Fabricators must do more than manufacture quality products; it’s all about helping installers sell the difference, says Steve Collett, Sales Director, Dekko Window Systems.
The B2C landscape is changing quickly. Despite the growing amount of choice available, today’s consumers are more informed, more selective and, as a result, far more demanding than ever before.
A few clicks online and they’ve already researched the product, the performance, the colour options. That means by the time they speak to an installer, they’re often not looking to be sold to, what they want is validation, expert insight, and a compelling reason to buy your product over someone else’s.
And, as fabricators, this is where we need to step up.
It’s no longer enough to simply manufacture quality products and deliver them with a smile. Yes, friendly service and reliability are a given, but the real value now lies in how well we help our customers communicate what makes our products different. Because that’s essentially what the consumer is listening for – the difference.
As successful fabricators, it’s our responsibility, not just to innovate and bring great products to market, but to make sure the installer fully understands the features and benefits in a way they can confidently pass on to their customer. Whether it’s thermal performance, security, aesthetics, sustainability, we have to equip our customers to sell with clarity and confidence.
It’s about more than brochures or technical specifications, which are a big help of course. It’s about helping installers understand what the consumer is looking for helping them to communicate the benefits they need to, whether that’s explaining why a particular sash design or finish matters or demonstrating why a locking system provides more peace of mind, to the person standing in front of them.
That’s how trust is built. It’s how value is added. And ultimately, that’s how more sales are won.
There’s a well-used phrase in the industry: we have to be more than just fabricators. And I think that’s truer now than ever before. We need to act as sales partners and educators as our customers stand in front of a more discerning consumer base.
And that’s exactly what we’ll continue to do at Dekko – not just to be a reliable manufacturer and supplier to our customers, but to help them win more business in an ever-evolving market.
