Imagine what life would be like if your sales team had a 70 percent closing rate. Just think of all those extra sales and fat margins. Hearing “sorry, no thanks” the usual 80 to 95 percent of the time would be a thing of the past.

Surprise! You have that power right now. Meet the golden goose: existing customers.

‘Your best customer is your present customer’ is one of the first laws of sales. The close rate isn’t only sky-high, it’s only a fraction of a new customer acquisition cost. Better yet, tweaking customer retention just a little yields hefty profits of 25 to 95 percent.

Think about entry door sales, for example.

Surprising Example

You probably sell your fair share of doors to builders, remodelers, and replacement contractors. It’s a good business with associates using a foolproof configurator to push orders to the door supplier.

What about all the ancillary, add-on sales you’re leaving at … well, the door? What about sealant? Spray foam? Flashing tape? Shims? And sill pans, for starters?

True, a few heads-up contractors have all that in their trailer. For everyone else, it’s trips to your store or, just as likely, a trip to visit a competitor near the jobsite.

253,000 and Counting

Why not bundle those materials in a kit that’s offered with every door order? Contractor interest is certainly there.

Just ask custom homebuilder and popular industry personality Matt Risinger. His recent 20-minute YouTube video on entry door installation using a kit has topped 253,000 views, generating over 300 written comments. Who knew kits were so hot?

“Cool and Impressive”

That kind of online pulling power speaks volumes about sale opportunity. The kit, called the DAP QuickKit, perfectly illustrates a smart, service-oriented sales opportunity.
Like Risinger says, and dozens more echoed throughout the comments, the kit idea “… is very cool and impressive. It even includes the screws, sill pan, and head flashing.”

But even a good idea can only go so far. The day-to-day reality of an LBM pro can be hectic. Finishing take-offs and any number of other obligations are distractions that disrupt sales, even obvious ones like a door installation kit.

Dual-Purpose Display

The folks at the kit manufacturer, DAP, understand. They know it’s not always enough to include a door installation kit check-off on the online configurator. What about the sales associate behind the pro desk? Without a visual prompt, it’s possible a door installation kit could be forgotten in the ordering process.

In response, the company put together an in-store display featuring Quick Kits that may be as much for browsing contractors as it is for sales associates. For LBM merchants, the in-store display is a handy visual reference for contractors and store staff alike.

More Sales & Profits

Of course, for senior LBM management, the best reminder is the weekly sales figures. Some things have a way of taking care of themselves.To learn more about the DAP Quick Kit with a free in-store display, visit dapquickkit.com.