Lynn Eastergard: Qualify Your Clients By Charging Consultation and Retainer Fees

Episode 161 of Window Treatments for Profit

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161: Lynn Eastergard: Qualify Your Clients By Charging Consultation and Retainer Fees

Today With Lynn Eastergard:

Welcome to Window Treatments for Profit. Today I am joined by Lynn Eastergard, owner of Upstate Window Fashions in Greenville, South Carolina. Lynn is not only a talented window treatment professional, but she is also an expert at qualifying her clients. Lynn has a unique sales model with this qualification process baked right in by charging a consultation fee and a retainer fee right up front. She is here today to explain why she does it, how she does it, and why it works.

Pick It Apart

[2:42] Lynn explains how she introduced the consultation fee and how she uses it today.

[11:41] LuAnn and Lynn quickly estimate a window treatment project and compare their numbers.

[18:20] Lynn explains how the consultation fee and the retainer fee signify a commitment by the client.

[28:37] Lynn walks through how she runs her follow up appointments at local resource centers.

[34:19] LuAnn discovers Lynn has been trained on the Make a Friend Seven Step Sales Process.

LuAnn Nigara and Lynn Eastergard’s Ah-Ha Moments

“With retainers, we are 100-percent close ratio, with the design consultation fee…right now we’re at 99-percent.” – Lynn

“You are running that appointment in that resource center…it’s not happening around you.” – LuAnn

“So that’s what entrepreneurship is, right? We figure out what works and we do it. And when it works—great. We do more of it. When it doesn’t—we change our mind.” – LuAnn

More About Lynn Eastergard:

When Lynn was a student in college sitting in a college class called “Sewing for the Home”, a speaker came to share with the students about her home-based business fabricating window treatments. It was during that class that Lynn decided her destiny – that she, one day, would also have a home-based business fabricating window treatments and bedding. Lynn even named her business in that class: The Window Dresser. Several years later, in her young twenties, the birth of The Window Dresser sprouted.

Today, the business has evolved to a much greater level than its beginnings of twenty-six years ago. The name of Lynn’s company has also changed and today her Team works under the business name of Upstate Window Fashions in Greenville, South Carolina. Upstate Window Fashions provides not only custom draperies but also manufactured products such as shades, plantation shutters, blinds, and even exterior shutters.

Lynn Eastergard brings a sincere and warm welcome to homeowners, builders, designers, and architects in their home projects. She is passionate about her work and loves guiding her clients to the perfect solution of window fashions whether it is based on selecting innovative products with specialty shades and motorization or working within a budget.

Lynn Eastergard brings more than twenty-six years of experience in window fashions. She specializes in selections of shutters, blinds, specialty shades, motorization, and exterior shutters as well as custom drapery and bed linens.

Lynn has served as a local chapter President and as Vice president for Window Covering Association of America. She is certified in historical window treatment fabrication which allowed her the opportunity to assist designing and fabricating treatments for the Biltmore Guest Cottage with a group of other fabricators with some other students who attended Cheryl Strickland’s classes.

Being competitive in the window treatment industry requires continual education to stay well versed in ever-changing design and marketplace trends. Lynn stays current by participating in professional conferences, trade shows and certifications. She has completed the certification requirements of Certified Installers, Certified Design Consultant, and PowerView Professional Installers.

Lynn has two children, Elizabeth and Mark, that also live in Greenville. She has been married to George for two and a half years whom she attributes much of her business growth due to his strong support and logistics with her successful business.