Do your Customers Kick the Tires?
If you are a flat glass company, you can bet they do. Auto glass has become an 800 number and mobile installs. No need to go in the front door. But, oh, does flat glass have its tire-kickers.
You know the folks that ask a ton of questions, some by phone, some by email and the majority in person. Does this matter to you? It sure does. If you are going to replace glass in a storm door or a picture frame, the customer is going to give you the job when they walk in the door. But if they want a mirror wall, a shower, or a storefront for their business, they want to take your measure and see if you fit their expectations.
What are your customers looking at when they kick your tires? Are you professional? Do you have a display of the product they are interested in? This says you have credibility for their need. How do you set up a display of a storefront? That is the easiest of all. It is your own front. Do you have an automatic door? Do you have a magnetic lock? Is your door easy to open? Does it make noise? Is your own glass IG with the best Low-e? If your fabricator won’t give you a great deal (translate: free) for a half-dozen units in your own place, shop for a new fabricator.
Do you have a window looking into your shop? This is one of the strongest sales-closers you can ever have. It gives customers a strong impression of your capabilities.
In today’s wired economy, more people will get your phone number from the internet than the yellow pages. Your site need not be 30 pages, or have singing clowns. Just a three-page site, professionally done with current information, will bring customers to you.
If the job needs a quotation, show up on time, looking good. Your salesperson, or you, should be in a shirt identifying your company, drive a clean car, (which doesn’t have to be new or expensive), or if you are in a company truck, make sure it gives a positive impression of your company.
Most of our customers in the day-to-day glass industry don’t have technical knowledge. They want someone they can trust. If you are that person, and your company is that entity, you have a leg up.