• Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • PRODUCTS
  • A&D
  • INSTALLATION
  • MARKETS
  • AWARDS
  • EDUCATION
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MEDIA
  • EMAGAZINE
  • SIGN UP
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • NEWS
  • Breaking Flooring News
  • eNewsletters
  • PRODUCTS
  • Carpet & Area Rugs
  • Hardwood
  • Installation Products
  • Installation Tools & Equipment
  • Laminate
  • Resilient
  • Specialty
  • Tile & Stone
  • MARKETS
  • Commercial
  • Residential
  • AWARDS
  • Installation Awards
  • Top Flooring Products
  • EDUCATION
  • Continuing Education
  • Webinars
  • Sponsored Insights
  • MEDIA
  • FLOOR Podcast
  • Videos
  • TISE 2025 Videos
  • eBooks
  • EMAGAZINE
  • eMagazine
  • Archive Issues
  • Contact
  • Advertise
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
    • Breaking Flooring News
    • eNewsletters
  • PRODUCTS
    • Carpet & Area Rugs
    • Hardwood
    • Installation Products
    • Installation Tools & Equipment
    • Laminate
    • Resilient
    • Specialty
    • Tile & Stone
  • A&D
  • INSTALLATION
  • MARKETS
    • Commercial
    • Residential
  • AWARDS
    • Installation Awards
    • Top Flooring Products
  • EDUCATION
    • Continuing Education
    • Webinars
    • Sponsored Insights
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MEDIA
    • FLOOR Podcast
    • Videos
    • TISE 2025 Videos
    • eBooks
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issues
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP
Residential FlooringColumns

Finding Common Ground with Flooring Customers

By Kelly Kramer
Kelly and Anne Kramer's recently-built house
Part of the community: Kelly and Anne Kramer recently built a house in Loveland, Colo., which is a great icebreaker with new customers.
December 6, 2016

A big part of what I believe about “selling clean” with honesty and ethics is finding a way to use stories about yourself in the community that you live in. Part of getting to like your future buyers and to have them like you is spending the first part of the sales process finding common ground. That means directing the conversation away from anything that has to do with sales. You start talking about something that happened locally, like the recent Fourth of July fireworks or the high school football team that is on its way to the state finals.

In my town of Loveland, Colo., we have a small airport that displays World War II-era planes several times a year. So you can bet I ask my new customers if they saw the vintage planes. This is a conversation I like to get into first thing, because quite frankly, I want to find out where my customer lives. Selfishly, I want to make sure they live close enough to do the installation. My store is on a major highway that is the gateway to the Rocky Mountain National Park, so we have people passing by from almost every state in the country. The last thing I want to do is spend an hour with someone only to find out they live in Ohio.

The other day, I made the mistake of not paying attention to a customer’s location. A very sharp, young and very fit professional-looking couple came in shopping for stock slate. We don’t stock that, so I proceeded to tell them where they might go that has product in stock. Then I asked what their situation was and where their home was located. They explained that they were visiting friends in Loveland and lived near Denver, which is about an hour and a half drive. So, I told them about a few places I knew in the Denver area that should be able to help them. They thanked me and I walked them out the door.

When I got to the door, I noticed that they were driving a top-end Hummer. I jokingly commented, “I definitely would stay out of your way of that thing.” The man laughed, and they drove away. It took me about a minute, then it hit me. That guy was buff, sharp, obviously rich, and his wife looked like a model wearing about fifty grand in gold. I said to myself, “You idiot. That guy was a star defensive back for our World Champion Denver Broncos.” The next day, I got a call from the lady. “Hi Kelly, this is Mrs. (I won’t tell you the name),” she said. “We were in yesterday, and I had a few more questions I hoped you could help me with.”

Needless to say, it confirmed my strong hunch that I had an NFL star in my little town of Loveland. My mistake was first not finding out where they lived early on and not looking in the parking lot at the vehicle that they drove up in. If I had, I would have put together who I was meeting early on, and the conversation would have gone a different way. The big positive here was that I now have a story to tell my new buyers. It makes them feel good and makes them more interested in me as a person. When my next customers come in with a Bronco’s hat or jersey, you know what that conversation is going to be about. I might even get into showing my new friend some products.

Community is Your Common Ground

At the beginning of the summer, my wife Anne and I moved into our new home, which we spent the last year building. This is our dream home and we think of it as our retirement home. We acted as the builder, so we learned a great deal about what builders and new home buyers have to go through.

This house is on the main highway and faces Lake Loveland, so if you live in Loveland, you had to have seen it being built. This house quickly becomes a part of my conversation with my new customers. It has been such a great icebreaker. If a customer tells me they are adding an addition to their home, I ask them where their home is located. Then I explain that I just went through a similar process building my new home in town. Of course, it’s the house they were already curious about. They all want to know about the three stories and how we intend on handling the steps as we get older. The answer: an elevator.

The conversation gets fun because they are intrigued and have never seen an elevator in a home in our town. I get to brag, which makes me feel good. They can tell their friends that they have the inside scoop on the people who just built the tall three-story house by Lake Loveland. “It has an elevator, you know.” This bit of knowledge makes them feel good, and it’s a nice start for my new buyer and their new Trusted Sales Advisor. So that’s what works for me.

What you need to do is to find common ground for your own situation that relates to your community. It could be Boy Scouts, the church you attend, the local schools your kids both go to, or even the big fire that you both saw the smoke from. Simply become one of their community and share common interests. Then you have the start to becoming their Trusted Sales Advisor. I still get a big kick when a former buyer honks at me in my front yard on their way past. You know, just another member of the community. Thanks for reading.

KEYWORDS: flooring retailers marketing and sales

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Kelly kramer 200px
Based in Loveland, Colo., Kelly Kramer is an author, inventor and owner of Kelly’s Carpet Wagon. He is a 27-year veteran of the flooring industry, with 25 of those years as a retail sales advisor. To contact him with questions or to book him for public speaking engagements, call or email: (970) 622-0077; retaileducation@netzero.net

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
To unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • resilient flooring

    The 7 Types of Resilient Flooring

    The resilient flooring category is comprised of many...
    Resilient Flooring
    By: Resilient Floorcovering Institute
  • QuickDrain USA’s ShowerLine linear drain

    Tips for Curbless Shower Installation Using a Linear Drain

    Consider these four tips when planning for a curbless...
    Flooring Installation Products
    By: Darryl Jones
  • 2024 New Flooring Product Guide

    2024 New Flooring Products Guide

    We explore this year's introductions in area rugs,...
    Commercial Flooring
    By: FLOOR Trends & Installation Editors
You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

close

1 COMPLIMENTARY ARTICLE(S) LEFT

Loader

Already a Registered User? Sign in now.

Manage My Account
  • eMagazine
  • eNewsletter
  • Online Registration
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Subscription Customer Service

What Shaw Flooring Network Dealers are Banking on for 2025

What Shaw Flooring Network Dealers are Banking on for 2025

Shaw Flooring Network Retailers Report Post-Election Sales Surge

Shaw Flooring Network Retailers Report Post-Election Sales Surge

Retailers Share Top Takeaways from Shaw Flooring Network Convention

Retailers Share Top Takeaways from Shaw Flooring Network Convention

SolidTech R: Sustainable, High-Performance Flooring from Bottle to Floor

SolidTech R: Sustainable, High-Performance Flooring from Bottle to Floor

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the FLOOR Trends & Installation audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of FLOOR Trends & Installation or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Woodura Herringbone 2.0
    Sponsored byBjelin

    The Herringbone Floor of the Future

Popular Stories

Woodura Herringbone 2.0

The Herringbone Floor of the Future

company branding

Branding and Marketing Strategies for Flooring Contractors

Three individuals, a man and two women, discussing flooring options while reviewing samples.

Humans in the Loop: Why AI in Your Flooring Business Still Needs You


Download the Free Moisture Meters Guide

Events

December 1, 2030

Webinar Sponsorship Information

For webinar sponsorship information, visit www.bnpevents.com/webinars or email webinars@bnpmedia.com.

View All Submit An Event

Poll

Growth Challenges in the Flooring Industry

What’s holding you back from growth in 2025?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

2025 BNI Interiors Square Foot Costbook

2025 BNI Interiors Square Foot Costbook

See More Products

FLOORtalk podcasts - Listen Now

Related Articles

  • Being liked is important

    Making Flooring Customers Feel Special

    See More
  • relaxed and upfront with customers

    Selling Flooring: Sharing Information with Consumers

    See More
  • fixing problems

    Flooring Retailers Build Customer Loyalty with Great Follow-up

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • romancYourCust.gif

    Romancing Your Customers - Love 'Em or Lose 'Em

  • 9781622700158_c-15_.png

    Flooring and Floor Covering License Examination (C-15) - QuickPass Study Tool Book with Online Interactive Software

  • fab floor.jpg

    Fabulous Floor Patterns: with CD

See More Products
×

We’re rolling out the red carpet of flooring knowledge!

Stay in the know on the latest flooring retail trends.

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletters
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing

search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
    • Breaking Flooring News
    • eNewsletters
  • PRODUCTS
    • Carpet & Area Rugs
    • Hardwood
    • Installation Products
    • Installation Tools & Equipment
    • Laminate
    • Resilient
    • Specialty
    • Tile & Stone
  • A&D
  • INSTALLATION
  • MARKETS
    • Commercial
    • Residential
  • AWARDS
    • Installation Awards
    • Top Flooring Products
  • EDUCATION
    • Continuing Education
    • Webinars
    • Sponsored Insights
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MEDIA
    • FLOOR Podcast
    • Videos
    • TISE 2025 Videos
    • eBooks
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issues
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP