Features & reviews
Can offering added value keep the order book full?
September 2009
'Recession', 'credit crunch', 'economic down turn'. However you put it, these phrases - which barely existed in the nation's vocabulary 18 months ago - have become part of everyday life. As people batten down the hatches to cope with these tough financial times, customers are becoming increasingly frugal and shopping around for products and services that offer added value for their precious pennies.
Here, Nicolas Guichard at Dulux Trade explains how paint products that ensure optimum performance and added value for money on every level can help decorators exceed their customers' expectations and keep their diary full of work.
"In the current climate, customers are looking for genuine value in every aspect of their spending, and most are wise to the fact that the best solution doesn't always mean the cheapest option. Many clients still firmly believe that 'you get what you pay for' and rather than opting for the cheapest product on the market, are looking to get more for the money they spend.
"The emphasis on value for money reflects a change in attitude from a time when homeowners were in search of a quick fix to neutralise their home and optimise its sale potential. Many homeowners are now improving rather than moving, which means that they are in need of a quality decorating job that will enhance their home. Customers now realise that a quick-fix DIY job with lower priced products is not necessarily the best option, and homeowners are turning to professionals who use quality trade products that offer extra benefits to give them a superb and lasting finish.
"This means that for decorators, having a sound knowledge of the variety of products available, and their extra benefits, can mean the difference between a full diary and a nerve wracking period of uncertainty.
"There is currently a wide range of products on the market to offer customers the added value they desire, and give decorators the freedom to choose products that satisfy their customers' requirements. "Here is our guide to the best ways of using these products to add value to any job, and please even the most discerning customer.
Offer durability
Decorators can guarantee a quality, long lasting finish, by using products such as the Diamond range from Dulux Trade. The range of hardwearing, washable emulsions and trim products offers ten times the durability and stain resistance of standard products, and will scrub clean without polishing the surface.
This combination of durability and resistance to regular cleaning offers added value to customers seeking low maintenance interiors which are perfect for busy family homes.
Opt for best opacity and coverage
When specifying the paint for a job, few homeowners would be tempted by a cheap option if they thought it wouldn't offer the finish they desire. By offering customers a quality trade product with high opacity, decorators can achieve a result to be proud of.
Dulux Trade Vinyl Matt, for example, is an industry-leading product, and with good reason. It is ideal for achieving a flawless finish, and boasts excellent spreading rates and great opacity. Dulux Trade Vinyl Matt has not only been proven to cover better than other leading vinyl matts on the market, but also retains this impressive opacity level while spreading up to an incredible 20 per cent further than other brands . This shows how choosing a product like Dulux Trade Vinyl Matt also has a financial benefit for the decorator; because the paint goes much further.
Go Green
Although it may not always feel like it, the recession will not last forever. But our environment will. Or so it should. However, our modern lifestyles are increasingly putting it in danger. Even in these tough financial times, eco-savvy consumers are increasingly being nagged by their consciences to choose the most sustainable option when making all kinds of buying decisions.
Offering a range of eco products can help decorators demonstrate that they understand customers' concerns and provide a paint job that offers added value by giving the finish customers require in a sustainable way that addresses their environmental worries.
This can also have added benefit to the customer in terms of costs savings, for instance, Light & Space from Dulux Trade is an intelligent, energy saving colour range that makes a room look and feel lighter, brighter and more spacious by reflecting rather than absorbing light. This can reduce the amount of energy needed to light a room, thus reducing CO2 emissions, and offers customers the ultimate in added value - an energy cost saving versus a conventional emulsion in a similar colour of up to 22 per cent on average .
So, next time you're preparing to quote a potential customer, make sure you can offer them products that give them added value at every level, from covering better, going further and lasting longer, to minimising any impact on the environment.
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