A community of decorative plumbing and hardware professionals creating a culture of excellence through professional development.
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DPHA is Heading to New Orleans!
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The 2020 DPHA Conference + Product Showcase is coming to New Orleans October 22-25! Committees are hard at work to ensure this is the best conference yet, and exciting changes are on the horizon. Our Professional Development Training is coming back with renowned trainer Robb Best at the helm, and we are excited to welcome a full house of showroom associates!
October is a beautiful time to be in New Orleans, so make sure you plan to come early or stay for a few extra days. Leading up to conference we will be providing lots of tips for getting the most out of your time in the Big Easy!
Early Bird booth registration ends at the end of this month, so make sure you secure your booth before March 1!
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DPHA Members' Blog - February 7, 2020
As a DPHA member you may use this content as your own in any of your marketing efforts, including your website, emails, newsletters and more. Use images of spaces you've designed to accompany content and insert your market territory, showroom name and contact information as applicable.
Photo Credit: California Faucets
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The Decision to Stay has Never Been Easier
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Many of our clients in
(name of service territory) are debating whether to improve their existing homes or to move to a new home as they enter new stages of life. We found that an overwhelming majority want to stay where they are and are investing in their homes for the future. When it comes to the master bath and other bathrooms in the house, the decision to stay has never been easier thanks to technological, product and universal design advancements that enable homeowners in
(name of service territory) to age in place with the grace, ease and dignity that they expect and deserve.
The following are common features of a well-designed bath that makes it easy for homeowners to use for many years to come.
Curbless Showers
A curbless shower, as the name implies, is a shower that does not have a threshold or curb. Benefits of a curbless shower include:
- Eliminating tripping hazards. The shower entrance is flush with the floor, eliminating the need to step into or over a curb to enter the shower area.
- Curbless showers allow those who are mobility impaired or confined to a wheelchair easy and safe access into the shower area.
- Curbless showers can make smaller bathrooms look larger because there is no longer a need to have a designated shower area, or even a shower door.
- Aesthetically, curbless showers offer customers a more streamlined, clean-looking space. Customers that are looking to create in-home sanctuaries in their baths will appreciate the clean and open lines that a curbless shower offers.
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Sales Tips and Industry Thoughts
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Crush Your Competition with Great Data:
Thoughts from Fellow Jeff Valles
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Last week we discussed ways to help your showroom add pop and sizzle to captivate and delight your customers. Now let’s now dig into collecting the best data possible to give vendors and showrooms insight into what is working in your business, what is not working and what steps will improve your business.
I suggest building this model from the distributor’s showroom perspective. Showrooms offer a more micro-client focus, allowing all a deeper dive into the market and a better understanding of its potential. The first step is to build out your Enterprise Resource Planning program (ERP) sales data collection system to gain a better understanding of the viability of your product mix, customers, vendors and target customers and markets.
Look at your computer system’s data entry matrix for your customer relationship management (CRM), accounts receivable and payable, purchasing and shipping and receiving departments and note what additional data topics you would like to add. This is the time to dream big as it is easier to remove than add a topic. Before you finalize your data capture matrix, think of problems you dream of solving and opportunities you would love to capture. Then ask yourself, what data do I need to win these battles?
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Now for the fun part - all of this data must be seamlessly linked to all of your businesses databases. The sales data must interface with the marketing data (CRM), the purchasing, shipping and receiving data and the accounts payable and receivable data. All these data silos must be able to seamlessly talk to each other to offer you the best possible understanding of your customers, vendors, your teams and your target markets.
This is the dream package and if you are not collecting this depth of data that is easily shared across all your company’s platforms today, I suggest you start planning a way to collect this information as soon as you are able.
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Create a Better Work/Life Balance
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Do you have the feeling that you are always on call and there is no clear line between being at work and being elsewhere? Is the last thing you do before retiring for the evening checking your email? Do you need more time for yourself and your family? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are not alone. But all hope is not lost, claims time management coach and author of
Devine Time Management
Elizabeth Grace Saunders. She recommends four steps to achieve a better work-life balance, regardless of your position.
Step One: Define “After Hours”
Many decorative plumbing and hardware showroom teams don’t work conventional 9 to 5 jobs. If your position necessitates flexible hours, Saunders recommends determining when you want to be off the clock. Determine how your work hours mesh with your personal commitments such as taking your children to school or extracurricular activities, going to the gym or on a date with someone special. If your professional responsibilities demand your constant attention, Saunders advises, map out the amount of time you need daily and weekly for personal priorities and also set aside time designated as “off hours.”
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Step Two: Have Mental Clarity
Develop a to-do list and establish milestones for task completion. Your list should include specific time slots for working on specific tasks versus time spent in meetings, responding to email, or interacting with coworkers. Plan an end-of-the-day wrap session. Spend 15 minutes or so before going home to ensure that you have completed tasks with hard deadlines. Prior to leaving the showroom, scan your email to help assure that if there is a fire brewing, you are in a position to put it out.
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DPHA would love your feedback! In this section of Connections, we will ask for your opinion on a different topic each week. Let your voice be heard!
Last week LPG was on our minds as the DPHA Team attended their annual conference. We asked who belongs to a buying group, and 41% of respondents belong to Forte, 21% belong to LPG, 3% belong to AD Decorative and 35%
do not belong to a buying group.
This week we want to know:
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What ERP program do you use for your business?
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Custom with in-house programmer
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Member News, Updates and Cool New Stuff
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Oceania's
newest freestanding bathtub is here! The Sikome (63" x 31"x 28") is ENTIRELY North-America made and can have any Benjamin Moore color on the exterior. This model is designed with a back support and head rest that will assure comfort to every user. Available with or without a ledge for deck-mount faucet installation.
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Infinity Drain introduced a new Slot Linear drain with a narrow 3/8-inch drainage gap that virtually disappears into its surroundings. Available in a range of finishes from stainless steel to matte back, the new linear drains feature an easily accessible clean-out tray that simplifies the process of debris removal and servicing of the waste line.
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Congratulations to
Brizo
on their KBIS Best of Show win for the Kintsu Bath Collection! Drawn from “Kintsugi,” a Japanese method of joining pieces of cracked pottery with gold, the name “Kintsu” represents the way in which Japandi style merges two design philosophies for a stunning aesthetic. The collection offers five knob handle options, including Mother of Pearl, Concrete, Teak, All-Metal with a void design, and a custom option that allows unique inlays.
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The Furniture Guild introduces the new Zoe vanity. Shown here in black oak and polished nickel, the Mid-Century Modern design incorporates the elegant metal trim of the Josie and stunning metal legs.
This design is available in A and B wood finishes, as well as any custom color. Legs are available in all standard Furniture Guild metal finishes.
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Best Regards,
Kymberly B Weiner
Director of Marketing & Sales
Decorative Plumbing and Hardware Association (DPHA)
504.475.8111
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