Of Course You Can Increase Your Sales Right Now—Read On
Yeah, you are thinking, “Here is another one of Bieber’s feel-good blogs.” Well, you are wrong! Read on to get some real ideas about how to grow your glass company’s sales, with just a little effort.
Clean up your showroom. You don’t have to redo it, just make it sparkling clean. You can’t sell mirror to customers if your mirrors on display are dirty. Cost: a little labor on the next rainy day, a can of glass cleaner and some paper towels.
Add more products to your display. When was the last time you updated the window profiles you show? Do they have low-E lass in them? Do you have simple brochures explaining the benefits of low-E? These are free from your glass supplier, who can get them from the floater they work with. Did you take pictures of the last couple of great jobs you did? If not, go back now and do it. Print these pictures in color. Get a five dollar frame at the discount store near you and line these pictures on the wall. Make a sign that says, WE PROUDLY DID THESE JOBS!
You probably have a door closer on the entrance door to your shop. And I bet your closer works just fine. Put a sign next to it that says, “Does your door closer work as good as this one? If not, let us adjust or repair your closers!”
No real costs here other than your effort and printing a couple of sheets of paper. Let’s keep going. Place all of your supplies in a display in your showroom. Glass cleaner, mirror clips, screws, tubes of silicone, glass gloves—in fact, just about everything you have should be shown. You are not trying to compete with Home Depot. Double your costs on these items. Put up a sign that says, PROPFFESIONAL GRADE HARDWARE AND SUPPLIES. THESE ARE THE PRODUCTS WE USE! People pay ridiculous prices for impulse items. This costs you nothing. You have these supplies in your back room. Anything you sell here is pure profit.
The trend in our industry is to be either a flat glass shop or an auto glass shop. Your showroom will reflect this. Now, make a deal with a local shop of the other persuasion. You’ll do their flat glass and they will do your auto glass. A customer comes in for a screen replacement and sees your sign that you do auto glass. They ask you about it for the stone pit in their windshield. You take the order and have the auto glass division set up the appointment and do the work. Bang, you now have a second source of income by just meeting with the guy down the street and putting up a sign. You don’t have to be a maven on the other guy’s product. Just tell the customer that your specialist will call them ASAP.
Do you have a piece of Starphire™ and a piece of clear glass so customers can see the difference? Call your fabricator for a 12-by-12 with polished edges of each. This should be a freebie.
Enough for one day. Do you have other ideas that you want to share with our industry? Drop me a note at paulbaseball@msn.com and I’ll feature your idea in an upcoming blog.