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About Deborah Flate

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So far Deborah Flate has created 49 blog entries.

Old school methods that just don’t work anymore or bring value when selling to interior designers

Back when I started selling high-end product to designers (in the mid-80's), I was taught to sell by throwing more and more stuff out there. The more I threw, the better chance they will buy. The reoccurring theme was "YOU NEVER KNOW" or "WHAT IF?" And I was considered a top performer doing this. This is the exact method I was constantly encouraged to do: Call on as many people as you can, show them as [...]

2022-05-18T00:39:46-05:00By |Interior Design, Product Companies Interior Design, Sales coaching|
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What can politicians teach us to win more sales?

Oh don't worry, I will not bore you with my views. However, I am what some would call a political junkie. I find politics fascinating. I think it's important to pay attention. But they can also teach us a really good sales lessons. What I noticed (and who doesn't) is politicians always "stay on message"..well let's say mostly. They control how we think about them and exactly how to think about their opponents. So how does [...]

2022-05-18T00:39:46-05:00By |Interior Design, Product Companies Interior Design, Sales coaching, Sales Training|
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For more sales to interior designers, start with this one question…

HOW CAN I HELP YOU TODAY Designers are busier than ever. We all are. To add to that, they and their clients have so many more choices making life in the interior design product company and showroom business more challenging than ever. So, we have two choices. (1) to stay in the same, comfortable place and continue to use outdated methods or (2) evolve our sales approach to meet and match the changing market. I would [...]

2022-05-18T00:39:46-05:00By |Interior Design, Product Companies Interior Design, Sales coaching, Sales Training|
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The NEW RULES of selling in today’s marketplace

  This is the 16th blog I've written on LinkedIN. (But whose counting, right?) I have written about how the marketplace has changed and we need to change our approach to selling to Interior Designers. I've written a lot on why we have to change and what we have to change. My last blog I laid out the 7 CORE PRINCIPLES OF OPTIMIZED SALES and yet many showrooms remain too afraid to change what they are [...]

2022-05-18T00:39:46-05:00By |Interior Design, Marketing, Product Companies Interior Design, Sales coaching, Sales Training|
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What causes inconsistent sales for those who sell to interior designers (even seasoned ones)? Doing some things not all.

I had a huge epiphany yesterday about how optimal sales are achieved. I started sales training more than 20 years ago in the interior design industry. I have worked with and observed hundreds of sales people over the years. These are very capable, strong, people. Many with larger than life personalities. They were all beloved in the industry and many had been doing this a long time, you could say seasoned. And naturally their managers think [...]

2022-05-18T00:39:46-05:00By |Interior Design, Marketing, Product Companies Interior Design, Sales coaching, Sales Training|
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