Renegade Conservatory Guy

How to run a double glazing company

It can be a lonely position running any company, and running a conservatory / double glazing company is no different for most owners.

I’m lucky that I run my conservatory business with my brother and we can bounce ideas off each other. If we make a mistake it’s a joint mistake, and it’s not as big a deal.

As part of my role, I’m sometimes called upon to talk to the owners of other conservatory companies, and help with business advice when things aren’t going quite right.

Today, I’ve spent much of the day with one of my customers (who will remain anonymous) trying to solve possibly the biggest problem:

A lack of sales!

Background on the company - well they’ve recently invested in a great conservatory showroom, and invested a lot of their personal savings in the project. They have the best conservatory showroom in their area. All installations are project managed throughout by the owners to a meticulous standard. The quality of their conservatories, windows and doors are top notch - they have to be - they buy them from me!

So, why are they struggling to bring in the sales?

I appreciate it’s a tough market, but it’s all too easy to blame the economy, the weather, the Government etc. They’re struggling to bring in the sales because they haven’t got things quite right. My advice to them, and other conservatory and double glazing companies is as follows:

There’s clearly lots more to it than the above list, but it’s a start.

The most important thing is to not give up, believe in yourselves and your products and service, and the sales will come!

3 Comments »

The Armstrongs - Website sales meeting

I know just how expensive it is to generate window, door and conservatory leads, having spent thousands on Google Adwords over the years! It’s nice to know I’m not the only one who has thrown money at a conservatory website.

The team from Coventry’s third largest double glazing company debate whether the wheels have come off their website:

Classic TV! When’s the next series?

No comments »

UK window industry - we’re ahead of the rest of the world!!

I’m a big believer that the UK fenestration and glazing industry needs to rapidly improve it’s product range and service to the consumer. There’s challenging times ahead and those companies willing to try new things will succeed as a result.

Despite this, I still feel we’re light years ahead of the rest of the world!

A few things have happened at work this week that have made me think this way:

Firstly, I had a potential trade customer with a small window company in Tenerife get in touch with my company. My first thought was to fix up an appointment quickly, and get on the next plane out of here! The company supplies UK products to ex-pats who cannot purchase the type of quality windows, doors and conservatories they were used to in the UK. I was told that there are ‘major opportunities in Tenerife!’

Then we had an Anglo-German couple in our conservatory showroom last weekend. They were so keen for our sales rep to come and quote them for a P-Shape conservatory in Hamburg, that they were willing to pay for our guy to go over and quote - flights and all. Apparently, you just can’t get decent conservatories in Germany!

Finally, I stumbled upon a forum for expat Brits living in Australia, discussing double glazing down under. There were a number of people on the forum complaining about the standard of Australian windows, and comparing them unfavourably with the ones they had left behind! I once lived in Perth, Western Australia, and to be honest, I can’t remember much about Australian windows, other than they were as flimsy as the secondary glazing we get here.

And then in the US, the vogue is for English conservatories, and from what I hear there’s real opportunities for UK suppliers to sell product over there. Apparently, the product range in the US is simply not as good as those offered in the UK.

So maybe we shouldn’t beat ourselves up too much. What we need to do is make sure the British public understand how lucky they are to purchase Great British windows, doors and conservatories!!

No comments »

Bush and Blair video

This is funny:

No comments »

Two sides to every story

I like to think I’m straight talking, and as a result of that some times writing a blog can get you in bother.

I recently wrote a post about phoenix traders which I perhaps shouldn’t have written. I knew exactly what I was doing when I wrote it and the implications it may have for the company I identified. To be honest, at the time I was annoyed, and felt that I was not being told the truth.

The sentiment of my post was real - as an industry we shouldn’t be encouraging companies to go bust and reform. And I certainly won’t be supplying individuals who have deliberately folded a company to get rid of debt and liabilities, and then started up again.

However, there are always two sides to every story, and in this particular instance I may have overstepped the line - and for that I’m sorry.

1 Comment »

Synseal fights back with conservatory roof test video!

In a previous post I discussed an Ultraframe Roof Video which had been doing the rounds suggesting that only Ultraframe roofs could withstand the extremes of the British weather. The video showed the Wintech test centre putting a number of conservatory roof systems through rigorous testing, and the comments posted on my blog suggested the industry was split as to the validity of the video.

I had my own concerns about how independent the testing of non-Ultraframe roofs actually were. And, more specifically, the finger seemed to be pointed at the Synseal (or Global) roof system in particular, with the roof apparently failing spectacularly at 30mph mph wind speeds.

Well, Synseal decided to take their roof back to Wintech (the same place Ultraframe had visited) and fit their conservatory roof to Synseal recommended standards, and see how it would actually perform.

The results are as follows:

The Ultraframe roof video implied that a Synseal roof would fail at wind speeds as low as 30mph, while Ultraframe roofs could withstand hurricane force windows of 130mph.

So, how can Synseal visit the same testing centre, fit their roof system correctly and find that the roof actually withstands 160mph wind speeds???

OK, I’m going to be accused of being biased towards Synseal. But, in my previous post I pointed out that I’ve fitted hundreds of Ultraframe and Synseal roofs, and both systems are fit for purpose.

My point is that Ultraframe have clearly twisted the rules here, and fair play to Synseal for setting the record straight. The Ultraframe video was clearly complete nonsense, and the suggestion that independent fitters were used to fit competitor roofs is clearly wrong.

Surely fair competition involves selling the benefits of your own product, not trying to slag off the competition unfairly!

6 Comments »

Window Industry in recession - will the interest rate cut make a difference?

It’s clear to me that even though the economy as a whole may not be quite in recession, our particular part of the economy is clearly in recession. According to the BBC website:

A technical definition of a recession is two successive quarters when the economy shrinks.

Well, the window industry has had 2-3 successive years of shrinking, and the outlook is for further shrinking over the coming years.

The latest quarter point cut in interest rates will help, but I feel it won’t make enough of a difference to our industry.

The latest AMA report into the replacement window and door market confirms the problem:

The UK market for replacement domestic doors and windows is facing major challenges in 2008. The market is large, but mature, and volumes are declining. As companies compete for business in a strongly price oriented market, major problems have resulted in substantial restructuring in 2007, as the market adjusts and consolidates.

The following table highlights the problem:

AMA predict things are unlikely to change in the short term:

The overall prospects for the replacement doors and windows market for 2008 remain downbeat, with a forecast decline of around 3%, reflecting a combination of market saturation, continued pressure on prices throughout the supply chain and the impact of the current credit crunch. In addition, the economy is set to slow down in 2008-09 and falling house prices are also likely to slow the market. In the medium term, some recovery may be achieved and the sector will offer growth prospects in some niche applications.

Individual companies can buck the trend by differentiating themselves from the rest, and offering either different products or a unique type of service. But for those wishing to manufacture and install ‘bog standard’ shiny white plastic windows things don’t look good. Conservatories have plugged the gap over the last 5 or 6 years, but even demand for conservatories in the UK is falling.

We need to work together to stimulate demand for our products. I feel that we need to create an organisation which has the primary goal of advertising and marketing the main selling points of our products:

Instead of Synseal, Pilkingtons and Joe Bloggs Window Company all sending different advertising messages to the consumer, why don’t we all consider putting money towards a central body which promotes the industry as a whole to the end user.

I predict that a £10m TV advertising campaign selling the benefits of replacement windows and doors to the consumer would have a dramatic effect on the graph above.

There are lots of problems we face as an industry, but I believe the main problem is simple - a lack of demand for what we are selling.

The problem is getting people who compete with each other to work together…

No comments »

Masterframe sash windows – flying the flag for UPVC vertical sliders

A few days ago, I had a real double glazing ‘A’ lister on my website – Alan Burgess , the MD of Masterframe Windows – and he placed a comment about my appraisal of the TimberWindows.com website.

Well, he encouraged me to take a look at his websites, and I decided to give him (and you) my thoughts:

Masterframe Website

This is clearly the main Masterframe website and is designed to appeal to the trade – installers, fabricators, builders and specifiers. I assume the site will also get a fair few consumers as well and has a Homeowners section.

The Home Page has a clean and fresh feel with clear links to the main parts of the website. I like the title at the top of the page:

Specialist manufacturers of PVCu Vertical Sliding Box Sash windows … it’s all we make!

There’s clear directions from the Home Page to the Photo Gallery, Technical detail, and the different ranges of products they sell – such as the Bygone Collection, the Classic Collection etc.

At first I wasn’t sure about this statement:

Let us start by stating, we are all about best value for you, our client and that we are probably the most expensive manufacturer of PVCu sliding sash windows in the UK…

This is a brave statement, a bit like Stella Artois suggesting they are reassuringly expensive. I can see that Alan is keen to imply that Masterframe sash windows are the best, and priced accordingly. I’m sure this policy can work for such a niche product – I wish I could get away with stating the same for standard casement PVCu windows!

I’ve had a good look around the website, and feel there is everything I need to know about sash windows there to look at – pictures, technical stuff, the option to receive a buyer’s guide, and detail directed at the main targets – builders, specifiers, fabricators and installers.

By reading the text, I was left feeling that Masterframe Windows is an honest company – if you give them a ring, you’ll get a straight answer. I’m not sure if that is the case, but the website gives that feeling.

I would expect that this website gets a good amount of traffic from consumers, and I’m not sure if this is something the company wishes to promote. I’m aware that they have a separate consumer website, which I will appraise in a minute. But if they did wish to generate more leads from the website for their dealer base, I feel a concerted effort towards SEO would pay dividends.

For example, the header titles all state ‘Masterframe – Manufacturers of high quality UPVC sliding box sash windows’. I feel varying the titles slightly will improve the search results. For example, why not have a page titled ‘Masterframe – installers of PVC sliding sash windows in the UK’. The website is not currently on the front page of Google for ‘PVC sash windows’, whereas the site appears in 3rd place for ‘uPVC sash windows’. I would also target terms such as ‘sash windows London,’ and other key geographical areas, as such long-tail terms are more likely to be purchasers.

Clearly the site works well on Google, but I feel the website has quality content, and deserves to appear higher.

I have two further suggestions. Firstly, I was interested in seeing what you factory looked like? Some pictures of the machinery, and the craftsmen working would have interested me. Secondly, a bit of video footage about how the windows open, how they are installed and so on, would be of interest.

Bygone Collection website

The Bygone Collection website is very similar to the Masterframe website, which makes sense as there is continuity, and I would assume both sites are easy to maintain and update this way. As the site is designed for the homeowner there is less technical detail and more selling points for the consumer.

I like the link on the Home Page – worried about your carbon footprint? – which takes you to the detail about their Energy Rated Sash Window – the first in the UK!

I liked the Find an Installer section as I was interested to find out which companies installed Masterframe sash windows in my area. It was a bit difficult to find the section though, so I think this could be given a higher priority.

Most of my comments about the main site apply here, and the overall feel from the website is that choosing the Bygone Collection from Masterframe would be a sensible investment.

I noticed that Masterframe are investing in Google Adwords (Pay Per Click advertising) to ensure that the website is top for certain key phrases such as ‘sash windows’. This is very sensible, but like the Masterframe website, I feel a concerted effort of SEO and link building could make this website appear at the top anyway. I suppose the perfect result would be to have the two websites in the top two positions on Google.

Conclusion

I look after a few websites myself, and I know how difficult it is to get things 100% right. In most respects, I would say Alan is doing a far better job with his websites, than I am with my own! If I appraised my own websites at the moment, I’d be incredibly critical.

Finally, I’m aware of the real success Masterframe is having in one of the few niche markets within the double glazing industry and for that end I am full of admiration.

2 Comments »

The Double Glazing Salesman

A short film showing you how to deal with the dreaded double glazing telephone canvasser:

No comments »

Double Glazing TV ads

Getting across the correct message in any advertising medium is not easy. In many cases it’s a case of ignoring the professionals and going with what you believe to be right.

I’m interested to know what your thoughts are about the following TV advert currently running on Yorkshire TV:

It’s clearly a bit cheesy, but name me one company in our industry over the last 10 years which has been successful producing quality TV advertising. There has been one company out there which has been highly successful over that time, but with the worst type of TV ads - Safestyle UK.

West Yorkshire Windows have invested heavily over the years in TV advertising, mostly with well thought out ‘professional’ campaigns - all of which have been mostly expensive flops.

This advertisement, though, has filled the showroom and the phone is ringing! It’s a crazy world.

No comments »