[Floorwizard]

I was thinking...(this in itself is amazing), and I was wondering how I compare to other flooring salespeople in my area. How can I be better than them in ANY way. I know already I can provide better customer service, and forget about pricing, I know we are competitive, but I do not sell on price, I do not have low self esteem. So I thought of maybe getting ASID certified because there are not many salespeople who are, and if people come in to design their home using flooring I would have the edge.
How does painting fit into all this?
Well I was wondering if any painters out there have some kind of edge over their competition. I am not sure how it works, but do you get a call from a client, and they just want the work done, and they will already have the paint color, or do you have a showroom where you help pick out colors? I would wonder if there is any full service paint store with ASID certified paint guys out there helping clients with selections. What an edge!
You would have a huge edge over the big box stores.

 

[Grumpy]

I'm not in the painting biz but I can give some examples of things that set us apart from our compitition.

We are very clean. Your yard will be cleaner when we are done than before we start.
We always have an english speaking foreman on the job site, and by the way here is my cell phone number.
Our labor guarantee lasts twice as long as the industry standard.
We hand nail our nails for best quality.

It's important to know your competition and study how and why they do things.

 

[pgriz]

!

I have a guy in the area who has built his eavestrough business around the slogan "We call back". The workmanship is average, his prices are somewhat higher than average, but people rave about the fact that ... he calls back! This one fact has been enough to raise him above the others and he can't keep up with the work. KISS principle at work.

 

[Nathan]

How does painting fit into all this?
Well I was wondering if any painters out there have some kind of edge over their competition. I am not sure how it works, but do you get a call from a client, and they just want the work done, and they will already have the paint color, or do you have a showroom where you help pick out colors? I would wonder if there is any full service paint store with ASID certified paint guys out there helping clients with selections. What an edge!
You would have a huge edge over the big box stores.

Florcraft,

Most painters receive a call from a customer who has some idea of what they would like to have done to their home. The paint contractor tries to qualify the customer through a series of questions and then schedules an at home estimate (usually free).
I don't know any painters with show rooms and I don't think a show room would work anyways. Most customers want to see the colors they are picking in the lighting of the room as well as to see how well it matches the carpet/couches/siding/etc...
Painters will then bring fan decks from all the major paint companies and help the customer pick out the best color if the customer doesn't already know what color they want to use.
As far as paint stores go, most of them just refer homeowners to their contractor customers. I've thought about why they don't offer paint services as well and I just think they don't want to seem like they are competing with their best customers (Paint Contractors)

-Nathan

 

[Grumpy]

A show room for a painter would be an excellent idea if they did more than painting like installation of fancy moldings and minor interior decorating. Plus it would set them apart from the others. If your a medium sized business you have an office. Dedicating the front 200 square feet to customers won't kill ya... and if you have a nice window to show off what's inside you may even get a walk in or two.

 

[DenverPainting]

I like the "We Call Back" tagline. Also, I think that having a 100% Guarantee (and promoting it) will also set you apart from your competition.

 

[angus242]

Holy six year old thread