Bathroom Design – The Process Vol. 5

5.  Product Selection

Selecting products for your bathroom

The design is done. They love it.  And your are ready to pick out the specific products that are needed to make this the bathroom of their dreams.  You may have told them about some of the products that you recommend as you explained the design to them.  Now it is time to get formal.  Explain your product selection process to them.  For each of you the process will be different.  It depends on your location, what your vendors have to offer, whether you are using an interior designer, or whether there is a one-stop showroom in your town.  Some clients may have picked out some of the products already.  Some may have even purchased them.  The less this happens, the better for you.  One of the reasons your remodeling company runs smoothly and profitably is that you maintain as much control over the process as possible.  This is not to say that you are in control just for your own benefit.  You must always keep the client in the forefront.  It is to say that you are a pro, with a lot more experience than they will ever have.  So you need to use this experience to suggest the best products for their project.

[Tip:  You'll find two useful templates in this article. One is a vendor list for the customer and the other is a bathroom product selection spreadsheet.]

Here are the six steps in a bathroom design process:

1. Space - what space is available for this bathroom?
2. Function - how is this bathroom going to be used?
3. Budget - how much do they plan to invest in this bathroom?
4. Layout - what is the best use of the available space?
5. Product selection – within the defined budget, what products fulfill the function of the bathroom, fit their lifestyle and their budget?
6. Building the bath – what process will be used to build this design?

What is the best product anyway? To me, a product gains this recognition if it is a good value.  It is a good value if it is sold at a reasonable price, considering what you are buying.  It is a good value if it is durable, and is very unlikely to cause a call-back.  It is a good value if your tradespeople like it, that is to say, they think it is a good product that installs easily and won’t create a future problem for them.  Nobody like call-backs.  Keep that in mind when you recommend a product.  Some faucets, for instance, are gorgeous, but you couldn’t get a replacement part (which shouldn’t have been necessary in the first place) in three months, if ever. With Internet browsing so prevalent now, your clients will find hundreds of products that they like and think that you should use.  Be fair about this and research the product.  Check the price, the support, the availability (does it fit into your schedule), the shipping methods, and read reviews.  If all of this is positive, then you might consider using it.   Otherwise you need to steer them in a different direction; one that you understand and have experience in.  As time goes on you will find favorite products that are time-tested, and you can sell them with enthusiasm.  Your passion for your recommendations will show through and they will be convinced that you are an authority that should be listened to.

How many options should you give your customers?  A maximum of three.  And preferably one.  By now you know what they like.  You know if they are traditional, or transitional or modern.  You know if they like simple or ornate.  You probably know if they like painted or stained trim and cabinets.  You have a feel for their creativity and love of color.  Giving a client too many choices is hard on them.  They rely on you to come up with good choices for them.  I know some remodelers who would rather not be involved in the selection process.  They tell their customers to go out and get whatever they want and they’ll install it.  This makes me shudder.  I can see the profit going right out the window, and the possible problems they are going to cause for their customers.  You need to become a designer.  You need to study products.  Go to trade shows like the Remodeling Show and The International Builders Show (Vegas 2010).  Work the floor and learn all about as many products as you can.  Then go home and sell them.  It never fails that after I get back home from a show, I have occasion to sell an item that I saw at the show.  I am a firm believer that trade shows are necessary to your business, and will always pay for themselves, several times over.

I have made a basic checklist of products needed for the average bathroom called Product Selection Worksheet.  You can download it here.  Modify it and add to it as you like. This is more for you than your customer.

Another template that will be useful to you and your customer, is a list of your vendors, their contact info, the date that you need the decision to be final, and when you plan to use it.  You can see a good example of one here.  Your customer will use this as guide while they go through the product selection process.  Feel free to modify it and share with others.  Please comment on the form so I can continue to improve it.

I present products to clients in various ways.  I show most of the items to them in the form of printed catalogs, on-line on a computer screen, or on pages or palettes that I make up using Snagit (indispensable software that should be illegal it is so good).  This saves a lot of time for both of us.  Your clients may need a little “touch and feel” for some items, particularly cabinetry, granite selection and lighting.  For these I set up a time to escort them to the vendor’s shops.  It is a lot more productive if you go to all the vendor visits with them.  This is another way that you can keep tabs on the quality of the items and being sure that they stay on budget with their selections.  All the vendors that we will visit will have a good idea what we are looking for before we get there.  I make phone calls, send emails and plans in advance of the meeting.  I give each vendor a brief synopsis of the customer’s likes and dislikes.  The more they know, the better the results of the meeting.  I read a story about a small design-then-build remodeler that made a whole day out of the selection process.  He made an appointment with the couple, picked them up in his limo, chauffeured them to each vendor, stopping for a fine lunch at midday.  He even had videos made up of some of the vendors and their products, which they would watch in the car as they proceeded to the next stop.  Do you think his clients felt special?  You bet they did.  He set himself so far apart from his competition, they couldn’t touch him.

Basecamp is one of the methods we use to communicate with our clients.  We post documents, product pictures and job photos here.  Basecamp is a terrific way to set yourself apart from the competition. It is the leading web-based project collaboration tool and it is simple to use. Share files, meet deadlines, assign tasks, centralize feedback, make clients smile. Click here if you want to read a detailed example of how Basecamp can be used to help your company.

In summary:

Make a list of products that need to be selected.
Determine who will select these items.
Determine where will you find these items.
Determine who will go with you or your client to shop for products.
Suggest options for products.
Make a product selection sheet or web page.  (Use a collaboration sites like Basecamp)
Determine the dates that the products need to be ordered?
Determine who will order them.
Set a date when the items will be needed on the job.

[Tip:  Lots of good design information and tips at ChiefExperts.com.  Dan Baumann provides excellent classes that teach you to use Chief Architect and sell your designs.]

You may copy this article into your newsletter, blog or website, as long as you don’t make any changes to the article and you include the following bio:

www.RemodelerBiz.com is published by Randall S Soules, a 37 year construction veteran. The intent of this web site is to help builders, remodelers and those in the trades, create a rewarding career and lifestyle.  At Remodeler Biz you’ll find helpful articles on niches, marketing, graphic standards and the design-then-build field.