SUCCESSFUL SELLING Top Tips for Sawn timber
Sawmillers have spent the last decade adding value to what was once considered a commodity product. We asked Kevin Hayes, Managing Director of AKZ Timber, to give us his top tip for selling today’s sawn products: “Make sure you are selling a product that’s fit for purpose, either graded specifically for the end purpose such as C16 or C24, or if it’s treated timber, that its treatment is suitable for the application, whether that’s to Use Class 2, 3 or 4. Sawn products are much more advanced than in the past: they have greater value to the merchant and should be treated accordingly. Customers value good presentation, uniformity and consistent quality: they also value on-time delivery, so remember to keep your promises.”
PSEs
Planed square edge timber is one of the staples of the merchant trade, and is used by a myriad of building trades. Plumbers for example buy PSEs to help box in pipework, so having at least some signage towards the PSEs in the plumbing department, if not some actual product, is useful for cross-selling. What else matters in selling this basic product profitably? We asked Phil Jones, Sales Director at Snows Timber to give us his top tip: “If you only have a small space then keep 1-inch, 2-inch, 75x75mm,100x100mm, 38x150mm and 38x225mm as a smaller
Picture: Meyer Timber
stock range. If you have more space, then stocking a bigger range will enhance your sales and enable you to service a larger variety of customers.
“Labelling the products with their quality also helps,” Snows’ Phil Jones continues. “People can then appreciate the difference in what they’re buying. Fifths Redwood PSEs are a good quality, but where a higher quality finish is required then Unsorted timber should be recommended to give more of a joinery grade end result. Remember that perception is everything. If a builder sees dirty or damaged
Picture: AKZ Timber
stock in the racks it’s off-putting. Check your stock regularly for damaged pieces.”
Mouldings
Much depends on the size of your merchant branch as to the depth of range you can display in solid timber mouldings, but what else matters in selling these products today? We asked Jason Dodd, Sales Manager at Setra Wood Products UK, for his top tip: “Know your customer base: analysing your sales is the best way to determine whether your customers are likely to buy on price or quality. Also look
SELLING TIMBER
As the Timber Trade Federation launches its sales training course, experts share their top tips for selling timber & wood products.
Picture: Snows Timber Picture: Setra Wood Products UK
6 / May 2019
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