The Trouble With Public Math...
 Math
is easy. It's just numbers, right? But PUBLIC math— well, that's a
different story. When a customer starts asking for comparisons of
different products it can be rather nerve-wracking to calculate your selling
price for different types of custom made products. But that's often what
your customers want. Statistically, it has been five to seven years since
today's typical window covering customer last purchased window coverings of any
type. So it follows that they would be curious about a wide range of newer
products. The program DBOSS (Designer Blinds Order Sales System)
takes the pain of public math away and let's you concentrate on helping your
customer find the perfect window covering for them. Prices quoted by DBOSS are
based on your settings, so it's easy to quote a price, YOUR price almost
instantly. But DBOSS goes beyond that with comparison tools that will help you
upgrade to other features or even switch to other products just as
quickly. Here's a look at the comparison tools in DBOSSFast
Compare Narrows Focus Quickly
When you first start with a customer for whom it's been quite a while since
window coverings were last purchased, it's not unusual for them to want to get
an idea of what a wide variety of options will run. Fast compare will help
you to help your customer hone in on products for a quick comparison.
 |
Just open DBOSS
and on your keyboard hold down the Ctrl key and touch the F7 function
key. Or go to the Tools menu and choose Fast Compare...
This will quickly open
the compare dialog below. |
|
In the Fast Compare
dialog you will be able to specify the product you are most
interested in, the number of windows and the measurements of the
window. Then just select up to twenty products for comparison.
This allows a comparison between options of a particular product or
between completely different product lines. Note the warning
in red that states that only a full quote will reflect a true
product price. This just means that fast compare is just a
ballpark estimate. It allows you to quickly rank the products
your customer may be interested and helps you to qualify them
without ever opening the Reference Guide or touching a
calculator. Once you have selected all the products you want
to compare, click on the compare button and in seconds you'll have a
comparison between up to twenty products and options. NOTE: Prices
shown in all comparisons on this page are based on the MSRP directly
from the Hunter Douglas Reference Guide. DBOSS will
actually quote your price based on your settings.
From
here, you and your customers can proceed to the next step and choose
the product that will best serve the customer's needs and fit the
budget.
|
The Compare Wizard Helps You
Adjust Quickly
A little more sophisticated
tool will help you further in the sales process. The Compare Wizard will
allow you to upgrade to other options or lift systems or completely switch to a
different product. Again, it's easy to make these changes without ever
opening your Reference Guide or touching a calculator. Here's how the
compare wizard can help you improve your selling techniques and make adjustments
for your customers on the fly. Let's set the scene here. You are
with a customer and have selected four two-inch Classic Country Woods®
blinds. The DBOSS order screen would look like this:
Now you talk to your customer
about the fact that a couple of these windows are placed pretty high and that
PowerTilt™ would be a great way to make it easier to tilt blinds that are out
of reach like that. She seems interested but wants to know what it will
cost. All you have to do is click on the Compare/Replace button. When you
click on the button you will start with a checklist of each line on the order,
like this:
Here you can decide which
line items will be changed. Let's go ahead and change them all to
PowerTilt for now. You can go back and uncheck the windows that are
easier to reach if you need to. After the products are selected click
the Next button and you'll get a list of products to compare, like this:
In this case, we're staying
with the same product and changing it to the PowerTilt. Click the Next
button and you'll get your comparison, line by line
like this.
If you want to see what
happens to your profits, it can be checked by clicking on the Profit
Sentry™ button. It will show whether your comparison product is
earning more or less in profit, and by how much. The information only shows
while you hold a click on the PS shield. Release the click and the
information disappears. Click the replace button and the order is
changed. Go back one step to change which lines are affected by the
change. Or click the Close button and you'll go back to your order as it was
with no changes.
If you want to check the
pricing in comparison to a completely different product, like Alouette®,
that can be done as well. If you choose Alouette, you will also choose
the fabric and color. If you choose Silhouette, you can choose
UltraGlide™ or other options that will affect the price. In other
words, the comparison from the Compare Wizard is fully configurable
Of course, you can switch
to any product you like, so if your customer finds the first option to be
out of reach, it's easy adjust to a product more appropriate for his or her
budget. It's a good idea in selling, to start with a higher end
product and then come down if it better serves your customer's needs.
DBOSS Makes Your Life Easier
In product comparisons, adding
options and many more ways DBOSS makes selling easier. Your competitors
that don't use DBOSS have a much harder time making these comparisons.
They are stuck with either doing public math or coming back with alternative
quotes on another day. Often, their frustration shows through to the customer.
Using DBOSS will help you stay pleasant and positive and professional as you
help your customer quickly find the product and price that's just right.
|
