Back when I first joined the industry 8 years ago as a 16 year old learning the ropes, product options were pretty limited and what I needed to know was reasonable. Now however, with pretty much every product option on earth conceivable and with ‘standard’ window and door jobs becoming rarer and rarer, salespeople in our industry are having to become so much more than a salesperson.
Those in sales now have to have a creative string to their bow, so that they can match the expectations of a clientele that have some very ‘out there’ ideas. Thanks to programs like Grand Designs customers are now taking a lot more pride in their homes and understand that even average properties can have that touch of class – even if it’s just in the windows.
A design totally created by the customer.
This image above a few of you may have seen on Twitter. I posted it at the back end of last week. This was a door and side light design chosen down to the very last detail by the customer. When I started, customers would have rarely taken on such a task. Now, these sorts of jobs are becoming more and more common thanks to inspiring television and products that are much more custom built. We have to make sure that as salespeople we can match these customer expectations.
In order to meet these expectations we have to know our products and know our options. With a growing number of demanding customers, we absolutely must know what is available and what is not. By knowing our products inside out we can help shape the dreams and ideas of the client and make sure expectations are not raised just for them not to be met. As with any bespoke creation, limits have to be known.
Salespeople are also having to get to grips with work sometimes reserved for architects. New products like Loggias, Orangeries and so on come with huge size possibilities which do come with an inherent need to know about adjoining issues to do with general property. Basically, those salespeople being asked to price up large projects need to have a working knowledge of house building and architecture.
Since the recession, businesses have been told to diversify their product portfolio in order to maximise their revenue streams. But diversifying has also meant that sales staff have had to get to know a ton of new product information.
The role of the sales person has evolved way beyond what it used to be. Even when I started just 8 years ago. The job has evolved from plain old sales person to overall home improvement expert. As well as the job role evolving, the consumer has evolved with it. In fact it is the evolution of the consumer which has forced the sales force in our industry to become what is is now today.
