The first M is Marketing. Over the many years that I have been in the fenestration industry, I have seen a diminishing emphasis on marketing. When I first became involved in the late 80s, marketing was a big thing. A great deal of emphasis was placed on creating differentiation between a company’s product line vs […]
During the pandemic many salespeople transitioned to the use of videoconferencing to conduct sales calls and meetings. These business tools have proved to be invaluable. Conferencing software isn’t niche anymore—it’s the main place where most meetings happen these days. It’s true for all types of companies and allows more key people to be involved in […]
One of my favorite hobbies I have enjoyed over the years is pistol and rifle shooting. Early on, when I was just getting started in the sport, we were taught one of the key marksmanship fundamentals—“follow through.” It means you must continue aiming, continue focusing on your breathing and hold control even after the shot […]
As a representative of various window and door component suppliers, I frequently visit customers to perform in-house quality audits on the plant floor to ensure the materials I sell are appropriately used to make the highest quality products. After completing an audit recently, I commented to the general manager about the exceptional manufacturing facility he […]
Just when you thought the supply chain nightmare was starting to let up, a war breaks out in Ukraine. With the recent economic sanctions being put into place against Russia, how will this war exacerbate the global supply chain headaches that emerged last year, and is this a temporary crisis or one that will have […]
Labor costs continue to rise, raw material and component costs continue to rise, transportation costs are off the charts, and now, with the recent war in the Ukraine, energy costs will surely rise and are already doing so as I write this. These factors spell one thing–higher manufacturing costs for window and door fabricators. So, […]
There is a saying in the window and door industry. Once you become part of the fenestration industry, you can never leave. It sure seems to be true. I cannot tell you how many times I have found out that one of my favorite people has left a company that I call on only to […]
Every year I call my customers and ask them for a forecast. I get a varied response. Some say, “Your guess is as good as mine.” Others just repeat last year’s results. “Well last year we grew 10% so I am betting we will do that again.” It is evident from these conversations that very […]
The latest trend among vinyl window fabricators these days is second sourcing. For years many fabricators have been married to a single extruder with very little impetus to consider anyone else. After all, costs related to changing vinyl suppliers can easily go into the 6-figure category, which represents a significant hurdle for competitors. But now, […]
We will see four major trends in 2022. Let’s get started with the best one: sales will continue to grow. People are buying new homes as fast as they are being built and existing homes are being sold in hours. Who reading this has not received at least 10 texts, calls, or emails from random […]
