Stylish living

Absolutely love this style!

Small Condo Design

Always over deliver

#business #sales #motivation #inspiration #10X #GrantCardone #GC #seminar #conference 

Why start a business?

Why start a business by Andy Green, Creative Director at Spaceman Creative Studio’s.

#media #TeamJN #marketing #photography #stationery #websitedevelopment #business 

#002 E-commerce, are you onboard?

#002 E-commerce, are you onboard?





Podcast #002 just published #interiors #interiordesign #lifestyle #ecommerce #retail #retailsales #online #onlinesales #TeamJN

Interior Designer Karin Bohn Negotiating

This is an awesome video. Karin stuck to her principles and negotiated her worth to the potential client without compromise.

Wallpaper trends 2019

How to become an interior designer

Social Media, why the interiors sector should be using it!

I am still surprised at so many people/businesses are not embracing Social Media

Social Media is now a huge factor in any business today, yet so many in the interiors sector shy away from it. There are so many platforms that you can use to your benefit, but these resources, which in the main are free (only your time, which we will get on to!) are just not being used.

Facebook: Not only can you set up a personal page, but from that you can then create your own group, business page and sell things, and where you can post images and messages about your business, all free! (Facebook shop does cost)

Twitter: See twitter as a text messaging service but to thousands if not millions of people. Good for one off comments or links to websites etc. It's free!

LinkedIn: A business platform for professionals which is ideal for networking. Connect to groups that would be of an interest to your business to exchange information and generate leads. It's free!

Instagram: Probably one of the most popular platforms for sharing images and information. Instant pictures and videos can be posted direct to your profile. It's free!

Google+ This platform is probably the least used in the UK, but by using Google+ you will rate highly in web searches. It's free!

Pinterest: More commonly used for making mood boards. a great place to find ideas, schemes and images to use. Create your own where you can send links to your clients to view and select one they like. This can ultimately make your job that much easier if your client is telling you exactly what they want from one of your own mood boards. It's free!

Remember, when using social media use hash tags #. This helps people find things much easier such as #interiors #interiordesigner #furniture etc when searching.

Website: A website is very important, even if it is just a one page landing page with basic information. Consumers now use search engines such as Google and Bing to find local businesses, and directories such as Thomson local and Yellow Pages (which is no longer going into print) are now a thing of the past. You don't need a huge budget to start a website, you can purchase a Domain name and annual subscription for less than a £100 with some amazing designs.

The important thing with websites is not just about having the correct search words, but also keeping it up to date. Make sure you have ALL the brands you deal with listed with logo's and links. People will search and check out businesses first before contacting or visiting, if you are not showing that brand, then they will go to the business who is.

Now, I hear you saying, come on John, we don't have the time to do all this? Setting up your Social Media profiles will take the most time. Getting it right with the right level of content with the information is important. Once done, that's it. Make sure you have a profile picture! A picture of you is best, it makes it more personal, but even a design image is better than a blank space as fewer people will connect. I have a great face for radio, but by having my image on my home pages means that people recognise me when we meet.

I get told quite frequently that I seem to spend a lot of time on Social Media, that is the perception. The reality, I probably across the day spend 1 hour. I can schedule posts to go out at various times throughout the day and night. I spend 10-15 minutes in the morning while having a cup of tea. Throughout the day between calls if I have time I will check my timelines for messages and comments, and maybe like and repost or retweet some of my connections posts. In the evening, particularly early evening when TV isn't at it's best, I may spend 30-40 minutes with updates, information etc. I'm self employed and I use this as my marketing time.

Does it work? for me yes. I have just this week had two new enquiries for brands I represent, I was recognised and introduced to four people and one I have arranged to visit as a potential new client from Decorex, which wouldn't have happened if I wasn't on Social Media.

I am not by any means an expert on Social Media, but by trial and error, listening and watching video's of "experts," I have self taught myself to a standard I am comfortable with, and anybody can do it.

Thanks for reading

John

To view all the brands I represent, then please visit my website www.johnfnorthwood.co.uk

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A suggested guide to visiting exhibitions

Over the years I have visited and indeed worked at many exhibitions both here in the UK and abroad. From the early days as a "rookie" to exhibitions where the whole experience was alien to me, and indeed, thinking it would be just like going shopping (wrong!), I thought I would put together a guide for those of you who are not only new to visiting these events, but to the seasoned visitor also (who I still see being un-prepared) to try and make your experience that little bit better. This may be quite lengthy, so please save to read later if you don't have time now. So lets go!

The first step is to prepare, prepare and prepare. You are going to be spending a whole day, perhaps 2 or 3 days travelling, walking and talking. Time is limited, you are spending precious time away from work and you need to plan a productive day(s) so they are not wasted.

First of all get a list of exhibitors. These are normally available from the event website. Don't wait until you get there to get a catalogue, it will be too late and your day will be unproductive!

From experience you will be combining your visit with seeing existing suppliers you deal with, looking for inspiration and possibly new suppliers and products, meeting friends and colleagues either from another office in your company or friends you know from Social Media, and maybe ex-colleagues just for a "catch up." So you need to be meticulous in your planning as this will take a fairly large chunk of your day if not planned properly. If you are planning to meet with people, then pre-arrange a time and place, have their telephone number just in-case you need to change the time or meeting area on the day.

Whether you work paperless (keep everything on your tablet/phone) or like to use paper, this process is the same. first of all I would read through the list and using a highlighter mark off those companies that are your must see exhibitors in one colour. Then mark off those that are secondary in another colour, maybe an existing supplier just to see what's new, if anything, or companies that may have been recommended to you or you have read about and would like to see the product first hand. If possible, as some exhibition companies do this, get a plan of the venue showing where the exhibitors are, and mark these from your list in exactly the same way. If there isn't one available, type or write your list in a numbered order so when you arrive, you are not wasting time walking around trying to find them from your list.

Next step is your travel arrangements and it is going to be a long day. The important thing is get to the event early. This is probably a once a year event, so it doesn't matter if you have to leave and get home at silly hour, or spend a night or two in a hotel, so be committed, it is a business day. If you are employed and your employer is allowing you to go or encouraged you to go, ask if you can take some time off at a later date, if not, treat it as an education day (you can never stop learning!), you will make new contacts (may help for future employment) and be seeing new and exciting products that you can refer to if you get asked by one of your customers.

The exhibition website normally recommends the best travel routes, so be guided by that. If you are driving, find the best place to park before you go and allow plenty of time. If you are going by public transport, pre-book your tickets so you are not messing about in the morning in queues trying to pay, and again, allow plenty of time. I would also check when booking tickets if there is going to be any disruption to your journey with engineering works or road works that could delay your journey.

Travel light and wear sensible shoes! Lets start with clothing. Venues can get quite warm, so I recommend wearing thin layers so you can add or remove items of clothing during the day. Exhibitions are usually during the colder months, so if you are having to wrap up in a large coat, scarves etc, make use of the venues cloak room, you don't want to be carrying them about with you all day. Wear comfortable shoes!! You are going to be in them all day, your feet will ache, they will hurt, and if your not careful, you could end up with blisters from not wearing the right footwear.

I suggest you take a small bag, something like a messenger bag or a rucksack. This will be useful for any clothing you may remove, your tablet, wallet/purse, note pad and pens, mobile phone etc. The less you carry the more comfortable you will be. Most important of all TAKE YOUR BUSINESS CARDS!! Not just for exhibitors, but you never know who you may meet. It could be a new client, a work contact or a possible new employer, be prepared, be professional.

Take bottled water with you and something to snack on, you need to stay hydrated and your energy levels maintained. Café and eating areas can get busy so you don't want to waste your time queuing, so taking snacks and drink with you can get you through until the queues have subsided.

Are you just focused on Customer Service?

I recently read an interesting book by Grant Cardone called "The 10X rule". Some of you here in the UK may have heard of Grant, but the majority of you probably haven't.

Grant Cardone

One of the many interesting things that Grant wrote about was customer satisfaction and how companies, including large corporations focus too much on "customer service/satisfaction." Well, you would say that is a good thing, but reading into it, Grant breaks it down into something that makes more sense, and I thought I would share a little with you.

Before anything your business needs to attract customers, without customers, customer service/satisfaction is irrelevant. Customer service starts as soon as you are attracting customers, the need for them to do business WITH YOU.

When marketing your business, how many of you have seen statements such as "high level of customer service" or "our customer service is second to none!" Think about it, you are stating that your company has an exceptional customer service, but shouldn't that be part of your everyday business anyway, not something special? Many consumers could interpret this kind of statement as, you look after them when/if they get a problem, which you don't want to highlight, when what you want it to mean is, you take care of the customer all the way through the sale process, which makes good business practice anyway.

How many times have you received a customer satisfactory survey after you have had something? Now compare that to customer surveys you have had when you didn't purchase anything? (if they have had your details) Very few follow up to ask you why you didn't purchase or use their services, which is what would benefit a company to react and adapt to customer requirements and ensure they obtain and retain more customers.

The chapter goes into much more detail, and these are just the basics, but making your company focused on customer service/satisfaction before you have even got a customer, doesn't make sense or going to grow your business

Make customer service part of your everyday business and not something special you are offering like an incentive!

Some may not agree with this, but I personally think this is a very good analysis.

John.

#GrantCardone #GC #10X #customerservice #retail #marketing #closethedeal #business

The long and winding road

For those that have viewed my website, you already have a brief overview of my career to date. From where I started to where I am now as a sales agent.

www.johnfnorthwood.co.uk.

I have been in the interiors industry for 44 years, and although I like my work, I can't honestly say that I have always enjoyed it. 44 years has been a long time working in the same industry, and along the way I have had many ups and downs.

In the main I consider myself lucky to have chosen an industry that has been good to me. I have met wonderful people, worked for some great companies and had the pleasure of being mentored by some great characters of their time. They gave me the knowledge, guidance and grounding that a young lad needed who thought that living was all about going out and partying with a carefree attitude and no responsibilities. I know some who still think this!

I'm from a working class background, brought up on a council estate who's parents worked hard and made sure we had the basics in life to survive. Don't get me wrong, we lived on a very nice council estate and neighbourhood, so i'm not going to pretend that we were living in a poor crumbling estate with drug dealers and gangs! It was working class with good honest people with none of the luxuries that can be afforded today.

On this long and winding road to where I am today I have been gifted with wonderful children and grandchildren, had some fabulous life experiences and travelled extensively, seeing parts of the world that some people can only imagine visiting. It's not gloating, it's just that I have been blessed with the opportunities to be able to do it. And in the main I have generally remained healthy throughout this time.

I have had setbacks, I have made some poor business decisions as well as the unforeseen business failures, financial hardships and the loss of close friends and parents. I have experienced the breakdown of family life and the loss of direction that most people will experience at sometime in their life, unless they are very lucky! But I have survived and none the worse and stronger for it.

There have been days when the dark cloud comes over and I have thought, what am I doing sitting in this traffic for 2 hours just to show a few fabric books, or do I really want to go out in this weather and sit soaking wet in my car all day! It happens, but you get on with it.

This work brings me Job satisfaction and the financial reward to be able to support my family doing a job I love. I get to travel the UK (sometimes abroad) and meet great people who have the passion for their business and what they do. I sell quality products that I believe in, and I am able to offer these products knowing that they are going to make a contribution to the development and growth of that person's business if they take them. If they are successful, then I can be successful!

What I am trying to articulate is that, when the opportunities are there, (in work and life) take them, nurture and enjoy them. There will be times when that dark cloud descends, and you are struggling to get motivated or stuck in that merry go round of nothing seems to be going right syndrome, but, take a step back, re-evaluate and then start again.

Remember, worrying about the things you can't change is taking your focus away from what you can!

Thank you for taking the time to read something that this time is all about me!

UK Sales Agent representing Sandberg Wallpaper, Art of the Loom, Rebel Walls and Simpson fabrics

John.

Get to know the Agent!

I have at times in the past when being with a customer been asked what the difference is between an agent and a company representative (rep), and a response to a recent post on Social Media made me think that it wouldn't be such a bad idea to offer a brief overview of how an agent works in the UK.

An agent is self employed, we are responsible for all our own expenses which include fuel, car parking, toll and congestion charges, our vehicle costs such as tax, insurance and servicing, telephones, accommodation etc, and being self employed means we get unpaid holiday if we choose to take them!

We are in affect a company that contracts to other companies to provide them with a service to get product to market and assist them to develop their brand. Being self employed means that providing there is no conflict of interest between the brands, i.e. not the same or similar, an agent can represent as many brands as they wish. However, I personally find that 4-5 is a comfortable manageable level that allows me to give a fair representation to all the brands carried.

An agent has restricted responsibilities and wouldn't have the same flexibility as a rep on certain decision making such as allowances, discounts or customer service issues

A company representative is employed with all expenses and their responsibility is only to the one company, therefore they have more flexibility on certain decision making.

Agents in general compared to reps are paid commission only on product sold, so it is in an agents interest and our customers interest to ensure that we represent quality brands that we are comfortable knowing is the right product at the right price and are able to give an excellent all round service package to our customers. This is in addition to being able to provide a high personal level of service as an individual to maintain a good customer relationship. An agent and his customers can only be successful with a brand if it meets their criteria and level of expectation.

One of the benefits that I enjoy about my work is that no two days are the same. I visit different areas of the UK, see different types of customer such as interior designers, retailers, upholsterers and curtain & blind makers, and meet some wonderful talented people on a daily basis.

Just like a rep we work within a territory and we are responsible for the customers for that brand within that territory. The size of a working area can vary from brand to brand, but as an example I also manage nationally for two of my brands with the assistance of sub agents. (agents working for an agent)

The majority of my day is spent in the car. Typically it could take 2-3 hours just to get to my first meeting, and then I try to get 3-4 meetings per day if travelling, and perhaps 5 if staying away. Meeting times also vary from 10-15 minutes to 2 hours + depending on whether it is just an update call or a full presentation, or how busy a customer is and the time they can allow.

A typical day for me would be to leave home at around 6.30 - 7am if travelling some distance and get back home anytime after 6pm depending how well my day goes. My call times can also be restricted. Some businesses don't start until 10am, can't see you between 12-1 or 1-2 and wont see you after 4pm, so my actual working day in meetings can be a small time frame but spending 6-8 hours in the car to achieve a good day of visits. As you can imagine, and those that follow me on Social Media will know that I spend a lot of time stuck on motorways! (a constant moaner!)                                    

The day also consists of making and receiving telephone calls and attending to emails. If time is restricted, then on a majority of occasions new account applications and orders are sorted in the evenings after arriving back.

I personally offer a 7 day a week service. In an ever changing era I am mindful that retailers now open Sunday's, and trades people work weekends. My telephone is always on and I can be reached by email. If I can help provide an answer to a question or be able to give a price evenings or weekends, it is providing a little extra service that could make all the difference.

So, that is a brief overview which I hope gives you a better understanding of how we work, and listed below are my brands and the areas that I work. If I can be of any assistance or you would like to make contact, please telephone or email, I'm happy to help! 😀

National - Sandberg wallpaper

National - Rebel Walls wall murals

Suffolk - Art of the Loom, Simpson:Yorke

Norfolk - Art of the Loom, Simpson:Yorke

Cambridgeshire - Art of the Loom, Simpson:Yorke

Essex - Art of the Loom

Kent - Art of the Loom

Sussex - Art of the Loom, Simpson:Yorke

Surrey - Art of the Loom, Simpson:Yorke

Hampshire - Art of the Loom

Berkshire - Art of the Loom, Simpson:Yorke

Middlesex - Art of the Loom, Simpson:Yorke

Buckinghamshire - Art of the Loom

Hertfordshire - Art of the Loom, Simpson:Yorke

London - Art of the Loom

Telephone: 07971 401499

Email: johnf.norhwood@gmail.com

Website: www.johnfnorthwood.co.uk 

Also connect and follow on:

Twitter: @InteriorAgent

facebook.com/johnnorthwoodagencies

Instagram: john_northwood