Listers and Roto teaching old dogs new tricks
Posted on 25/06/2012
Once bitten, twice shy. A leopard never changes its spots. A rolling stone gathers no moss. Plenty of proverbs hold some truth but there are a few that can be challenged. In the case of Lister Trade Frames that proverb was, "you can't teach an old dog new tricks".
Lister Trade Frames hailing from Stoke on Trent had been investigating a roof window supplier that ticked all the boxes for their installers. They felt that that there was an opportunity to look at new and innovative products that presented better opportunities and a greater scope for their customers.
They were right.
Roto are a company with over 40 years of experience in the market place and have been operating overseas in Germany delivering their revolutionary pivot window. They decided to break into the UK market and they were looking for UK companies to get on-board with.
It appeared to be a perfect fit.
Listers embraced this new product and set about the difficult task of changing their customer's mindsets to recognise that there were alternatives to the more established brands.
"The product spoke for itself," commented MD Mark warren, "the issue was making sure that our customers understood the benefits of the Roto roof window."
Working closely with Roto, Listers started the marketing onslaught. A demonstration model was installed on their trade counter and a focused advertising campaign was devised. The next step was to show their customers how easy the system was to install.
Listers sent a group of their customers and some of their own staff to a Roto Roof training day held by the manufacturers themselves. The day long course demonstrated the ins and outs of the product, encouraged the participants to get involved and install demo models. The feedback from the customers spoke volumes.
"It was a fantastic day," remarked Steve Lloyd a Listers customer, "Actually getting our hands dirty and learning the techniques really helped me understand the product."
