Hopefully by now you have read at least one of my motorization articles, seen one of my online videos, or taken one of my classes, and you want to put that knowledge to good use by promoting yourself and/or your business as a motorization specialist. I think that is a great idea, but how do you separate yourself from your competitors in the market? Well, I have a few suggestions for you.
First and foremost, make sure you know what you are talking about. The worst thing you can do is promote yourself as a motorization specialist and then meet with a client who has more knowledge of motorization than because they spent hours researching it online. If you are not at least 85% confident about your own knowledge of the motors you offer, then you need to educate yourself more before promoting yourself. There are several ways to educate yourself about motorized window coverings. You can try the DIY method like the client I mentioned and spend hours researching motorization through web searches but you would have to decipher what is credible and actually helpful. You could learn by the school of “Hard Knocks” and just start selling motorization and learn from all your mistakes (Please don’t do that. It is very expensive and will lead to many negative reviews that will last a very long time and thus defeat the purpose of trying to promote yourself as a motorization specialist.) You can contact your manufacturer and see if they offer any courses or online tutorials about the motors they offer. Many manufacturers are now offering such options and they are specific to the products they offer. You could contact the motor manufacturer directly and ask if they have any programs or courses to take. I know Somfy is really pushing their new Somfy University program where they have several online programs available. Not to name drop, but I know a guy who teaches some pretty good motorization classes both online and in person (see bio and picture at the end of this article). But seriously, you have to have some experience and knowledge if you expect good results from properly promoting yourself as a specialist.
When you have reached the level that your feel comfortable claiming to be a specialist, here are a few tips in promoting and building that reputation. First, make sure you are heavily advertising and promoting motorization in all of your media and marketing outlets. If you complete a training course or earn a certification, make sure to include that in your bio, your marketing, and speak proudly of it in your sales process. Let your clients know you were well trained. Any time you install a motorization project be sure to post a picture, a video, or a comment about the project. Try blogging about an upcoming or recently completed project. You can post comments about new technology coming out or how the products you sold and installed years ago are still running strong. The more online activity you create the more search engines will promote your activity. Also, make sure that when your clients post reviews that they mention their motorized window coverings. I cannot stress how important a positive online persona will help build your reputation.
A key factor in building your reputation as a motorization specialist is to have good working relationships with correlating industries. Meaning, reach out to electricians, contractors, and interior designers. Let them know of your abilities and how you can help them and their clients. I get a good number of referrals per year from other industries. Once they know I can be counted on, they are eager to mention me to their clients, and we all know how effective and profitable referral business is. Plus, many of the leads I get from these sources allow me to meet with the clients long before any of my competitors since I get to meet with them during the construction phase. Many of them will not even bother looking elsewhere, since I confidently managed the appointment and was referred by someone they were already working with. Another good relationship to work on is your manufacturer’s rep. When clients contact manufacturers directly, the manufacturer prefers to pass the lead on to someone they know will be able to properly care for the client. If your manufacturer knows you are a capable motorization specialist, they will more than likely refer you for motorization leads over someone else.
In summation, to properly build a reputation as a motorization specialist, you have to know your stuff. You have to constantly promote that you know your stuff. And you will need to gain the confidence of others who can help promote you. If you are still in the learning and improving your confidence phase of trying to build your motorization reputation, please consider taking one of my courses either online at windowcoveringworld.com or in person at this year’s IWCE in April. I look forward to helping you become a true motorization specialist.
