The Kitchen Sales Coach Issue #3 - Marketing and Branding Your Business
By Robert Foltz, CKD
The truth is that most kitchen & bath businesses don't even have a detailed business plan, yet alone a marketing plan. Years ago, I had a "business plan," but it was incomplete and I found out later that it was really a marketing plan. We can discuss business plans in a later issue (it's never too late to create one).
Marketing is defined as the act of buying and selling in a market. Branding is defined as a trademark or a distinctive name or kind of product or service. In his book A is for Advertising and B is for Branding, NKBA member Phil Zaleon describes both terms in a concise and easy-to-understand format. I recommend this book highly. I've known Phil for years and he's a very good kitchen and bath marketing specialist. I ran across his book at the K/BIS bookstore and had to pick it up. The website of his company, Z promotion & design, can be found at www.kitchenmarketing.com.
Now I know what you're thinking-"I'm a small kitchen and bath dealer, I don't have the budget to create a marketing and branding plan." However, it doesn't matter what your budget is. In some small way, we're marketing and branding every day. Let me break it down simply.
Imagine you're at social function and meet someone new who asks you, "What do you do?" You should have a simple statement of purpose that expresses your business goals. If you say, "I really love providing people with innovative kitchen design and products that fit their homes and their lifestyles," that's marketing. If you have a prospect who comes into your business and says, "Your company is known to be the most expensive, but highest quality firm in this town," that's branding.
Now there's a lot more to the story-I just want to point out the difference simply.
Of course, you should have a percentage budget for marketing. The consensus is 7 to 8 percent for a new business 5 to 7 percent for a two- or three-year old business, and 3 to 5 percent for a more established business. Phil recommends that new businesses also add 2 to 4 percent for brand development.
If you read that and say, "I don't have that kind of money", then cut back on your overhead and other expenses. Put more capital into your business and stick to your plan. Marketing and branding is critical in maintaining your business. Without it, your firm will work fine for a while, but then you'll overreact or underreact to any change in the market-either a downturn or an increase-because you don't have a flexible plan that prepares you to properly adjust your business to address the change.
About Robert Foltz, CKD
Robert Foltz, CKD is experienced in all areas of the retail kitchen and bath business. As a manufacturers' representative, his experience and expertise can help improve your business. He also works as a sales trainer, consultant, and personal coach.
With 23 years of experience in every area of the kitchen business, he has personally experienced the most common mistakes all business owners and sales people make. He has used that experience to develop a formula that will help you avoid those common mistakes and to dramatically accelerate your success.
Robert can be reached at and his work can be seen on www.KitchenSalesCoach.com.