Residential Design + Build provides architects, designers and builders of custom homes with the information they need to create high-end custom homes.
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E DIT O R I A L DI R E C T O R ' S c o mm e nts The extra mile leads to long-term success H ave you ever spilled a gallon of paint all over your car's floor? I have. And, if you can stick with me for three brief paragraphs, there's a lesson for you in my story. Another driver's sudden action had forced me to slam on my brakes, and the can of paint, which was upright on the passenger side floor, tipped over. The lid popped off and paint spilled everywhere. "What a mess" doesn't even begin to describe the scene, and "upset" doesn't come close to capturing my state of mind. Twenty minutes later I was at home try- ing to clean up as best I could. An hour or two into my efforts, it was clear I had neither the tools nor patience to continue. Sore and sweaty, I gave up and called the car wash I pass on the way home from work, which had just opened. The young guy who owned the business with his brother quoted a price and told me to bring it in. I dropped it off the next morning, and called midday to check on progress. The owner said he had a team of three men working on my car in one-hour shifts. Ultimately, cleanup took much longer than estimated, but the owner didn't charge me more than his quote. He lost money on the deal that day, but he earned a customer for as long as he remains in business by going the extra mile for me. Here's another question: Have you ever done yard work or home maintenance for a client, just because they asked you to? Carey Hamilton has, and he'll do it again if asked. Hamilton is a custom builder in Colorado who has tripled his business during the past few years, thanks in part to going the extra mile for clients. Hamilton won't do business with pros- pects until they agree to remain friends after project completion. It very well might be that Hamilton builds custom homes just so he can make friends. Whatever his reason, clients keep giving him referrals and his business is thriving. His story begins on page 10. The lesson from these two stories is that going the extra mile can pay long- term dividends in client loyalty. In a time when potential clients are looking for one thing — anything — to tip the scale toward you or a competitor, raking some leaves or fixing a creaky door can tip it your way. RD+B GOES LIVE IN 2013 To help tip the scales in your direction, Residential Design + Build is launching a series of in-person educational seminars in 2013, titled, "Profitable Design/Build." This educational opportunity will be brought to you at least twice in 2013, in New York in May and in Chicago in October. A morning and afternoon session will be presented, free of charge, to architects, designers and builders. T he morning session will explore profes- sional service agreements; avoiding profit loss from change orders; why working with an architect/designer can be profitable; client management; and much more. The afternoon session will explore integrated project deliv- ery — what it is, how to apply it, and why it works for everyone. Subtopics will include: BIM for custom homes; managing clients dur- ing design; using technology in sales; and best practices. Keep your eyes on your email inbox for details. ■ EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Rob Heselbarth rob.heselbarth@cygnus.com MANAGING EDITOR Laurie Grant laurie.grant@cygnus.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jay Grant, Luis Jauregui, AIA, John D. Wagner ART DIRECTOR April Van Etten PRODUCTION MGR. Steve Swick CIRCULATION MGR. Tammy Stellar READER SERVICE MGR. Rich Hendricks PRODUCTION SERVICES REP. Kathleen Weaver ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Jenni Ehlke-Heyer CEO John French CFO Paul Bonaiuto EVP BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION Kris Flitcroft VP CONTENT Greg Udelhofen VP MARKETING Debbie George VP AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT Julie Nachtigal VP TECHNOLOGY Eric Kammerzelt VP PRODUCTION OPERATIONS Curt Pordes HUMAN RESOURCES Ed Wood © 2012 by Cygnus Business Media, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form, including electronically, without written permission from the publisher of Residential Design + Build. Residential Design + Build (ISSN 1934-7553, print; ISSN 2150-7694, online; USPS 070-080) is published six times yearly (January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, November/December) by Cygnus Business Media, 1233 Janesville Avenue, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538. Periodicals postage paid at Fort Atkinson, WI and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Please send all change of address to Residential Design + Build, P.O. Box 3257, Northbrook, IL 60065-3257. Printed in the USA. Subscription Policy: Individual subscriptions available without charge in the USA to qualified readers. Publisher reserves the right to reject nonqualified subscribers. One-year subscription to nonqualified individuals. U.S. $35; Canada $50; all other countries $75, payable in U.S. funds, drawn on U.S. bank. Single issues available (prepaid only), $10 each. Canadian GST #231910168. Canada Post PM40063731. Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: Residential Design + Build, Station A, P.O. Box 54, Windsor, ON N9A 6J5. Vol. 77, No. 6. By Rob Heselbarth, editorial director 4 N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 2 r e si d e n t ia l d e si gn + b u i l d F o r R e si d e n t ia l P r o s . c o m