Jeff MacDowell

Jeff MacDowell is the Executive Director of Luxury Products Group, a decorative plumbing, hardware and lighting buying group. He is a 25 year industry veteran specializing in the decorative kitchen and bath business. He coaches showrooms on service excellence and design optimization. Contact him at jeff@luxuryproductsgroup.com

Showroom Excellence

Fix Your Broken Windows

Once you lower standards, a pattern begins to grow as disengaged staff ignore obvious problems.

January 6, 2020

Jeff MacDowell

No Comments

I often use parallels when I’m describing the physical appearance of a showroom and the culture of the company. It’s typically easy to see the differences between a high-performing showroom culture and one that is not by walking in the front door.

Showroom Excellence

Showroom Selling Skills: Kindness

October 8, 2019

Jeff MacDowell

No Comments

One thing that always grabs my attention when shopping in a retail environment is when an employee makes eye contact and delivers an authentic message about how he or she can help.

Showroom Excellence

Attracting and Keeping Your Team

Formalized communication, training and discipline processes are important to recruit and retain showroom employees.

August 8, 2019

Jeff MacDowell

No Comments

Having a great team can make or break your showroom. There has been a lot of discussion and practices-sharing lately on how to hire a great team — and equally as important, how to keep that team.

Showroom Excellence

Money Matters

Striking the right balance between showrooms and their staffs.

February 1, 2019

Jeff MacDowell

No Comments

Compensation can be a fun — yet often debatable — subject. It needs to strike a delicate balance between what’s right and fair for your employees while also being fair to your business. Any compensation program you put in place must be a “feel good” for both parties.

Showroom Excellence

Supporting Each Other

Showroom managers should be willing to champion manufacturers who help strengthen the industry.

December 4, 2018

Jeff MacDowell

No Comments

One of the most common conversations I have with showroom managers centers around the desire they have for manufacturers to protect their showrooms.

Showroom Excellence

Dealing with Online Reviews

Whether positive or negative, take the high road when responding online.

October 5, 2018

Jeff MacDowell

No Comments

In today’s mobile environment, online reviews about products and companies can be a deciding factor when making a purchase. Dealing with them appropriately is made even more challenging because it’s an issue that can change by the minute.

Column

Soft Skills for Showroom Sales

When hiring, key attributes to look for are listening ability, enthusiasm and willingness to learn.

September 18, 2018

Jeff MacDowell

No Comments

Showrooms must have the right employees and the right customer experience to maximize the opportunity for success in today’s competitive retail marketplace. In a showroom sales environment, hiring for soft skills such as listening ability, enthusiasm and willingness to learn is critical for that success.