The Window Tinting Vultures Come'eth
The recent achievement by CP Films to become the very first Window Film manufacturer to receive the NFRC credentials has far more significance than the simple "bragging rights" for having taken the initiative to get involved.
This speaks to the entire issue within the industry of false and misleading statements, low qualifications or cost/barrier of entry into the industry and the "image" of the entire industry as an entirety.
This issue which I'll drill down to "Image" in the (macro view) has evolved over the course of the last 40 years.
Commodity based window tinting, as exemplified by SunTek, Global, Hanita and Johnson Window Tinting, has as their mission a "world view" of selling their product to all comers at lower prices than the perceived higher quality film manufacturers.
This leads to a deliberate effort to establish more channels of dealers with a low to zero cost of entry into the business. Naturally, the larger "quality film" dealers would object to the reduction in standards for a dealer (insurance, training, integrity, professionalism, etc.)
Sun Gard FTI which recently closed its doors, is an example of an old line film company that could not compete on the low price commodity market level, but rather found itself in a "no mans land" between these low ball films and the middle to top line window film brands.
This squeeze between the vice-like market driven forces from the bottom and the top effectively choked off their income stream and viability. Lessons learned?
Extremely doubtful!
As a former corporate type (I hereby reserve the right to define myself as a "Field General" rather than a Corporate bureaucratic General- a huge distinction) it is relatively easy to choreograph the "action planning" of the Big Kahuna's as they sip their coffee and donuts sitting around that conference room table.
Kahuna 1: "Hey Sun Gard is out of business." (stating the obvious but acting like this is somehow hot news!)
Smiles and laughter all around with ten minutes of people bragging that they knew it was coming and trying to top the other with "insider" baloney.
Kahuna 1: "Now we need to grab their channel and fill in our holes. Quick. .let's do a chart of where we need dealers, figure out who was Sun Gard and get them to buy our stuff."
The assembly smiles with confidence in their leader's brilliant incisive strategy. Someone actually is taking down notes to make it appear the Kahuna actually made some important note worthy point!
Kahuna 2, the Smaller, (generally younger neophyte): "We all know these guys, it should be a "no brainer." Let's get a top ten list started and call them up." Yeah!!
Chorus of others: Let's invite them to our swank headquarters or better yet, why not offer them a free trip to our dealer meetings so they can sip the Collective Kool-Aid!! "Yeah!!"
More foolish guesses ensue about the Sun Gard market share, and how much each of their dealers did in Timbuktu, KS?
Next Step:
Conference call with reps ensues, and tough talk about how they need immediate sales right now and that someone even higher on the Org Chart said they had better grow by 30%. .or "Heads Will Roll! "
So what's wrong with this scenario??
1. Zero thought concerning the Sun Gard Dealer's market efforts or business plan.
2. Foolish confidence based on zero factual basis that this Sun Gard dealer will select this new film, despite the fact that they had 20 years of previous experience to make that switch.
3. A complete discounting of the loyalty between that dealer and their previous distributor.
4. No regard to their existing current dealer who up until last week was competing with that Sun Gard dealer.
5. Unsupported confidence that something about their product or brand recognition will cut off at the knees, the same conversation and tactics by all the other manufacturers!
6. Not a one in the room has any clue what is really going on in the market other than they had better do 30% more. .or else!
7. I wonder if the targeted Sun Gard dealer owes anyone $$ ??
8. Perhaps. .they offer a better co-op or some unusual warranty offer since a lawyer tells them that doing this isn't antitrust for at least a year!
9. Not one consideration for their own company strategic plan or focus. That missing "VISION."
10. They really have no one in the field that can execute their plan, good or bad beyond showing up and offering simplistic drivel.
Sun Gard Dealer Help Line!
As we watch the variety of vultures swoop in to these markets, we remain more convinced than ever that value, performance and quality of the product solution is key.
That a successful dealer has to answer to the market forces and expectations of the market and to deliver on that promise.
That passion for excellence isn't a slogan but a way of life.
That knowledge truly is power!
So here's my free hot tip for all of you, corporate types. .
Go get'em!!
The sad part isn't their collective simplistic short -sighted strategy, it's how abundantly predictable these folks are!
This speaks to the entire issue within the industry of false and misleading statements, low qualifications or cost/barrier of entry into the industry and the "image" of the entire industry as an entirety.
This issue which I'll drill down to "Image" in the (macro view) has evolved over the course of the last 40 years.
Commodity based window tinting, as exemplified by SunTek, Global, Hanita and Johnson Window Tinting, has as their mission a "world view" of selling their product to all comers at lower prices than the perceived higher quality film manufacturers.
This leads to a deliberate effort to establish more channels of dealers with a low to zero cost of entry into the business. Naturally, the larger "quality film" dealers would object to the reduction in standards for a dealer (insurance, training, integrity, professionalism, etc.)
Sun Gard FTI which recently closed its doors, is an example of an old line film company that could not compete on the low price commodity market level, but rather found itself in a "no mans land" between these low ball films and the middle to top line window film brands.
This squeeze between the vice-like market driven forces from the bottom and the top effectively choked off their income stream and viability. Lessons learned?
Extremely doubtful!
As a former corporate type (I hereby reserve the right to define myself as a "Field General" rather than a Corporate bureaucratic General- a huge distinction) it is relatively easy to choreograph the "action planning" of the Big Kahuna's as they sip their coffee and donuts sitting around that conference room table.
Kahuna 1: "Hey Sun Gard is out of business." (stating the obvious but acting like this is somehow hot news!)
Smiles and laughter all around with ten minutes of people bragging that they knew it was coming and trying to top the other with "insider" baloney.
Kahuna 1: "Now we need to grab their channel and fill in our holes. Quick. .let's do a chart of where we need dealers, figure out who was Sun Gard and get them to buy our stuff."
The assembly smiles with confidence in their leader's brilliant incisive strategy. Someone actually is taking down notes to make it appear the Kahuna actually made some important note worthy point!
Kahuna 2, the Smaller, (generally younger neophyte): "We all know these guys, it should be a "no brainer." Let's get a top ten list started and call them up." Yeah!!
Chorus of others: Let's invite them to our swank headquarters or better yet, why not offer them a free trip to our dealer meetings so they can sip the Collective Kool-Aid!! "Yeah!!"
More foolish guesses ensue about the Sun Gard market share, and how much each of their dealers did in Timbuktu, KS?
Next Step:
Conference call with reps ensues, and tough talk about how they need immediate sales right now and that someone even higher on the Org Chart said they had better grow by 30%. .or "Heads Will Roll! "
So what's wrong with this scenario??
1. Zero thought concerning the Sun Gard Dealer's market efforts or business plan.
2. Foolish confidence based on zero factual basis that this Sun Gard dealer will select this new film, despite the fact that they had 20 years of previous experience to make that switch.
3. A complete discounting of the loyalty between that dealer and their previous distributor.
4. No regard to their existing current dealer who up until last week was competing with that Sun Gard dealer.
5. Unsupported confidence that something about their product or brand recognition will cut off at the knees, the same conversation and tactics by all the other manufacturers!
6. Not a one in the room has any clue what is really going on in the market other than they had better do 30% more. .or else!
7. I wonder if the targeted Sun Gard dealer owes anyone $$ ??
8. Perhaps. .they offer a better co-op or some unusual warranty offer since a lawyer tells them that doing this isn't antitrust for at least a year!
9. Not one consideration for their own company strategic plan or focus. That missing "VISION."
10. They really have no one in the field that can execute their plan, good or bad beyond showing up and offering simplistic drivel.
Sun Gard Dealer Help Line!
As we watch the variety of vultures swoop in to these markets, we remain more convinced than ever that value, performance and quality of the product solution is key.
That a successful dealer has to answer to the market forces and expectations of the market and to deliver on that promise.
That passion for excellence isn't a slogan but a way of life.
That knowledge truly is power!
So here's my free hot tip for all of you, corporate types. .
Go get'em!!
The sad part isn't their collective simplistic short -sighted strategy, it's how abundantly predictable these folks are!
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