Selling up Metal Gutters

It would seem that, when it comes to upselling guttering, many contractors are missing a trick. In a recent survey conducted by a leading supplier, the answers were surprising with over 40% claiming not to see the value of upselling! But the old adage that the easiest way to increase sales is to sell more to existing customers certainly holds true here. We asked Nick Glover from ARP to tell us how contractors can increase turnover and profit by upselling guttering.

Upselling doesn’t just mean selling extra fittings or being annoyingly pushy. It’s about giving the customer the solution they really want. It can mean changing the material, finish, or profile, or asking the right questions to ensure that the customer has the correct system or size.

So, we have put together a simple guide to upselling rainwater based on asking the right questions when a customer enquires about guttering:

• Have you chosen the right material. Plastic is not the only choice available. Metal guttering is increasingly popular with homeowners – not just because it looks great. Of course, customers do love it for its good looks, but sustainability, durability and low maintenance are also key deciding factors. Aluminium guttering will look great for decades without anyone even needing to touch it, apart from an occasional wash down and it's 100% recyclable when it comes down. As a contractor, it’s almost as lightweight and just as easy to install as plastic guttering
  
  
• Have you chosen the right profile? There’s more to life than black half round! It’s all about the style of property – maybe an Ogee or Victorian Ogee would suit an older property better. Or a box profile would work well on a modern house. All of these different styles can add value to a sale.
  
  
• Have you chosen the right size? The old adage that size doesn’t matter is also not true when it comes to rainwater projects. The roofs of larger buildings clearly need a higher capacity rainwater system with the amount of water likely to flow off a large-scale roof. Gutters and downpipes all have to be upgraded accordingly: our Legacy Deep Flow guttering could be an option to handle larger discharge rates.
  
  
• Have you got all the fittings you need? Double check that you have ordered enough brackets, downpipe, outlets, clips, stop ends and the like – that can really bump up the order value. Our range of hoppers can add style as well as function to any building envelope. There are all sorts of design styles – boxy, contemporary, heritage style or fluted – depending on the design style of the building. We can manufacture bespoke designs in pressed or cast aluminium and even add different finishes and embellishments.
  
  
• Are you sure you’ve got the right finish? Did you know that ARP’s aluminium cast gutter systems can be supplied in a range of different finishes?, for example a leatherette finish which mimics cast iron systems. Make sure your customers know about these kinds of options.

Of course, the key to all this is confidence and knowledge and that comes through excellent product knowledge and training. It’s so much easier to confidently up sell if you know what you’re talking about. Why not get in touch us, we can talk you through the basics of metal guttering and have a full-on technical department who can answer questions, offer support, even visit site to help with measuring and system design. Drop us an email at sales@arp-ltd.com, call us on 0116 289 4400 or get in touch with your local ARP expert: all their contact details are here.