Prepare for change
Mark Dudley, managing director of Windowlink, discusses how installers need to be ready to adapt to future changes in the market in order to continue to win sales.
The way we sell windows has seen huge changes over the last 40 years, mainly due to the fact that the way we live has also evolved so much.
The rapid advances of technology have meant that the industry has had to keep up and especially now that tech, whether it’s social media, the internet or specialist software, plays a vital role in driving sales.
In this rapidly evolving world, it’s important that installation companies are constantly ready to change the way they sell windows and be prepared for the future.
Keeping up with technology
As well as the constant need to adapt to meet environmental standards, windows and doors have also had to keep up with the technological advances of consumer life. A mobile-focused world which puts an emphasis on ease of living has made its way into the home, with several smart home apps such as Ring and Hive becoming increasingly popular.
Windows and doors are starting to embrace this and there have been several new products and apps in the market which fit perfectly into the smart home revolution.
It’s important that installers aren’t left behind with the changes the industry is going through and also adapt the way they sell to keep up. If you’re selling windows and doors which use the latest technology, you also want the latest software to help showcase those products.
Providing accurate quotes, automated pricing, contracts, surveys and being able to present products using 3D graphics helps you stay up to date and convert leads into sales.
Younger renovators
The latest research from Houzz suggests that the average age of people spending money on home renovations is dropping. Millennials, or those aged 25-39, have increased spending from £10,000 per year to £17,000. This surpasses older generations and shows a shift in home improvement spending to a much younger demographic.
This means installers have to adapt the way in which they target these customers. As these are people who grew up with technology at their fingertips, providing online quotes and being able to use graphics and superimposed images to present visuals is something which is important to securing sales.
The research also suggested that homeowners are staying put for longer, meaning they are willing to spend a little more to get the design they want. Having a better idea of what they want from their home improvements make it even more important for installers to provide a greater level of accuracy in order to complete sales.
Giving customers a truly realistic idea of how their windows and doors will look and providing the fine details goes a long way in getting deals over the line.
Improving life for installers
Using a fully integrated design-to-survey software programme helps companies manage installations by creating all the required paperwork in one place. When we’ve spoken to companies before, they’ve said this makes a huge difference to how they operate and makes the sales process so much smoother.
Software with automated live frame pricing also helps users sell and quote with speed and accuracy, removing the possibility of human error and saving pain further down the line. The easier it is for installation companies to produce quotes, contracts and surveys, the more time to do what’s most important, which is to sell windows and doors.
Design-to-survey software
At Windowlink, our design-to-survey software is the ideal solution for installation companies looking to streamline their processes and reduce the amount of paperwork to help them focus on converting more sales. The impressive visuals will also help you keep up with the demands of changing demographics of home improvement spenders.
The way we work means we know our software is an ever-evolving product, and through communicating with installers on a regular basis we are always innovating to get the best out of our software and give installers what they want, which is ultimately to sell more windows.