Unique Gonnections Three points to selling specialized fasteners

qELLING specialized fasteners

L)helps create an identity for a dealer to stand out among competitors. As a result, the yard will attract innovative builders, who are looking to compete by selling high quality and totaljob cost versus low price.

Although specialized fasteners are per piece more expensive than generic hardware. dealers should be able to show that their benefits more than offset any price difference. Employ the three keys to selling specialized fasteners: /'i\

JxU Suu by application. Mer,/ chandising connectors by end use helps buyers select the proper fastener and facilitates add-on project sales. Swan Secure Products. for example, identified 25 major applications and developed a fastener for each, including fiber cement siding, redwood decking, pressure treated wood and plastic lumber. Dealers, in turn, can target specific markets by carrying the appropriate products.

"Find out who needs siding, who needs piers, who needs redwood decking, in what grade, in what size," urges Swan Secure's Mike McFarland.

/'O'\ p Sett as part of a / package. With specialized fasteners, "it's not what it costs per pound, but what it costs to do the job," McFarland explains. "They should be incorporated into the total project cost. In the case of selling a large diameter nail in a softwood like cedar or redwood, the contractor is actually paying for more nails than necessary. The count of a l6d decking nail is 44 per pound, a l6d cedar decking nail has 88 per pound."

Especially encourage specialized fasteners for more expensive projecs, in which the hardware becomes a smaller percentage of the total job cost.

Story at a Glance

Benefits of selling nails and screws specifically designed for the iob ... three-pronged sales approach.

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J*@ S"n rcfiability. Speciatized ,, fasteners assure customers that they are gening the proper product for thejob. Ifthey purchase an expensive siding or roofing product with a longterm warranty, they should also get a fastener that will survive the duration of the wananty.

Unfortunately, the customer may buy the correct fastener but then install it incorrectly or in the wrong lumber, and blame it on the hardware. Perhaps he'll buy redwood in the morning and begin building a deck that afternoon, without properly preparing the wood or giving it time to season. "If they don't prepare proper foundations, they'll still have extractives in the wood seep out - and they'll want us to replace the deck," McFarland says. "Green redwood has so much moisture it has to go somewhere."

Since improper installation provides poor results even with the proper fastener, sales people must be knowledgeable about the lumber end. To ensure proper installation. make sure fasteners include instructions, or hand out a simple checklist of precautions against extractive bleeding and streaking.

Remember, the lowest price isn't always the best deal. "I believe that the market will continue to agree with this logic as quality and long-term aesthetics take the front seat in decision making," forecasts McFarland. "Everyone will stock niche products, but in order to generate new profit dollars, high-end niche markets are the only way to go."