Why and How LBM Dealers Should Sell Exterior Packages - Foundry Siding

Why and How LBM Dealers Should Sell Exterior Packages

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A home is a compilation of hundreds of decisions and thousands of products. So when it comes to the exterior, dealers that focus sales approaches on the whole cohesive package—and showing builders, remodelers, and their homeowners what those packages look like—may improve opportunities to increase upgrades, boost efficiencies, and further satisfy customers.

Here are a
few factors to consider:

Instill buyer confidence: When the exterior is sold as a
package, buyers can see what they’re getting as a whole and how it works
together, rather than a sum of individual parts. Builders can send buyers to your
store to view available products in combination, which is less overwhelming
than choosing siding, then trim, then windows. They can get a vision for what
the finished product will look like on their home and likely feel better about
their decision. This in turn may help reduce change orders down the road that
can create hassles for both you and the contractor.

Keep business in-house: Consulting with your manufacturer partners about what you sell versus what more they can provide may help fill gaps in your product offering. For example, stone has historically been a material most dealers do not offer, but Versetta Stone stone siding, which installs like traditional panel siding, offers the opportunity to keep that stone business in house. And by incorporating those products into a systems approach to selling, you can sell the builder on trying that new siding to ensure a cohesive look and to meet buyer demand for multi-textured facades.

Better-looking exteriors: Considering the full façade and thinking of the whole palette collectively may help create more varied, engaging streetscapes and avoid cookie-cutter looks. It also allows for visualization and experimentation with on-trend colors, texture blending, and materials using stocked products. 

More upgrades: Similarly, if buyers can see the
possibilities of how different products blend on their home, it’s likely they
might fall in love with the look—and the upgrades used to make that look—even
if it means upping their budget.

Single source: Though portfolios can be created
across manufacturers, selling multiple lines from a single manufacturer or
brand can add economies of scale because you’re working with the same rep, the
same contacts for the PO, and a familiar process. This also means it’s easier
to expand to additional product lines, with less paperwork or hoops to jump
through at the beginning. In addition, contractors may be more willing to try
something new if it’s from a company they already know, use, and trust.

Promoting Exterior Packages
The easiest way to focus selling on the whole façade instead of one-off product selection is to create packages that are easy to choose from and customize. Here are a few ways to do that:

Develop product palettes: Collaborate with your manufacturers to create product portfolios of coordinated product lines and colors that can be sold as is, with stock modifications, or with upgrades. Coordinate this process between different manufacturers, such as your siding/trim supplier and your window vendor, to ensure cohesive looks and material compatibility.

Boral Building Products Color Harmony exterior inspiration boards
Creating façade displays, or even inspiration boards like these, can help buyers visualize how products come together on their homes. This display shows how Boral Building Products’ Color Harmony portfolios of siding, trim, shutter, and stone brands combine for on-trend looks.

Inspire customers: Showcase those palettes and
portfolios in a way that reveals how end products will look on the home,
whether via simple binders with images, glossy lookbooks, wall  vignettes, or inspiration boards. This makes
it easy for them to choose an overall look they want instead of trying to
visualize and piece together individual parts.

Leverage software: Our Virtual Remodeler tool allows homeowners to select the siding, trim, shutters, and stone, and then see how the combinations will look on their homes. Once a group of products is chosen, the dealer often can get a material list for easy ordering.

Boral Building Products Virtual Remodeler design tool
Boral Building Products’ Virtual Remodeler online design tools allows dealers, their customers, and homeowners to visualize what homes will look like with different products from across the company’s siding and trim portfolio. Once a design is determined, a materials list makes ordering simple.

With so many moving parts, it’s easy for the product selection process to become stressful for customers, pro and consumer alike. Considering exterior packages collectively, rather than a sum of parts, can ease the process while offering direct benefits to your bottom line.

The post Why and How LBM Dealers Should Sell Exterior Packages appeared first on Boral Master Blog.