Overcoming Consumer Objections to Architectural Film

Alternative title: “I Don’t Want That Shiny #$%^ On My Windows!”

Although not always spoken in such harsh terms, this is by far the number one objection to architectural film.  It seems ironic that consumers are so adamant in their desire for tint on their car, and feel exactly the opposite when it comes to their home or business.

 

Homeowners in particular uniformly voice their concern that film will “darken” their view or make the windows look “funny” from the outside.  They will often tell you that they love the view and want to keep the open look.  Most of the time, this “open” look is actually blocked by blinds and curtains because of the intense glare and heat of the sun.  If you’re like me, your first instinct is to tell them, “You mean you don’t want to block the great view that’s already being blocked by all of these window treatments?”  Sarcasm intended.  Obviously, I’ve never said that to a potential client.  But, it is frustrating when they don’t even realize the hypocrisy of their argument.

 

This is the point where it becomes crystal clear that in selling window film, you are most often dealing with the client’s perception, rather than the reality of what’s happening in their home or office.

My step-father was a mechanic for 40 years, and one time when helping him with a side job, I noticed he was cleaning the windows.  I asked him why.  His answer was an insightful tip on consumer perception.  He told me that sometimes people would bring in a vehicle that actually didn’t have anything wrong with it.  They thought it sounded funny or that it was driving badly and wanted it looked at.  He was an excellent mechanic and if after going over it with a fine tooth comb, if he found nothing, most likely nothing was wrong with it.  So, he would clean the windows, inside and out and wait for the customer.  When they came in to pick up the vehicle, he would tell them  that he had adjusted something and after starting their car and getting into it, they would proclaim, “That sounds great!”, and go away happy.  He had done nothing to the car but the clean the windows so when they looked out, things looked good and he had confirmed their fears and fixed the problem.  He told me that whenever he informed the customer that there wasn’t anything wrong, they had an unhappy reaction.  They insisted that there was a problem and that it needed fixed.  They would insists on him looking it over again, or take it someplace else.  However, when he cleaned the windows and still told them that nothing was wrong, they would invariably say that it sounded better, and that maybe it wasn’t making the sound now and they’d bring it in if it started up again.  They still had some reservations, but figured he had done the best he could.  Only when he cleaned the windows and told them that they were right and there was a problem, did he get the optimum result: A totally happy client.

 

There are several lessons to be learned here.  And, no, the moral of this story is not that people are idiots, although some are.  The moral of the story is that when dealing with something they are unfamiliar with, the average person does not always think logically and uses their perceptions of the situation to deal with it, no matter how wrong the perception is.

 

So how do we get past the objections and false perceptions?

 

By carefully directed questions, we lead them to the only logical conclusion that will solve their problem.

Installing window film!

For instance: If they have window treatments, ask them how many hours of the day that the blinds or curtains are pulled.

Confirm the problem, “That’s a shame”, you tell them.  If they don’t have treatments, ask them how many hours a day that the area is uninhabitable because of the sun.  By doing this, you are acknowledging their problem.   Be sympathetic, let them know you understand.  You feel their pain, to quote a contemporary B.S. artist.

 

Now, make a positive and subconscious statement.

“You have such a great view; it would be nice to be able to keep your drapes open throughout the day.”

 

Be subtle.  Don’t drop a hammer on them.  It would come off a little strong if you told them, “Well, if you put this film up, your worries are over!”  Also, you don’t want them equating window film with the window treatments.  Let them know that curtains, drapes and blinds block the view, window film gives it back!

 

Let them know that the glare that’s blinding them is caused by the visible light from the sun and that film is made to manage the sun without eliminating it.  Most people have a positive perception of sunglasses, so use that analogy.  Remind them that when you wear sunglasses, you still have a great view, but you are no longer blinded by the sun!  Keep reinforcing the positives.

 

Ask them if they have noticed any fading, (everyone does), and inform them that film will definitely slow that down.  Again, keep reinforcing the positives.

 

Next comes the question of what the film will look like and discussion of samples.   At some point, you have to show them what they are getting, and there a few different approaches to this.

Most flat glass guys that I know go with the less is more philosophy.  Bringing the whole book of color swatches just confuses the customer.  They will drive you nuts looking at all the samples and calling you for more film varieties once you open their eyes to the wonderful world of film swatch cards.  So don’t open their eyes!  Take in three samples at the most.  Let them know that these are your most popular films for residential applications. (Or commercial, if that’s the case.)  I think three choices is perfect because it makes them feel that their choice is personal and unique, but by suggesting that these three are the most popular, they feel comforted by the fact that other people are choosing them as well.

 

As for which samples to take in, that’s a good subject for another article.  Suffice it to say that they should be films that will work for the glass the client has, and help with their problem.  I would never take samples in with me until I’ve seen and understood the problem that the client is having.  Once you understand their concerns, you can make an informed decision on which film to bring in.  So, go back out and get them.

 

 

With luck, you’ll be there when the sun is shining in and anything you hold up will help with the problem.  Remind them that the film looks darker when a small piece is held up, than when the entire window is covered.  If it’s a large commercial project, I would usually do a full-size mock-up of two or three samples.  There usually isn’t enough margin or time to do this in a small residential project.  Often, I would have the homeowner hold the film up to their eyes, standing in the sun.  I would then emphasize that they should be looking at the view outside the windows to get an idea of the film’s appearance.  Be sure to remind them that looking through the film at objects and walls inside the house will not be a true representation of how these items will appear once the film is on.  Keep emphasizing the view outside the house.  This technique makes the film seem much less dark than holding up a piece on one window.

 

If they have concerns about interior reflection, be sure to recommend neutral or dual reflective films that have low interior reflectivity.  Let them know that these films were designed with this in mind and will not give them a mirrored appearance at night.

 

If they have trouble making a decision between two films, let them know that after the installation many clients have wished that they had gone with a darker film.

 

You can also reassure them that friends and family coming into the home will not even know that film has been installed.  Let them know that the films you are proposing are designed to change the interior appearance as little as possible.

 

In general, residential clients will be more concerned with the view from the inside of the structure and commercial clients will be concerned with the exterior appearance.

 

We’ve discussed interior concerns.  Let’s talk about exterior appearance concerns, and commercial considerations in particular.

 

Some buildings are very concerned with maintaining the aesthetic that the architect originally intended.  If this is the case, and the building has clear glass, you may be in for an up-hill battle.  It will take some time to finesse the account and make the client feel comfortable with installing film.

 

At this time, some of you may be thinking that an IR or spectrally selective film would be a great solution.  Virtually clear, and high heat rejection, sounds great.  Unfortunately, in the real world, energy control measures are measured and evaluated on payback models, and all spectrally selective films available today are just priced to high to generate good payback models.  I was a commercial-only window film contractor for thirty years, and I can tell you with confidence that 99% of the building owners will tell you thank you very much and don’t call us, we’ll call you, when presented with the square footage prices that spectrally selective film demands.   Yes, they can be useful for store fronts where displays are a priority, but I know of no one that routinely sells 2,000 to 50,000 square foot jobs with the stuff.  If you know someone who does, please contact me with that guy’s name, because he is one heck of a salesman.  Hopefully, the price of these products will come down in the future and give us a chance to use them routinely.

 

So, let’s assume were going to be proposing a film that will change the exterior of the structure somewhat.  This is where you are often met with the time tested response, “I don’t want that shiny *&%^ on my building!”  The nice thing now is, we have many quality, high performing, color options with film now.  The days of Silver being the only choice are long gone.  Sputtered neutral, bronze, dual reflective, the list goes on and on.  There are literally hundreds of choices.  So the potential client needs to know that the “shiny stuff” is a thing of the past.

 

One technique that we used with great success was to take before and after photos of various buildings.  The before shots all have a helter skelter pattern of half dropped blinds, plants, coat racks, boxes, and assorted junk sitting in all of the windows.  Now slide the after shot in front of them.

Uniform, even appearing windows instead of the mess you see in the before shot.  When asked which picture looks better, the client always picks the after shot with film applied to the building.  Everytime!

Seeing is believing.  This technique works with residential clients as well.  So keep your camera out and always get before and after shots of your projects.  Choose ones that have a dramatic difference for the best results.

 

If the building has a slight tint to the glass already, exterior appearance concerns will be less noticeable.  With a thirty percent or lighter gradient, they might not be able to see any difference.  If you have installed a mock-up, it’s always nice when the potential client looks at it from the outside and asks you which window has the film on it!

 

Overcoming objections to film is really a matter of education, and getting the client to subconsciously make changes to their perceptions.  By emphasizing the positives and presenting them with visual cues they can see, you can change their perceptions.