Six
Tried
& True Ways To Expand Your Sales In Motorized Products
Want a sure way to have a sales
increase this year? Make it the year of the motorized window
covering. Motorized window coverings have come of age with options
and prices to fit any need or budget. Expand your sales in
motorized shades and blinds and you can be
sure of a profitable
sales increase without seeing any more customers than you do
now.
You'll want to brush up on the
motorized products offered by Designer Blinds, so at the bottom of
this page are links to sixteen tips about the specific motorized
products. Here are some things you can do to help you in
placing more motorized products.
1. Knowledge is Power
It's
no mystery why the dealers that know the most about motorized
products sell more. Resolve to increase your understanding of
motorized systems and you'll join this elite group. Study the
tips listed below for some specific product details and familiarize yourself
with the details in the Hunter Douglas Reference & Price
Guide. Start with the relatively easy
PowerRise™/PowerGlide™ products, but get a passing knowledge of
the more advanced systems, too.
Of course, there's no better
teacher than real hands-on experience. One way to get good
hands-on experience is to make sure you have motorized products on
displays and hand samples. Putting motorized products into
your own home further expands your knowledge and can transform you
into an expert. When you show the confidence of an expert, your
customers will have confidence in you, too.
2. Put Your Customers In Control
With displays and hand samples,
it's easy to get into a demonstration mode and work the blind
through every possible function. But won't your customer
be more impressed if you put the control in his or her
hands?
That hands-on experience is important
for them, too. Let them do their own demonstration. Talk
them through it and talk about the product but let them push
the buttons. They're likely to forget that some window
coverings have cords.
3. Say The Six Magic Words
These are the six magic words to
say to every customer: "Do you want to motorize
this?" This simple approach will sell more motorization
for you. It works. You know suggestive selling works
—just like every fast food restaurant in the world knows you want
fries with that burger. It takes discipline to put
it into constant practice, though. Not everyone will buy motorization because
of a suggestion like this, but some will. Say the magic words — with every customer— and you'll be on your way
to a sales increase. It's like "abracadabra" to a
magician.
4. "Let Me Entertain
You..."
Window coverings are just window
coverings, right? Well, what if window coverings could be
moved out of the limited budget set aside for window coverings and
moved into the seemingly unlimited budget for
entertainment?
There is currently a boom in home theater systems at every
level. When a home theater system is being placed in a room
with windows, controlling the incoming light now becomes more
important as an enhancement to the system. Any home theater,
or even just a big screen TV, is a signal to start talking about
controlling the light from outside in the same way you control
interior light —by the flip of a switch or the touch of a
button. Products like Duette® honeycomb shades, Silhouette®
Vignette® window shadings and Luminette® Privacy Sheers provide
can good room darkening or light dimming qualities. These
products can even make the system sound better, too.
Now your customer may see motorized window coverings as a sound
investment.
You may also try forming an
alliance with a home theater specialist in your area. These
specialists need help in controlling light and may just make you and
your products part of the system package.
5. Reach For The Skies, Partner!
Windows
that are high up and out of reach make particularly good candidates
for motorization. This includes skylight windows and other
standard windows that are out of reach. Who wants a cord hanging
down when the shades can be operated so easily? Remember that
windows don't need to be up high to be out of reach. Who wants to
lean across a five foot counter or step into a bathtub to pull a
cord to operate a shade? Your customer may not realize how
inconvenient these windows can be using corded window coverings. Take some effort to talk to your customers about what
is really the best solution for such windows
—motorization.
High windows and windows that are
out of reach also allow you to
sell up from the motorization. Rather than battery powered
shades, an AC adaptor for PowerRise products can eliminate the need
for batteries. For Duette PowerRise shades, timer controls and
X-10 automation are available, too. Or, hard-wired AC systems available
for Duette shades or Vignette and Silhouette window shadings may be a better solution.
There isn't a better solution for skylights than Duette Shades on a
motorized SkyRise™ system.
6. That One Special Room...
To borrow the concept introduced
last year as a selling strategy for Silhouette shadings, talk to your customer
about creating that one special room in
their house with motorized
window coverings. They probably won't want motorization
everywhere, but whatever room is special to them should get special
treatment —with motors. It may be the dining room for some,
the living room or a den for others. Talk to your customers
about which room in there house needs some magic and then make it
happen!
sure of a profitable
sales increase without seeing any more customers than you do
now. 
It's
no mystery why the dealers that know the most about motorized
products sell more. Resolve to increase your understanding of
motorized systems and you'll join this elite group. Study the
tips listed below for some specific product details and familiarize yourself
with the details in the Hunter Douglas Reference & Price
Guide. Start with the relatively easy
PowerRise™/PowerGlide™ products, but get a passing knowledge of
the more advanced systems, too.
2. Put Your Customers In Control
These are the six magic words to
say to every customer: "Do you want to motorize
this?" This simple approach will sell more motorization
for you. It works. You know suggestive selling works
—just like every fast food restaurant in the world knows you want
fries with that burger. It takes discipline to put
it into constant practice, though. Not everyone will buy motorization because
of a suggestion like this, but some will. Say the magic words — with every customer— and you'll be on your way
to a sales increase. It's like "abracadabra" to a
magician.
entertainment?
There is currently a boom in home theater systems at every
level. When a home theater system is being placed in a room
with windows, controlling the incoming light now becomes more
important as an enhancement to the system. Any home theater,
or even just a big screen TV, is a signal to start talking about
controlling the light from outside in the same way you control
interior light —by the flip of a switch or the touch of a
button. Products like Duette® honeycomb shades, Silhouette®
Vignette® window shadings and Luminette® Privacy Sheers provide
can good room darkening or light dimming qualities. These
products can even make the system sound better, too.
Now your customer may see motorized window coverings as a sound
investment.
Windows
that are high up and out of reach make particularly good candidates
for motorization. This includes skylight windows and other
standard windows that are out of reach. Who wants a cord hanging
down when the shades can be operated so easily? Remember that
windows don't need to be up high to be out of reach. Who wants to
lean across a five foot counter or step into a bathtub to pull a
cord to operate a shade? Your customer may not realize how
inconvenient these windows can be using corded window coverings. Take some effort to talk to your customers about what
is really the best solution for such windows
—motorization. 
their house with motorized
window coverings. They probably won't want motorization
everywhere, but whatever room is special to them should get special
treatment —with motors. It may be the dining room for some,
the living room or a den for others. Talk to your customers
about which room in there house needs some magic and then make it
happen!