“The study examined the electronic logs of more than a million cold calls made by thousands of sales professionals and 50 companies.” When the study was concluded, various patterns of success and failure were revealed and some conventional thinking in regards to cold calling was disputed.

Following are some interesting findings from the article and Dr. Oldroyd’s study:

• Thursday is by far the best day to contact a lead, and Friday is the worst.
• Contrary to popular belief, the best time to call and qualify a lead is 8:00 am to 9:00 am, or 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm.
• The best way to contact a lead is still by telephone.
• The worst time to contact and qualify a lead is right after lunch, between 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm.
• The best odds of qualifying a lead is within 20 minutes of a shown interest. In fact, 5 minutes is the most effective.
• Hiring inside sales reps, over outside sales reps has become the new trend.

Thanks for reading!

Barb

Please check out the above links to see the awesome projects. Check out more projects on our photo gallery that we have fabricated and installed.

If you are interested in having some of your projects featured on our website, in our showroom, or possibly in the StoneDimensions Magazine please contact me.

Feel free to share…

Angie

Yesterday, I came across an interesting perspective on how to restore your motivation when everything seems to be going wrong from “A Few Of Your Favorite Things,”  a Reader Tip, found in the May 2009 issue of Selling Power magazine  that I wanted to pass along.

The reader suggested to restore motivation, make a “neat stuff” list of everything that is going right.

1. It is a beautiful sunny day.
2. I got an appointment with a customer that I’ve been trying to get in contact with for a long time.
3. A rebate check came in the mail.
4. Etc.

The key is review your list daily, both morning and night, to keep the positive thoughts with you. “Research suggests that after one to two weeks of reviewing your list, you will start feeling more positively focused and energized.

Sounds like a simple way to try and keep positive to me. How about you?

Thanks for reading!

Barb

Builder confidence is on the rise, and according to the latest index from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), March was up five percentage points, which is the highest it has been since October 2008. First time home buyers are eligible to receive an $8000 tax credit, and interests rates are extremely afforable, so if you’ve been on the fence about buying, it is time to act.

While the stock market generally predicts economic conditions, and has in fact risen 25% from its low,  we also need the housing and remodeling market to improve to get the economy rolling again. Thankfully, there are finally signs that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Thanks for reading!

Barb

So what exactly is social networking? According to the search engine Technorati, “Today’s social networks are the Internet-powered relationship engines of the twenty first century. Popular sites like Facebook, My Space, and Linked In are all examples. These services specialize in facilitating connections between people who share similar interests or professional pursuits.” While My Space and Facebook originally attracted college and high school students, they now have become mainstream and are attracting large audiences of people and literally millions of users. Linked In is a business oriented social networking site that basically works as a public resume of yourself, or business and allows users to list details and provide trusted contact connections.

So why should I jump on the social networking bandwagon some might ask? I may date myself a bit here, but do you remember that annoying, shampoo commercial of the 1970’s (Faberge Organic Shampoo)? It always ended with, “…and she’ll tell two friends, and so on, and so on and so on.” Well-that is basically how social networking works. The more contacts you make, the better, and the good news is that you can look at other peoples friends, or contacts, and discover that you may know someone they know.

I have to admit, I was a little leary about all of this “social networking stuff” at first. I know from experience with my college kids, that you can spend an incredible amount of time connecting with friends, etc. I also wasn’t sure I wanted to put my personal information “out there” for people to see, but realized quickly I’ve already been posting both personal and business information on the PGC blog site for two years now. I figured it was time to take the next step. I’d received several invitations to join Linked In, and Facebook, and thought…”Why not join this social networking phenomenon and grow our business at the same time?”

For now, you can find me on Linked In, and Facebook, where I’ve already connected to family, some high school and college friends, as well as made some business connections. How about you? Are you building your on-line networking community?

Thanks for reading!

Barb

Below are some photos from the show:

Feel free to share…

Angie

I went inside and asked the saleswoman what was included with the $19/SF charge. She explained that was just the cost of  fabrication and installation, and there would be additional charges for material cost. For example, some of the materials were labeled at $39/SF (yep, that is one of the places it comes from Barb), in addition to the $19/SF fabrication and installation charge, that brings you to $58/SF. While I was there, another customer came into the showroom and I did not get the chance to ask if that included measure and delivery? Does it include backsplash? What about sink cutouts/cooktop preps? If not, I can only assume that would add an additional $10-$20/SF onto the price.

It is really unfortunate that tactics like this are allowed, as it is deceiving and some might argue, severely unethical. At PGC our pricing per SF always includes, material, measuring, fabrication, delivery and installation. When requested, backsplash is always included, if not, it is optioned. We put it all up front initially on the proposal to make sure the customer knows exactly what they are getting. We do not believe in “hidden costs.”

It is apparent that this “competitor” is taking advantage of the consumer and their pocketbooks. While PGC  does not claim to be “the cheapest,” our goal is to be “the best”. We will not knowingly mislead the customer just to get them in the door, but once they are in the door, we know they will be impressed and excited about the customer service and quality they receive from start to finish.

Feel free to share…

Angie

So how is it that some people just seem to be happy, no matter what the circumstances? Well according to, “What Happy People Don’t Do“, an article published in the November 19, 2008, New York Times, by Roni Caryn Rabin, “Happy people spend a lot of time socializing, going to church and reading newspapers — but they don’t spend a lot of time watching television a new study finds.” The study looked at what activities happy people do instead of just demographic factors like many other studies on happiness.

I don’t know about you, but I am truly looking forward to the holidays this year, socializing with family and friends. I can’t think of a better way to forget many of lifes problems.

Why not do yourself a favor this Thanksgiving and holiday season…watch less TV and enjoy the company of family, friends, and all those dear to you. You will be glad you did!

Thanks for reading!

Barb

Congratulations to the following companies who won this years awards:

• Residential Kitchen $60,000 and Under—
  Honorable Mention: Otagawa-Anschel Design-Build
  Winner: Nygren Remodeling Inc.
• Residential Kitchen $60,000 – $75,000—
  Honorable Mention: College City Construction
  Winner: House Lift Remodeler
• Residential Kitchen $75,001 – $90,000—
  Honorable Mention: Awad & Koonz
  Winner: Streeter & Associates
• Residential Kitchen Over $90,001 – $120,000—
  Honorable Mention: mackmiller design +build
  Winner: J.W. Williams Construction Design Build
• Residential Kitchen Over $120,000—
  Honorable Mention: mackmiller design +build
  Winner: Streeter & Associates
• Residential Bath $30,000  and Under—
  Honorable Mention: White Crane Construction
  Winner: Orfield Design & Construction, Inc.
• Residential Bath $30,001 - $60,000—
  Honorable Mention: mackmiller design +build
  Winner: New Spaces
• Residential Bath Over $60,000—
  Honorable Mention: Streeter & Associates
  Winner: Aulik & Associates, Inc.
• Residential Interior $150,000 and Under—
  Honorable Mention: mackmiller design +build
  Winner: Ispiri Design Build Remodel
• Residential Interior Over $150,000—
  Honorable Mention: mackmiller design +build
  Winner: Aulik & Associates, Inc.
• Residential Interior Specialty—
  Honorable Mention: TreHus Architects + Interior Designers + Builders
  Winner: McDonald Remodeling, Inc.
• Commerical Interior, Exterior or Specialty—
  Winner: Braden Construction
• Residential Addition Over $200,000—
  Honorable Mention: Knight Construciton Design, Inc.
  Winner: Streeter & Associates, Inc.
• Residential Historical Renovation/Restoration—
  Honorable Mention: House Lift Remodeler
  Winner: TreHus Architects + Interior Designers + Builders
• Residential Exterior—
  Honorable Mention: Jones Design Build
  Winner: DiGiacomo Homes & Renovation, Inc.
• Entire House $250,000 and Under—
  Honorable Mention: w.b. builders
  Winner: South Face Construction
• Entire House Over $250,001—$500,000
  Honorable Mention: DiGiacomo Homes & Renovation, Inc.
  Winner: Orfield Remodeling, Inc.
• Entire House Over $500,000
  Honorable Mention: COI Design
  Winner: Aulik & Associates, Inc.
• Best Newcomer Award—
  Winner: McDonald Remodeling, Inc.
• Universal Design—
  Winner: mackmiller design +build
• Associate of the Year—
  Honorable Mention: Warners’ Stellian Company, Inc.
  Winner: Shaw/Steward Lumber Company
• Best of Show—
  Winner: DiGiacomo Homes & Renovation, Inc.

Thanks for reading!

Barb

Following are some photos from the event:

Ordering is as easy as clicking here or calling our customer service personnel for more detailed information. Don’t waste any time. Get your order placed now, and avoid the rush of last minute shopping! Enjoy your holiday season and cherish the memories that will be made.

Feel free to share…

Angie