By Lachlan Faulkner, Chief Commercial Officer and Co-Founder of the global accessible-living company, Stiltz Homelifts
Selling directly to customers offers many advantages for companies, especially small or medium-sized ones. But there are many factors to consider.
Having co-founded homelift manufacturer Stiltz just over 15 years ago, I have seen how important it is to build a customer community and develop data-driven products when selling directly to consumers. One big advantage is that it gives you more control over how you advertise and market your products. It can also cut out the middlemen of retail and wholesale, although that will, of course, increase your workload. But with thought and planning, this could well be worth it. There is evidence that direct selling could boost gross margins by up to half.
But like any unique or disruptive business idea, it takes work and planning and most likely some serious restructuring. There will naturally be increased marketing and fulfilment costs, and you’ll need to incorporate a larger sales team into your projections. But fortune favours the brave, and if you can make it work, you may never look back.
But be aware – direct selling means you are responsible for obligations around consumer law, contracts of sale, and advertising guidelines. You need to be completely confident, legally and ethically, with claims you make in your marketing and on your website and ensure you are compliant with the relevant regulatory bodies.
Demonstrating your product
Irrespective of the product your company makes, showing people directly how your product works and how it can benefit them is invaluable. It’s often said that around a third of shoppers who sample a product will buy it there and then.
Stiltz places product demonstrations at the heart of its sales strategy. We have showrooms at key points up and down the country – in the West Midlands, Berkshire and West Yorkshire, where we invite customers to come in and try the products for themselves, in a relaxed, no-pressure environment. We also operate a team of field sales advisors who do the vital job of visiting the customer in their home. This is necessary as we need to assess the home for homelift installation suitability. But the salesperson must genuinely be seen to care about the people they are meeting. They must listen, be responsive and keep well away from hard-selling techniques. No one likes to be pressurised, and people will soon tell others about a bad direct selling experience.
We also go to as many events and exhibitions as we can, they are a great way to connect with potential customers and spread the word about our product and brand to other companies working in the same industry, as well as to potential end-user customers.
In 2027, slated for attendance are accessibility expo, Naidex, and the famous Ideal Home Show; 10 back-to-back days at Olympia. If you are to sell direct to customers, visibility is key, and specialist exhibitions like these are invaluable in achieving this.
It’s not just about sales; it’s about people seeing your product, talking to you and remembering. We operate a system of “Star Customers” who are happy to demonstrate their lifts to prospective customers in their own home. These people are worth their weight in gold to us – nothing is better than a recommendation from a real person, who may have similar circumstances to yourself. The best part of this is the customer visits are not attended by our employees, which allows for an honest customer-to-customer conversation. You’ve got to have great faith in your product, and the high levels of customer satisfaction your brand delivers, to be able to pull this off.
For many products, demonstrations don’t necessarily have to be in person. Many companies have found great success by benefitting from existing customers, or even influencers, carrying out demonstrations on social media. Social media has a huge reach and spans all demographics, with platforms suitable for all ages and tastes. Be aware, though, the online space is very crowded and noisy. But that’s where your creativity can come in – fresh and original ideas can break through and find their audience, if you put the work in.
With your advertising, it’s crucial to communicate clearly and succinctly the benefits and unique features of your product, service or brand. Good advertising, whether it’s in print or on video, uses clear and simple language and avoids technical jargon. It connects with an audience on their own level and naturally engages with the right sort of people most likely to buy their product.
There are lots of tools you can employ to encourage customer engagement and steal a march on the competition; warranties, trial periods and free samples can really help garner interest.
Know your customers
A little research will show you what matters most to your potential customers, and in what order. Some may place importance on after-sales care. Others will care about quick and easy delivery. It’s important to be able to have an answer ready for any kind of question you might be faced with.
Another advantage of DTC selling is the opportunity to gather first-hand feedback from customers. Data is invaluable when designing your marketing strategy and working to develop an understanding of what potential customers will respond positively to. This insight can be useful across all areas of your business. Stiltz uses it to inform our product research and development, which is always a great starting point.
Build community
If you don’t have the visibility of shops on the high street, there are lots of ways to get your product in front of people, especially in an online world. Stiltz maintains a presence on online chat groups and keeps a constantly updated mailing list where we contact people directly with offers and special events.These can really help create brand loyalty and increase the feeling that your company is part of people’s lives.
It’s also important to be open to feedback and discussion. Create a discussion forum like a Facebook page for customers to discuss issues and solutions, and make sure that you engage with it as often as you can. Creating communities like this can also be fun – competitions where people can submit light-hearted videos or photos can be a huge boost to engagement. Be prepared to deal with difficult questions or complaints. Addressing these openly is a strong brand win as it shows you are willing to take criticism on the chin – and act when things go wrong.
Demonstrate you are not solely focused on making money; show your audience you genuinely care about their lives and how your product can add value.
Stay in regular contact with customers by email. Send seasonal messages and share customer stories from other users. Poll customers asking them which charities they feel you should support. The possibilities are endless!
Make it easy
Customers expect to have issues resolved, and questions answered seriously and promptly. If affordable,create 24-hour coverage to keep a close eye on vendors to ensure they share your customer experience values. Make sure to answer enquiries through social media promptly’ anyone posting, reading or interacting can see what’s been written. They can also see your responses. Even those who are not regular social media users can spot automated answers, so try as much as possible to personalise and be specific with your responses.
“The customer is always right” should be a particularly strong mantra if you are dealing with directly with end users. Offering attentive, open service builds trust and retention, which is, of course, much cheaper than acquiring new customers.
Use the data at your disposal
Track customer behaviour and personalise follow-ups. Even small businesses can use scalable CRM tools, such as HubSpot and Pipedrive. The detailed information you get about customers by selling direct allows you to personalise offers to them, a tremendous way of upselling and building brand loyalty. It also ensures you remain agile, being able to pivot a concept or idea more readily if you’re getting direct end-user feedback.
