Hardwood Floors February/March 2024

By Brittany Stout

In fact, it’s one of the industry’s most powerful strategies for business development, yet one that is so often underutilized. While contractors and retailers often work directly with builders and homeowners, having a working relationship with a designer is an excellent way to gain referrals and insightful perspectives. Here are just a few reasons why flooring professionals and designers should be actively seeking opportunities to connect and collaborate.

1

UNIQUE PERSPECTIVES

Designers think differently than

contractors, builders, and homeowners. When brought on a job, they can help identify blind spots you may have otherwise overlooked. Their unique perspective can help solve problems while saving time and money by thinking about things differently. When you look at a sample and try to visualize how everything will come together, it can feel abstract and overwhelming. The unique perspectives of professional designers enable them to create cohesive and creative spaces beyond what other types of professionals can. If this isn’t your favorite part of the project, the good news is that this is where designers often thrive. When you have good working relationships with a designer, you can hand off these tasks, allowing you to stay focused on what you enjoy most. They will pour hours into researching and refining options until you only need to approve your final selection from a small list of options. 2 SMOOTHER SELECTION PROCESS Do you get bogged down in the selection process?

the magazine of the national wood flooring association

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