How to Introduce ASCEND Composite Cladding During a Vinyl Siding Appointment

The homeowner called you for a vinyl siding estimate.

You measured the house. You discussed colors. You explained your installation process. Maybe you even demonstrated the difference between an entry-level vinyl panel and a premium .046-inch product such as Gentek Sequoia Select.

Everything is going well.

So should you introduce another product?

Absolutely—if you do it correctly.

ASCEND Composite Cladding should not replace your vinyl siding presentation. It should expand it.

At Suburban Wholesale & Supply, we encourage contractors to give homeowners meaningful choices. A customer who originally asks for vinyl siding may ultimately decide that premium vinyl is exactly what they want. Another homeowner may see ASCEND and realize they prefer its wider plank, wood-inspired appearance and composite construction.

Your job is not to decide for them.

Your job is to show them the options well enough that they can make an informed decision.

First: Don't Talk Down Vinyl Siding

This is probably the most important rule in this entire lesson.

Never make your original vinyl siding recommendation sound inferior simply because you want to introduce ASCEND.

Quality vinyl siding remains an excellent exterior option for many homeowners. Premium products such as Gentek Sequoia Select can provide attractive profiles, broad color selection, low maintenance and excellent overall value.

Suburban Wholesale & Supply stocks 29 Gentek Sequoia Select colors, giving contractors a substantial vinyl siding offering to put in front of customers.

If you spend 20 minutes telling a homeowner how good your vinyl siding is and then suddenly say, "But this product is much better," you have weakened your own presentation.

Instead, position ASCEND as a different premium choice for a homeowner with different priorities.

The Transition Can Be Very Simple

You do not need a complicated sales pitch.

After explaining your vinyl siding package, try something like this:

"Based on what you've told me, I think this vinyl siding package would work very well for your home. Before we finish, though, I'd like to show you one other product. It isn't traditional vinyl siding. It's ASCEND Composite Cladding. It gives you a different look and construction, and I think it's worth seeing before you make your final decision."

That's it.

You haven't criticized vinyl. You haven't pressured the customer. You have simply earned permission to show another option.

What Exactly Is ASCEND Composite Cladding?

Contractors need to understand the product before they can confidently present it.

ASCEND Composite Cladding is not conventional vinyl siding. It uses proprietary (GP)² technology combining a glass-reinforced polymer surface with graphite-infused polystyrene.

That construction gives the contractor several legitimate product differences to demonstrate rather than relying on vague claims that one siding is "better."

• Glass-reinforced polymer composite construction
• Graphite-infused polystyrene component
• Wide 7-inch horizontal plank appearance
• 12-inch board-and-batten profile option
• Wood-inspired exterior appearance
• Published thermal resistance up to R-2.0 for the horizontal plank under specified applications
• Class A flame-spread and smoke-developed ratings
• Published impact and wind-load performance
• Low-maintenance exterior

Contractors can review additional ASCEND specifications, profiles and product information on the Suburban Wholesale ASCEND Composite Cladding page .

Don't Start With Specifications—Start With Appearance

Contractors love specifications.

Homeowners usually notice the finished appearance first.

Put an ASCEND sample next to the vinyl siding sample and allow the homeowner to physically compare them.

Ask:

• Which appearance do you prefer?
• Do you like the wider plank?
• Which texture looks better for your house?
• Do you prefer the more traditional vinyl profile or this flatter composite appearance?

Now the homeowner is participating in the presentation instead of simply listening to you talk.

Sell With Samples

ASCEND is a product that benefits tremendously from being physically demonstrated.

Don't leave it in the truck.

Bring a sample into the house. Let the homeowner:

• Hold it
• Feel the surface
• Look at the profile
• Compare the plank width
• Compare it directly with vinyl
• See available colors

If you need ASCEND samples, literature or assistance preparing your demonstration, visit the Suburban Wholesale & Supply showroom in Davenport, Iowa .

Explain That ASCEND Is a Different Product Category

One mistake contractors can make is trying to compare ASCEND and vinyl using a single specification.

For example, vinyl siding thickness is an important specification when comparing vinyl panels. Gentek Sequoia Select horizontal profiles have a nominal .046-inch thickness.

But ASCEND isn't conventional rigid PVC vinyl siding, so comparing the products strictly by panel thickness doesn't tell the homeowner much.

Instead, compare the complete systems: construction, appearance, profile, thermal properties, maintenance, available colors, warranty, installation requirements and price.

Contractors wanting a deeper technical comparison can review Gentek Vinyl Siding vs. ASCEND Composite Cladding from Suburban Wholesale & Supply.

Find Out What the Homeowner Actually Values

ASCEND will not be the right choice for every customer.

That's fine.

Ask better questions:

• How important is changing the appearance of the house?
• Are you trying to stay within a specific budget?
• Do you prefer wider siding exposures?
• Do you like the appearance of painted wood siding?
• Are darker exterior colors important to you?
• Would additional thermal performance have value to you?
• Are you planning to stay in the home long-term?
• Would you like to compare a premium exterior package with the vinyl option?

Their answers tell you whether spending additional time on ASCEND makes sense.

Use Good-Better-Best Without Calling Anything "Cheap"

This is a natural opportunity for a good-better-best presentation.

The labels are less important than the principle: give the customer choices and clearly explain what changes as they move between packages.

Don't Assume the Customer Won't Spend the Money

This is where salespeople sometimes eliminate an upgrade before the homeowner ever gets to consider it.

You look at the house. You make assumptions about the customer's budget. You decide ASCEND is probably too expensive.

So you never show it.

That is not good salesmanship.

If the product legitimately fits the project, show the option and explain the price difference. Let the homeowner decide whether the additional investment creates enough value for them.

But Don't Force ASCEND Into Every Appointment

The opposite mistake is just as damaging.

ASCEND shouldn't become an automatic upsell regardless of what the customer tells you.

If the homeowner's primary concern is obtaining an attractive, low-maintenance exterior within a firm budget, a quality vinyl siding package may be the stronger recommendation.

Your credibility increases when you're willing to say that.

Use the House to Help Sell the Upgrade

ASCEND becomes much easier to understand when the homeowner can see it on their own house.

Exterior visualization technology can help contractors demonstrate wider plank siding, darker colors, board-and-batten accents, contrasting trim and complete exterior packages.

Instead of saying, "Imagine your house with ASCEND," show them.

This changes the discussion from the price of siding to what the homeowner wants the finished house to become.

A Simple ASCEND Kitchen-Table Demonstration

1. Start with the vinyl siding the homeowner originally requested.
2. Explain why you selected that vinyl product.
3. Show the profile, construction, colors and warranty.
4. Establish the vinyl package as a legitimate solution.
5. Ask permission to show one additional premium product.
6. Place the ASCEND sample next to the vinyl sample.
7. Let the homeowner physically compare them.
8. Explain the difference in material construction.
9. Discuss the 7-inch plank appearance and available design options.
10. Explain applicable thermal, fire, impact and wind-performance information accurately.
11. Show both products on the house when visualization is available.
12. Present the actual price difference.
13. Let the homeowner decide which package creates the most value.

The Sales Academy Lesson: Don't Sell Against Yourself

There is a major difference between offering an upgrade and destroying the value of your original proposal.

If you tell the homeowner that premium vinyl siding is a quality choice, stand behind that statement.

Then introduce ASCEND honestly:

"These are both products I would be comfortable putting on a home. They are different products at different investment levels. I want you to see both so you can decide which one fits what you're trying to accomplish."

That is a much stronger sales position than trying to convince the homeowner that whichever product costs more must automatically be better.

Become Comfortable Demonstrating ASCEND Before You Try to Sell It

Contractors sell products more confidently when they understand what they are showing.

Review the construction. Learn the profiles. Understand the accessories. Read the installation instructions. Know the warranty. Learn what performance claims the manufacturer actually publishes—and don't exaggerate them.

You can start with Suburban Wholesale's ASCEND Composite Cladding overview and our more detailed ASCEND vs. Gentek vinyl siding comparison .

Visit Suburban Wholesale & Supply

Suburban Wholesale & Supply helps siding contractors throughout Davenport, Bettendorf, Moline, Rock Island, East Moline and surrounding Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois communities compare exterior products and build stronger siding proposals.

Stop in our Davenport showroom to compare Gentek Sequoia Select vinyl siding with ASCEND Composite Cladding .

Bring your measurements, photographs, takeoff or HOVER model. Our team can help you compare profiles, colors, accessories and material requirements so you can present the homeowner with real choices.

Don't decide what your customer won't buy. Show them the possibilities, explain the value and let them choose.

Continue the Suburban Wholesale Siding Sales Academy

This lesson is part of the Suburban Wholesale & Supply Siding Sales Academy—contractor education designed to improve product knowledge, demonstrations, estimating, exterior design and siding sales throughout the Quad Cities.

Explore more contractor resources, siding products and training at Suburban-Wholesale.com .