Industry Perspective: Promoting best practices
It's no surprise to anyone in the stone industry that we are in the middle of a shake-up, driven predominantly by a new construction and remodeling boom, the new import tariffs, the ever-growing number of new competitor fabricators and the merging and acquisition of low-performing and established fabrication businesses.
We are experiencing a natural realignment of businesses into their core essential function of surface fabrication, which is largely supported by good market conditions, fabricators becoming smarter about the way they operate, and manufacturers and distributors reclaiming their position in the market. Over the last few years, we have experienced some manufacturers getting stronger, while others lost momentum, fabricators attempting to become distributors and dealers trying to be fabricators. This left some with new ways of generating business and others out of the picture. In the middle of it all, the end-user was left suffering through the entrepreneurial crisis. For many businesses, the main focus was not the most important part, the customer, but instead on how to expand and grow into opportunities that came about.
While we all focus on maintaining or finding stability and fighting the continued shortage of skilled labor and increased competition, delivering exceptional service to our customers has to be amongst the fundamental best practices for any fabrication business to develop. The Rockhead Group strives to promote the best business acumen for its fabrication and vendor members in the industry, specifically focusing on developing customer service standards, marketing efficiencies, sales professionalism and financial metrics to help run a profitable business that can successfully compete in the industry.
Through its network of fabricators, who meet four times a year plus monthly online, review key performance indicators plus best practices, in addition the group offers its member professional training services in customer service and sales to help them and their staff develop best-in-class service standards. Members have the ability to enroll in the Customer Service Excellence program by customer service guru John Dijulius, or the Rockhead Sales University powered by Cardone, and strengthen their team in developing a competitive advantage not driven by prices or market conditions, but rather by relationship building and sales professionalism.
Furthermore, the Rockheads provide members with a portal to confidentially submit their financial metrics. With this information, members can periodically check their performance against other businesses in the same revenue and business level, as well as to other larger businesses so they can project out strategic growth in their business rather than to try to bridge into other areas blindly. Having access to financial metrics and skillset development opportunities are amongst the biggest advantages the Rockhead Group offers to its members.
To learn more about them please, visit www.rockheadsusa.com.
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