Technology: Technology that sells

Technology is all around us. Sometimes it can be overwhelming and distracting if not managed properly.

As a society, we are constantly looking for ways to connect, communicate, accelerate, learn, and search seamlessly.

Time is at a premium for all of us. Maximizing our effectiveness and creating solutions quickly in a sale is key if we are to succeed in this fast-paced world. The faster we can make it happen, the more competitive we can be. After all, The client is not paying for our inefficiencies.

At One Week Bath, utilizing technology in the design and sales process has allowed our team to produce more in less time and at a higher level of quality.

The days of dragging and thumbing through catalogs to select items with clients, and then having to spend hours calculating costs and drawing by hand, are a thing of the past.

Not only are we saving time with technology, but we’re also able to communicate in a much more effective way, reducing misunderstandings and allowing the client to better see the vision.

Here are some of the ways that technology serves our design and sales team at One Week Bath.

Design websites

Our website and websites such as Houzz.com are great tools that allow clients to browse and identify things that inspire them. Houzz.com literally has millions of photos and musings. There’s no need to spend countless dollars on magazines and books and waste hours tearing out pages. A client can create an idea book and email it to us, which then allows us to look for patterns in their choices and guide them through the design process.

Our website not only showcases our work but also encourages discussions about elements in specific bathrooms featured on the site. Our designers can then talk with customers over the phone about what they like in various bathrooms on the site, and customers can be more prepared for the face-to-face design consultation.

Product websites

There is an endless amount of products out there. A person couldn’t possibly carry enough catalogs to represent every option. Manufacturer websites maintained by fixture, cabinet, lighting, solid surface, and tile companies allow customers to search by narrowing criteria. With the use of an iPad, images can be expanded so the client can see details that might be difficult to view on paper. We use these sites extensively to sort through millions of products and find that one special something the client loves.

iPad apps

Great sketching tools exist for the iPad. Paper by 53 is an amazing app that allows us to sketch, colorize, and even email a drawing straight from the iPad. It’s like a modern day Etch A Sketch. No wasted paper. No broken leads. No need to scan or copy.

Incredible new software by 20-20 allows our clients to actually walk through their project on the iPad by physically turning it. It’s truly interactive. The file can be emailed to the client, and they can walk through it once they receive it.

Estimating software

Our proprietary software allows our designers and their assistants to price a complex project instantaneously in the client’s home. A database of products and pricing is maintained on a remote server and updated regularly with the most current pricing so the pricing has real-time accuracy. There’s no need to go away and come back with a price. If the number isn’t comfortable for the client, our designers can make changes and work with the client to get to a number that works so a deal can be struck. This expedites the selling process and gets the client onto the schedule sooner rather than later. Accuracy is very high because there is no guess work.

Back in the day, we thought the use of technology as a sales tool was simply sharing our wares on the Web with electronic brochures, spending countless hours creating estimate spreadsheets in Excel, and communicating our vision with unsophisticated CAD line drawings.

Design websites provide musings and help us determine client preferences so our designers can get to a design that thrills the client while saving the client time and money. Manufacturer websites allow us to sort through millions of products and show views of selected items that could not previously be seen with old, outdated catalogs. Narrowing selections is fast and efficient.

iPad apps and CAD tools allow for clear, detailed, and shareable communication of thoughts, designs, and perspectives. Estimating software expedites the pricing process so decisions can be made quickly and on the spot while providing consistent accuracy.

The tools have certainly changed, and the efficiencies associated with those tools are immeasurable. PR

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Matt Plaskoff is founder and CEO of One Week Bath, a Los Angeles-based remodeling firm. Since 2004, the company has installed more than 1,500 bathrooms with a 96-percent customer satisfaction rating. He can be reached at mplaskoff@oneweekbath.com.

At One Week Bath, utilizing technology in the design and sales process has allowed the team to produce more in less time and at a higher level of quality.