Introduction
Bill Guandolo, Regional Vice President at Tarkett, joins Jack Ossa on The Power of Design Podcast to talk about building business relationships in the design and construction industry. Tarkett is a multinational flooring manufacturer, and Bill has more than 25 years of sales experience working with architects, designers and end-users.
The conversation covers his path from Maryland to NC State and into sales, what he believes about selling and trust, the difference between branding and marketing, and how the industry is changing.
About the Episode
Bill grew up near Washington, DC, and his father managed building projects, so he spent many weekends of his teenage years building things at home. At NC State he studied business communications and marketing and played football for two years. He recalls a piece of advice from his grandfather, an attorney: learn to write and speak well, because those are the skills many talented people lack.
After college he started in sales at a textile company and found that his communication skills set him apart. He describes learning to listen first, treat customers as people and solve their problems. He tells how a big account told him to solve his problems, and how he won and kept that business by making that customer's life easier. He also describes being part of a technology start-up that used satellite delivery for kiosks.
Bill and Jack compare how they see marketing and branding, discuss how the sales mix at Tarkett splits between designers and end-users, talk about trust between clients and designers, and close with the speed of today's projects, technology habits and what design means in everyday life.
Key Takeaways
- Relationships first: getting to know people before pitching builds trust that helps when something goes wrong.
- Listen before you sell: Bill often arrives at a first meeting with only a notepad, because recommending something without knowing the client makes no sense.
- People buy the experience: customers pay for confidence and for problems that do not reach them, not only for a product.
- Be the differentiator: when products are similar, the person and the service make the difference.
- Brand comes before marketing: the brand is the story, marketing tells it when you are not in the room, and a brand takes years to build.
- Trust designers: Bill says clients get better outcomes when they trust the designer with the vision.
- Lead by serving: he wants to be the least talented person on his team and to support the people around him.
Highlights from the Conversation
I think it starts and ends with a personal relationship.
Bill Guandolo
People don't buy products or services they buy the experience.
Bill Guandolo
I want to be the least talented person in the group.
Bill Guandolo
Topics Discussed
- Building long-term business relationships
- Communication skills and early career advice
- Selling as helping, and emotional buying decisions
- Branding versus marketing and brand strategy
- Working with architects, designers and general contractors
- Client segments: workplace, healthcare and higher education
- Moisture in slabs, project speed and the economy
- Technology, always-on culture and respect
Why This Conversation Matters
Bill's view of relationships and branding is useful for manufacturers, architects, designers and contractors who depend on trust to win and deliver projects. The finishes he talks about are part of every interior architecture project, from healthcare spaces like Oula Health to educational spaces like Melmark Carolinas, and his comments on brand as the story behind a business match how we build identities in our branding work.
About the Guest
Bill Guandolo is a Regional Vice President at Tarkett, a multinational company that produces flooring, where he manages both distribution and direct sales for products such as luxury vinyl tile and carpet tile. He has more than 25 years of sales experience, grew up in Maryland and studied at NC State. Connect with Bill on LinkedIn.
