Play the numbers game.

That will be one of my suggestions in tomorrow’s tele-seminar entitled: “10 for ’10: The Ten VERY BEST Ways to Turbocharge Your Design Business in 2010.”
http://fredberns.com/teleseminar/.

I will  show how “playing the numbers” can help you get much bigger and better clients and projects.

The numbers game can also help you close more sales.

I came upon the following statistics in Jack Canfield’s remarkable book called The Success Principles.

44% of all salespeople quit trying to sell a prospect after the first call
24% quit after the second call
14% quit after the third call
12% quit after the fourth call.

The problem, he points out, is that 60% per cent of all sales are made after the fourth call.

The moral of the story: “No” may simply mean “not now.” So, keep on truckin’ — and callin.’

Fred Berns helps interior design professionals worldwide increase their sales and profits.

What are the best online resources for interior design careers?

That’s a question I hear often, and I came across a list that provides some answers.

The list was compiled by Central Michigan University (www.cmich.edu),  a school with an accredited design program offering everything from a full  range  of residential and  commercial  design courses to design competitions to study abroad programs.

Note that some of the listings may be out-of-date.

INTERIOR DESIGN INTERNET RESOURCES
CMU Career Services  – 215 Bovee University Center  – (989) 774-3068  – Careers@cmich.edu
Please remember that site addresses and links change and shut down without notice.

Career Information

About.com -Careers in Interior Decorating and Design: http://interiordec.about.com /od/designcareers

Advice to Students of Interior Design: http://interiordec.about.com/od/advicetostudents

American Society of Interior Designers-Design Career Options: www.asid.org/career_center/career_options/index.asp

Careers in Interior Design: www.careersininteriordesign.com

Central Michigan University-Interior Design Major: www.ehs.cmich.edu/interiordesign

Dezignare-Student Corner: www.dezignare.com/student_corner.html

Industrial Designers Society of America-Careers in ID: www.idsa.org/webmodules/articles/anmviewer.asp?a=88&z=36

International Association of Lighting Designers-Information for Students: www.iald.org/Menu/Students.htm

National Council on Q ualifications for the Lighting Professions-Careers in Lighting: www.ncqlp.org/careers/index.htm l

National Kitchen and Bath Association-Student Center: www.nkba.org/student/content.asp?ID=36

Employment Information

AEC JobBank (Building Industry Employment)-Job and Resume Directories: www.aecjobbank.com

Akropolis.net-Jobcenter: http://akropolis.net/~zeus/jobcenter

American Institute of Architects-Jobboard: www.e-architect.com/career

American Society of Furniture Designers-Links: www.asfd.com/links.php

+ Links to corporate members; individual pages may contain employment listings or resources.

American Society of Interior Designers-ASID Job Bank: www.asid.org/career_center/job_opp/job.asp

American Society of Interior Designers-Chapter Locator: www.asid.org/about_asid/directories/chapter.asp

+ Links to chapters throughout the country, individual pages may contain employment listings or membership directories.

Association of Women Industrial Designers-Job Board: www.awidweb.com /pages/jobs.html

BackstageJobs.com: http://backstagejobs.com/jobs.htm

Construction Jobs / Architecture and Landscape: www.nationjob.com/construction
Coroflot: www.coroflot.com

Creative Hotlist: www.creativehotlist.com

Design4Design.com-Jobs: www.design4design.com/jobs

Dezignare (Interior Design Collective)-Employment Opportunities: www.dezignare.com/em ployment.html

+ There are also links to professional design recruiting firms and associations that may have employment opportunities.

Guru: www.guru.com

Home Furnishings International Association-Bulletin Board: www.hfia.com/bulletin_board.asp

Illuminating Engineering Society of North America-Job Listing: www.iesna.org/jobs/searchjob_form.cfm

Industrial Designers Society of Am erica-Employment: www.idsa.org/em ployment.htm

Institute of Store Planners-Employment Express: http://ee.ispo.org

Interior Design Educators Council-Em ployment Announcements: www.idec.org/career/employment.html

Interior Designers of Canada-Employment Opportunities: www.interiordesigncanada.org/news_employ.php

Interior Design Jobs: http://interiordesignjobs.com

InteriorDesign-JobZone: www.interiordesign.net

International Association of Lighting Designers-Job Bank and Internship Opportunities: www.iald.org/Menu/Classif.htm

International Facility Management Association-JOBnet: http://jobnet.ifma.org/home/index.cfm?site_id=208

International Interior Design Association-Career Center: www.iida.org/i4a/careercenter/?pageid=62

Iowa State University-Design Career Services: http://dcwww.design.iastate.edu/CS/CSJOBS/showjobs.php3

LightBoard.net (Lighting Industry Career & Staffing Solutions): www.lightboard.net

job-e-job.com: www.job-e-job.com/jej/jobejob/0.0

National Kitchen and Bath Association-Job Openings at NKBA Firms: www.nkba.org/xprofessionals/job_opportunities.asp

PROMAX & Broadcast Design Association-Job Boards: www.bda.tv/comm_jobboards.asp

Savannah College of Art & Design-Jobmagnet: www.scad.edu/jobmagnet/em ployment/animation.html

Society for College and University Planning-Job Listings: http://207.75.158.200/jobs

The Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer’s Association-Links: www.bifm a.com/link s/index.html
+Links to corporate members; individual pages may contain employment listings or resources.

The Center for Health Design-Job Listings: www.healthdesign.org/resources/jobs

The Entertainment Services and Technology Association-Job Board: www.esta.org/jobs/index.php

Fred Berns is a business trainer for design professionals worldwide.

What if I can show you that you’re 10 steps away from success?

10 steps away from bigger profits, and bigger contracts and better clients?

10 steps away from having your best year ever?

That’s what I’ll show you in my Jan. 26 tele-seminar entitled: “10 for ’10: The Ten VERY BEST Ways to Turbocharge Your Design Business in 2010.”

The “10 for ’10” Tele-seminar is scheduled for 11 a.m. – noon, Eastern time (10 a.m. Central, 9 a.m. Mountain, 8 a.m. Pacific) on Tuesday, Jan. 26, and IS OPEN ONLY TO THE FIRST 35 WHO REGISTER.

The investment is $29.

You won’t have to leave your home, office, studio, or showroom to learn strategies that will absolutely, positively make this your most successful year. All you need do is dial in and enter your pin number.

Tune in to the “10 for ’10” Tele-seminar, and you’ll learn what you can do to get longer term and more lucrative projects.

And what you can say to close twice as many sales, and convince clients to buy NOW.

And what you can create that will attract more high caliber prospects.

And what you can offer to turn those contacts into contracts.

And what you can do to instantly get more recognition and respect.

Give me one hour of your time on Tues, Sept. 26 and I’ll give you the VERY BEST Ways to have your VERY BEST Year.

Sign up NOW for: “10 for ’10: The Ten VERY BEST Ways to Turbocharge Your Design Business in 2010.”

For more information and registration details, click here: http://fredberns.com/teleseminar
Fred Berns is a sales and marketing trainer and coach for design professionals around the world.

Make 2010 the year that you “fail” more.

Make this the year that you encounter more rejections, lose out on more bids, and fail to close more deals than ever before.

Make this the year you really get to know “No.”

Why? Because only when you put yourself out there more, can you fail more.

And, only when you put yourself out there more, can you SUCCEED more.

Interior design professionals tend to be far too skittish when it comes to presenting themselves and their services in challenging times.

Many are reluctant to pursue higher end clients, bid on bigger projects, enter higher profile design competitions, offer larger contracts, and set higher fees.

That’s because they’re petrified, horrified, and mortified of the word “No.”

They don’t realize that “No” may simply mean: “Not now.” Or “Not yet.” Or, even, “Tell me more.”

The “No” word surfaced often during last year’s economic meltdown. Many design firms responded to rejection by retreating.

They reduced sales and marketing activity at a time when they should have ramped it up.

Problem is, quitting has consequences. When design firms disappear, they die.

Every time you contact a prospect, submit a proposal, offer your services, raise your rates, promote a new product, present a program, or seek financial support, you risk rejection.

But you also increase your odds for success

To reap rewards this year, you’ll have to take risks. And one of the risks you run is that you’ll try something and fail.

So what? Said Tom Watson, former IBM chairman: If you want to succeed, double your failure rate.”

Author Jack Canfield suggests that every time you hear “No,” you should say “Next.” Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and move on.

Catch yourself saying alot of “Next’s” this year. That means you’re hearing alot of “No’s.”

That means you’re putting yourself out there more.

And that means you’re boosting your chances for success.

Fred Berns is the interior design industry’s foremost sales and marketing trainer.

Success for interior design and architecture firms doesn’t happen by accident. It happens as a result of a plan.  Or, a few plans.

If you haven’t already created a marketing plan for 2010, now’s the time to do so.

The book Architect’s Essentials of Marketing, by David Koren, spells out the following  10-step formula for a marketing plan:

1/ The Market: Whom are you trying to reach?

2/ The Mission: What do we want to accomplish?

3/ Current Position: Where are we starting from?

4/ Market Size and Trends: How big is the market? What’s changing?

5/ Competitors: Which firms are we competing against? What are their strengths and weaknesses?

6/ Positioning: How will we position our firm in this market?

7/ Objectives: How are we going to do it?

8/ Responsibilities: Who’s going to do it?

9/ Schedule: When we will check back?

10/ Budget: How much are we going to spend?

The book suggests that you keep your marketing plan to a single page, or two at the most.

Fred Berns trains interior design professionals around the world on sales and marketing skills.

Can you handle another year like 2009?

Can you handle another year of declining sales and disappointing revenue, of smaller and fewer projects, of working more for less?

Even if you can, do you want to?

If not, tune into a Jan. 26 tele-seminar entitled:
“10 for ’10: The Ten VERY BEST Ways to Turbocharge Your Design Business in 2010.”

Register for The “10 for ’10” Tele-seminar, and you’ll learn ten strategies that can immediately turn your business around, and dramatically increase your sales and profits.

You’ll discover something you can do to get longer term and more lucrative projects.

And something you can say to close twice as many sales, and convince clients to buy NOW.

And something you can create that will attract more high caliber prospects.

And something you can offer to turn those contacts into contracts.

And something you can do to instantly get more recognition and respect.

And something you must STOP doing immediately in order to substantially boost your revenue.

For more information and registration details, click here:  http://fredberns.com/teleseminar/

Remember:  The “10 for ’10” Tele-seminar IS OPEN ONLY TO THE FIRST  35 WHO REGISTER.

Fred Berns is a sales and marketing trainer and coach for interior design professionals around the world.

Happy New Year!!!

Now that a challenging year is behind us, consider this: What’s it going to take to make 2010 your best year yet?

Good answers to some basic questions.

You don’t need slick advertising or a glitzy new web site or trendy new product lines to make this your “career year.”

You need answers. Answers to questions about goals, what’s working, and what needs to work better with your design business.

Many design professionals never consider the kinds of issues raised below. That’s why they’re so unfocused and unprofitable.
 

What do you want to be when you grow up?

No-Service-Just-Online-Design.com? Home Depot? Under A Buck Blinds? If not, stop trying to act like or compete with them.

Create your own unique message. Target your own market. You make a great you, but a lousy somebody else.
 

Why you?

Competition has never been tougher. It’s never been easier to buy elsewhere the design services and products that you sell.

What do you offer that your competitors — especially the lower priced ones — don’t?  Don’t say “good customer service.” Every other design professional in your area talks about the same thing.
 

Who’s Lovin’ Ya, Baby?

Kojak, the TV cop, raised a key question there. Who are your blue chip clients? How have you built rapport with them? How do you stay in touch with and generate additional business from them?
  

How Do You Find the Fatcats?

Where and when do you get your best clients? What marketing strategies work best for you? What are you MVP (Most Valuable and Productive)promotational activities?

 What’s Makin’ Ya Money?

What are they buying? What’s your most lucrative product or service? How much of your income comes from your design consultations? From product sales? What percentage of your sales comes from residential clients? From commercial clients?
 

Who’s on Your Team?

Who do you turn to for help when the going gets tough, as it did last year? 

Do you have–or can you create–an advisory board with a financial advisor, a lawyer, a business coach? Who are your mentors? Are you aligning yourself with top clients and/or allied professionals?

Fred Berns is a trainer and coach for interior design professionals around the world.