I read with great interest DWM’s first-ever industry benchmark survey starting on page 34 of the November-December 2011 issue, and I found a few surprises. When I talk to window manufacturers, many are taking a wait-and-see attitude on putting an R5 window system into their product lines yet, according to the DWM survey, 69 percent [...]

Almost everyone would agree that having a website is a necessary part of doing business in this day and age. But for many of companies, especially smaller ones, the website, once completed is just hanging out there like a flag high on a pole, waiting to get noticed. What really directs prospective customers to look [...]

During sales calls, a typical probe might be, “What changes are you planning to make with your product line in order to gain market share in the years ahead?” After all, in a down economy, gaining market share is critical if one wants to continue to grow sales. A typical response that I receive to [...]

With the downturn in the industry, we have all seen the increase in used equipment bargains available, but in many cases buying new equipment may be the better choice. Buying pre-owned equipment can and often does save a considerable amount of expense, but the buyer must make sure he or she does their homework up [...]

What is going on in the economy? Double Dip recession? It’s nearly sure to happen if the press keeps talking about it! When you learn to ride a motorcycle, they teach you that that on difficult turns, look to where you want to go and that is where you will go! Why can’t we teach [...]

Several weeks ago I sat in front of my laptop and couldn’t get an Internet connection. My laptop is part of my wireless network running through a Linksys router. So I check the router. The power light is on, all the proper lights are blinking and it seems to be running fine. Hmmm, it must [...]

My recent travels are putting me in front of many purchasing agents. Their schedules seem to be very open these days? Why? Many window fabricators are feeling the one-two punch of the combination of lower year to date sales figures combined with rising material and component costs. In many respects this is turning out to [...]

I just returned from conducting a sales training seminar with a new customer and what a great feeling. It was truly refreshing to see a group of salespeople so fired up about engaging new product features and incorporating them into their everyday sales strategies. This company is one of the busiest I have seen in [...]

For months now, I have been hearing about how window manufacturers are going to coming out with dual-pane R5 window designs, incorporating two lites of low-E glass: one coating on the number 2 surface and a second, scratch-resistant coating on the number 4 surface, which is the surface closest to the living area of the [...]

The Better Buildings Initiative (BBI) will save our nation fuel. It will help stabilize the cost of energy in the long run. It will help to make a cleaner environment. It will save building owners billions of dollars per year on their energy bills. It will create jobs. It will help stimulate the growth of [...]