Sid i ng sales st rateg ies

f, s rne New housing and remodeling markets continue .fil,to improve, demand for siding will certainly grow as well. In fact, the Freedonia Group expects demand for siding to expand 8.4Vo per year through 2016. To make the most of the opportunity, and to ensure those dollars stay at your yard, consider these sales strategies:

Educate Yourself

We're more likely to promote and sell what we feel comfortable with. One of the best ways to sell more siding is to know your products-and those of your competitorsliterally inside and out. Understand the differences between materials, the features and benefits of each, and even maintenance and installation best practices.

The more confident you are in the subject matter, the easier it will be to educate customers who may be considering competing products that you don't sell. This includes being well-versed in products' warranties and what they mean. For example, James Hardie's fiber-cement siding carries a 30-year non-prorated warranty. At first glance, that seems less than a competitor's 50-year wananty, but the fine print reveals that the longer warranty is prorated.

Soak up information using every resource at your disposal, from reading any and all available literature and the manufacturer's website to taking advantage of product knowledge sessions from your distributor rep and your manufacturer rep.

Product knowledge sessions should also be held for trade customers at the yard or on the jobsite to supplement face-to-face meetings. If needed, pair the session with a barbeque or a golf outing for higher-volume customers.

Along with basic product knowledge, read trade publications to keep up on exterior trends, to help you provide the most well-rounded advice on materials, styles and colors.

Understand Upgrades

The first thing on most buyers' minds is cost, which is why upgrades don't sell themselves. Understand the benefits of higher-quality lines and be well-versed in the value proposition. Over its lifetime, prefinished siding will cost the same or even less than unfinished products due to reduced maintenance costs.

Look Professional

Keep your siding display as informative and up-to-date as possible. If there's room, highlight color/pattern samples as well ad mock-up walls of popular looks, including trim and other accessories. Highlight unique features and benefits of premium products. And be sure to keep product literature current and stocked.

Beyond these tactics, consider upgrading your displays a bit further with technology. For example, an interactive touchscreen showcasing project images and explaining product benefits can keep homeowners engaged and inspired. Similarly, expand your informational giveaways with resourceful handouts-branded with your logo-discussing installation techniques and trends.

Don't Forget the Trim

Trim is often an afterthought for builders, and therefore one in which cheap products may get slapped up only to require replacement in a few years. Make sure you not only carry trim products from the same lines as your siding offerings, but that you educate buyers on the long-term value brought by a small upgrade to higher-quality trim. Coordinating soffits also should be considered.

Stock Smarter

Having diverse and plentiful stock on hand is an important element to making the sale-but not always simple with hundreds of SKUs and not much space. One key is understanding your market and current demand by studying sales trends and conversing with customers. For example, what are the most popular colors and styles in your area? What is the demand forecast for your market?

With all of these steps, preparation and planning play a central role in higher-volume and higher-profit siding sales. Boosting your knowledge and plotting a strong inventory strategy can give you a leg up on competitors as the industry continues to rebound.

By Carey Walley,