http://www.remodeling.hw.net/expert-opinion/columnists/contributors/victoria-downing.aspx?view=rss&id=Query_tcm1774474http://www.remodeling.hw.net/sales/from-sales-to-sales-management.aspx?rssLink=From+Sales+to+Sales+ManagementYou may be a veteran when it comes to selling, but moving from remodeling sales to being a sales manager entails taking on a new set of responsibilities.http://www.remodeling.hw.net/owner-issues/loss-lead.aspx?rssLink=Loss%3f+LeadBuild your leadership skills now to inspire your employees and be positioned to take advantage of opportunities once the economy improves.http://www.remodeling.hw.net/owner-issues/feel-the-love.aspx?rssLink=Feel+the+LoveA client feedback process throughout a remodeling job ensures that you address issues as they arise. The result: happy clients and more referrals.http://www.remodeling.hw.net/sales-leads/refueling-the-pipeline.aspx?rssLink=Refueling+the+PipelineIt can be a challenge to keep salespeople motivated and upbeat when leads are harder to come by and contracts are less likely to be signed. Here are tips for sales team motivation.http://www.remodeling.hw.net/owner-issues/change-it-up.aspx?rssLink=Change+It+UpA new book from the VitalSmarts team helps you pinpoint specific, replicable behaviors to find success.http://www.remodeling.hw.net/owner-issues/lead-and-get-out-of-the-way.aspx?rssLink=People+%2b+Skills%3a+Lead+and+Get+Out+of+the+WayOwners shouldn't carry all the burden of the company on their shoulders. Empower your staff and watch your business grow.http://www.remodeling.hw.net/sales-leads/all-together-now.aspx?rssLink=People+%2b+Skills%3a+All+Together+NowNetworking by joining organizations and making connections will bring in more leads for your company.http://www.remodeling.hw.net/hiring/hire-thinking.aspx?rssLink=Hire+ThinkingA slow economy can be a good time to hire, provided that you plan well first.http://www.remodeling.hw.net/performance-evaluation/performance-review.aspx?rssLink=People+%2b+Skills%3a+Performance+ReviewVictoria Downing of Remodelers Advantage Roundtables asks remodelers whether they discuss compensation with employees during the performance review or hold it for a second meeting.http://www.remodeling.hw.net/customer-satisfaction/frontline-relationships.aspx?rssLink=People%2bSkills%3a+Frontline+RelationshipsIt is essential that your employees put their best foot forward when connecting with clients.http://www.remodeling.hw.net/owner-issues/delegate-to-grow.aspx?rssLink=People+%2b+Skills%3a+Delegate+to+GrowIt isn't always easy, but to grow your business, you need to delegate responsibility. Follow these six steps to delegate effectively.http://www.remodeling.hw.net/office-technology/managing-change.aspx?rssLink=Managing+ChangeJeff Rainey, president of Home Equity Builders, in Great Falls, Va., is a technology nut. He strongly believes that the correct use of technology can help a company dramatically improve its processes and systems, and he’s constantly on the lookout for new software and hardware that can ratchet up his team’s productivity.http://www.remodeling.hw.net/remodeling/all-hands-on-deck.aspx?rssLink=All+Hands+on+DeckThere are two major benefits to having employees deeply involved in company operations: They have fresh ideas that have been developed from their own experiences and this involvement can breed a sense of ownership and loyalty.http://www.remodeling.hw.net/bonus-system-and-incentives/bonuses.aspx?rssLink=People+%2b+Skills%3a+BonusesSeth Godin, author of Permission Marketing: Turning Strangers Into Friends, and Friends Into Customers, believes that monetary bonuses are demotivators. http://www.remodeling.hw.net/detail/triggering-change.aspx?rssLink=People+%2b+Skills%3a+Triggering+ChangeAs mechanical engineers by education, David and Doug Bengtson, owners of Lighthouse Construction of North Carolina, in Greensboro, are detail-oriented by nature.http://www.remodeling.hw.net/marketing/market-to-motivation.aspx?rssLink=People+%2b+Skills%3a+Market+to+MotivationAs the market softened in the second half of 2007, Jerry Liu, president of D.G. Liu Contractor, in Dickerson, Md., saw the company's leads slow dramatically. Liu knew the company had to change its marketing approach to pump up the lead flow, which would feed production needs.http://www.remodeling.hw.net/hiring/group-effort.aspx?rssLink=People+%2b+Skills%3a+Group+EffortJeff Titus, president of Titus Built in Wilton, Conn., had two key positions to fill: office manager and production manager. He knew the importance of hiring right and was determined not to rush the process. But he also knew that if he followed the traditional route, he'd have to invest a lot of time to find the right person.http://www.remodeling.hw.net/business/market-down-employees-up.aspx?rssLink=People+%2b+Skills%3a+Market+Down%2c+Employees+UpOne of the most difficult aspects of building a business is finding the right people. So when a slow marketplace threatens the need for layoffs, most savvy businesspeople fight it tooth and nail.http://www.remodeling.hw.net/business/meetings-make-it-stick.aspx?rssLink=People+%2b+Skills%3a+Meetings+Make+it+StickIt used to be that when Ben Morey, president of Morey Construction in Long Beach, Calif., wanted to share information with his staff, he'd do what many of us do: He'd write a memo.http://www.remodeling.hw.net/remodeling/let-goals-dictate-employment.aspx?rssLink=People+%2b+Skills%3a+Let+Goals+Dictate+EmploymentA few years ago, Rob Mathews, president of Curb Appeal Remodeling in Dallas, had an awakening moment — he realized he couldn't meet payroll.