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| Picture My Home Makeover |
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Spring
2005
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The
newest addition to Cedar Impressions® and Restoration
Shapes™ is a Double 9" panel that replicates real
hand-split cedar shakes. Rough-Split Shakes feature random
shake lengths and gaps to create an authentic, seamless appearance.
The .125" thickness, along with reinforcing ribs, provides
a strong, sturdy panel. | |
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Vinyl
Carpentry™ Accessories can help you complete most
jobs in less time because they are designed to fit and they
don't have to be fabricated at the job site. For example,
you can order a Double 9" Mitered Cornerpost that matches
the new Rough-Split Shake panel introduced earlier in this
newsletter. The Mitered Cornerpost features the same cedar
shake profile, and it is sized to fit over the Rough-Split
Shake panel. A Cornice Molding Cap that is designed to fit
over Cornice Molding with Mitered Cornerposts can finish
the job. Similar Mitered Cornerposts are available for Double
7" and Triple 5" Perfection Shingles. And, a new
specially designed Undersill Trim was developed to finish
all Cedar Impressions styles under windows.
TrueComfort®
siding also features a specially designed corner. This
1-1/4" insulated cornerpost reduces the need to shim
corners to accommodate the extra width of a TrueComfort
panel. One of our newest accessories, Bay Window Cornerpost,
is flexible enough for you to use to trim angles from
45° to 30°. Using it eliminates the need to fabricate
a corner from two pieces of J-channel and quarter-round.
For our WeatherBoards Siding, there are five sizes of
fiber cement trim to choose from—all are guaranteed
to have the same great performance characteristics as
our siding. These and other specialty accessories can
give all your installations a finished look and reduce
your time at the jobsite.
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A
new six-page booklet, Clearing the Air about Attic Ventilation,
examines the need for adequate attic ventilation and explains
the advantages of InvisiVent® super ventilated soffit.
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Five
new deluxe folders and sample kits demonstrate the value
of CertainTeed and Wolverine premium brands. These information-packed
selling aids highlight the selling proposition, style and
color selections, and available accessories for some of
our most popular products. These tools make it easy for
you to sell-up and increase your profits. 
Restoration
Smooth™ Deluxe Folder
- The large folder includes samples of Restoration Smooth
Double 4-1/2" and Triple 3", color chips, and
a 3-1/2" lineal with rosette and corner block. Large,
full-color photos along with features and benefits make
this a very effective sales tool.|
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By Doug Nyberg, Director of Sales Productivity, CertainTeed
Marketing collateral can range from simple one-page black and white literature pieces to an entire array of materials that allows you to present a product to your customer with the utmost professionalism. You must decide how you want to portray your company in the eyes of your customer. For example, did you ever wonder why so many hotels have such “fancy” lobbies? It is because first impressions count. It is the “wow” factor. Your reaction when entering a lobby like this is,”wow, this hotel must really be nice”, and it usually is. The same is true when you are presenting a product to your customer. When you have sold yourself and your company to your client and then it comes to product selection, most would like to put their best foot forward. This means presenting the product in a way that makes it easy for the customer to understand why they should use it, and the easiest way make their final decision as to color, profile, etc. By using professional and well organized marketing collateral that is backed by a stable manufacturer you simply add to the image you have worked so hard to create for both yourself and your company. Consider the samples, color brochures, displays, color selection tools, internet assistance and referral options, industry rankings, warranty (and the reliability they provide) since a warranty is only as good as the company that stands behind it. If the product you are representing has the types of marketing tools that help you portray the image to your customers that you want, you have made the right choice in products to represent. At CertainTeed Siding Products Group, we have what we feel is the best marketing department in the business. If you have not had a chance to review the marketing collateral that they produce, please consider asking your CertainTeed rep to review it with you. Once you have the opportunity to see how these tools can assist your selling efforts, I am confident you will agree that the quality of the marketing tools they create aligns extremely well with the excellent image you choose to portray. What do
you think? |
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 Contractors
are pleased with the Boardwalk Hidden Fastener System because of
its proven efficiency and aesthetic appeal. With no under-the-deck
work required, the HFS is up to 50 percent faster to install than
traditional decking systems. There are fewer screws to buy and fuss
with during installation, and once the deck is installed, there
are virtually no visible nails or unsightly screw holes, creating
a beautiful surface structure. Here’s what two satisfied customers
have to say about Boardwalk HFS.
"The
new Boardwalk Hidden Fastener System is terrific for our business,
especially for the resort homes we supply. When homeowners invest
in lake or mountain homes, they want every part of the home—even
the deck—to look great. The surface of an HFS deck is smooth,
with no visible hardware. The finished deck has the high-end look
customers want in their vacation homes." "The
new integrated Hidden Fastener System for CertainTeed Boardwalk
is an innovative system and a great product. While there are a
few hidden fastener systems on the market, CertainTeed has the
edge on the competition because Boardwalk HFS is easy and fast
to install. It is just what deck installers are looking for.". |
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Walt Hoyt, CertainTeed Director of Communications and a member of the manufacturers' development committee for the VSI program, explains, “This program is a tremendous opportunity for installers to earn independent validation of their knowledge and skills. The certification will add value to the contractor's sales proposition and could be the critical difference in winning jobs. The certification can also give contractors a solid answer to homeowners who ask, ‘Why should I hire you?’” The Certified Installer Program debuted in March and April in Columbus, Ohio, and Atlanta, Georgia, but courses will soon be offered across the United States and Canada. The program will be unveiled nationally in 2006. For
more information about the VSI Certified Installer Program,
visit www.vinylsiding.org
or call VSI's toll-free hotline: 888-367-8741. |
The
Vinyl Siding Institute (VSI) has rolled out its new
VSI Certified Installer Program.
The program is a two-and-a-half day course of classroom and hands-on
study of proper installation techniques for vinyl siding. Individuals
can study to be Certified Installers and Certified Trainers. Installers
with more than three years' experience may qualify to take the Certified
Installer's examination without the course. | |
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Helping your customers choose the right siding and roofing products for their homes can help clinch the sale. You can guide them through the selection process with the help of the professional designers at Picture My Home Makeover. Have
your customers send a digital picture of their home to www.certainteed.com/
picturemyhome and
tell the designers what they’re looking for. For a fee,
they’ll receive three different custom designed layouts,
information on the products specified in the designs, and a list
of local contractors. |
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Thanks, Steve,
for reminding us that sometimes it's best to let the product speak
for itself. |
Steve
Gilpin of American Manufactured Exteriors is the winner of the
Panasonic Lumix digital camera. Steve’s winning tip is a
great way to demonstrate the added value and improved looks of
Millennium siding.