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24 | Kitchen & Bath Design News | June 2015 And that gives the sales profes- sional incredible power. He knows exactly what fantasy to spin – in- deed, what picture to paint – if he subsequently hears the oft-used prospect response to the fnal con- tract price some weeks later: "We have to think it over." That's when a professional who has truly mastered the fundamen- tals of selling will wax eloquent with something like: "Imagine, Mr. Shee- han, it's a Saturday morning, you've donned your chef's hat and apron, and you're standing in front of your spank- ing new island down-draft range. The bacon is sizzling on the griddle while you are fipping your famous choco- late chip pancakes. All five snack bar seats are set with colorful paper plates, napkins and orange juice glasses. You look out your slid- ing glass doors to your kids and neighborhood friends splash- ing around in the pool and blow the whistle around your neck. 'Come and get it, kids!' you yell out. 'Breakfast is ready!' And they come tumbling through the doorway, led by your son Tommy who laughingly tells his pals that his dad is playing Chef Gino again." Actually, that example is a true story – one that I was re- minded of recently by the client. I was a sales designer making a presentation to Gene and Sandy Sheehan way back in the 1980s. And I painted this picture around Gene's DBM, which I had deter- mined to be "love." Whereupon the Sheehans promptly signed of on their new kitchen, which was about $6,000 more than the agreed upon budget range – all because I'd learned how to moti- vate through emotion by playing to Gene's fantasies. "You had me with that picture you painted of me playing Chef Gino," he admit- ted on a recent phone call. For sales designers in the kitchen/bath industry to realize their full sales and income po - tential, they must exert enough self-discipline to (1) be thorough- ly trained in the fundamentals of selling, (2) follow a proven sales process advocated by the dealer/ owner and (3) motivate people to buy through playing to their prospect's fantasies. Otherwise, we will remain an industry of order-takers. Ken Peterson, CKD, LPBC, is president of the Chapel Hill, NC-based SEN Design Group. For more info about this topic, please contact Peterson at 1-800-991-1711 or kpeterson@ sendesign.com. Peterson also welcomes comments, questions or concerns. Register for the K BDN/SE N s a le s s em i n a r entitled "Double Your Sales Volume Using A Proven Selling System" schedu led for t he Chicago and Phoenix areas later this year using this link: sendesigngroup.com/seminars. Bettering Your Bottom Line { Ken Peterson, CKD, LPBC } M A N S F I E L D P L U M B I N G . C O M / S O L U T I O N S MADE FOR REAL LIFE. L I F E ' S T O O S H O R T F O R A N Y T H I N G L E S S T H A N H O N E S T A N S W E R S A N D P R A C T I C A L S O L U T I O N S . S O W E D E D I C AT E O U R S E LV E S T O M A K I N G G R E AT P R O D U C T S ( R I G H T H E R E I N T H E U . S . A . ) , D E L I V E R I N G T H E M Q U I C K L Y , A N D K E E P I N G E V E R Y T H I N G S I M P L E . W E G O A B O U T O U R B U S I N E S S , S O Y O U C A N G O A B O U T Y O U R S . Barrett Toilet shown Circle No. 16 on Product Card