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Your Hardware Tip – Ask these 3 questions before you purchase those slides…

At this point we all agree that your customers want soft close slides in their closets.  We can also agree that using a side-mount full extension is much easier than using an under-mount.

Every manufacturer of full extension slides has introduced a soft close version and believe me not all are created equal…

In an effort to prevent those dreaded service calls I came up with a list of 3 questions that you should ask before you make that purchase…

  1. Is it ½” side clearance?  There are many slides on the market that require an extra 1/16” for proper installation.  Yes, if you don’t account for that 1/16” your drawer will bind.
  2. How wide and how deep of a drawer has the slide been tested on?   If a slide is tested, typically it’s for a standard kitchen drawer – 24” wide X 4” high X 22” deep.  Will it work for your hutch drawer that is 30” wide X 10” high X 18” deep?  How much will it cost you to be the guinea pig?
  3. Is it really a full extension slide?  To fit the soft close mechanism some slide manufacturers have shorted the drawer member making the slide more of a ¾” extension.  This presents a problem on all of those 12” and 14” slides that you use.

Bonus question – is there a 12” available?  Many of the manufacturers have not figured out how to make a 12” slide yet… A real problem if you are making a 12” deep closet…

Your turn, what has been your experience with soft close slides?

I help individuals and organizations to be successful… For more information about soft close slides feel free to contact me at 347-723-7433 or you can email me at richdemarco@optonline.net.

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Your Hardware Tip – Design Trends that you should Listen to…

Over the last month we have reviewed adding lighting to your designs, how installing sliding doors can add to your bottom line and the overall European influence on our industry.  This may be more prevalent in the New York market, but this trend is spreading across the country.  It’s much easier to ride the wave than to try and fight it….

I know lighting is expensive, I know installing sliding doors can be difficult if the opening isn’t square, but I am telling you this is what your customers want…

I’m the Mayor of Hardware, not the Mayor of Design so what do I know…

Well I’ll tell you – actions speak louder than words – Rev-A-Shelf recently purchased Tesco Lighting, Hafele is promoting the new LOOX LED lighting system.  I’m sure that these companies have done their research…

Still not convinced, check out this article from Pulse magazine – http://www.lipulse.com/real-estate-home/article/european-american-synergy/

There will always be a market for the least expensive closet, but is that what you want to be known for?  Do you really want to be in a race to the bottom?  Is the bottom ever hit?

Don’t you think it’s worth your time to develop a system and train your designers on these products?  If you sold lighting and sliding doors to only 10% of your customers, what does that equal at the end of the year?

What are your thoughts?

I help individuals and organizations to be successful… For more information about lighting, sliding doors or just to say hello, feel free to contact me at 347-723-7433 or you can email me at richdemarco@optonline.net.

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Your Hardware Tip – Lights, Camera, Action!

If you missed the 2012 Closet Expo, one item that many of the booths featured was LED lighting…

Rev-A-Shelf, Hafele, Home Décor and Eveready Hardware all had their exhibits lit from top to bottom… Some featured LED lighting that was turned on by motion detectors, others had LED lighting attached to a magnetic switch that turned on and off when the door was opened or closed…  No matter how it was done the outcome was the same – lighting gives you that “wow factor” that can separate you from the competition…

I know your concerns – “I’m not an electrician” “How do I turn the lights on and off?” “I don’t know what to order to accomplish what I am trying to do”… These are all valid objections and manufacturers are starting to address them…

You don’t have to be an electrician, most manufacturers sell UL approved lighting and it is all plug and play…  Meaning everything is a male/female connection which makes it very easy to wire.

Lighting has come a long way and there are many choices for turning the lights on and off… Some options are touch pads or rocker switches.  Other options are wireless remotes or motion detectors.  All work great and none will require an electrician…

What do you need to order – well that’s the easy part…  You will need a transformer, a switch and the lights that you are installing.  There are different lighting options to choose from and all have their place…

Lighting is like everything else that you do…  Give your customer one or two choices and develop your “lighting program”.  The first job may be difficult, but by the third one you will be an expert…

Could you increase your average sale with lighting?  Could you close more sales with lighting?  Maybe…

I would love to hear some of your experiences.

If you would like more information please feel free to contact me at richdemarco@optonline.net. 

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Your Hardware Tip – Wax sticks, seamfill and caulk oh my…

Everyone has their own signature way to deal with chips or scratches… Some use wax sticks or markers while others use seamfill or caulk.  I have even seen customers use whiteout or sharpies…

Which do you prefer?  What are some of your tricks?

The biggest problem with all of these repairer solutions seems to be finding the proper color for the board that you are using.  More often than not, the vendor that you are buying these solutions from doesn’t “speak closet” and therefore can’t help you with the matches.

Many of you have been using these products for years so I am sure that you have cross referenced the colors that you currently use, but what happens if you change your colors?

There are many new colors hitting the market, how long will it take and how much will it cost for you to come up with these matches?

Click here for a spreadsheet containing common closet colors and a cross reference for each… I hope this will save you some time so that you can stay focused on the important things – like making sales…

If you would like more information about the repairer solutions that I offer please feel free to contact me at richdemarco@optonline.net.

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What I learned from the 2012 Closet Expo…

I learned so much this week that it doesn’t all fit in one blog post!  Last week I gave you a list of what I hoped to learn and the conference delivered!

One of the top items on my list was “How to build a great reputation.”  One of the most cost effective ways to do this is with social media.  This message was repeated from the opening session which included Houzz.com throughout many of the breakout sessions until the end of the week with Steve Riess.

The Houzz presentation was very informative, and if you don’t have a profile on Houzz.com you should start one right now… Below is the top 10 ways that professionals use Houzz –

  1. Communication Tool
  2. Exposure to Homeowners
  3. Client Education
  4. Credibility Builder
  5. Image Search
  6. Product Resource
  7. Traffic Builder
  8. Exposure to Industry
  9. Marketing Insights
  10. Validation

Begin today by creating your profile and uploading your high resolution photos.  Are you already on Houzz?  What has your experience been like?

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