Selling to homeowners and builders effectively requires dealers to have a smart strategy.
One of the best ways to help your customers is by proving that the products you sell are the answer to their needs. Give them solutions, and they’ll give you their business.
Fiber cement siding is a trusted, time-tested exterior product, so we’ll use it to help showcase the best strategies for dealers to sell products effectively.
Show What You Know

You can build trust with customers when you help them understand how specific building materials offer solutions for their specific project.
Product knowledge helps to fill in the gaps when customers voice their concerns about their projects. Fiber cement siding, for instance, comes with a long list of benefits that should be emphasized to homeowners and clients looking for exterior protection for their homes.
You can sell clients on a better product when you understand how specific benefits fit their specific needs. We’ll give a few examples.
Explain ROI Up-Front

Your customers will have questions about the cost of any product. For a material like fiber cement siding, which runs a little more expensive than lower-quality exteriors materials, make sure you can explain its durability and long-term strength.
With Allura’s warranty of 50 years on fiber cement products, your customers and their clients need to understand the potential long-term cost savings of this industry-leading guarantee.
Give Tips on Installation
If done correctly, installing fiber cement siding is more efficient and less messy than other siding materials like stucco and brick. There are a few strategies for an efficient fiber cement siding installation, but here are some tips you might offer if you’re selling fiber cement products:
- Professionals use a diamond blade for cutting fiber cement and work outside when cutting on-site.
- OSHA requires installers to wear eye and face protection when working with fiber cement panels.
- The cut side of a fiber cement panel needs to be coated with primer or paint. If the cut piece is butting up against another piece of siding, joint flashing sheets should be used behind each seam. This ensures the fiber cement product is a true solution for weather protection and home insulation.
- Leave gaps at the edges to account for the expansion and contraction of the panels.
When you work with a trusted product, the manufacturer might also have specific recommendations for construction and installation. For instance, Allura recommends that contractors set up a cutting table (above) to make the job easier: a simple table with carpeted blocks helps with cutting. It also ensures installers avoid scuffing the primed or painted board when they’re working with it, and prevents dust from getting everywhere during cutting.
Understand the Life of the Product
Dealers can help their customers understand the value of a product when they consider its value over the material’s entire life cycle.
Fiber cement siding is composed of wood fiber, cement and other durable materials. It’s a long term solution that can save homeowners thousands of dollars over the years in repair and replacement costs. It stands up to natural elements and severe weather in ways that other materials don’t:
1. Fiber cement siding is a Class A fire-rated material. It doesn’t ignite under direct flame or heat, making it a safe material for residential siding, even in severe weather climates like California.
2. Along with being a fire-safe material, fiber cement siding stands up against adverse weather, including extreme heat and coastal winds. Because it is a composite material, fiber cement won’t rot or buckle like wood siding can in humid or rain-soaked regions.

3. Fiber cement siding is also incredibly durable against high winds, excessive rain and even hurricanes. Where high-speed winds can rip vinyl or aluminum siding, destroying homes and creating dangerous debris, fiber cement is compliant with even the most stringent building codes, even in hurricane-prone regions.
4. A warranty on Allura fiber cement siding provides customers with exterior protection for decades. This is a huge advantage for homeowners who don’t want to have to replace or repair their exterior later on, and for contractors who want to work with a company that stands by its product.
Show Off the Success of the Product

Another great way to sell a product is to show it off.
Dealers can impress customers by giving them design ideas and showing off specific products with a design tool or program, like Allura’s Visualizer.
One of the most appealing aspects of fiber cement is its design versatility. Fiber cement comes in all kinds of styles and finishes, from shingles to lap siding to architectural panels. Allura’s visualizer tool allows customers to design the home of their dreams and lets them pick their style and finishes for a wholly customizable design experience.

Becoming familiar with product options, styles and colors help dealers become a participant in the design process, so you can offer expert knowledge and advice. And being in-the-know looks good on everyone.
You might also impress homeowners and clients by having a case study on hand. A great case study will explain the materials used and why, along with any unique aspects or challenges the builder might’ve had.
Brands like Allura make case studies available for homeowners and professionals to learn more about their product, like this builder spotlight, but you can also create your own case studies if you’re able to gather the information needed.
Start Selling More Effectively
As a building materials dealer, you want to make sure homeowners and customers select the best products for their project.
To stay ahead of competitors and win the trust of your customers, it helps to have a deep knowledge of the products (and solutions) you offer. With tools and resources like Allura’s visualizer, dealers can make sure customers love the products they work with.
Stay on top of trends in home building and residential design. Check out Allura’s full fiber cement siding product line or contact us today!