Episode 132: The Tile Shop: Collaborating with Trade Professionals & Marketing Strategy with Director of Marketing, Shehan Ghanchi

Today Brad speaks with Shehan Ghanchi of The Tile Shop, a specialty retailer of manufactured and natural stone tiles, setting and maintenance materials, and related accessories with 140 stores nationwide.

The Tile Shop offers a complimentary Design Studio, a collaborative platform to create customized 3D design renderings to scale. The Design Studio allows customers to bring their design ideas to life by creating custom looks unique to their room dimensions and tile and stone preferences.

Listen in as Shehan gives her thoughts on the ever-evolving topic of marketing strategy after ten years in the industry. She explains why, despite the value of online branding, having a retail presence is still a must in the design space.

Sponsors:

• The Tile Shop - https://www.tileshop.com/

• Visit https://buildertrend.com/aft/ to get a 60-day money-back guarantee on your Buildertrend account!

• Pella Windows & Doors - https://www.pella.com/

Events:

• Learn More/Register for Contractor Coalition Summit May 01-04 https://www.eventcreate.com/e/contractorscoalitionsummit

Topics Discussed:

• [02:46] Shehan’s approach to marketing strategy

• [05:46] Utilizing different platforms for different purposes

• [08:55] Working with influencers

• [10:45] Finding the right vendors to work with

• [19:08] Adapting to the fluctuating supply chain

• [25:16] The Tile Shop’s brick-and-mortar presence

• [28:12] Educating installers and building an installer community

• [35:18] Why Shehan and the team is so personally involved with installations

• [42:39] What Shehan looks for in a professional relationship

• [47:20] How marketing strategy has changed over the past decade

• [52:18] The Tile Shop’s trade partnership program

• [55:50] Shehan’s favorite thing about working at The Tile Shop

• [01:00:28] What’s next for The Tile Shop

Connect with Shehan Ghanchi & The Tile Shop:

• Website - https://www.tileshop.com/

• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thetileshop/

• Hashtag - #thetileshop

• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thetileshop1

• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-tile-shop

• Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/thetileshop/_created/

• YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/thetileshop

Connect with Brad Leavitt:

• Website - https://www.aftconstructionpodcast.com/

• Instagram - https://instagram.com/aft_construction

• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/aftconstruction

• Houzz - https://www.houzz.com/pro/aft-construction/aft-construction

• Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.ph/AFT_CONSTRUCTION/

• YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzB4R_DHPVV1SPh7RUfR5jg

Key Quotes by Shehan:

• We’re a brick-and-mortar retailer at heart.

• It’s been inspiring to see how the installer community has grown. There are a lot of thought leaders who want to support in growing that profession and showing the gratification that comes with what [installers] do.

• We want people to have these spaces and enjoy them for years. That’s the beauty of tile: Truthfully, it’s a classic material that can stand the test of time.

• Social is almost your modern-day PR. It’s your word-of-mouth. Implementing a social strategy is so critical. Now, with the way people consume so quickly and with video on the rise, it’s really changed the way teams produce content.

• I’m a tile geek. I love how beautiful tile can be and what an impact it can make on the space. It’s more than a functional element—it’s really a design element.