By Scott and Ann Springer

Ease customers’ concerns about high-end products by telling them they’re less likely to need repair or replacement. (Courtesy of Vista)

Pond owners who install lighting fixtures in their land- and waterscapes might hem and haw before the initial purchase. Soon after installation, however, they often wonder how they ever lived without them.

Retailers can have a powerful influence on the sales of these big-ticket add-ons. Industry experts offer these tips to help retailers show customers the light about illuminating fixtures.

1. Turn on the light. Use in-store displays to show consumers how a lit feature can enhance their yards 24 hours a day said Cruz Perez, vice president of marketing for Vista Professional Outdoor Lighting, in Simi Valley, Calif.
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2. Call on manufacturers. “Spend the time to get your personnel up to speed by reaching out to manufacturers that provide training at no charge,” Cruz said. “Your personnel need to understand the design techniques and how to sell it.”
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3. Good pictures are worth a thousand words. Cruz said “[Quality] pictures can show someone what the products are capable of.”
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4. Tease customers. Set up a demonstration kit in a customer’s yard to put a sparkle in the pond and yard that the customer can’t live without once it is removed. “Eighty to 90 percent of clients who use a demo kit with their customers will close that sale,” Perez said.
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5. Hit the books. Any literature from manufacturers and distributors can help a retailer increase his or her product knowledge. “You have to be comfortable with any question that comes up,” Perez said. “For the questions you can’t answer you need to be able to say, ‘Let me call the local salesperson and get you an answer.”
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6. Host a lighting seminar with the help of an expert or manufacturer. “Those who sponsor training seminars have increased their business,” Perez said. “It creates awareness in the target group and creates support from the manufacturer to the end user.”
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7. Create a “Jones effect.” Send would-be lighting enthusiasts to drive by the homes of customers who already are enjoying the benefits of an illuminated pond, Perez said. Clients will line up to outdo their neighbors, he said.
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8. Maximize yard signs. Contractors often use yard signs to advertise their services after performing lighting installations. Retailers also can advertise themselves by placing a sign beside the contractor’s sign. It might read: Buy the products from this installation at our store.
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9. Prepare to explain costs. Not all lighting fixtures are created equal. High-quality products often cost more up front, but they save money and time down the road because they are less likely to need repair or replacement, Perez said.
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10. Know the customer base. Some parts of the country — such as California, Arizona, Florida and parts of Texas — were early adopters of designer lighting, but lighting is sold across the country. If retailers know the barriers their clientele face in buying these products they can help them overcome these sales obstacles, Perez said. <HOME>