Top Quality Paint Is a Great Investment
for Your Customers and for You

Every business owner knows that a certain amount of investment is necessary to run a profitable business. For some, the investment that may be required is in machinery or office equipment. But for the professional painter, the most important investment may well be in the quality of paint that he or she uses.

Granted, the customer has to be willing to pay a little more for a top quality paint. But research shows that today’s homeowners and commercial customers are very quality-conscious. Once they understand the benefits of using a top quality paint, they are usually quick to choose the better quality product.

PROFITABLE PAINTING CONTRACTORS CITE THESE Keys To Success: EDUCATING building managers and homeowners about the better durability and better appearance of top quality paints (for example, scrubbability, stain resistance and ease of stain removal for interior paints; better adhesion, improved chalk resistance and better color retention for longer-lasting exterior paint jobs). EMPHASIZING the dollars-and-cents advantage of a top quality paint – namely, lower cost-per-year-of-service. ACTIVELY participating in the paint selection process with building managers and homeowners.

All of which invites the question, “Are you selling up when you call on customers?” If not, you may be leaving extra profit on the table – and missing an important opportunity to build your reputation as a top quality painting professional.

Every personal service business is built on reputation. For the professional painting contractor – who is often faced with stiff competition for the most desirable jobs – this is especially important. By establishing yourself as a contractor who uses only the best quality paints and products, you are saying that you care about your work – and about your customers. That can provide an important competitive edge.

Why Quality?
To get your customer interested in paying extra for top-line paint, you need to first sell the benefits of a top quality paint job. PQI interviewed managers of several painting firms that are expert in selling up their customers to quality paint. We asked what they find to be their most successful sales approach. The contractors agree that the single most effective tactic is explaining – in easily understood terms – the differences in performance between economy grade and top quality paints.

Exterior Work
There are a number of ways quality paint outperforms lower cost paint in exterior applications, from both decorative and protective standpoints. For purposes of explaining the benefits, the following table may be helpful:

In a word, quality 100% acrylic exterior paints are exceptionally durable and attractive, benefits you should stress to every prospect.

For interior work, you can offer premium performance in terms of both appearance (smooth and uniform, with minimum brush and roller marks) and resistance properties
(resistance to cleaning and scrubbing, as well as a minimized tendency to pick up and hold dirt).

Some contractors who were surveyed find it helpful to refer to an objective source when talking about the benefits of using top quality paint. The PQI website contains a wealth of information that helps explain why top quality paint is worth the extra money. The website’s Paint Resource Library has a variety of articles on quality paint that can be printed out and given to prospects.

Taking the Initiative
The contractors PQI interviewed told us they are indeed trying to sell-up their customers, and that their efforts are meeting with great success. All of those interviewed agreed that it was beneficial to have sales aids that illustrate the longevity, durability and value of quality paints.

To assist professional painters in their selling efforts, PQI has created “sell sheets” that summarize the benefits of using quality paints on certain surfaces (such as aluminum siding, vinyl siding and EIFS), and the benefits of using particular types of coatings (elastomerics and low odor paints, for example). These can be quickly downloaded from the Contractor/
Selling Your Services section of this website. In addition, consult our Contractor Calculator, which enables you to do a quick comparison of the costs of applying a top quality paint versus application of an ordinary grade of paint. It makes a compelling sales aid.

What was the “bottom line” experience of the contractors interviewed by PQI? They reported that being forthcoming with their clients about the benefits of quality paint helped build trust and respect, which in turn gained them new business from those clients… and glowing recommendations.

As you enter the spring painting season, remember to bring up the advantages of using a top quality paint to your clients. Selling up could result in more revenue, more work and a terrific reputation for you and your company.

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