With a number of installer support schemes to choose from, Stuart Waring, Sales and Marketing Manager at Total Glass, explains what makes their scheme different and how it takes the concept further in serving the needs of their customers.
Forecasts of market conditions staying tough for some time means installers will continue to face difficult times ahead as the PVC-U window replacement industry nears saturation point.
Latest research shows some 83 per cent of households have already had replacement windows, so installers are finding it harder to get new business. Whatever their size, from a 'one-man band' to the larger firms with showrooms displaying what they can offer, there's no doubt selling will remain a challenging occupation.
However, there are still over 132,000 windows a week being fitted in the UK, so the question has to be - what is your market share?
In recent years, the need for extra help at the 'sharp end', ie: selling in customers' homes, has been recognised with myriad marketing support schemes launched by systems companies and larger fabricators alike to maintain and grow sales. Such schemes are undoubtedly mutually-beneficial for all throughout the supply chain as the more windows the installer sells, so the fabricator supplies more frames and the systems companies sell more profile. A profitable win-win situation all round. But what defines a good scheme and how should the installer choose what is right for his (or her) business?
Total Glass is one of the UK's most successful and fastest-growing fabricators and launched its well-established installer support scheme over eight years ago. We consider it takes several unique approaches that have really worked for our customers and contributed to their on-going success.
Indeed, our support package starts even before someone becomes a customer. That is, when they are considering the commercial decision to stop fabricating and buy in frames instead. In response to the continuing trend towards outsourcing by companies that cease to manufacture, we launched our comprehensive Total Glass Guide to Outsourcing for firms planning to go down this more profitable route.
The guide is based on over 17 years' experience helping businesses to make more profits by 'buying-in' their frames. So our expertise in looking after our customers begins from the outset when an installer joins us. This success speaks for itself in that more than 50% of our turnover comes from former window manufacturers and none of these has since returned to manufacturing.
Total Glass recognises that the support offered to customers can make all the difference. As no two businesses are the same, so the assistance we offer is tailored to the unique requirements of our customers.
Our personal business advice service is available free to all our customers and potential customers, who very often choose to join us on the basis of the support we can offer. A member of the management team discusses various aspects of the business with the customer to gain a thorough understanding of their objectives. From this discussion, we can identify potential problems and offer solutions on various practical and proven ways of improving business performance to help grow our customers' businesses in a changing marketplace.
It's all down to meeting that particular customer's needs, equipping them with the right tools to be competitive and enabling them to differentiate themselves in this difficult market.
Our Business Plus and Admin Plus business development programmes were introduced to help educate clients who needed improvements in business and administrative practices. They have gone some way to improve their overall efficiency, profitability and growth potential.
For example, a Bolton-based window company approached us with good turnover and volume, installing around 50 windows per week. Despite a busy order book, it was struggling to make a profit. We worked on their pricing justification - they were selling slightly too cheaply - and helped to lift their prices through a combination of sales training and lead generation. This company realised the value of a good support scheme and left their previous supplier of more than 13 years to join us.
According to the owner, his profits were up 17% in six months after making the move to Total Glass. He said: "The whole support package has helped me no end and made a huge difference to my business. The training has helped enormously too, both on the technical aspects of window fabrication and sales techniques, which has helped me to achieve better prices for my windows. I can now supply quality windows to sell at quality prices and my business is prospering."
In today's changing market, companies have to be far more pro-active and dynamic to keep, or expand, their market share. The main problem is a lack of leads tends to drive prices down. It is a proven fact of business that companies who sell too cheap do not stay in business for too long.
For example, if you dropped your price by just 10%, it will take 32% more turnover at the correct price to recover the 10% you gave away. So to sustain or develop your company, you need to generate more enquiries and this is generally the industry's Achilles Heel.
80% of companies tend to generate leads in four ways, eg: Yellow Pages and newspaper ads. In reality what you need to be looking at these days is generating leads through different methods; thereby gaining a more exclusive lead which is less price-conditioned.
Sales training and lead generation courses are part of our support scheme. Total Glass runs regular training days on how to generate leads using over 30 alternative tried and tested methods to help differentiate your company from the competition.
Sales training includes appointment structure and price justification methods, as well as Profit Analysis for companies with positive sales but little to show for it.
Of course, installer support goes much further than offering glossy brochures and business training. Ultimately, what the installer wants is a stable and reliable supplier that can deliver on time, every time. Quality performance at Total Glass is at an all-time high this year with an average of over 99.2% deliveries on time and complete. Fast turnaround and delivery allows installers to complete projects on time, in turn ensuring their customers are satisfied.
Our move in February 2005 to a purpose-built 100,000 sq ft factory, plus £10 million investment, enabled us to plan an efficient manufacturing and delivery strategy to offer our customers the best in product quality, service and support. Installers need a supplier who can help them get it right. What does yours do for you?
The Total Glass Installer Support Scheme comprises:
• SBD-accredited and BSI Kitemarked frames
• Highly-regarded, quality Profile 22 system
• Fast turnaround & delivery in five days
• Dedicated Trade Centre for smaller installers
• Full and free business advice
• Business Plus and Admin Plus business development programmes
• Platinum Preferred Installer Package - unique marketing literature
• In-house advertising/marketing consultant
• Professionally-produced marketing literature
• Ten-year no-quibble guarantee
• Full CAD facilities, instant quotations & technical support
• Comprehensive and innovative product range
• Widest range of PVC-U windows, doors, conservatories and ancillaries
