Certain situations negatively affect the contracting business arena; some are facts, while others are figments of the imagination.

At some recent training sessions, I have noticed a need to discuss sales techniques that help close the showroom consultation faster and get more people through the sales process. 

I recently spoke with one of my coaching clients, and the subject of professional curiosity came up.

Natural gas-fired and electric boilers and water heaters have specific space and venting requirements to keep building occupants safe. Architects and engineers need to discuss these issues during the design phase to ensure aesthetics and safety issue are all considered.

Plumbing in office buildings — typically mixed use — is designed differently than in health-care facilities, senior-living communities or multifamily buildings. Automation and digital monitoring through a building management system can aid an overwhelmed facilities staff in keeping water safe.

Instrument air and service compressed air — compressed air systems found in health-care facilities — are often an afterthought as they are not considered life safety systems. Yet they are critical in operating rooms and sterile processing areas.

An efficient project can save time and money. Coordination efforts during the design phase of the fire protection system can reduce the number of conflicts in the field, keep the project budget in line and construction progress on schedule by minimizing delays.

While influencers and HGTV-like television shows try to move the market, our showrooms are still the trusted advisor in what works and what doesn’t in the bath or kitchen. Business is still brisk across the country, and orders are moving a bit smoother. 

Since Chat GPT and other artificial intelligence (AI) tools started hitting the scene, I have been fascinated with their potential use in the world of distribution.