Sell Customer Solutions Not Products

Most products or services are looking for a market.  You must stand out in the marketplace by creating solutions for real problems in your customer’s lives.

I did an unscientific survey of window and door dealer websites. I put on my customer hat and went looking for windows for our old house.  I was so confused and felt bombarded by products looking for customers. With few exceptions window and door dealer websites all look the same to me.

• OUR HISTORY
• ENERGY EFFICIENCY
• SECURITY
• WARRANTY
• COLOR AND GRID OPTIONS
• KINDS OF WINDOWS
• ALUMINUM
• FIBERGLASS
• VINYL
• WOOD
• MANUFACTURER CHOICES

So you’re looking for customers who want your stuff and I’m a customer looking for solutions to my situation.  We’re playing the Match Game.  I click in and out of the selections looking for a match until I tire of the effort and leave your website.

Reverse your perspective from featuring product solutions to customer solutions.  What is your customer’s environment?  Maybe it looks more like this:

• OLD HOMES
• NEW HOMES
• BADLY BUILT HOMES
• COLD CLIMATES
• HOT CLIMATES
• CUSTOMERS
• HOME OWNERS
• BUILDERS / ARCHITECTS
• REMODELERS
• HOA

If your perspective is that windows are fundamental, that is a basic necessity, then it stands to reason you’d also think a house is a house is a house.

I suggest dealers get a new perspective on windows.  There is no opportunity in windows being fundamental.  The opportunity is to show customers that windows are solutions to their lives and that you can create that.

Sharon Aby
Beyond Ideas