Builder/Architect - Special Issue, Greater Toronto Edition
Women in Construction Celebrating Women's Contribution to the Building Industry In the Greater Toronto Area
Colours and Concepts Provides the Right Ingredients for Success
- By Marylene Vestergom
"At Colours and Concepts, our job is to make the purchasing experience a wonderful and exciting event," says President Susan Harvey. "By helping the homeowner through the decor process, we not only alleviate the overwhelming feeling of stress many of these homeowners experience, but we also guide them through the thinking process of the importance of upgrades when it comes to the homes resale value, etc. The homeowner is a key component of our service; however, the partnership begins with providing a high level of professional service to the builders."
Since 1994, Colours and Concepts have helped builders increase their revenue and profits through the sale of upgrades. "We do everything from providing decor consultants to the builders who will then work through the colour process and upgrades with the home buyer, help builders layout the decor centre, as well as put together policy and procedures within the centres. It's very much a turnkey approach for the builder. I will go in as a consultant to do the initial set-up, determine the best way to merchandise the samples, work with the trades, provide consultants or train the builder's in-house consultants and administration staff on customer service, product and sales. This way the builder can have his sales staff concentrate on selling homes, and the decor consultants can spend their time and expertise selling the upgrades and providing the level of service today's purchasers demand.
"This is an amazing industry. I used to be a project manager for IBM in telecommunications until I made a career change. I went back to school and studied interior design and pretty much stumbled into this industry by chance.
"But it's addictive. Today, I'm very involved in the Greater Toronto Home Builders' Association, the Durham and Ontario Home Builders' Association."
Susan enjoys being on the frontlines. She understands that purchasing a home, whether it's your first or third, is a huge expense and the emotions are running like a roller coaster. "Our challenge at Colours and Concepts is to put that aside and really become involved with the homeowner. The result being when the home buyer walks into their home they'll say, 'yes, this is what I envisioned,' or 'yes, I did make the right decision in choosing the upgraded oak staircase,' or 'I'm glad I upgraded my carpet selection with the under pad.' Having a homeowner happy with their selection and appreciating the value in the upgrades as an integral part of their investment is a win-win."
Decor Centres and the professionals who can staff this entity are not new to today's builder. But in the beginning, builders needed to be sold on the value of companies like Colours and Concepts. But things have changed and builders embrace the value added someone like Susan Harvey and her team can offer.
With builders going in-house with their decor centres, Susan finds her niche has grown within the small to medium-sized builder, where Colours and Concepts can go in and provide a full service. "But I'm also finding there's a market for me with the larger builders who have the decor centres. As a consultant I can help them refine their processes and train their consultants, etc. For instance, at Brookfield Homes, they have their own in-house Decor Centre. I went in as a consultant and have an ongoing relationship with them. Stone Manor Developments built a Decor Centre and we manage it. We set-up the whole colour selection and upgrades process from sample displays to data inputting to selling the upgrades and completing the colour chart."
Like all like industries, being open to change provides the right ingredients for success. For Susan Harvey, President of Colours and Concepts, adapting the needs of her customer means addressing their needs and understanding their business. Service is the driving factor. For Susan Harvey, this means offering a high level of professionalism and skill to the end user - her customer, the builder and home buyer.
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"We sell more upgrades at a builder profit and manage the flow of information from buyer through to builder. Colours & Concepts streamlines the selection process"
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