By Kristin Vogelsberg on Thursday, June 16th, 2016 in Business Management, Featured Articles, Installation. No Comments
Leading up to the installation, it’s important to keep the homeowners in the loop. This will give them peace of mind and make the process smooth and easy for everyone involved. Every job is different, so there is no one size fits all plan for approaching the installation. But keep these must-dos in mind toRead more
By Kristin Vogelsberg on Monday, June 13th, 2016 in Business Management, Featured Articles, in-home consultation. No Comments
A successful in-home estimate begins before you even step foot through the homeowner’s door. Before you go into your meeting, you want to understand the homeowner you’ll be talking to as well as you can by doing some pre-meeting research. This is where the who, what, where, when, why and how come into play. Who?Read more
By Kristin Vogelsberg on Wednesday, May 11th, 2016 in Business Management. No Comments
Having a general understanding of online advertising is important to your business. This post is not an exhaustive list, nor is it meant to go into great detail about each of these solutions. But we want you to know what options are available to you when it comes to growing and expanding your business andRead more
By Kristin Vogelsberg on Wednesday, May 4th, 2016 in Business Management, Sales & Service. No Comments
Many sales professionals walk into a home visit with blinders on. They are afraid to upsell and lose the customer by seeming to salesy or pushy. But the truth is, customers only know so much, they depend on you for your expertise and product knowledge. If no one they speak to suggests anything new, they’llRead more
By Kristin Vogelsberg on Monday, April 4th, 2016 in Business Management. No Comments
Believe it or not, spring is right around the corner. It’s time to start thinking about getting a plan together so you’re prepared for the busy season ahead. Have your marketing materials, social plan, direct mail and website ready so that you don’t have to scramble at the last minute! Direct Mail You probably alreadyRead more
By Kristin Vogelsberg on Tuesday, March 29th, 2016 in Business Management, marketing. No Comments
Tax season is an excellent time to promote your business. Not only do customers have a little extra cash to spend, but spring has arrived and summer is right around the corner, meaning many homeowners might be ready to upgrade their windows and patio doors before the hot weather arrives. Remind homeowners that putting theirRead more
By Kristin Vogelsberg on Tuesday, February 23rd, 2016 in Energy Efficiency. No Comments
There have been changes to ENERGY STAR qualifications and we want to make sure our customers are kept informed. These modifications could affect the way you sell home windows and doors, and we want you to have the knowledge you need in order to sell products that meet the ENERGY STAR criteria. 2016 ENERGY STARRead more
By Kristin Vogelsberg on Thursday, September 17th, 2015 in marketing. No Comments
As a local business owner it’s important that you focus on ranking well in local search results, especially if you don’t work out of an actual storefront property. With the majority of shoppers using the internet in order to find and learn about local businesses, not having yours come up in those search results canRead more
By Kristin Vogelsberg on Thursday, September 17th, 2015 in Business Management, marketing. No Comments
As you probably already know, where your website lands in the search rankings directly impacts how many visitors check out your site, which can influence the amount of calls and forms you receive, ultimately impacting your leads and sales. This is why it’s so important to be conscious of your keywords and content. Creating contentRead more
By Kristin Vogelsberg on Monday, August 24th, 2015 in Business Management, Sales & Service. No Comments
High consideration purchases (furniture, windows, houses, cars, etc.) require a lot of time, thought, cost analysis, and estimating before a decision is made. When it comes to making these big purchases, cost, timing and status-quo are typically three of the biggest hesitations that sales professionals face when speaking with buyers. Here we will discuss aRead more
By Kristin Vogelsberg on Monday, August 17th, 2015 in marketing. No Comments
How many times have you gone on a website to buy something or searched a local company’s services online and there weren’t any pictures to look at? Very rarely do you find a website without any pictures, and it’s likely if it doesn’t have photographs you are left feeling unsatisfied and not willing to pursueRead more
By Kristin Vogelsberg on Monday, August 10th, 2015 in Business Management, Products, Sales & Service. No Comments
Has the main focus of your business always been on window replacements? Have you ever considered taking a step back from windows and thought of patio doors as their own separate product? Instead of patio doors simply being an add-on to your window sale, they can fall under a wide umbrella of other home renovationRead more
By Kristin Vogelsberg on Monday, June 8th, 2015 in Business Management, Patio Doors, Products, Sales & Service. No Comments
Have you ever considered how selling more patio doors could improve your overall business? The industry average window to patio door ratio is 18 windows to 1 patio door. Does this sound like the ratio for your business? If not, you could be leaving money on the table! While windows are typically the more popularRead more
By Kristin Vogelsberg on Monday, April 6th, 2015 in Business Management, Sales & Service. No Comments
Let’s be honest, even though we love our jobs we really work for the time off and to be able to participate in fun activities like the ones you’ll find below. You don’t have to go on an extravagant vacation with your free time, you can save your money and have just as much funRead more
By Kristin Vogelsberg on Monday, March 2nd, 2015 in Business Management, marketing. No Comments
Have you established yourself in your community as a window expert? Are you ready to start really building your clientele and solidifying your advertising plan? Having a fully functioning and easy-to-use website is likely a major part of that plan. Your clients are going to want to check in and see what you have toRead more
By Kristin Vogelsberg on Tuesday, February 10th, 2015 in Business Management, marketing. No Comments
Your website is probably one of the most critical tools you have for your business. In the eyes of consumers, having a website is a measure of stability. When consumers review websites they are looking at the quality and professionalism which helps them determine whether your business is successful or not and if you willRead more
By Kristin Vogelsberg on Tuesday, August 19th, 2014 in marketing, Our 2 Cents, Uncategorized. No Comments
This article is part of our Social Media 101 series. For a complete overview of different social networks you and your company should utilize, check out our previous articles in this series where we covered Facebook and YouTube. Why Do I Need a Google My Business Account? You understand that the best way to nurture leadsRead more
By Kristin Vogelsberg on Tuesday, July 15th, 2014 in Our 2 Cents, Sales & Service. No Comments
As an Authorized Great Lakes® Window Dealer, you’re constantly on the hunt to find homeowners in need of replacement windows. Whether you enlist in advertising, get involved in your local community or have a window exhibit at a local home show, connecting with homeowners is essential in the industry. While you do a great job at attractingRead more
By Kristin Vogelsberg on Friday, July 11th, 2014 in Our 2 Cents. No Comments
This article is part of our Social Media 101 series. This month, we’re covering YouTube. Stay tuned during the next few months for a complete overview of different social networks you can and should consider utilizing for your business. Why should I be using YouTube? From cat videos to the next hip-hop sensation to JimmyRead more
By Kristin Vogelsberg on Thursday, June 12th, 2014 in Our 2 Cents. No Comments
You just got off the phone with a prospective homeowner. You’ve confirmed their first in-home consultation for next week. You know the Great Lakes® Window products like the back of your hands and have installed replacement windows for years. You’re confident in your ability to showcase the available products, but can you promote your business toRead more
By Kristin Vogelsberg on Tuesday, June 10th, 2014 in Our 2 Cents. No Comments
You’re a business owner who is responsible for in-home consultations, glass pack selections and deciphering National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) ratings. It’s likely that one of the things you don’t have a lot of time to do is market your business. And, when it comes to marketing tactics like search engine optimization (SEO), graphic design and copyRead more
By Kristin Vogelsberg on Sunday, June 8th, 2014 in Our 2 Cents. No Comments
This article is part of our Social Media 101 series. This month, we’re covering Facebook. Stay tuned during the next few months for a complete overview of different social networks you can and should consider utilizing for your business. Why should I be using Facebook? With more than 900 million people on Facebook, constantly liking,Read more
By Kristin Vogelsberg on Wednesday, May 21st, 2014 in Our 2 Cents. No Comments
3 Remarkable Ways to Follow Up After the Sale One of your most powerful referral tools lies in keeping your customer relationships warm after you’ve done great work. But, simply asking them to refer you to their friends may not be the most effective approach. Your business needs to create remarkable experiences for each andRead more
By Kristin Vogelsberg on Monday, May 5th, 2014 in Our 2 Cents. No Comments
Do you have a “brag box” of letters and printed-out emails from happy customers sitting in your office? Or do you have customers singing your praises on review sites? Don’t let these golden reviews collect dust. Instead, design an organized way to use positive customer comments to enhance and grow your business. Here are someRead more
By Kristin Vogelsberg on Sunday, April 20th, 2014 in Our 2 Cents. No Comments
Window replacements are a big investment for homeowners, and with so many options for them to consider, closing the sale quickly can be a challenge. However, using some of the tactics detailed below can help create a sense of urgency with your customer to close sales faster, encouraging homeowners to move out of consideration andRead more
By Kristin Vogelsberg on Monday, March 31st, 2014 in Uncategorized. No Comments
STEP 1: Start a Google+ Places for Business Page Search engines try to match searchers to businesses that are near their location, so it is important to let search engines know exactly where you are. The best way to do this is to start a Google+ Places for Business page. It’s a simple process thatRead more