A few years ago, I bought a countertop. Luckily, because I’ve been with Moraware since 2003, I know lots of countertop fabricators. So, I had the luxury of working with a company that I’ve known for over a decade.
Most homeowners don’t have that context or experience – and in fact, getting a new countertop for their kitchen is a once-in-a-lifetime event. Because of that, it’s incredibly important to make every step along their countertop journey great, starting with the initial estimate.
Reducing uncertainty for the homeowner
When a homeowner walks into your countertop fabrication shop, that first visit is a huge part of their purchase decision. I know when I started looking for our new tops, I was overwhelmed by the selection of surfaces, colors, and options… plus, I was trying to agree with my wife and had the help of an interior designer.
The last thing any homeowner wants with a construction project is more uncertainty – especially at the beginning. So, the sooner they understand the price and options of their countertop, the more likely that they’ll move ahead.
Just being professional puts you ahead of the competition
When a new customer is evaluating which countertop fabricator to use, price is just one of the criteria. They’re also deciding “Is this shop going to give me the countertop I wanted, on time, without a hassle?”
Part of that decision-making process is speed. If they need to wait a week to hear back from you, chances are that they’re going with the competition. Your ability to prepare a quote quickly doesn’t seem like it has any bearing on how you make tops, but it’s one of the few indicators you’re giving about how you run your entire business.
Because you’re trying to put your best foot forward, you need to put a ton of effort into making your sales process professional, too. If your quote is a handwritten note compared to a professionally prepared document (or email), that’s sending a message about the overall professionalism of your company.
Most homeowners don’t care about your shop
Since most people who buy a countertop will only do it once in their life, as part of a bigger kitchen remodel or new construction project, it turns out they don’t really care about the technical nitty-gritty of how you produced a countertop. But, they do care about your business.
As a countertop professional, you’ve built up expertise about the manufacturing process and you understand the difference between a well-constructed countertop and one that’s poorly made. Your customers won’t, and they need to rely on your overall business acumen and appearance to understand if you’re the best shop in their market.
The way you send that impression is in the showroom. It includes everything that appears there, including the friendliness of your sales team, the cleanliness of the facilities, and attractiveness of your displays. But, the first thing you’re going to deliver to your customers isn’t a countertop, it’s actually the quote.
Make it good.
As you can probably tell from this article, we care deeply about making countertop businesses better. And that starts with a great quote. Want to know a weird coincidence?
We actually make software for drawing, laying-out, and estimating kitchen countertops. If you’re interested in scheduling a demo of CounterGo, find a time that works for you here.
