“ Many customers prefer a remote demo ,” says Mark Ramsay , MD of Kent based installer Kestrel Home Improvements . “ As Covid eases , we plan to continue with remote selling in the longterm . It ’ s gone so well .”

Like many Mark , who uses the Framepoint ® app from Tommy Trinder , made the move to selling via Zoom during the pandemic . Not only did he find he save him time and money , but it also proved a real hit with homeowners :

“ During lockdown Framepoint ® allowed us to embrace remote selling and keep building our pipeline ; video conferencing and screen sharing to use the app with homeowners . Homeowners have reacted in a very positive way . When a potential customer makes an enquiry , we ask them to provide images of their home and we then ‘ make over ’ their property live online . It never fails to impress . Remote selling has proved very successful , and the remote enquiries keep coming in .”

For some installers selling without home visits has simply become a lifestyle choice ; the ability to sell from comfort of your own office , showroom or deck chair , outweighing the trauma of fighting through traffic to get to appointments . Phil Barber of Watchet Glass , also a Framepoint ® subscriber , explains :

“ Not everybody wants us to sit in their front room for an hour discussing windows and doors . To be able to do that in the comfort of our office and still be able to present the products nicely and pick out the handles and the hardware ; it ’ s very engaging .”

Chris Brunsdon

As well as bringing obvious efficiency savings , Chris Brunsdon , Founder and CEO of Tommy Trinder , argues there are also a number of underlying drivers that conspire to ensure remote selling is with us for the long term : “ People who have the knowledge and expertise to sell in the home are in short supply as double-glazing salesmen get older and aren ’ t replaced . Remote selling is in tune with the way customers want to shop . There is abundant resource available to train to do the job - typically ex-retail with modern customer service ethos - and let ’ s be on honest , it ’ s significantly cheaper .”

But the elephant in the room , argues Chris , is the climate crisis :

“ The pandemic will pass , and climate will re-occupy centre stage and dominate the decade ,” he says . “ Selling remotely is carbon neutral . And driving , unnecessarily , point to point to effect tasks that could be done just as well online will fast become morally dubious in the public imagination . This could happen quickly ; think plastic packaging , eating meat etc . Environmentally we can only justify one visit pre-install ; to check the sizes and sign off on the order .”

Activity on Chris ’ Framepoint ® app certainly tells the story . When the first lockdown came like most businesses , Tommy Trinder wondered what was going to happen next . Then sales and activity rocketed . Faced with the prospect of no longer being able to conduct home visits , installers

turned to Framepoint ® as their ‘ virtual showroom ’ - sharing screens , carrying out sales demo ’ s remotely and taking orders without an initial home visit . Volumes of quotes and makeovers on Framepoint ® surged ; In February 2019 less than £ 6m of quotes were done on the system , now more than £ 55m of work is being quoted via the platform each month .

“ If you haven ’ t tried selling without a home visit already , we ’ d invite you to give it a go ,” says Chris . “ Share screens , free sketch your PVCu , timber and

aluminium products with your client in real time and see them rendered in full photo-realistic glory . Touch , tap and share the results of colour changes , hardware choices , bar selections . Overlay your designs onto your client ’ s home live and wait for the ooohhs and ahhhhs . When you ’ re done , transfer beautiful quotes by email in a click . And , most importantly of course , take the order .”

To find out more about the platform and its benefits visit the main site www . tommytrinder . com

About Tommy Trinder . com Ltd

TommyTrinder . com Ltd launched Framepoint ® to help installers sell with a ‘ wow ’. Designed by installers for installers , it makes it easy to sell all types of windows and doors – regardless of manufacturer and material . With set-up in minutes , the interface is as simple as sketching on a pad . Developed by former installer Chris Brunsdon ( now CEO of Tommy Trinder ) it puts the fun back into selling windows .

The web-based app makes it easy to display products and see how they look on a house , easy to chop-and-change until the homeowner is happy , and easy to price . It ’ s also quick and simple to get prices from suppliers , create a professional , branded quote , and create orders – without admin headaches .