3 Steps to Selling More Automated Shades

Learning to more confidently pitch clients on motorized window coverings will help you land more jobs—and increase your profits

BY ROGER MAGALHAES

Technology is changing every aspect of our lives and homes, including window treatments. That’s why it’s necessary for people in our industry to embrace the motorization movement. I am going to share a few tips to help you become more comfortable in your sales presentations and close higher-dollar projects, including some with automated units. I start my sales You are only going to dominate the lingo once you have skin in the game. After you visualize where batteries are mounted, STEP ONE: LEARN IT I wish I could tell you it would be as easy as waving a magic wand and voilà: You are now an expert. But it is not. It requires time, money and dedication to understand the nuances of automated blinds. presentation assuming the client wants automated treatments. how the wires are going to be displayed, how much depth is required to install all of the extra parts besides the shade itself and what is required to program them, you will be truly ready to explain to consumers, designers and contractors where and how your products will be installed. You will also There is no better place to test this new tech- be in a much better position to explain to nology and make all the mistakes than your clients how they should expect the final own home or showroom. Yes, it will require buying new treatments. product to look and perform. Yes, it will be frustrating and demanding. But it will be worth it.

Order treatments with different power options such as regular batteries, plug-in transformers and solar rechargeable batteries. When you feel comfortable with all of these options, add homerun power too. Also try different brands and various control options such as handheld remotes, timers, smartphone apps and wall-pad controllers.

STEP TWO: PITCH WITH CONFIDENCE

As professionals, we know that custom window treatments are

expensive by nature. Add extra features such as a motorized lift system, controls and power options—and extra charges for installation—and you just increased each unit by 20 to 30 percent. Obviously it just became a bit harder to tell the prospect the final price of the project.

Your job is to sound as natural as possible and not to hint to the client that this price is steeper than what they might find elsewhere. Give your pitch with confidence and don’t try to cut your profits to get the sale. There is extra time involved throughout the process, including more time entering details on the orders and a more complex installation setup. You don’t want to undercut yourself by slashing your price.

My own experience is this: If you are confident in your sales presentation, your client will feel your excitement and trust you. The money portion is obviously an extra barrier to surpass, but you are presenting a super-cool alternative that will make your client proud.

You also need to highlight the benefits that automated shades offer that cannot be found on regular treatments, such as no exposed cords for safety, automatic schedules to open and close, and an easy way to manage hard-to-reach windows, just to name a few.

STEP THREE: CHANGE YOUR MINDSET

I used to struggle when I presented the automated option after giving a price for standard treatments. As mentioned above, custom shades are expensive, which automatically creates a sticker shock once prospects hear the price tag.

Instead, I start my sales presentation assuming that the client wants automated treatments. That way, I naturally talk and show features that offer convenience and a “wow factor” to the buyer.

Now that I have the client’s attention, if the price is more than what they want to pay, we can downgrade to standard controls. For the most part, if the client cannot afford the entire project with remote shades, they will try at least one unit.

It is a win-win situation. You just increased your sale ticket, and another client was introduced to the automated trend.

As long as you install, program and service your client properly, they will see you as the go-to dealer for automated treatments. They will see value in what you offer and not even think about buying remote shades online.

I started selling automated shades back in 2006. At that time, I would sell a remote shade every six months. Fast-forward 12 years and I now sell entire homes of automated shades every week. What are you waiting for to increase your profits? z

Roger Magalhaes is certified as a Professional Installer by The Custom Home Furnishing Academy, Lutron, Hunter Douglas, Somfy and Norman Shutters. He is also an active member of WCAA, founder of the Facebook group Free Speech Window Covering Pros, and founder and owner of Shades IN Place, Inc., Franklin, MA, established in 2006.

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