It’s no secret. Contractors from around the nation can confirm that home improvement sales are booming and not likely to subside any time soon.

Despite the “change is on the horizon” predictions, even new home orders are up four percent from a year ago according to TheStreet.com. These findings -- coupled with the fact that 85 percent of our nation’s homes were built before 1980 and are prime candidates for updating and repairs -- have created expectations that the U.S. home improvement marketplace will become a $265 billion business by 2008.

In addition to this prediction from www.biz.yahoo.com, the Home Improvement Research Institute has also added to the good news by projecting that home improvement, lawn and garden sales will continually rise by 2.9 percent a year through 2009.

So, what is a good contractor to do but reap the benefits and stay atop of the rising demand for their services? Unfortunately, as many contractors nationwide know, it is just not that simple.

Consumer demands and tastes change on an ongoing basis. Annually, monthly and sometimes even daily, styles, finishes and even technologies come and go. For the contractor, the word “passé” means more than obsolete or old-fashioned. It can often spell C-H-A-L-L-E-N-G-E since many times it stands for work that has to be redone due to the changing minds of customers or the overnight introduction of the latest trends and gadgets. For as we know, the customer is always right or at least mostly right until the job is completed, everyone is satisfied and the checks have cleared.

Sound far too familiar? For many contractors this theme plays all too frequently with results that include lost profits and time as well as a great deal of anxiety and frustration.

However, there is a remedy for keeping up with the challenge of change. It’s called knowledge. That’s right, what better way to increase your customer’s respect for your services and expertise, in addition to your profits, than to know more than your client and to have the answers to questions before they’re asked?

Although this may seem an incredible task given most people’s hectic work and personal lives, rest assured, it is do-able if you know where to look for the information. Unfortunately, in many cases contractors tend to overlook the most obvious resource – manufacturers and their distributors.

In the future, always remember that both can provide an endless array of useful information on any number of products and services. That’s because these sources know that by providing their professional customers with the information they need to succeed will also ultimately make them more successful.

Consequently, the partnerships between manufacturers, distributors and professionals can provide many of the best opportunities for growing business. All you have to do is seek out and speak to the appropriate, reliable individuals and industry resources.

Surfing the Web

Most manufacturers like Sea Gull Lighting Products have multi-dimensional Web sites that are continually refreshed with new information that exceeds simple product specifications and installation tips. Available 24/7 these sites can also be browsed at your leisure, during off hours or even over the weekend.

But, most importantly, many manufacturer Web sites today are designed as a vehicle for sharing their expertise. For example, Sea Gull Lighting ( www.SeaGullLighting.com) offers a deep content Web site that provides thousands of products in searchable product categories, specification information, local dealer directories and guidelines for online purchasing.

In all, it is also good to remember that such sites have now been prepared to do more than just sell the manufacturer’s products. They are designed as educational resources and as a business toolbox, developed to extend the good will and partnerships forged between manufacturers and their primary customer bases.

This also means that most manufacturers will update their Web sites according to customer requests. Never forget that the best Web visitor is a repeat one and manufacturers will often accommodate the ongoing needs of builders and contractors by readily providing valuable information that matters to their customers. Consequently, this information can become a dynamic resource through continual updates that reflect new trends, the changing needs of customers and browsers as well as the many needs of professionals.

In addition, many of today’s savvy homeowners normally obtain their “project ideas” online or from décor magazines. As a result, professionals just like manufacturers and retailers need to stay above the curve and to capitalize on the many promotional opportunities presented by the Web. This includes “capturing” a client in the decision process and jointly browsing the Internet with clients to retrieve the ideal solutions for their households.

Partner with Distributors

Even though many customers believe they are do-it-yourself home experts, chances are most do need your help and are even willing to learn new design techniques that will likely increase the value, ambiance and safety of their surroundings. Landscape, kitchen, bath, deck and bedroom lighting when used properly can do all this by accenting fine objects, highlighting interior and exterior architectural elements, enhancing the aura of any room, lighting passageways to and from properties and extending the usability of outdoor areas for nighttime entertaining.

To increase lighting sales and secure the ongoing loyalty of building professionals, specifiers and homeowners, it is important for you to not only understand the wide range of lighting products and solutions available to enhance their projects, but also the design aspects of the market they serve. This includes a thorough grasp of the latest finishes and architectural style trends in addition to the broad range of lighting fixtures produced by the industry’s reputable manufacturers.

So, keep in mind that distributors can often offer an ideal source of lighting knowledge given that the effort is likely to increase their profitability with the additional sales made through your ongoing business. Oftentimes, they will even work with product manufacturers to arrange lighting demonstrations and technology learning seminars for their customers. With this type of assistance, basic indoor and outdoor lighting techniques can become routine in a matter of two to three one-hour sessions. So, in the future consider partnering with a local lighting distributor to develop a “how-to-clinic” for consumers. Chances are that the lighting retailer’s sales team is adept at lighting and décor trends as well as lighting layout techniques that can be shared in seminars that you sponsor. This opportunity will then put you right in the hands of a new customer base while positioning you and the distributor as lighting experts. The opportunities are endless!

Additional Manufacturer Resources

Many lighting manufacturers such as Sea Gull Lighting support product lines with detailed literature offering information ranging from the proper selection of equipment to the arrangement of fixtures, lamps and lighting angles to create the proper effects. Many times, other material is also often available that highlights the latest marketing and incentive programs developed by manufacturers to aid the sales and business efforts of their builder and contractor customers.

In addition, most reliable manufacturers will also often support customers by providing a broad range of American Lighting Association-accredited seminars and courses related to the sale, specification, design, merchandising and installation of residential lighting. For instance, Sea Gull Lighting regularly provides two-day tutorials from its newly-renovated Learning Center based in Riverside, New Jersey. These sessions are specifically designed to offer beginning and intermediate lighting professionals with in-depth tutorials taught by a combination of guest lecturers and Sea Gull Lighting’s professional teaching staff who are thoroughly trained in the latest lighting techniques and technical procedures.

Consider Other Resources

With efforts to curtail energy consumption continually on the rise, many local, state and federal government agencies have begun to implement regulations that specifically mandate the use of energy-efficient products.

For instance, the recently enacted “Residential Lighting Portion of the California 2005 Building Energy Efficiency Standards” (Cal. Title 24) presently details high-efficiency lighting requirements for all new building projects begun after October 1, 2005. Furthermore, these requirements impact the use of lighting in nearly every area of the home ranging from the kitchen and bathroom to the garage and home’s exterior.

Although many contractors and builders may view this latest array of legislation as just another burden, other segments have come to realize the opportunities presented by the demands for energy-efficient lighting from both legislators and homeowners. The fact is “green” is in and many households have begun to adopt environmentally-friendly stands that extend from the outside world directly into their homes.

As result, many manufacturers have worked diligently with the Environmental Protection agency (EPA) and Department of Energy (DOE) to develop energy-efficient lighting fixtures that are virtually indistinguishable from their traditional incandescent counterparts. In fact, Sea Gull Lighting, for one, now offers more than 500 ENERGY STAR-qualified lighting alternatives that are available in wide-ranging finishes and styles that start instantly and provide warm color with up to 10,000 hours of use.

In addition to being extremely profitable, the sale and installation of ENERGY STAR-qualified lighting has also been strongly endorsed by the EPA through the implementation of several programs that include the organization’s Advanced Lighting Package (ALP) initiative. Introduced by the EPA in the fall of 2003, the ENERGY STAR Advanced Lighting Package program is a voluntary construction option that details the use of ENERGY STAR-qualified lighting fixtures in homes and offices.

To qualify as a partner in this program, builders must meet specific specification criteria. In return, the EPA supports all ENERGY STAR Advanced Lighting Package partners with numerous marketing materials including cost-saving calculator tools, brochures, fact sheets and a listing on the ENERGY STAR Web site located at www.energystar.gov.

 Partner with Your Customers

In addition to all your other alliances, always remember that your customer is also your most important partner. As a result, aspire to be more than a supplier and salesman. The goal should be to become an informed consultant that earns the ongoing loyalty of customers, which in turn will normally produce multiple sales and referrals.

So, for starters make sure you’re informed. Next, ask plenty of questions. What is the color scheme and architectural style of the home? Which rooms and areas are to be lit? What are they used for and what moods is the buyer trying to establish in each? Does the area involve handicapped or elderly individuals and if so, do they have special needs? Is additional lighting needed due to safety issues? What are the home’s interior and exterior highlights?

Questions such as these will not only provide a great deal of insight into the lighting requirements of the buyer, but may very well set the stage for other sales opportunities that can be developed through informed suggestions.

Conclusion

For most of us, our homes and business lives have never been more demanding, In fact, many of us are working longer and harder than ever before.

However, the good news for professionals that specify lighting is that resources are available that can make your lives easier and businesses more successful. That’s why it’s so important to choose the right partners.

Many manufacturers, such as Sea Gull Lighting, have not only developed product lines, marketing materials, and information to support all your needs, they have also extended their brick and mortar businesses partners into cyberspace to make sure their expertise is available anytime of the day or night. All you have to do is reach out in one form or another since there are numerous reliable manufacturers that are more than willing to support your business and partner in your ongoing success.