ROOFING FOCUS
and technical support from manufacturers is invaluable in not only helping us to sell more of the products, but also ensuring we are giving correct technical information, particularly at a time when roofing standards are becoming more complex. Our sales team are able to access technical information from Marley Eternit as and when they need it, to make sure the advice they are giving to their customers is 100% correct.
“Each year we receive support with our marketing strategy from them, which involves inclusion on our website and promoting their products to customers. They also send us relevant articles and updates, for example on BS 8612 and this is something that is really useful. Putting a greater number of topical articles and videos in front of our customers on a weekly basis is certainly one way to help grow our business.”
Training and events
With increasingly tight budgets and a huge amount of building products, manufacturer training continues to be very important for merchants, as Debbie Cobb, Product Manager at MKM Building Supplies, explains: “As a builders’ merchant, our sales team are responsible for selling a large range of building and roofing products. As well as in- house training, we also take the opportunities available from manufacturers, such as Marley Eternit’s free training, to ensure our staff has all the necessary knowledge and confidence to be able to sell our suppliers’ products.” Marley Eternit is reporting an increase in demand for its training courses, both in branches and at its dedicated centres. David Cassell, training manager at Marley Eternit, says: “I’ve recently been supporting a customer and visiting their multiple branches, helping train new starters on products they didn’t feel as confident on. When budgets are stretched, this type of free training is really important, particularly as pitched roofing standards are becoming more complex and there are a huge number of products available on the market. Being able to sell the different benefits and
understand what the customer needs is very important.”
Debbie Cobb from MKM agrees: “Strong relationships at a local level are crucial, as well as an understanding of the way each individual merchant works. Important, too, is ensuring our branch staff have access to up-to-date product knowledge. The greater their understanding and knowledge of a product, the greater confidence they have to sell it.”
AJW staff have also benefitted from attending local Marley Eternit training courses to help boost product knowledge. AJW’s Sales Manager Tom Woods says there are also many other ways that manufacturers can help support merchants. He says: “In the fast paced demanding market, which we work in today, we need to ensure our customers are always 100% aware of what we can offer them. By manufacturers supporting merchants with open events, corporate events and also offering local customer training, these are a few things to help develop the customer product knowledge. I would also say that freebies are a great way of creating brand awareness and developing sales.”
Creating demand
These days manufacturers don’t just need to supply products, increasingly they are helping merchants to generate demand for them. Emily Dix, Marketing Executive at Marley Eternit, told us: “Every year we invest huge amounts of resource into driving customers into branches. As well as our advertising, PR and digital campaigns, we direct as many people as possible to branches through our online stockist locator. Our team also works hard to get our products specified, so we can generate more leads for merchants.”
Debbie Cobb, product manager from MKM, says this approach works well: “Marley Eternit’s Area Sales Managers generate the specification and therefore the demand for the product; these leads are shared with our branches to quote.”
This has already worked successfully on some projects as Alun James, branch director at MKM Morpeth explains: “As Marley Eternit products
tend to get specified more on architects’ drawings for new build and social housing projects, this is good news for us. The stock locator on its website is also useful for boosting sales.”
Indeed, over 1 million people visit the Marley Eternit website each year, so the manufacturer has recently launched a new facility on its website, adding a ‘make an enquiry’ button to its stockist locator, which means it can pass leads directly to merchants.
Online support
Online support from manufacturers is one area that is advancing, particularly as being able to access information at any time of day is increasingly important to merchants. Emily Dix says: “60% of merchants we work with are now signed up to our MyAccount system. This is a 24/7 online service where they can access account information anywhere, anytime – from quotes, orders, prices and live product availability to samples and literature.” Kris Seawood, assistant branch manager at AJW’s Norwich depot, is one of the people using the system, he says: “MyAccount means nearly everything you need to know is at your fingertips, reducing the amount of time required to quote customers and check on existing orders. I wish every supplier had one.”
Adding value to sales As pitched roofing standards become increasingly stringent, Marley Eternit says one area it is looking to help merchants with is communicating the benefits of roof systems to customers. Emily Dix explains: “Merchants are going to make a much bigger margin on selling a full pitched roof system, with our underlay, battens, roof tiles or slates, fixings and accessories, than just selling tiles on their own, plus it comes with a 15 year warranty, which is a great benefit to customers. We’re doing a lot of communications activity to help explain and sell the benefits of roof systems and any merchants who want support in this area can contact us.” BMJ
24
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net August 2018
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