Training

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One of the things CTi prides itself on is the training it provides its Dealers. Application training, the science of concrete repair and preparation, as well as marketing, sales and business organization are all areas where we bring our thirty years of experience to bear to help our Dealers run more successful Dealerships.

This training not only provides happier end users, but our Dealers are more successful and, in turn, purchase more products from us. We have stuck to this model for three decades and chosen to provide this information without charging franchise fees, royalties and the like.

Simple Elegance

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The CTi products can provide a truly amazing transformation to your existing concrete surface. Simple elegance such as our Designer Series product line can provide a clean, easy to clean surface for patios, walkways, and other concrete surfaces.

Outdoor Living Areas

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Most homes have spaces considered “Outdoor Living Areas”, places where the homeowner wants a unique, attractive look they can enjoy year round. CTi’s coatings provide an attractive, easy to maintain surface that increases the value of the home as well as provide the area a look people want to use over and over again.

Beauty of Wood, Durability of Concrete

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One of the more popular looks our Dealers are providing their customers is the “Wood Look”. This look combines the beauty of wood flooring with CTi’s durability. No more need to wax and protect your wood floors, no more traffic wear and tear in the main areas. The wood look stays looking brand new for years!

Improving Sales Results

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As a CTi Dealer, one of the main responsibilities is educating prospective customers on the advantages of resurfacing their concrete vs. replacing it. Educating the customer effectively leads to higher sales and happier customers in the long run since they understand what they’ve purchased and how to best enjoy it.

Some tips for more effectively accomplishing this education are:

Ask Questions First: Too many times, people simply pitch the features of a product and hope they say something that resonates with the customer. Ask questions that allow the customer to tell you what is concerning them and what they would like to hear about the product in order to make an effective decision.

Make sure you focus on two sales with each customer: Every customer needs to answer two questions before they purchase the products you’re offering. The first is “Why do I want to buy this product?” which focuses on the advantages of what you offer and the benefits of resurfacing their concrete. The second question is just as important though, “Why do I want to purchase this product from you?” which focuses on how the customer feels about doing business with your company. Getting a customer comfortable with your company is easy enough to do but often doesn’t get done. How is your phone answered when the customer calls you? How do you show up at the appointment with the customer? Are you dressed appropriately? Does your truck look the part of a successful company? How does your crew show up for work at the customer’s property? These type questions need to be asked by the business owner regularly to insure they’re getting the customer comfortable with both questions that are on their mind.

Follow up: In our previous blog post, we explained the average Dealer closes one new customer for every six inquiries he receives. What happens with the other five inquiries? Following up with a “Drip Marketing” campaign that keeps your name in front of the customer in the weeks and months following your appointment leads to an additional 15% to 30% closing rate for the customers who told you no at first. Following up with a customer also leads to a better answer to that question “Why do I want to buy the product from you?” as it shows the customer you are truly interested in earning their business.

Plain and Simple

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Some customers want a clean, simple, modern look for their concrete. CTi Dealers can provide them with a one color textured surface using the Designer Series application. This textured surface has the color and the sealer all in one application.

Summertime is Here

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As Summer reaches full swing, our Dealers are busy bringing new life and beauty to pool decks all around the country. Beautiful, easy to clean and chemical resistant, our coatings are the perfect addition to any home.

Cracks Can Be Beautiful

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Our Carved Acrylistain application takes one of the most common problems with concrete and turns it into something beautiful. Cracks in concrete are turned into a look of inlaid stone and also minimizes the chances of the cracks returning in the future. This beautiful pool deck had a lot of cracks in the existing concrete but JP Concrete Design in Omaha, NE has turned it into something the homeowner loves.

Finding People

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Everyone I talk to seems to be very busy with their CTI business, plenty of work to do this summer and a backlog of jobs to complete. I keep hearing two things that seem to be keeping everyone from catching up. One, is the weather, which we can’t control, and the other is a tight labor market, which we also can’t control to some degree. The labor market is what I would like to comment on today.

The labor market is tight nationally, and I see no immediate improvement in that set of conditions. What do we
do to alleviate this? In talking to several Dealers and Distributors, I get some ideas that seem to generate some
longevity in hiring and retraining key employees. First of all, we have to find these people. Where do we do that?
Check with your friends and business associates and tell them you are looking for some good people to help grow
your business. Word of mouth is still the way to advertise your needs. Good people attract good people, just put the
word out. Check the local Vo-Tech school and let them know you are hiring. These teachers always need a business
for their students to go to after training. Check your local fire department, firemen usually work 24 hours on and 24 hours off and are looking for work on their days off. They are responsible people or they wouldn’t be firemen in the first place. Get about three or four firemen and you always have someone available when you need them.

Once you have found these key people, how do we retain them? A key to this is always money. You guys make good money on your CTI jobs. Thought about sharing those profit dollars with your installers? If the job is completed profitably and on a timely basis, a little bonus at the end of the week is not only appreciated, but is a seed to continue
with quality work on a timely basis. Thus, you have perpetuated the attitude and spirit of those who generate your livelihood. A win-win situation for everybody. Share the wealth is not something new, just ask Bill Gates.