I had back-to-back client calls with two kitchen retailers last Thursday.

Both smart and switched on, and both getting some great marketing out of the door (which we’ll take at least some credit for!).

It just so happened that in both calls, the same question came up:

“At what point do you follow up with a prospect after they’ve given you their data?”

That’s where the similarities ended because their responses were wildly different.

In this episode of the kbbreview Podcast, Inspire KBB’s Managing Director, David Barker, explains how KBB retailers can do more with the data they collect from their current, previous and new clients.

It’s arguably long overdue, but we’re in the market for a new kitchen.

And already, it’s been a fascinating experience.

The most recent Bank Holiday heralded a conversation that continues to replay in my head. It was the day that my wife went from dreaming about a new kitchen to planning for one.

We’re looking for a Digital Marketing Executive.

If you’d like to join the Inspire Team, or you know someone that might, then read on!

It was back in 2017 that The Economist declared that the world's most valuable resource was no longer oil.

Data had overtaken it.

Of course, thanks to the pandemic, oil is currently much less valuable than it was three years ago, but there's absolutely no question about it that data has gone in the other direction.

Data is more powerful and more valuable than ever before, and its power is only increasing.

David Barker, Managing Director at Inspire KBB, explains why, as the green shoots of recovery start to show, now is the time to devote effort and energy into perfecting your marketing strategy in order to thrive once the coronavirus situation is over.

Like it or not, we're entering into a new era.

A new world. A new order of things.

The coronavirus crisis has changed pretty much everything in the short term.

But its effects will impact both the medium and long term.

It'll change the way we live.

With social distancing measures likely to be in place for a while, and plenty of time for people to acclimatise to doing more online, the way we buy stuff will change.

KBB retailers have approached this crisis in several different ways.

And for at least 50% of them, their 'plan' has been painfully obvious.

Retreat. Batten down the hatches. Conserve cash at all costs. Cut everything.

And while, for some, this might have been an essential plan for the past four weeks, it's a truly terrible plan for the next four months.

Just a few weeks ago, if you’d asked KBB retailers what their most important asset was, many of them would have been unequivocal in their answer:

“Our showroom. When we get people in there, they fall in love with our products and end up buying a kitchen.”

Fair enough. But what about right now?

The showroom is currently pretty redundant. (Although some smart retailers have managed to offer showroom visits online.) Something else has claimed the place as the most important asset.

The coronavirus crisis isn't over. Not by a long chalk.

But, based on what we're seeing, hearing and reading from the Government and the global press, what we do know is that light is beginning to develop at the end of the tunnel.

While the situation plateaus in the UK, some countries further on from us are starting to loosen their lockdown. This week, Denmark, Austria, Spain and even Italy are – to varying degrees - gradually starting to reopen 'non-essential' businesses and organisations.

Sure, it's likely to be May before non-essential businesses can start to reopen their doors here, and in an ideal world, you'd never have had to close your doors in the first place.

It’s a strange thing, this ‘lockdown’.

Yes, it feels odd and somewhat claustrophobic, but it doesn’t half do wonders for productivity.

I’ve been getting a lot done around home over the past few weekends. I’m already thinking that the Easter weekend is going to be my most productive DIY bank holiday of all time.

And the reason why is simple.

Things have changed drastically for many millions of people in recent days, and in some areas, things continue to get darker, with further impact on lives.

But you've been through a tunnel before, which means you know that it gets dark before it gets light.

Last week, we spoke about what independent KBB retailers need to do as they enter the tunnel; the foundations you need to put in place to see you through this period.

We're in the tunnel now, and we're likely to be for much of April.

Over the past week, many kitchen retailers have asked us for help and guidance on what they should be doing with their marketing right now, so I thought I’d pen something to help you with precisely that.

I received an email last night and just knew I had to send it on.

It’s written by a friend and colleague of mine, Mark Creaser. I call him the ‘Jeremy Clarkson of Business Consultants’.

Take five minutes to have a read. I think you’ll be glad you did.

If you’ve ever read 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by the great Steven Covey, you’ll know that Covey believes wholeheartedly in the importance of sharpening your saw.

He points out that if you’re cutting wood, and you never stop to sharpen the saw, your cutting will become less and less effective.

The metaphor for those of us in business is clear: if you never get out of the day-to-day and out of the four walls of your business, over time, you’ll also become less effective.

The battle to thrive as an independent kitchen retailer is only becoming more intense. 

One of the key contributing factors?  The big boys.

The Nationals continue to play the discounting game and fling money around on marketing, infiltrating your prospects’ minds and filling them with all sorts of preconceived ideas - some of which are pretty darn difficult to shake.

A couple of weeks back, I spoke about the importance of a strong online presence, and it’s something that we work on consistently for our business.

And the Google review posted on Sunday will certainly help with that.

It was from a very lovely lady called Joanne Hunt, Owner of Appleton Kitchens - a Pronorm dealership in South Manchester. I’ll leave it to her to tell you the story…

I’ve talked regularly about the fact that over the last two decades, Google has changed the game. So, I won’t rake over old ground – if you’re not getting found online, you’re missing out on countless opportunities.

I hope that you already recognise the value of Google (or ‘Search’) for your kitchen business, and you’re wondering how you can make even more of it.

If so, I’ve some valuable insight, so read on.

In this winter’s edition of Inspired, your kitchen marketing newsletter brought to you by Inspire KBB:

David Barker gives his insight into the foundation of Inspire KBB’s success, and it’s personal!

Download now >