THIRSTY THURSDAY #2
KITCHEN CABINETS CHOOSING CORRECTLY
Welcome back to your Thirsty on Thursday Video Series. One of the biggest questions I get is what manufacturer or type of cabinets should I buy. This question comes down to one thing….. Asking the right questions. Begin your conversation by getting to know the client. Understand where they came from, who they are and what they are hoping for. YOU GOTTA BUILD A RELATIONSHIP!
Once you have the relationship built begin with questions on their project. What is their style? What are their needs/wants? What colors do they like? Are they selling the house soon? What time frame do they have to finish the work? What homework have they done so far? Do they prefer American or import? What is the budget? BY THE WAY, Everyone has a budget. Watch our video on budgets. The answers given will guide you in the direction of what product to use. Let’s describe the different options in order of pricing.
www.Cabinet-Wholesalers.com has a high diversity of cabinet options for you. Stock or RTA cabinets represent a low budget, the homeowner needs it quickly, a simple design or they are selling their house soon. Most of your Ready To Assemble cabinets are imported from China. You can get stock or RTA cabinets that same day or within 14 days if assembled for you. They have limited options and a simple construction. A lot of contractors think that they will save money with stock cabinets and transform them to semi-custom on site. Not understanding true costs, after paying the installer it would have been more cost effective to just buy semi-custom from the start and have a better longer lasting quality for the client. If the client has medium to high budgets, they are not in a real hurry, they’re wanting more design choices and will be staying in their house for a while, lead them to semi-custom cabinetry. Semi-custom cabinets are delivered in 2-4 weeks. They have many options and a higher quality construction. Most semi-custom cabinets work on 3” increments and use fillers for off measurements. Lastly you can direct your clients to custom cabinets. There are no limits to custom. These cabinets are ready in 8-12 weeks and depending on the techniques of the cabinet builder are of high quality.
Make sure you know what you are buying for your homeowner. Most cabinet companies buy their materials and construct the cabinets in a shop, thus having no idea of the origin of the materials that they are using. I know of only one manufacturer www.wellborn.com that controls all their materials because they will start with a tree, debark it and then create cabinets, doors, trims, etc. A lot of companies give a misrepresentation of cabinet construction saying a cabinet is a cabinet is a cabinet. Trying to commoditize the market and sell strictly on price. This is the furthest thing from the truth. Every manufacturer makes their cabinets differently. Remember you get what you pay for!
So don’t just furnish a product to fit a budget. Become a true salesperson and take the time and work with your client to get the best value for what they are buying. Anybody can furnish cabinets. Set yourself apart and see your referrals soar. See you next Thursday.
