13 minute read
Software & IT
IS IT TIME TO GET PROACTIVE WITH MARKETING?
Passive marketing techniques are becoming more and more common in a highly complex digital world, with many businesses relying on prospects finding them and not the other way around.
Although passive marketing is always successful, it can take longer to reap the rewards and it can require a lot of labour on behalf of the target audience. In a world where companies are having to make cuts and revaluate business plans, it is vital to welcome new business sooner rather than later.
There are however alternate methods of marketing that many businesses may find more successful in a volatile market.
Could it perhaps be time to switch from passive to aggressive marketing tactics, pushing your name into the face of prospects and interrupting their thought process? Insight Data’s Sales Executive Aaron Solomon believes companies shouldn’t wait when it comes to executing such campaigns. “Interruptive marketing makes your prospects act, putting your ad in their face so it can’t be ignored,” he explains. “It is a strategy where you interrupt the customers’ experience with your company’s promotional message. There are a number of perks to this in the current market, as the uncertainty makes it less likely for potential customers to come to you. “With rising corporation tax and businesses having to scale back, it’s more important than ever to make yourself stand out in a competitive market. “This year we’ve seen how the manufacturing sectors output and demand has declined massively, which only goes to show the need for strong marketing campaigns in the current climate. That’s why using a company like Insight Data, who provide three forms of active marketing, can be the difference between an upturn in the number of sales any business makes.”
MAKE YOURSELF NOTICEABLE
Insight Data provides the tools to deliver different forms of interruptive marketing, all driven by the unique real-time data which is provided by a team of dedicated researchers. Telesales and email marketing are two of the most effective forms of marketing that Insight offer, turning the tide on passive methods which have perhaps become overcrowded in recent years. Not only can Insight Data provide a comprehensive email campaign, from design to delivery, but they can also organise telesales follow-ups, ensuring the advert is being pushed to its limits. Telesales is personalised and direct, with the human voice often prompting a fantastic response. Aaron added: “Insight Data’s in-house telesales division generates hundreds of sales leads every month, targeting fabricators, installers and builders helping to sell products, services or even for a research project. With an in-house research team and multiple real-time databases to work with, we provide a fully managed telemarketing service. “At Insight, we have found the fastest and most efficient way to deliver results is to start with an introductory email campaign closely followed by a telesales call to generate appointments, quotes and leads. By doing this, businesses find you much harder to ignore.”
INSIGHT DATA
Launched in 2007, Insight Data is now the leading provider of marketing, real-time data and CRM software exclusively in the UK construction, fenestration and glazing industries. The team updates, verify and manage its prospect databases more frequently and accurately than any other data supplier and has a team of dedicated researchers who make sure the data is always kept up to date. The world-leading sales and marketing platform, Salestracker, features five different databases including fenestration, architects, local builders, builders merchants and the construction file.
To find out more about Insight’s interruptive marketing methods, please call 01934 808293 or visit https://www.insightdata.co.uk.
1 https://morningscore.io/how-long-does-seo-take/
SWADLINCOTE WINDOWS BOOSTS EFFICIENCY WITH ADMINBASE
The current economic climate is challenging to say the least and installation businesses are on the front line in balancing supply chain issues with consumer demand and increasing budgetary constraints. But some are managing to buck the trend. One of Derbyshire’s largest manufacturers and installers, Swadlincote Windows, has boosted efficiencies and further improved customer service with its use of the AdminBase installer management system.
Since we have started using the SMS service through AdminBase it has made us even more efficient,” explains Tyrone Birch, Business Manager at Swadlincote Windows. “Homeowners today are much more likely to check a text message than they are to answer the phone. It’s much more convenient to respond to a request in their own time when it suits them, rather than being caught out by an unexpected call at an inconvenient time. We have been using the SMS service to advise customers on installation dates, confirm service dates, and to ask homeowners to check they’ve received quotations, invoices and more. We even schedule text messages at certain times throughout the day which helps to control the tempo for the business.” Rhonda Ridge of Ab Initio, creator of AdminBase, adds: “It’s fantastic to see quality focused companies like Swadlincote Windows utilising the features of AdminBase to further improve internal efficiencies and customer service. Coming from an installation background myself, I wanted to design a system that genuinely makes life easier for home improvement businesses and being able to send co-ordinated text messages from a central system is just one of the ways AdminBase can do this. Text messages are so useful in business, but when they only exist on one person’s phone, it can muddy the communication waters. When used from a centralised system throughout the entire customer journey, it becomes an invaluable support.” Tyrone concludes: “The AdminBase SMS feature is now quite simply a tool we could not live without.”
www.abinitiosoftware.co.uk
INSTALLERS ENJOY “BEST OF BOTH WORLDS” FOLLOWING WINDOWLINK’S BUSINESS PILOT INTEGRATION
Two of glass and glazing’s most popular software products, Windowlink’s Focus and Vector, are now compatible with the leading Business Pilot CRM system.
Made by installers, for installers, Business Pilot is a cloud-based platform that aims to help fenestration firms take control of their purchasing, sales, financials and deliveries to drive profits while reducing hassle. Business Pilot is also fully mobile optimised, allowing customers to use it anywhere, on any device. Now, the system can be used in conjunction with Focus and Vector, Windowlink’s market-leading software products that make sales pitches quicker, easier and more effective.
For Windowlink customers, the process is really simple. They just have to import leads from Business Pilot, create a job using the lead details, and upload the quotation and contract to Business Pilot. Once the survey has been completed, the revised job file and relevant paperwork can also be uploaded. What’s more, the flexibility of Windowlink software means that the process can be modified and tailored for each customer if required. Integrating the two systems reduces error, eliminates duplicated effort, and makes crucial job files and reports easily available from a central hub. “Business Pilot integration was a natural next step for Focus and Vector,” comments Windowlink Managing Director Mark Dudley. “Both Business Pilot and our own products represent some of the leading offerings of their kind on the market today, and we kept finding that our customers used both. We’re delighted that its now easier than ever for installers to enjoy the best of both worlds.” Tried and tested over decades, Windowlink’s Focus (for windows and doors) and Vector (for conservatories) help installers manage the sales process from quote through to contract and delivery. They give installers the tools to let homeowners customise their ideal product, choosing from a vast array of different styles and configurations. For more information, visit www.windowlink.com, email info@windowlink.com, or call 01452 348575.
Announcing the New AB AdminBase®TaskBoard
Go from this... ...to this
INTEL FOR INSTALLERS The Sketch
Data to help installers power their business, based on analysis of the last 250,000 items quoted on Tommy Trinder’s Framepoint® App by circa 400 window firms. #SellMoreWindows
PVCu Casements 69%
PVCu Casements 47% PVCu Bays 6%
PVCu Sash Windows 8%
PVCu Doors 15% VERTICAL SLIDERS MARKET SHARE
8%
...of all PVCu items are vertical sliders.
(ITEMS #)
PVCu Bays 10%
PVCu Sash Windows 15%
PVCu Doors 26% VERTICAL SLIDERS MARKET SHARE
In pound notes they're worth a juicy...
15%
of the PVCu market
(VALUE £)
AVERAGE SELLING PRICE OF VERTICAL SLIDERS
National average installed price is £1200
+VAT
£1153 DO YOU SELL PVCU VERTICAL SLIDERS?
50%
About half of all installers sell a PVCu vertical slider
E D I T I O N . 2 V E R T I C A L S L I D E R S
£1243
£1128
£1£1113409
£1181
£1269 TREND
Market share is slightly down on the beginning of the year
£1158 £1409
£1094
Average installed prices for PVCu vertical sliders. Exclusive of VAT.
Astragals
Run Thru Horns
53%
52%
Foil finish
Mech Joints
46%
27%
Deep Bottom Rail
20%
0% 20% 40% 60%
PREMIUM FEATURES
Details matter when selling sash windows
FRAMEPOINT’S LATEST FEATURE HELPS INSTALLERS DEAL WITH PRICE VOLATILITY
The latest feature to launch on Tommy Trinder’s Framepoint® app allows installers to flex selling prices in a matter of seconds; a vital tool, says founder & CEO Chris Brunsdon, in a volatile market.
“Installers tell us they are simply unable to absorb the various price shocks that have been coming at them, and we've been inundated with requests for a feature that lets them pass on price changes to the enduser in a fast and flexible way,” says Chris. The new ‘flex prices’ function allows Framepoint® users to update underlying price matrices for any product up or down by any given percentage, simply by checking a box. All changes are date and time stamped and a change log is clearly visible so that installers can keep track of price adjustments. The new launch comes as latest data released by Tommy Trinder suggests that prices are firmly on the move. The company reports that average quotes values rose to a new record high of £7,485 in quarter three, up from £6,548 in the same period last year; an increase of over 14%. Says Chris: “The time is definitely now for this new feature. Double digit inflation and the impact of ongoing instability in the price of glass, resin, aluminium and steel are all filtering through to the price the homeowner is paying for their windows & doors.” Installers can find out more about how Framepoint® can help control margins and book a free demo at www.tommytrinder.com.
A UNITED FRONT
Rhonda Ridge, creator of AdminBase, explains how the installer management system continues to evolve to ensure installation businesses stay ahead of changing market trends and continue to achieve maximum efficiency.
The pandemic forced more people to work from home but since the last lockdown, the shift towards home working has remained significant. According to a study conducted by the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, before the pandemic hit 1 in 20 people claimed to be working from home full time, while post pandemic this figure has climbed to 1 in 8 people. Many more are splitting their time between the office and home. This different way of working has given way to new challenges, including visibility of work and project management across remote operations. Of course, for installation businesses, who might have several teams working on site in several locations, managing a team remotely is nothing new. However, the way in which remote teams are being organised is changing and installation businesses need to stay ahead of the trend to remain competitive.
YOU CAN WITH KANBAN
Kanban-style job board systems have become an increasingly popular way for project-based businesses to manage people, tasks, and time. The English translation for a Kanban board is ‘signboard’ and the concept is to allow workflow visualisation to clarify work processes and enhance efficiency. This is done by ensuring there are no bottlenecks with any one individual, team, or department being overloaded with work. With complete transparency across all aspects of the business, any problematic areas can quickly be identified and resolved. Physical boards of this nature have been in use for a long time, but the popularity of the online version is growing because they can facilitate teams that are office based or working remotely. “We have made it easy for installation businesses to adopt this way of working by adding our new AdminBase Task Board feature to the AdminBase installer management system,” says Rhonda Ridge. “This latest feature provides an overview of all processes required at any one time and splits actions that need to be completed into a simple list of all jobs at each stage. So teams can focus on their responsibilities, find what needs doing first and get it done efficiently. Users can also drill down from these top-level lists to access further information on the underlying lead or contract, thanks to our all-encompassing system. “The AdminBase Task Board feature blends seamlessly with the AdminBase checklist system to provide an overview of sales and installation pipelines at a glance. The schedule of work can be displayed on a live screen so that it can be consistently monitored allowing users to quickly identify problematic areas and resolve any issues. This invaluable resource not only boosts internal efficiencies but also improves customer service levels.
THE WHOLE IS GREATER THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS
“The benefits of using an online Kanban-style board that is fully integrated to the rest of your management system are vast. It offers enhanced visibility, increased productivity, less waste, improved predictability, and better communication and collaboration between teams and individuals. AdminBase already facilitates this, but the addition of our AdminBase Task Board allows everyone to see their role and their impact on the bigger picture. They can see directly how the speed and quality of their work has a direct impact on the completion date of the overall project and the date of invoice. It sounds obvious but when teams are working separately, they can become focused on what is directly in front of them and forget that they are part of a bigger team.” Rhonda concludes: “The concept of Kanban comes from a system of continuous improvement, which is a philosophy we follow closely with AdminBase. We are constantly evolving the installer management system to ensure it continues to deliver the very best and most up to date features, ultimately making life easier for installation businesses everywhere.”
