One of the strongest parts of the Gentek SteelTek Supreme® sales story is profile choice.

Gentek currently offers SteelTek Supreme Steel Siding in four profiles:

Those specifications are important, but they are not the sales presentation.

The homeowner wants to know:

"What will each one do to the appearance of my house?"

That is the question your salesperson needs to answer.

Start With the House, Not the Sample Board

Before showing all four profiles, talk about the architecture.

Ask:

"Do you want the new exterior to stay fairly traditional, or are you hoping to change the character of the house?"

Then:

"Do you prefer more horizontal lines, broader siding courses or some vertical elements?"

Those two questions begin narrowing the profile conversation before you ever mention D4 or D5.

Profile #1: D4 Clapboard

Gentek's current SteelTek Supreme D4 Clapboard uses:

• Two 4" exposures per panel
• 1/2" butt projection
• 12'6" panel length
• Roughsawn texture
• Kynar PVDF finish

Those specifications are available directly on the SteelTek Supreme profile page.

The homeowner explanation:

"If you like a traditional siding appearance with more horizontal definition, D4 is the first profile I would show you."

Do not sell D4 because "four inches is better." Sell the visual rhythm.

Where Might D4 Look Especially Natural?

D4 can be a natural design conversation for homeowners who want:

• A traditional exterior
• More frequent horizontal shadow lines
• A familiar residential siding scale
• To maintain the basic character of an existing clapboard home

Architecture is not a rigid formula, so show the actual home whenever possible rather than declaring that one profile belongs only on one house style.

Profile #2: D5 Clapboard

SteelTek Supreme D5 uses:

• Two 5" exposures per panel
• 1/2" butt projection
• 12'6" panel length
• Roughsawn texture
• Kynar PVDF finish

A useful explanation is:

"D5 still gives you a classic horizontal clapboard appearance, but the five-inch exposure opens the wall up a little more than D4."

The difference sounds small numerically. Across an entire elevation, the visual rhythm changes.

Do Not Explain D4 Versus D5 With Numbers Alone

Saying:

"This one is four inches and this one is five."

is technically correct and almost useless.

Show the difference visually.

"Neither is automatically better. The question is which scale looks better on your house."

Profile #3: 8" Single

SteelTek Supreme's 8" Single profile uses:

• One 8" horizontal exposure
• 1/2" butt projection
• 12'6" panel length
• Roughsawn texture
• Kynar PVDF finish

"If you want the house to look broader and a little less busy horizontally, the 8-inch profile is worth seeing."

This is the profile where photographs and visualization become especially valuable because homeowners may not be accustomed to seeing an 8" siding exposure.

Do Not Let the Homeowner Assume 8" Means Flat

Turn the sample sideways.

The 8" SteelTek Supreme profile still carries the 1/2" butt projection.

"The exposure is wider, but you still have this half-inch profile depth creating shadow and dimension across the wall."

Wide does not have to mean visually flat.

Profile #4: 12" Board & Batten

Gentek's current SteelTek Supreme Board & Batten profile uses:

• 12" vertical exposure
• 2" batten width
• 5/8" batten height
• 10' panel length
• Medium woodgrain texture
• Kynar PVDF finish

These current dimensions are listed in Gentek's Siding Product Directory.

Say:

"This is not just another siding width. Board & Batten changes the direction of the house visually."

That is the homeowner benefit.

Board & Batten Does Not Have to Cover the Entire House

This is an important design conversation.

Depending on the home and design, contractors can explore using Board & Batten as an architectural accent.

Potential areas to visualize include:

"We can keep the main body horizontal and use Board & Batten where we want the architecture to stand out."

Now profile selection has become exterior design.

Present the Four Profiles as a Design Spectrum

Physically Arrange the Samples From Narrow to Wide

Your sample display should do part of the explaining.

Arrange the profiles in this order:

Then say:

"As we move through these samples, notice how the scale becomes broader—and then with Board & Batten the direction changes completely."

The homeowner can now see the progression.

Step Back From the Samples

Siding is not viewed from twelve inches away after installation.

If your showroom allows it, mount larger profile sections on a wall and stand back.

Ask:

"Now that we're looking at these from the distance you would normally see your house, which scale feels right to you?"

Profile selection becomes much easier when customers view siding from a realistic distance.

Keep Color Consistent While Comparing Profiles

If possible, compare profile samples in the same or similar color.

Otherwise a homeowner may choose the blue sample over the gray sample because they prefer blue—not because they prefer D5 over D4.

Separate the decisions:

Separating these decisions makes the design process easier for homeowners.

Use the Gentek Visualizer to Compare Profiles

A small siding sample cannot show what profile scale will do across 2,000 square feet of exterior wall.

Gentek's current Visualizer allows homeowners to compare siding products, profiles and colors and even upload a photograph of their own home.

Build several versions:

1. D4 across the main exterior.
2. D5 in the same color.
3. 8" Single in the same color.
4. Horizontal SteelTek with Board & Batten accents.

Then ask:

"Forget price for a moment. Which version of your house looks best?"

That answer tells you where to take the presentation next.

Do Not Show Every Combination

More choice can eventually become less useful.

Four profiles multiplied by multiple colors, trim choices and accent combinations can overwhelm a homeowner quickly.

After discovery, narrow the choices.

Your job is to help simplify the decision, not display everything you know.

Use the Profile to Change the Perceived Proportion of the House

Profile direction and exposure influence how an elevation reads visually.

Horizontal lines can emphasize width.

Vertical Board & Batten can emphasize height and draw attention to a selected architectural section.

That does not mean every short house needs vertical siding or every tall house needs horizontal siding.

It means profile direction is one design tool contractors can use intentionally.

Use Installed Project Photos for Every Profile

Build your sales library by profile.

The best photographs show:

• Full elevations
• Long wall runs
• Close-ups of texture and profile
• Corner and trim details
• Horizontal-to-vertical transitions
• Completed color combinations

One good installed photograph can explain profile scale faster than a long technical description.

The Profile Presentation Should Happen Before the Price Presentation

Do not say:

"Steel costs $_____. Which profile do you want?"

First determine what the homeowner wants.

"If all four profiles cost the same, which one would you want on the house?"

Then determine the actual material and installation requirements for that design.

Preference first. Price second.

A Simple Four-Profile Kitchen-Table Presentation

The 30-Second SteelTek Profile Explanation

What Should a Salesperson Stop Saying?

Do Not Automatically Put Board & Batten on Every Gable

Board & Batten has become popular, but popularity is not a design plan.

Ask whether the vertical change:

• Improves the architecture
• Creates a logical stopping point
• Balances the front elevation
• Coordinates with windows and rooflines
• Adds emphasis without making the exterior too busy

Use accents intentionally.

Profile Selection Can Help Build the Premium

When the homeowner starts saying:

"I really like that 8-inch look."

or:

"I love the Board & Batten on the front."

you are no longer trying to convince them to buy "steel."

You are helping them obtain an exterior design they have already selected.

That is a much stronger position from which to discuss the premium investment.

Build a Better SteelTek Supreme Profile Presentation With Suburban Wholesale & Supply

Contractors sell siding profiles more effectively when homeowners can see and handle the actual products.

Suburban Wholesale & Supply supports professional contractors throughout Davenport, Bettendorf, Moline, Rock Island, the Quad Cities, Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois with steel siding, vinyl siding, aluminum siding, samples, color tools, literature, accessories, material assistance and jobsite delivery.

Explore siding and exterior products available through Suburban Wholesale & Supply, or visit our Davenport showroom to compare SteelTek Supreme profiles and develop a more visual sales presentation.

The next time you show SteelTek Supreme, do not simply spread four samples across the table and ask, "Which one do you like?" Explain what each profile does to the architecture, narrow the choices based on the home, visualize the finalists and help the homeowner choose the exterior—not just the panel.

Sources & Contractor Resources