Clearview South June 2013 - Issue 139 | Page 54

INSTALLERSUPPORT SEISMIC SHIFT Previously, Syseal’s marketing approach was distinctly fabricator focussed. However, launched from a very prominent stand at the FIT Show in Telford recently and supported by a high profile advertising campaign featuring a young dynamic duo, it’s hard to ignore Synseal’s new direction with the Synseal Registered Installer (SRI) scheme. Clearview sat down with Head of Marketing, Mark Schlotel, to find out what was behind this significant strategic shift?... “Synseal is one of the largest PVC-U extruders with 450 fabricator customers in the UK. These partners are our daily focus and typically buy window and roof profiles in bar length as well as roof kits. The installer is our customer’s customer, so historically our fabricators have communicated with their installers to convey our marketing messages. “With the new business support that Synseal is offering directly to installers, our fabricators still remain a central part of the chain. The fabricator acts as a local sponsor of the scheme which, in turn, directly supports their own customer base.” So how did it all come about? “Despite challenging economic conditions there are some areas of positive market activity. The online domain is crucial to this, particularly where sales generation is concerned. Installers need a strong presence on the web. Homeowners are empowered by their ability to source products and providers via the Internet, so to some extent the industry has flipped and the business support that Synseal is now offering fully recognises this shift. “In late 2011, Synseal’s Chief Executive, David Leng, had the business vision to create the Synseal Registered Installer (SRI) scheme that you now see today. As a relative newcomer to the team, I’ve now picked up this task and driven implementation.” Where do you even begin with something like that? “In March 2012 we conducted an online survey with a chance to win an iPad and over 200 installers responded. The research was designed to identify demand for Synseal branded sales tools and installer needs. The results showed very encouraging interest in Synseal’s product updates and business support options. “95% of installers surveyed said they wanted homeowner sales leads. Marketing materials also proved to be highly important to installers, particularly logos, retail brochures and digital support, more specifically design and hosting of installer websites. “Only half of the installers surveyed had an online presence and we already knew from work with our fabricators that the Internet is the main tool a homeowner uses when finding a installer. Synseal already employs its very own digital guru who has created new or updated websites for around 10% of our fabricator customers in the la st year alone. Hosting also allows us to update technical information simultaneously across the network of websites, ensuring our partners always have the very latest information about new products and developments.” So what is it that really sets Synseal’s offer apart other marketing support packages? is completely free and you don’t have to be an existing Synseal customer. The application is then verified by a sponsoring Synseal fabricator who can supply our products on a local basis. “The beauty of being a Synseal Registered Installer (SRI) is the freedom to choose the level of support required, including some optional extras such as web design and membership of FairTrades. Sales leads from the Synseal homeowner website and listing on the ‘Find and Installer’ postcode directory comes as standard. This web presence is further enhanced by a priority listing on the All Checked home improvement directory, which provides another shop window to deliver sales leads. “Finally, our research also highlighted that installers wanted a logo to promote the fact they were a SRI, so we have created a simple yet eye-catching SRI logo that can be used by our members on paperwork, stationary, business cards and van livery. We now have a full suite of retail sales brochures for all six of our product flavours too: windows & doors, conservatory roofs, orangeries, bi-fold doors, patio doors and vertical sliders. There has clearly been a lot of time and effort put in to devising and delivering the SRI scheme and considerable commitment from Synseal to this long-term strategy. Are you happy with how it has been received so far? “There has already been 100 SRI’s that have applied and been verified since the FIT Show all of whom will be receiving their boxed welcome pack via their sponsoring fabricator. We’ve set ourselves an ambitious target of 500 SRI’s by Christmas, although early signs show that this is very achievable.” For more information and to sign-up for free to become Synseal Registered Installer visit www.synseal.com “All it takes is a simple one-page application form that tells us all we need to know about the installer and how best to tailor their particular package to suit their needs. Sign-up 54 JUN 2013 To read more, visit www.clearview-uk.com