Improve Business, Learn Lighting

Contractors looking to step-up their lighting expertise can do so at Ron Carter's ''Low Voltage Lighting Training with Hands-on Seminar'' held June 13-14 and August 22-23 at Kichler Lighting in Cleveland, Ohio.

Carter, corporate trainer and certified low-voltage lighting technician, held the seminars last summer, and taught attendees not only how to spruce up their lighting techniques, but also how to sell the lighting maintenance services to installation customers. ''I also try to teach the contractor that you don't necessarily want even illumination across the whole front of the home,'' Carter says. ''Their mission is to highlight the architectural features of it as well as be focused on the landscape itself.''

Jeff Dross, corporate director of education and industry trends for Kichler Lighting said that poor lighting can negatively affect how potential customers view your work. ''It's not going to have the 'wow' factor,'' Dross says. ''Likely it's not going to photograph very well, so if that person tries to get another sale based on the lights that he put on the other house, Mrs. Jones in the next home is not going to really be all that excited by it.''

Using your first round of work is a great way to get your other foot in the door for selling additional services.