Jeff Valles: Showroom Dollars & Sense

How to make KBIS 2025 work for your brand

jwvals@gmail.com (Jeff Valles) — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0500

As KBIS 2025 nears, focus on high-impact categories, key brands, standout visuals, and notable booths to resonate with your audience, emphasizing timeless design and durability over fleeting trends.

The battle for luxury bathroom and kitchen spaces still rages

jwvals@gmail.com (Jeff Valles) — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 12:00:00 -0500

Our mission, should we choose to accept it? Help them redirect their supervillain vanilla vision to letting professionals create their worthy spaces.

How a gallery can transform your showroom's online presence

jwvals@gmail.com (Jeff Valles) — Mon, 07 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400

A well-crafted website gallery is more than just a collection of pretty pictures – it's a powerful tool that can significantly enhance your business.

Can AI benefit your business today?

jwvals@gmail.com (Jeff Valles) — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Can AI benefit your business today? Absolutely. Do you need to rush to implement it immediately to stay ahead of your competitors? No, you don't.

AI resources to help you get started

jwvals@gmail.com (Jeff Valles) — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Upon my initial use of ChatGPT-3, I was genuinely impressed by its capabilities and responsiveness. It seemed like a significant advancement in AI technology compared to its predecessors. What were your initial impressions when you first used it?

Creating a little joy in the restroom

jwvals@gmail.com (Jeff Valles) — Wed, 08 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Some people find bathrooms lacking in style and individuality. Despite our best efforts, many bathrooms and kitchens lack a unique design statement that reflects the owner's personal taste. So, where is the color and creativity?

Who did you meet at KBIS 2024? Was it a person, product or a palette?

jwvals@gmail.com (Jeff Valles) — Mon, 08 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0400

KBIS' most valuable connections were unplanned conversations that opened doors and offered fresh perspectives. Read for attendee takeaways and product trends.

Feeling winded? Let’s all take a break and get brilliant

jwvals@gmail.com (Jeff Valles) — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400

As a design-build leader, take a break and refrain from adding or removing anything from your business for a few weeks. Use this time to observe and learn before making any decisions. Don't rush to add new products to your showroom. Take time to re-evaluate your business strategy and prepare for the future.

Does your website work for your clients?

jwvals@gmail.com (Jeff Valles) — Thu, 08 Feb 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Is your website meeting the needs of your market and team? It should be an extension of your brand, reminding customers why they trust you and offering frictionless support.

Where should you place your showroom vignettes?

jwvals@gmail.com (Jeff Valles) — Mon, 08 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Let’s explore how to reach outside your business’s walls and spread your brand’s story all over your market’s designer showroom world.

How to effectively plan and manage showroom open house events

jwvals@gmail.com (Jeff Valles) — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 00:00:00 -0500

Do open houses truly justify the time, effort and money your team invests in them? And more importantly, are they effectively amplifying your brand's story?

How does your showroom garden grow in your market?

Fri, 10 Nov 2023 00:00:00 -0500

Last month we talked about the importance of courting your designer market, and how to build a team supported strategy to take your good showroom brand out of its showrooms and win this business opportunity. Now to the next steps…

Did your showroom learn from the pandemic?

jwvals@gmail.com (Jeff Valles) — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 00:00:00 -0400

As a meeting with four designers about our products wrapped up, the conversation shifted from decorative hardware to this agency's discovery and specification process.

The 'not shiny' part of showroom business

jwvals@gmail.com (Jeff Valles) — Tue, 08 Aug 2023 00:00:00 -0400

When was the last time a client came up and informed you that they would never work with your showroom again because their bathroom design did not turn out as they had envisioned?

Jeff Valles: Strengthen your network to thrive during downturns

jwvals@gmail.com (Jeff Valles) — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 00:00:00 -0400

I have been on the road, and it seems that showrooms not solely focused on the ultra-high-end market have experienced a decline in business. Generally, I am hearing statements like, "We are busy but down by 10% to 15%."

Jeff Valles: Prime time

jwvals@gmail.com (Jeff Valles) — Mon, 12 Jun 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Every day, we receive promotional emails attempting to entice us to visit, shop and purchase branded products. Countless companies employ a "pushing, pushing, pushing" product approach, emphasizing style and price, hoping that one will motivate us to delve deeper. But, is that rare brand dive really enough? What are these mega brands are trying to “teach” us? The answer, my friends, lies at the bottom of email and on their home page. "Please visit our elegant store and let our talented design team help you create.”

Jeff Valles: Your AI is ready

jwvals@gmail.com (Jeff Valles) — Tue, 09 May 2023 00:00:00 -0400

The plumbing supply industry and our showrooms, as well as many re-distribution businesses, are run ERP systems that are based on the IBM AS/400 or DOS. Both originated in the 1980s. We are an industry that looks to shave pennies to scale and limit our operational invest. We live by “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” and so we have gone for a millennia. But, the possibility of having a knowledgable consultant in our pocket might just change the way we employ computers in all facets of business.

Jeff Valles: Rethink your showroom layout

jwvals@gmail.com (Jeff Valles) — Tue, 04 Apr 2023 00:00:00 -0400

In the 1980s, homeowners, builders and designers would walk into these new-fangled decorative plumbing showrooms and be wowed by all the sparkle and style. And as pretty as it all looked, these design leaders had no idea exactly what they were looking at. Sure, they saw fancy faucets but they had no idea how to layout, buy and install a “decorative bathroom”. Prior to decorative showrooms all that was only handled by the plumber. Who was going to help them navigate this new world.

Jeff Valles: Top three product trends from the KBIS floor

jwvals@gmail.com (Jeff Valles) — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 00:00:00 -0400

COVID-19 may remain in the news but it did not stop people from attending the 2023 KBIS/IDS show in Las Vegas. In fact, early estimates set the attendance in excess of 100,000 enthusiasts. Now that’s a show!

Jeff Valles: Leverage your decorative knowledge

jwvals@gmail.com (Jeff Valles) — Thu, 09 Feb 2023 00:00:00 -0500

In the year 2023, we know we must include a finish on every faucet from any vendor. The same as when we order an automobile, chair or lighting. Adding colors to any piece makes it special and in many instances the color is more important than any other look that product offers.

Color is so important and so individual, that a red indoor paint search on Sherwin - Williams' website delivers more than 140 related colors.

Jeff Valles: Prepare for millennial customers

jwvals@gmail.com (Jeff Valles) — Mon, 09 Jan 2023 00:00:00 -0500

With all of the goings on over the last two years, many of us have lost sight of our customer base undergoing a significant change. Baby Boomers have moved into the background as Millennials are entering their prime earning time and make up a significant portion of decorative plumbing showrooms' professional and homeowner customers.

Jeff Valles: Why you should visit The Bean in 2023

jwvals@gmail.com (Jeff Valles) — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 00:00:00 -0500

When I open the ballroom door and enter the 2022 DPHA conference, the booths catch my eye but I am looking for familiar industry wide faces and those new personalities that i do not know. The DPHA conference is all about the decorative plumbing and hardware, period. It presents me with the opportunity to see new products from decorative plumbing and hardware focused vendors, industry relevant education sessions and opportunities to interact with the people that manage and own DPHA businesses.

Jeff Valles: Specify and sell your best lines

jwvals@gmail.com (Jeff Valles) — Tue, 08 Nov 2022 00:00:00 -0500

As an owner or manager, your laser focus is on each vendor’s profit and, mistakenly, assume that your salespeople share your bottom-line focus. I suggest you are focusing on the deliverables, and they are involved in the process, the sales process. In most cases, you will not be able to move your salespeople to your side of this question by simply showing them the money. The way to move them is to show them how these HVVs will fuel their desire to be a great showroom salesperson.

Jeff Valles: Go-to brands

jwvals@gmail.com (Jeff Valles) — Tue, 11 Oct 2022 00:00:00 -0400

When a product niche reaches this level of performance consistency, most manufacturers gravitate toward the same basic product platform. Is a faucet from vendor A really that much different than one from vendors B, C or D?

Jeff Valles: Traveling U.S. showrooms

jwvals@gmail.com (Jeff Valles) — Fri, 09 Sep 2022 00:00:00 -0400

I have been back on the road for a while and have just returned from another week-long tour. I would like to report that the decorative plumbing showroom world remains vibrant and as diverse as ever. The question that I am most asked is: How are showrooms and customers reacting to COVID-19 in their business practices in 2022?

Jeff Valles: Drill down sales

Mon, 08 Aug 2022 00:00:00 -0400

In a quiet home or company office, away from the hustle and bustle of a busy 21st-century decorative showroom, a knowledgeable salesperson will dig into their knowledge of today’s market, the designer’s style filtered through their meeting notes to create the total schedule.

Jeff Valles: How has the pandemic affected your showroom team?

jwvals@gmail.com (Jeff Valles) — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 00:00:00 -0400

During my 2022 travels, I have noticed one combined practice that both delights and concerns me. Many salespeople and trade professionals have consciously sped up their product selection process by condensing the sales/selection process.

Jeff Valles: 10 ideas for stand-out showroom displays.

jwvals@gmail.com (Jeff Valles) — Wed, 11 May 2022 00:00:00 -0400

Any business can install factory displays side by side, set a few toilet, cabinet, mirror and faucet looks and declare the space a decorative plumbing showroom.

Jeff Valles: Who does your showroom cater to?

jwvals@gmail.com (Jeff Valles) — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 00:00:00 -0400

Defining product market fit is not an easy task for a stand-alone decorative plumbing showroom. It's especially complicated for showrooms that are a part of a multi-product brand that may supply PVF targeting plumbers, HVAC targeting builders or any of the many building products with re-distribution models.

Jeff Valles: Proactive quoting

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Once again, Martin, the spokes-gecko for Geico insurance company, is rambling on about their amazing customer call center, immediate, on-the-job appraisals, replacement value and tremendous low rates. We hear the same tired story from Allstate, Progressive, State Farm and all the insurance companies. It’s at the point where they never say the word insurance. That is because they are not selling insurance, they are selling peace of mind. Should anything happen to you or a member of your family they will make it all better. You have nothing to worry about.