SUCCESSFUL SELLING
around at the age of the housing stock nearby as that will help determine the selection of profiles that might give you good stock-turn. Ask your supplier’s advice if you’re reviewing your range: TTF members like Setra Wood Products are here to help.”
Carcassing
Although carcassing can fly out of the yard when the building season is at its height, it doesn’t mean it should be left uncared for, if you want to reap its full value. Keith Ainslie, Sales Manager for Carcassing at James Jones & Sons and Chairman of the TTF’s National Softwood Division, gives us his top tip: “Packs of carcassing aren’t like packs of bricks: they need just a tiny bit of care and attention for you to be able to sell every stick profitably. Staple an old batten to the wrap on the pack and at the end of each day re-cover the pack to give it a bit of protection from the elements. If you don’t there’s a chance that the timber could deteriorate over time if left totally uncovered.”
Picture: International Timber Plywoods
There is a wide variety in the qualities and types of plywoods available today. Selling them properly and profitably starts with understanding the builder’s intended end use of the product and being confident that you are selling the right product for the right purpose. We asked David Siggins, Commercial Director at panel products specialists Meyer Timber, for his top sales tip: “Builders merchants would sell more plywood if their staff were more knowledgeable about the products and the standards that apply to them,” he says.
“To sell higher quality plywoods, and thus increase your reputation and margin opportunities, you need to be able to explain to the customer why they should be buying one product over another. There are many variable factors, from the plywood face to the core material, glue bond, and so on. That’s why at Meyer Timber we’re launching our own plywood training programme, available to all our merchant customers.”
Cladding Picture: James Jones & Sons
Timber cladding for heights up to 18m on buildings is fashionable and much in demand. For selling this more technical product, John Dowd, Specialised Product Category Director at International Timber, gives us his top tip: “Suppliers are an integral part of the supply chain, but it is merchants who must work hand in hand with their builder customers to define where and how the timber cladding will be used. We may be able to offer merchants a fire-retardant treatment for cladding, but the environment in which the cladding is to be used is vitally important, as is the backing structure. One of the key factors is whether the test data for the fire retardant treatment is appropriate for the situation in which the cladding will be used.”
Flooring Picture: BalclasTimber
With many merchants now installing kitchen showrooms in branches, augmenting the offering with timber flooring adds further value
Fencing
With more extreme weather events occurring as climate change takes hold, fencing sales should be a key constituent of the merchant product range. We asked Martin Batts, Timber Sales Director at Balcas, for his top tip on fencing: “Any fencing installation is only as good as the fence posts that support it. Understanding what makes a good fence post and the benefits it provides to the customer is essential.
“Any softwood fence post that comes into ground contact should be prepared and treated to a Use Class 4 ground contact specification. In the case of our Balcas Permapost Incised Rounds and Square Sawn posts, they are kiln dried and then incised at the critical ground contact level, to ensure a deep penetration of the Tanalith wood preservative. The result is a product that gives the customer a post with a 15 year service life, and is backed by the Balcas 15 year performance guarantee. This year marks over 45 years since we first introduced our Permapost range of agricultural fencing, so our fencing expertise has been relied upon for a generation.”
Decking
It’s over 20 years since the BBC’s Ground Force programme introduced the concept of decking to the nation’s gardeners. For selling today’s fast-moving landscaping products, we asked for Phil Taylor, Regional Sales Director at International Timber, to give us his top tip: “Keep some decking samples to hand at the trade counter, especially products like anti- slip decking. When you get an enquiry, while you’re working out what decking the customer needs, ask a bit more about the installation. Do they have any steps or entrances where some anti-slip would be beneficial? Are they sure they want softwood? Can you present some hardwood and composite alternatives for them to think about? Never miss an opportunity train your staff so they’re ready to spot an opening to up-sell different, added value decking products and accessories.”
May 2019 / 7
to kitchen sales for the merchant. But what’s the best way to present it? We asked Tom Dee, Flooring Manager at Brooks Brothers, for his top tip: “Having a good selection of product options on display is essential. These needn’t take up huge amounts of space. At Brooks Brothers we make flooring display panels for our merchant customers that they can hang on the wall. Demand for these has increased substantially and we now have a waiting list for making them, so it must be proving a successful sales technique for merchants.”
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