2019/08/28 5 TIPS TO IMPROVE WINDOWS & DOORS SALES Estimated reading time: 5:30 minutes 1 Make sure your product offer reflects current trends Homeowners have expectations when they set out to invest in an upgrade, preferring contemporary tastes in style and quality. They want to know that the company you represent (dealer/manufacturer) is actively studying market needs and designing new and exciting products to meet them. One of the foremost recent trends is for natural light, seen as beneficial for places where people spend their days. Optimizing with larger windows and doors to admit and direct light into a space engages with the growing trend towards large window walls, or many windows helping to flood spaces with natural light. Offering what people need is healthy for your business too. Another case in point: Market Research Future (MRFR) released a report that shows the green building market overtaking conventional construction. Windows and doors manufacturers must recognize that the future being green is more than a trend. Finding the balance between high-quality construction, low environmental impact and cost is crucial. And builders going green will seek more energy-efficient fenestration. 2 Value is the new currency (provide the content your audience is looking for) Knowing how homeowners’ shop for windows and doors in today’s online marketplace can give you a leg up when they reach out to make their decision. They do extensive research before talking to a salesperson. What content have they seen that establishes you as a trusted expert in the field with additional insights to offer? Content offers value when it provides solutions to problems. What are the real issues and questions they need answers for? Content that addresses that is your investment in your future customer. Those that deliver the most value gain the most attention. People will remember your company when they want more. That’s when they will look for expert advice from a manufacturer or dealer. If you’ve offered answers to some of their questions with content such as blogs, newsletters, case studies or videos, you can become their valued expert and trusted guide. 3 Empower your website to source leads and analyze data Getting the most from your website is vital to your business. You want to convert data into sales, but to do that you have to market your brand online effectively. Content may be the currency, but what drives content and converts it into value is awareness of what your customers want. Your site must meet their expectations. They want information they can trust, and they want to find it where they are – which is online. Your digital strategy must focus on making a connection with customers that features a call to action in every section of your site. As millennials move more into the home improvement market, they opt for style and refinement to motivate their buying decision. In today’s world, a site that lets them use design tools to build their product choice before meeting you is essential. Customers want information, and they want to get it on their own terms. That means telephone conversations are being replaced with email, messaging and chat. 4 Team up with experts at every level Google recently reported that 97 percent of all purchase decisions start on the internet, but only 6 percent of transactions happen online. Customers want to have confidence in the manufacturer to confirm their decision. Your expertise is a crucial value to them, and they need to be able to confirm that you are expert in your field. First, you must be prepared to listen. If you know what they want, you know what to do to earn their business. Active listening allows you to summarize the major points of their message. This tells them you care enough about what they are saying to fully understand it. Those who are listened to are more apt to listen. Simply by your listening, they will be more receptive to any differing views or complementary information you may have to offer. You are well on your way to finding a solution together. A well-trained team that impresses potential customers with their passion and expertise is a winning combination. Arm your sales team with tactics and tools. Their competence correlates with confidence, allowing their passion to shine through. And when it comes to sales, knowledge and passion rule. Manufacturers should expect the same from PVC extruders, seeking to build a relationship based on trust. The same listening strategies apply here. Expect your suppliers to demonstrate they have the required expertise to back you up at every step: manufacturing, marketing, customer relationships, and all the rest. 5 Benefits confirm your expertise and technological innovation Through their research, customers can be as knowledgeable as the salesperson. They already have an idea of which product will achieve the desired benefits and they leverage this knowledge by comparing. Benefits can make the difference. Defining and providing only those benefits that the homeowner seeks makes you different. Benefits confirm expertise. You should engage the customer regarding what benefits they seek from the outset. Working around potential issues clarifies what benefits they seek and allows you to display your expertise by defining the benefits your solution can provide. Benefits require engagement in a process. Talking about product features is selling. Defining benefits is about resolving issues. Benefits are emotional and are built through trust. Product features are logical responses, but by tying these to the customer’s needs you give them benefits. Benefits are all about the homeowner. Breaking it down, features define you, but benefits are about them. By focusing on the benefits, you focus on the homeowner. To initiate a strategy adapted more effectively for the current fenestration market for your company, please contact Martin Boulanger at Martin.Boulanger@EnergiFenestration.com To complement the information that our team collects on a daily basis, certain articles and documents listed below have been researched in writing this text. www.dwmmag.com windowanddoor.com HEAD OFFICE 30 Royal Group Crescent Woodbridge (Ont) L4H 1X9 1-888-368-6314 Email - General Inquiries EVERETT - EXTRUSION 425-407-0700 WOODBRIDGE - EXTRUSION 1-888-368-6314 Customer service Employee login © 2021 All Rights Reserved. ENERGI Fenestration Solutions. Terms & Conditions: Purchase / Sale / Privacy policy. Production: ProgramAction.com Facing the threat of Coronavirus (COVID-19) - Read more