“We have the lowest prices on the products you want so you can hear ‘you got the job’ more often.” – Home Depot radio ad.

 

That kind of marketing is what you would expect from a company whose whole strategy is the lowest pricing.  If you have ever bought and installed anything from a big box store and installed it in your home or on a job then you have probably felt the disappointment of knowing you paid too much for the quality you got.  Homeowners will tell you they want the cheapest product with a brand name but is that reality?

Let’s not forget these ten basic principles about homeowners in this industry.

1. They want to be sold.
2. They want to believe that what they are buying is special.
3. They want the highest quality they think they can afford.
4. They want a good value, not necessarily the cheapest product.
5. They don’t always go with the lowest bidder despite what Home Depot says.
6. They want the piece of mind of a great warranty.
7. They want the project to go smoothly.
8. They want the products to be low maintenance.
9. They want to be able to brag about their choice in the end.
10. THEY WANT YOU TO BE SPECIAL SO THEY FEEL SMART FOR CHOOSING YOU!

Do you think you can give the homeowner all of these things buying products from the big box stores?  Do you think Home Depot really cares if you do a good job at those ten things?  Do you think when your prospective customer walks in and sees the price of what you are selling them that they think you bring much value to the table?

 Selling what is readily available at big box stores shows what kind of contractor you believe that you are.  Homeowners actually want you to tell them you are better.  They like to believe that there is something special about what they are buying and who they are buying it from.  Their perception of how much quality they can afford is one of the easiest things of all to control in your presentation.  They too have gone to Home Depot and Menard’s and bought something that met the basic need but ultimately did not satisfy them.

So why when Home Depot sells a version of one of our key products do some dealers think it is the end of the world while still others jump on the bandwagon and buy the materials there?  I think it has more to do with us than Home Depot and they know it.  That’s why they do it.

It is easier for us to complain about it or give in.  It is much harder to take the high road and sell the value of our products but more importantly the value of dealing with you.  We have the resources at our disposal to help.   If you need help adding value to your presentations we would love to help you with that.  If you need more products that can differentiate you and the systems that you sell, lets talk.  Do it now before the selling season is in full swing.

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