How to sell more to contractors from your hardware store or online shop
Short answer: A contractor decides what to buy before walking into the store: when building the quote for the client. The store that wins contractors is the one on that list, with visible prices and fast replies, not the one with the best sign out front.
Why a contractor is worth more than a walk-in customer
A homeowner buys for one house, once in a while. A contractor buys on a recurring basis, for several jobs at once, and brings the end client along. Once they get used to your store, your store ends up in every quote they build.
Three traits worth keeping in mind:
- They buy by job, not by product. They need all the material for a task together: pipe, fittings, glue and valves. If one item is missing, they go to another store for everything.
- They ask for a price before they go. They message for a quote or check your website. A store that is slow to answer or shows no price drops out of the comparison.
- They are short on time. A contractor with a crew waiting does not stand in line. Fast pickup or delivery to the job site matters as much as price.
Where the purchase is decided
The flow goes like this: the client asks for the work, the contractor builds a list with quantities and prices, the client approves, and only then does the buying happen. The material is decided when the contractor builds the quote, not at the counter. If your store is not on that list, you arrive late.
What to do, in order of effort
- Publish prices. Even if it is a spreadsheet. A contractor who cannot see a price assumes you are expensive.
- Keep your business listing up to date. Address, hours, phone number and messaging. It is the first thing people see when they search your name on Google.
- Organize the catalog by task, not only by category. "Install a bathroom sink" helps a contractor more than "Plumbing fixtures". More detail in the guide on what data your catalog needs.
- Reply with the product and the price, not with "stop by the store".
- Offer something to frequent buyers. A volume discount or a loyalty plan is a concrete reason to come back to your store.
- Show up where contractors build their quotes. Today that is an app, a spreadsheet or a notebook. Being in the tool where they build the list means being there before the counter.
How Obra Maestra handles it
This is what the product does today for stores:
- Integrating your catalog is free, with no commission on sales.
- It connects through your online store, a product feed, an API or a spreadsheet. You do not need an online store.
- When a contractor quotes a job in your area, Mae picks stores by price and distance to the job. The contractor can always change the store.
- When the client approves, the quote becomes a cart in your online store, or a list for the counter.
- With the Benefits Club you can gift the Pro Plan to your frequent buyers, and you pay for each active Pro Buyer.
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