How long does a new design consultant take to ramp?

Remodelers Advantage puts first sales at 3-6 months and full productivity at 6-12 months. Build the pay plan around that and say so in the ad.

Should I hire a designer and teach sales, or a closer and teach design?

For a one-call-close seat, start with the closer. Products and design tools can be taught in training. Closing at the table is much harder to teach.

Do design consultants need a license?

Where you sell matters. Maryland requires a home improvement salesperson license with an exam (35 questions, 70% to pass). Connecticut requires salespeople to register with the Department of Consumer Protection. New York City dropped its salesperson license on 9 Aug 2020.

Job description template

Bath & kitchen design consultant job description

A design consultant job description for one-call bath and kitchen remodelers. Bigger tickets, longer appointments and a job that's half design, half close, written so the right person recognizes it.

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Template · plain text when copied

[Brackets] are yours to fill in or delete.

Design Consultant

[Company name] · [City, ST] · Full time · [W-2 / 1099]

Other titles that work:In-Home Bath Design ConsultantKitchen & Bath Design ConsultantDesign & Sales Consultant

About the role

[Company name] remodels [bathrooms / kitchens / both] for homeowners in [service area]. We're hiring a design consultant to meet homeowners in their home, design the project with them, price it and close it on the first visit. Appointments come from [our marketing / showroom visits / referrals].

What you'll do

Run [1-2] in-home design appointments a day from company-provided leads
Measure the space and design the project with the homeowner: layout, products, finishes
Price the job with [your pricing tool], present options and close
Explain financing and get applications approved before you leave
Hand off a complete, accurate order to the project team
Follow up on unsold designs and work the rehash list
Stay in touch through install so referrals come back to you

What success looks like

Close rate on issued appointments: [X]%
Average sale of [$X]
Net sales of [$X] a month
Cancel rate under [X]%
Referrals generated per month: [X]

What you bring

[2+] years of in-home sales, ideally bath, kitchen, windows or another one-call-close trade
A close-rate history, with commission statements or W-2s that back it up
An eye for design and the patience to walk a homeowner through a lot of choices
Comfortable presenting a big-ticket price at the kitchen table, and asking for the sale
Valid driver's license and a reliable vehicle
Available for evening and Saturday appointments [as scheduled]

Nice to have

Experience with [your design software]
A remodeling or trade background
Showroom sales experience

Pay

[Base of $X] + [X]% commission on net sales
[Paid training: $X a week for X weeks]
Commission paid [at install / at completion]
Bonus at [$X] a month in net sales
Benefits: [list]
Realistic first-year earnings: [$X-$Y], from what consultants here earned last year

Schedule and territory

[X] pre-set, confirmed appointments a week on average
Territory: [area]
[Company vehicle / mileage at $X a mile]

How to apply

Apply at [link] or text [number]. Include your close rate, your average sale and what you sold in the last 12 months.

Writing the ad

Make it pull closers, not just applicants.

Proven sellers read a job ad the way they read a lead sheet. These are the lines they look for.

01
Say how long the ramp is, and how you pay through it
Remodelers Advantage puts first sales at 3-6 months for a new remodeling salesperson. If you pay a base or training wage through that stretch, say so. It's a reason to pick you.
02
Show the ticket
Siro's median kitchen and bath deal is $15,000. Say where yours sits, because it drives what the commission is worth.
03
Put the base in writing
Bath Planet of Metro NY advertises $100k/yr + commission + bonus for this seat, with company-provided leads. If you're competing for the same people, a vague "competitive pay" loses.
04
Name the products
The tub, shower and wall systems or the cabinet lines you sell. Design consultants pick a company partly on what they'll be putting in front of homeowners.
05
Describe the design process
Tablet design tool, showroom visits, how revisions work. It tells a candidate whether they'll be designing or just pricing.

Before you make an offer, ask for commission statements or W-2s, and run your own ride-along or role-play. Those are your checks, as the employer. When Level fills a seat, we verify close-rate history and pay history and check references before you meet anyone.

Licensing and compliance

Rules worth knowing before you post.

Only rules we could check at the source are listed. This isn't legal advice; check the rules where you sell.

Maryland licenses home improvement salespeople through the Home Improvement Commission. The salesperson exam: 35 questions, 70% to pass.
Connecticut home improvement salespeople: Registration required with the Department of Consumer Protection.
New York City stopped licensing home improvement salespersons on 9 Aug 2020.
In-home sales fall under the FTC Cooling-Off Rule: the buyer has 3 business days to cancel. Build the cancellation notice into your contract paperwork and train reps on it.

FAQ

Hiring a bath & kitchen design consultant: common questions.

How long does a new design consultant take to ramp?
Remodelers Advantage puts first sales at 3-6 months and full productivity at 6-12 months. Build the pay plan around that and say so in the ad.
Should I hire a designer and teach sales, or a closer and teach design?
For a one-call-close seat, start with the closer. Products and design tools can be taught in training. Closing at the table is much harder to teach.
Do design consultants need a license?
Where you sell matters. Maryland requires a home improvement salesperson license with an exam (35 questions, 70% to pass). Connecticut requires salespeople to register with the Department of Consumer Protection. New York City dropped its salesperson license on 9 Aug 2020.

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