The building trade has evolved considerably over the last decade. New industry innovations, trends and standards have meant that merchants need to continually update and adapt their technical knowledge to keep abreast of the latest developments.
The speed of technological advances and the growth of the smart home market is one such example. This has led to a rapid increase in connected products that merchants need to become familiar with, especially as research has revealed that 40% of homeowners say they’d prefer professional installation as opposed to trying their hand at DIY*. This benefits trade professionals who will be installing the products and giving them access to a whole new revenue stream.
It’s important that merchants capitalise on these types of opportunities and you can share information with employees and customers, to increase sales opportunities and position yourself as an expert in the field.
Understanding when a certain product should be used, or a new standard requirement should be considered could save your customers time and money, and make you stand out from the crowd. However, we know that trying to find the time to brush up on the latest advice can be a daunting task. With so much to take in, it’s important to make the most of the free materials available to help you wow your customer with your technical know how.
That’s why at Yale, we have created a wealth of resources to help merchants get to grips with our new Smart Living range of connected security products. To aid merchants Yale has an online TradeZone, Trade UK social media accounts and a range of how-to videos, step-by-step guides and data sheets.
For example, the online portal, Tradezone, provides a range of resources and information to help you learn the latest advice, security standards, product developments and seasonal opportunities. Not only can this help brush up on their product knowledge, but it also features step-by-step technical guides to assist customers on the trickier or more unfamiliar installation jobs.
Tapping into these resources equips merchants with informed advice to share with customers and add value to services and products.
By utilising the materials available, merchants can feel more comfortable distributing accurate and informed content and in turn, build long-standing relationships with customers, position yourself as an expert in the industry, and ultimately increase profit margins.
*Yale
Stephen Roberts is marketing manager for Yale.
