How to reach contractors: from specification to the counter
Short answer: On jobs run by a contractor, the material is decided when the contractor builds the quote. A brand that only works the point of sale arrives after the decision has already been made.
Who decides the brand
On a job run by a contractor, the one who proposes the material is usually the contractor: they know the product, they know how to install it, and they stand behind it if it fails. That is why spending only at the counter and on the end client can lose to an alternative the contractor was already using.
The four moments where a brand can be present
| Moment | What happens | What the brand can do |
|---|---|---|
| Request | The client asks for the job | Little. It is general branding |
| Quote | The contractor chooses material and brand | Clear data sheet, coverage and compatibilities. This is the point of greatest influence |
| Purchase | The material is bought at the store | Price and availability at the contractor's store |
| Installation | It gets installed and reported | Support, warranty and training |
What a contractor needs to choose your product
- A data sheet in job-site language. "Fits doors from 1-3/4 to 2-1/4 inches thick" helps more than a marketing page.
- Coverage. How much a container covers, how many units per square foot. Without it the contractor cannot quote and picks what they can calculate.
- Compatibilities. What it works with and what it does not.
- Purchase format. Whether it comes in a box, a bag or a can, and how many units that equals.
- Availability near the job. A data sheet does little good if the product is not in the stores in their area.
Supporting installers without it feeling like a giveaway
An installer program works better when it gives them a useful tool, not just a one-time discount, and asks for steady purchasing in return. Installation courses, starter kits and points per purchase are familiar formats. Another is paying for the tool they use to build their quotes.
How Obra Maestra handles it
This is what the product does today for brands:
- Specification. Your catalog, with data sheets, coverage and compatibilities, inside Mae. Mae suggests your product when it technically fits the project and does not force it: the contractor always decides.
- Loyalty. The Benefits Club gifts the Pro Plan to your installers. You pay per active Pro installer, and your brand goes on the quote the installer sends to their client.
- Demand on the job. Aggregated data for your category: what is being quoted, where and in what kind of project, by trade and by area.
- Terms. No exclusivity and no commission on sales. Integrating your catalog is free.
The Benefits Club tiers and pricing are on the page for brands, where they are kept up to date.
Keep reading
Put your brand where the purchase is decided
We'll show you how your category is quoted today and set up a pilot with your installers.
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