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MBA Associates Limited" Football !
We are deep into what we rugby fans would call irritating viewing. There is only so much I can take...[more]

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Jotika (Midlands) Software Ltd" How to calculate glass waste for sealed unit manuf
Very few companies calculate true glass wastage, frequently referring to glass waste at optimisation...[more]

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MBA Associates Limited" 8 Signs of Failing Managers (Part 2!)
Management or Market? A question that is always on the thinking MD’s mind and given that the market ...[more]

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The Fenestration News Bulletin this week will be sent to more than 15,000 recipients in just over 9,000  organisations aligned to the Window Industry. Making it an effective delivery platform to get your Companies message across.

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From the News

" " is offering - free electric roof vent and free delivery. While Door-stop is going for a golden giveaway.

Pilkington Cervoglass™ branches out, OK – heads for Basingstoke.  Rock Door says ‘Its all clear now’, and  Senior’s are off to the Lancaster Travelodge

MBA anyone for Football?  Liniar achieves best sales month ever.  Nick Dutton reminds us that U-values must be independently certified.

It’s time to register your interest in the G10 awards - categories announced.

Turning opinions into hypocrisy

It has been pointed out in the last week or so, and not for the first time, about the hypocrisy found with those that hover around the periphery and feed off the Fenestration Industry. This hypocrisy comes in the opinions expressed, one week we have people seemingly slagging off the credibility of those involved in ‘causing’ the industry to happen, the next we have the same quarters decrying those that use that similar point of view to promote their own position. The irony of course is that in each case it is headed up by those with a vested interest wishing to feed off the industry and yet their own responses are seemingly brought (bought) about by those that pay the bills.

“No advertising, no bias, no hidden agenda. Just expert advice from an independent source” is the phrase used by one of the Industry’s critics. So how do they derive an income, they use reactionary media releases to create fear while assuming the mantle of a non-existent authority, just to attract more subscribers. From them there is only one focus and that is with next month’s pay packet; as such one thing they can never be is objective or independent.

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It is all quite simple really; this is what is meant by marketing. In a world saturated with ever increasing sources of information the challenge comes in getting noticed and recognised so as to sell a product or service. In the trade media, just as elsewhere, the reader is subjected to overload. This overload creates a situation of a reader scanning and trying to filter out the background chatter. What this means is with each media release it is its title and the first few words of the first sentence that gets absorbed and if it captures the reader’s attention they go on to read the rest.

It is now becoming difficult to market something by media submissions alone unless the starting premise sets out to play on the fears and prejudices of the reader. If someone believes they are not getting sales due to the selling methods of a competitor they will seek solace from those can put that method down. Yet those that have signed up to the beliefs of the story feel validated in the recognition the item gets. In all probability it has no meaning to anyone else.

Time and time again it is the more vocal, the more active, those that put themselves about that gain more sales; it’s as simple as that.

What is always missed is that the real arbiter is the Consumer, if the story they are being told to gain the sale is out of kilter with reality, they won’t be buying. If people do not like the seller they will not be buying. People buy from people, that is sales in a nutshell. Marketing is about creating that.

The Fenestration Industry is in rude health, that is not to say it is not hard work. The only perceptible difference between those that are maximising their potential and those that are not is just the right type of work load being applied.

A good media release is now not so much the content of the item, but how the item first grabs the reader.

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Remember, for all the latest news updated daily, check out the Fenestration News website @ www.fenestration-news.com

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Football !

We are deep into what we rugby fans would call irritating viewing. There is only so much I can take of seeing grown men fall howling to the ground and calling for a stretcher to take them to the emergency hairdresser after fairly losing possession to a better player. Business like football though is a team sport and the team dynamics are what separate the best performers from the also ran’s (I nearly said the French but hey at the time of writing England seem to be having some issues of their own). So there are lessons to be learned from the beautiful game or any other team sport for that matter? Well yes lots of course but let’s consider just a few:-

Players matter but…. the team matters more. Of course your team needs great players but can you imagine a team of 11 George Bests… chaos! Teams need balance and getting that balance right is the Managers job. Sales teams need ‘hunters’ who can go and seek out new deals, who revel in rejection and see it as a challenge, who prospect hungrily and always believe the next call will deliver the golden order. Sales teams also need ‘farmers’ who build relationships, value customers and go the extra mile to make sure the customer is satisfied. ...[ more ]

© Chris Ball, MBA Associates - April 2010

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In Box

U-values must be independently certified

Dear Ian

A few people are waking up to the implications that the latest Building Regulations have for doors. It’s down to individual companies to prove their door complies with a U-Value of at least 1.8W/m2K. The legislation comes into force on 1st October.

PVC panel doors, and timber and aluminium doors may struggle to comply, but the problem for most companies will be the proof – which councils are asking for already. ...[ more ]

Yours sincerely

Nick Dutton, Managing Director

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In Box

Doors Debate Continues - CENSolutions

Dear Ian

Commenting recently (28th June) on the Renegade Conservatory Guy blog about the recent Which? report, a director of the GGF and FENSA alleged that “GGF members have their own ‘Ombudsman’”.

This distortion is more than just a bit of spin, and it illustrates why the industry so badly needs the Ombudsman Scheme. I am sure the GGF is well enough advised to know the difference, but his attempt to confuse an in-depth, compulsory, free of charge, legally binding Ombudsman (with judicial powers) with an opt-in/opt-out arbitrator with no powers of enforcement  ...[ more ]

Yours sincerely

Wayne Rogerson, Joint Managing Director

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In Box

The GGF does not have an Ombudsman, with or without quotation marks.

Dear Ian

Today, in its July edition, Which? magazine published Double Trouble, an investigation into double glazing. It is trouble for the nationals, and trouble for the industry. The report “shamed the biggest names in double glazing” but unfortunately its narrow focus on the national direct sell companies meant that Which? has inadvertently reinforced the public’s perception of double glazing as an industry of rogues and cowboys. Had they included local double glazing firms in their investigation the picture would have been different.

It’s a shame, because the industry is a lot more than the nationals. Although individually they are very large, the big four’s share has fallen. The bulk of the market is supplied by local firms, who mostly give an excellent and honest service.

Predictably Which? found, as in previous investigations, that the national direct sell companies continue to use hard sell tactics and misleading claims to sway potential customers. In one case Which? found the ‘original’ price was dropped by almost £17,000. ...[ more ]

Yours sincerely

Tony Pickup
Founder, Double Glazing & Conservatory Ombudsman Scheme

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Remember, for all the latest news updated daily, check out the Fenestration News website @ www.fenestration-news.com

Also in the news....

" " Glass
Free electric roof vent & delivery offer
Those innovative guys at " " Glass are offering an amazing deal to roof lantern and skylight customers at the moment. - With the offer of a free electric roof vent and free deli ..[ more ]

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Pilkington Building Products - UK
Pilkington Cervoglass™ branches out
Pilkington has built on the success of the manufacture and sales of Pilkington Cervoglass™ conservatory roof IGUs at Pilkington Aintree by opening an additional manufacturing facil ..[ more ]

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Senior Architectural Systems
Senior’s Supply Lancaster Travelodge
Seniors Fabricator, Secco Services, based in Derby, has recently won the the project to supply new windows for the Lancaster Travelodge scheme. Hybrid - Series 2 has been chosen fo ..[ more ]

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UAP Limited
UAP and RegaLead exchange Brands.
In a move that will surprise many in the Industry UAP Limited and RegaLead Limited have agreed a reciprocal exchange of Brands in order that both companies may concentrate on their ..[ more ]

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FrameXpress
frameXpress delivering the highest standards
frameXpress is well recognised for providing the highest standards in terms of products and performance which others find hard to match. This is attributed not only to product perf ..[ more ]

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Rockdoor
Its all clear now.
Rockdoors new styles are clearly proving popular with customers of Clearview Home Improvements. - As they continue to grow, Clearview has recently expanded its operation creating o ..[ more ]

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G10 Regional Exhibitions
G10 Awards Announces New 2010 Categories
The organiser of the G10 Awards Presentation & Gala Dinner has announced this year’s categories for the industry’s prestigious annual Awards event, which takes place at Wembley Sta ..[ more ]

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Sternfenster Trade Sales
Managing data; Managing Business
Sternfenster is unlike other manufacturers. For years it has been running alongside its sister company Starglaze, which targets the retail sector. In effect this means that Sternf ..[ more ]

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VEKA
VEKA continues to invest in Composite Door System,
The VEKA Composite Door System has undergone continual development in the last year, achieving the Secured by Design accreditation and gaining a suite of literature to further prom ..[ more ]

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HL Plastics
Liniar achieves best sales month ever
Liniar, the innovative window system from HL Plastics, has achieved a new record month. Sales in the first week of May 2010 exceeded the total sales for the whole month of May in 2 ..[ more ]

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North Western Lead Co (Hyde)
Antique lead with modern twist at NWL
North Western Lead Co (NWL) has once again bucked the trend and strengthened its position within the marketplace with a major investment into another antique lead coating line. - T ..[ ]

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Freefoam Plastics
Trade Counter benefits from the Freefoam Guarantee
Freefoam, a leading champion of innovation in the roofline market, report that its industry leading guarantee is winning new business for trade counters. - Peace of mind is now a ..[ ]

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Archibald Kenrick
Kenrick’s excalibur – the total solution for timbe
Excalibur, the market leading, high security multi-point locking system from Kenrick has been further developed to suit timber windows. - A Secured By Design licensed product, Exca ..[ ]

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Network VEKA
Orkney wins first Network VEKA ‘Best Installation’
Orkney Builders (Contractors) Ltd has won the first ever Network VEKA trophy in the new category of “Best Installation.” - The winning house was part of a development built by the ..[ ]

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CENSolutions Ltd
Doors Debate Continues - CENSolutions
When CENSolutions first brought to the public arena the issue of how doors were going to achieve compliance to the revised Building Regulations, we were a lone voice. Now we’re del ..[ ]

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Duraflex Limited
Open day success for Pearl Windows
Bolton Wanderer’s Reebok stadium is normally a cold and hostile environment for visiting football teams, but the sun was shining recently when leading Duraflex fabricator Pearl Win ..[ ]

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Glazerite Windows
Racing to Success with Glazerite Windows
For the third year running, Network VEKA fabricator Glazerite Windows Limited was the principal sponsor of the last race night of the season at Towcester Racecourse in Northampton. ..[ ]

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Signo Ltd
Simply more advantages from Signo
During the first half of 2010 the Signo team has made strident and progressive moves on the market, challenging previous industry beliefs and firmly establishing the company as a l ..[ ]

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Kommerling
Kit-ted out
Kömmerling have received a number of enquiries from fabricators, installers and specifiers for their unique lead-free test kits. It’s the perfect tool to find out what PVCu systems ..[ ]

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Edgetech IG Inc
Edgetech Puts Customers in Pole Position at GLASST
As we count down to what remains one of the industry’s most successful exhibitions, glasstec in Germany, Edgetech’s European arm, Edgetech Europe GmbH, has announced its own big pl ..[ ]

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July - issue: 0710.02

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