1. A Distributor Can Help You Add New Products

One of the easiest ways for an established contractor to grow is not necessarily finding an entirely new customer.

It may be offering more solutions to the customers you already have.

For example, a contractor who primarily installs vinyl siding may have opportunities to add:

• Premium vinyl siding
• Insulated siding systems
• Steel siding
• Aluminum siding
• ASCEND Composite Cladding
• Board & batten profiles
• Tando Stone accents
• 5-inch and 6-inch seamless gutter systems
• Gutter protection

A knowledgeable distributor can introduce those products and help your company understand where each one fits in the market.

2. A Distributor Can Help You Build a Good-Better-Best Presentation

If you only show one siding product, the homeowner has a simple decision:

Buy from you—or buy from somebody else.

But what happens when you can confidently present several solutions?

A contractor might build a presentation around:

• Good: Quality vinyl siding
• Better: Premium vinyl or an upgraded siding system
• Best: Steel or composite cladding, depending on the homeowner's goals

The point is not to force every homeowner toward the most expensive option.

The goal is to give homeowners meaningful choices and explain the features, benefits and differences clearly enough that they can choose the product that fits their priorities and budget.

3. A Distributor Can Help Your Salespeople Learn the Products

Adding a product to your price book is easy.

Selling it confidently is harder.

Your salesperson needs to understand questions such as:

• What makes this product different?
• Who is the ideal customer?
• What problems does it solve?
• What are its major features?
• What benefits matter to a homeowner?
• What colors and profiles are available?
• How does installation differ?
• What does the warranty cover?
• Why does it cost more or less than another option?

A distributor that understands its products can help shorten that learning curve.

4. A Distributor Can Help Build Your Demo Kit

If you want to sell better products, show better products.

Do not expect a homeowner to understand the difference between two siding systems because your salesperson pointed at two photographs in a brochure.

Let them see it.

Let them touch it.

Let them compare it.

A strong contractor sales kit might include:

• Physical siding samples
• Profile samples
• Color samples
• Corner samples
• Insulation samples
• Product literature
• Warranty information
• Installation examples
• Before-and-after photography
• Manufacturer technical information

Suburban Wholesale & Supply keeps samples, literature and demonstration materials available to help contractors strengthen their kitchen-table presentations.

5. Use Your Distributor's Showroom

Some products are difficult to appreciate from a small sample.

That is especially true when a homeowner is considering an upgraded exterior product.

A showroom gives contractors another option.

Bring the homeowner in. Look at colors. Compare profiles. Touch the products. Look at accessories. See how different materials appear next to each other.

The Suburban Wholesale & Supply showroom provides contractors with a place to see and demonstrate products including ASCEND Composite Cladding, Tando Stone and other exterior building materials.

6. A Distributor Can Help Train Your Installers

Selling more work does not help much if production cannot keep up.

As your company introduces new products, your installers need to understand them too.

Manufacturer and distributor-supported education can help crews understand:

• Wall preparation
• Fastening requirements
• Expansion and contraction
• Cutting methods
• Water management
• Window and door details
• Corner installation
• Transitions between materials
• Manufacturer installation requirements

Suburban Wholesale has worked to connect local contractors with training involving Gentek, Progressive Foam, ASCEND Composite Cladding, OSI and other manufacturers serving the exterior remodeling industry.

7. A Distributor Can Introduce You to Manufacturer Representatives

Do not underestimate the value of manufacturer relationships.

Manufacturer representatives can be valuable resources for product knowledge, technical questions, samples, literature, warranty information and training.

A distributor that maintains strong manufacturer relationships can help connect contractors directly with these resources.

That can be especially valuable when your company is considering adding an entirely new product category.

8. Inventory Can Help a Contractor Grow Without Adding Chaos

Growth creates another challenge: logistics.

More projects mean more materials, more orders and more opportunities for something to go wrong.

A distributor with strong local inventory can help contractors handle increased project volume without forcing the contractor to warehouse everything themselves.

Suburban Wholesale & Supply stocks 29 colors of .046 vinyl siding along with many commonly needed accessories.

That local inventory can help contractors schedule projects, handle additional material needs and keep production moving.

9. Jobsite Delivery Can Give Your Crew More Productive Hours

Growing revenue without controlling labor efficiency can create a bigger company without creating a more profitable company.

One simple place to look for lost productivity is material pickups.

When skilled installers leave a project to pick up siding and accessories, the company pays for drive time, loading, unloading and vehicle expenses while losing installation production.

Suburban Wholesale has trucks and drivers available for jobsite delivery, helping contractors keep their installation crews where they generate revenue—on the project.

10. A Distributor Can Help You Become the Expert

There is another way a distributor can help your business grow.

Knowledge creates differentiation.

If every contractor in town knows how to quote basic vinyl siding but your company can intelligently explain vinyl, insulated siding, steel, aluminum and composite cladding, your conversation with the homeowner changes.

Instead of simply selling siding, you become the contractor who can help the homeowner understand the choices.

That expertise can become part of your company's competitive advantage.

11. Your Distributor Should Challenge You

A good supplier should not simply ask, "What do you need today?"

Sometimes the better questions are:

• Have you considered offering this product?
• Are your salespeople demonstrating the product?
• Do you have current samples?
• Does your crew need installation training?
• Could jobsite delivery save your employees time?
• Are you offering homeowners enough choices?
• Is there a premium product you're currently leaving out of your presentation?

Those conversations can help contractors find opportunities that are easy to miss while concentrating on the next job.