Telling Lies And Other Window Selling Tactics

Whilst you shouldn't be afraid of a window sales person, it's true that some are less economical with the truth and more aggressive than others.

We are not against companies trying to sell their products - quite the contrary. If it wasn't for the skill of the sales person, then no orders would be taken and lots of people in the company would lose their jobs.

In fact, most window sales people are very skilled and highly professional individuals.

However, the glazing industry in particular is renowned for sharp practice and as a customer, it's only right that you should know how some companies try to sell their products.

With many smaller local companies, you are most likely to meet with the owner or a principal of the window company than a sales person, depending on the size of the firm concerned - but it still pays to be on your guard against unscrupulous sales tactics.

Aggressive sales tactics are more likely to be employed by the larger regional and national companies, but by no means is this exclusively so.

Here are some of the more common sales stories that you are likely to come across. In text format, they lose some of their power, but in the hands of a skilled sales person, they can be extremely convincing.

Replacement window sales people do not always tell the truth

The trick therefore, is to understand that they are all, without exception, lies.

"We Need A Show Home In This Area"

This is an extremely common sales story and the one you are most likely to hear.

It's often preceded with a canvassing call to your home by somebody knocking on your door or cold-calling you by telephone, but you should also beware of newspaper advertisements and leaflets asking for "show homes in your area".

The sales person will most likely introduce him or herself as a "Marketing Manager" and will explain that as part of a new promotion, the company is seeking a very limited number of show homes in your area.

The show home "could" be featured in the company's advertising - though usually this just means a photograph in the sales person's demonstration book.

If your property is selected as a show home, you will be required to allow the company to photograph your house before and after the work is completed and perhaps accept the occasional telephone call from potential customers in order to provide a recommendation.

Of course, you will have to display an advertisement board outside of your home for a short period of time.

Some companies go more overboard on this lie than others and will ask about traffic levels going past your house, whether there is a bus stop close by, a school, offices or factories.

All of this is to make their argument sound more convincing and also to get you to buy into the show home idea.

They will offer incentives for you to take part - maybe offering you commissions or gift vouchers in exchange for introducing friends, neighbours or work colleagues.

But they save the biggest offer till last.

This is the discount. Often as high as 60% off the normal price - providing of course, that your house qualifies. This is where the sales person tries to take advantage of YOUR greed - by getting you to help convince him of the marketability of your home.

Naturally, such a generous discount and earnings opportunity cannot be left open and so the sales person can use your eagerness to qualify for the discount, as a lever to close the sale there and then.

If you aren't able to commit to a sale there and then, then of course, you will expected to pay full price for your new windows, as the offer cannot be left open. Only one property can be selected and the sales person will have another pressing appointment to see somebody else after leaving you.

The reality is that there are no show homes. It's just a story designed to get you to buy from the company without the sales person having to come back again.

"We Are Only In The Area For A Short Time"

A ploy used by some sales people is to say that they are currently working a special marketing campaign in your area.

They will say that because they are getting so much work, they can order all of the materials in bulk, have all of their fitters in the same place and finish more jobs in a shorter period of time.

This, they say, saves them money that can be passed on to you in the form of a discount - often up to 50% off normal prices.

Of course, it's just your luck that you should get the Marketing Manager again (never a sales person), but it just so happens that today is the last day of the campaign.

The "Marketing Manager" is just clearing up the last few enquiries and booking in the remaining jobs that will qualify for the discount.

You don't have to buy right now, but if you don't, you will lose the opportunity of the discount and will have to pay the full price.

Guess what? There are no bulk discounts. It's another closing technique to capitalise on what the sales people consider to be your greed.

"We Are Conducting A Home Economy Survey"

Less common than other closing techniques, but that's why you should be aware of it.

The sales person will likely to call himself a Surveyor or Marketing Manager again - you have to wonder why they are so scared to divulge their true role..

You will be asked to complete a survey that tells the "surveyor" how much money you spend on your home heating bills in a year.

Anything green sells these days, so this tactic is becoming more popular again.

The company will say that they are preparing a marketing campaign in which they would like to demonstrate the cost savings made by installing double glazing, but in order to stay on the right side of the Advertising Standards Agency, they have to verify the savings across a number customers in different types of house.

As you will now expect, they now only need one or two houses to make up the numbers.

The hook this time, to get you to buy into the story, is that you will asked whether you will be able to keep a log of your heating bills for a whole year (or more) and complete a survey for the company every three months.

They are looking for you to convince them that your bills are high and that your windows are to blame!

That's when they go for the close. They will be nearing the end of the recruitment phase and so the offer of a discount (up to 50% again) cannot possibly be left open beyond today - in fact, they are probably already oversubscribed, but of course, if you sign now, they will try and include you in the deal.

"BOGOFF"

That means "buy one, get one free" by the way.

Ask yourself, why would a company make this offer? It doesn't make any sense.

Shop around with a few companies and you will see that their free windows often come at a very expensive price.

Nobody can afford to give their products away. First there's the cost of manufacturing the windows.

Then they have to buy the glass. They have to equipment to pay for, factories, people to satff them.

Then they have to pay the fitters.

Are all those people in the supply chain going to work for nothing, just so that you get a good deal?

Of course they're not. It's a false promotion and you should politely say goodbye to any sales person who thinks you are gullible enough to stand for it.

Why They Use These Techniques

The same sales tactics have been used by sales people not just in the glazing industry, but in most direct sales organisations for decades.

There are no new sales stories, just the same rubbish recycled and repackaged to suit the audience.

Most double glazing sales people work on a commission only basis.

This means that if they don't get the order on the night, they don't get paid, so of course, they will do everything in their power to get you to sign on the dotted line.

What have they got to lose? If you don't order, they'll never see you again and they know that he next sales person through the door is likely to walk away with their commission if they don't close the sale.

Direct selling is a tough job and the rewards are only high for those who are successful at it.

Sadly, most people selling glazing have simply been sold on the lies that pervade the industry, about the riches that can be had if only they stick to agressive sales closing techniques.!

A good sales closer will sell one deal from roughly every three sales presentations - and with sales commissions amounting to between 10 and 25% of the total order value, you can see why they want to convince you that their product is best!

There are only a few good sales people though - and by good, we mean honest enough to give you a flat quotation with no false discount and to let you think about it in your own time.

We'd like to think that the companies you can contact via Windowquote.co.uk are amongst the very best.

Certainly, they've all agreed to provide quotations based on the measurements you place into our system and furthermore, not to hassle you continually by telephone.