How to sell proiects, not prcducts

By Susan J. Black Merchandising Manager Norton Consumer Products Division Norton Company

OUR BEST customer is your present customer is an old marketing adage with much truth. If you stop and think about it, who but the customers already in your center offers you the most potential for additional sales and profits?

Supermarkets, for example, long ago recognized that their sales could be maximized without increasing square footage. They hang small racks of dips in front of snack foods, display higher-priced salad dressings on shelves above produce, and even merchandise baking utensils with cake mixes.

There's no reason why lumber and home centers can't emulate these pros by using the same principle of selling a project, rather than a product, through cross-merchandising.

Let's look at an examDle. You've pur- chased pressure treated decking at an excellent price and plan to run a "special." Before you advertise, however, think project, not product. What other items do do-it-yourselfers need to build a deck? Sandpaper for one, both discs for power sanding the deck and sheets for

Story at a Glance

Sell more to each customer... maximize square footage with cross merchandising devices... sell projects, not individual products...teach your staff that add on sales build volume and profit.

smoothing rails before the stain is applied. Other necessities are anchor bolts, galvanized nails, rust-proofed hinges and handles. By cross-merchandising through signage, samples or minidisplays, you can remind customers of these other products that you carry.

What does this cross-merchandising strategy accomplish? First, you're more likely to capture additional sales that might have gone to another store. Many customers don't have a complete shopping list when they open your door. They're focusing only on the major elements of their project. By reminding customers that they'll need other supplies to complete their project, you're providing a service.

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