etc. Your offer should say something
about what you value and what your
intentions are as a professional (remember
Speed of Trust). Be attractive by your
character first and your competence second.
Show them what you care about. If they care
about and value the same things, they’ll be
attracted to you. If they don’t value the same
things, it may not be the best fit for you.
2
“No one cares how much you know,
until they know how much you care.”
Theodore Roosevelt
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Dovetail
Newsletter
The
Grabill Cabinets
June - August 2014
Sales & Marketing Tips
continued...
Post your offer on your website with
an example of someone you helped in
a similar way and how happy they are with
you. For example, if you helped an interior
designer land a big job because you let them
use your sample kits, tell that story and make
your offer about using your free sample kits.
Give them a phone number, email or form to
fill out to take the next step with you. Make
sure your website is up to snuff and puts you
in a good light.
3
Promote your offer with a press
release, e-blast, direct mail, social
media posts, guest blog, association e-blast
list, etc. For example, “XYX Kitchen and
Bath is offering free sample kits to design
professionals…” Getting some professional
help to create and negotiate placement of
your promotions can really pay off.
4
Follow-up in a personal way. A personal
call, handwritten note, appreciation gift,
referral to them, etc will go a long way.
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[Repeat steps 1-5.]
This works well for deepening relationships with existing
contacts, developing referrals and opening doors with new
contacts. For more or to inquire about this methodology, email
[email protected]. Another recommended
reading - The Referral of a Lifetime by Tim Templeton.
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Dovetail
Newsletter
The
Grabill Cabinets
June - August 2014
Team Highlights
Featured Department: Quoting
“Raising the Bar”
The custom cabinet business can be tricky, especially in busy
times when you’re working on a multitude of different projects.
Meet our Quotes manager, Calena Houser
Calena brings with her an extensive background in custom
cabinetry, from many years in the industry. Calena says, “The
custom cabinetry business has taught me how to wear a lot of
hats; layout, purchasing, customer service and quoting. Before my
Grabill days, I wore all those hats alone. However, on the Grabill
team, we have separate departments and support staff for each
of those functions. I’m honored to lead the Quotes department
where, together we aim to raise the bar of excellent customer
service.”
Calena Houser
Teamwork and great communication is the key to our mutual
success. Calena is assisted by a talented and tenured staff
including Greg Howerter and Renee Schutte. These folks are
cabinet gurus with a ton of industry experience and a passion for
helping dealers be successful. The Quotes team has turned what
was once considered an extra hand for dealers into a lean, mean
quoting machine.
Calena says, “We’re making a point to be committal. When
a designer sends in a quote request, we’re acknowledging it
right away and committing to a time frame in which to return a
quote. We value the relationships we have and we recognize the
importance of reliable communications, clarifying our intent and
then doing what we say we’re going to do. We’re raising the bar.”
Greg Howerter
The Quote department’s mission is to provide support and
empower Grabill designers to do more of what they’re great at;
designing.
Please send your quote requests to [email protected].
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Renee Schutte
Dovetail
Newsletter
The
Grabill Cabinets
June - August 2014
90-Day Recap
May 28th
Trust Grabill to execute the most intricate details
for your kitchen project to create a focal point for
entertaining family and friends.
If you like entertaining and you have a big
family you want to enjoy while you’re cooking
up a storm, it helps to have a large efficient
kitchen. Jennifer Griffin with Griffin Interiors and
Northeast Kitchens really knows how to enhance
a room’s brightness while adding warmth and a
touch of contrast to create an area that is truly
entertainment central.
Read more - www.grabillcabinets.com/entertain
April 22nd
Grabill’s special touches are ready for the client that wants more.
It’s fun when you get a client who wants
nothing but the best and is willing to pay for it.
Great design freedom. The challenge, though,
then becomes meeting those expectations
Read more - www.grabillcabinets.com/touches
Current completion lead time is 8 weeks for new orders.
PLEASE NOTE: Lead times are typically extended 1 week for High-Gloss Buff, and 2 to 3
weeks for orders containing radius cabinetry, complex specialty cabinetry, non-standard
door styles and/or non-standard wood species. Orders with specialty requests, please
contact the factory for adjusted lead times.
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Dovetail
Newsletter
The
Grabill Cabinets
June - August 2014
Communication Schedule
Thank you for reading
our quarterly newsletter
In addition to The Dovetail, we are committed to
publishing a featured project and a new style/finish once
per quarter. If you would like to have a featured project
written about you, please submit your information at
www.grabillcabinets.com/feature.
The communication schedule is as follows
with bulletins as necessary.
July
August
Featured
Project
Grabill
Style
& Finish
Dovetail
Grabill
The
September
Newsletter
13844 Sawmill Road · P.O. Box 40 · Grabill, IN 46741
Phone: 877-472-2782 · E-Mail: [email protected]
www.grabillcabinets.com
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Dovetail
Newsletter
The
Grabill Cabinets
June - August 2014