Hardwood Flooring February March 2018

By Kevin McGirl

Modify your existing product lines or create new ones that speak to your customers’ specific needs. Look into selling value-add services such as routine maintenance and consultations. Think about what you can offer beyond the single transaction – what can be rolled into a package deal or a longer-term business arrangement. Generic products and services don’t make a significant impact on the market. Meaningful ones do. Don’t imitate when you can innovate. 3. No agility, no insight What keeps a salesperson from selling? More often than not, it isn’t lack of ability. It’s that their job entails more than just selling. If you’re spending time cold- calling prospects, preparing for meetings, compiling reports, or conducting various other energy- and resource-draining administrative activities, you will have less time for sales. The biggest roadblocks for salespeople may well be those that face themwhen sitting at their desks. Anything that keeps you stationary instead of out courting new business is a distraction: a lack of agility and mobility can be lethal to your company’s chances of engaging new prospects.

Fortunately, technology can do much to lighten this burden. Automation tools can take care of tasks like data entry, compiling reports, and meeting preparation – freeing up time to research clients, refine proposals, or develop a more compelling pitch. Customer data analysis software can reveal preferences such as their previous purchase history with your company and when they prefer to be contacted – preventing you from finding out what they like and dislike the hard way. The technology adoption process should always start with determining what keeps the team from performing and then finding appropriate tools to eliminate these problems. A business that can streamline effectively – doing more of what matters and less of what doesn’t – is always better placed to capture market share. Your larger competitors may have more money than you, but cash is only one resource. Make the most of your time and your customer information; if you do, you’ll start to gain ground on the industry’s major players. Kevin McGirl is the President of sales-i. To learn more about sales-i, visit sales-i.com.

of what you’re offering. How does your product or service improve your target market’s businesses? How is it different from whatever your competitors are offering? Are customers highly price- sensitive, or are they willing to pay a higher price for a better product? Most importantly, what are they looking for beyond the simple transaction? If you consider your customers’ larger business needs, instead of thinking about how to sell them a specific item or solution, you’ll be able to create better value and identify key up- and cross- selling opportunities. A lower price for one itemwon’t be as attractive to them as a package deal that combines two or more items that their company desperately needs. When you discount products, you risk becoming a discount brand. Always look to compete on value rather than price. 2. Lack of differentiation Understanding your customers means understanding why they might prefer a competitor’s product or service over yours. The relative lack of differentiation in the flooring industry can make commoditization seem inevitable, but it isn’t. You can diversify your offering – you just need to figure out how. The first thing to do is check your offering against the other offerings on the market. What need can you fulfill that your competitors can’t? What unticked boxes could you conceivably check? If you can’t notice any meaningful difference, then you need to create some. Smaller firms can’t easily stand out on price, and they can’t over rely on established relationships. They need to innovate to survive.

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the magazine of the national wood flooring association

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