Sharon Koehler

Stone Industry Consultant

OK, you’re a granite company. Big deal. There are thousands of granite companies across the country, all vying for business, all chasing the mighty dollar and trying to turn a profit.          

They offer great customer service, so do you. Competitive pricing? Yep, you have that too. Wait, what? You offer plumbing services. So what, most companies do. Oh, I see, you offer turnkey services. Guess what, that doesn’t make you stand out in the crowd either. Tile backsplash, you say? Well, that’s better, but still doesn’t make you stand out in a crowd of competitors. 

I understand that you are a one-stop shop. You have natural stone, quartz, sinks, faucets, plumbers, removal services and you do tile backsplash. I hate to break the news to you, but in this day and time all you’re doing is keeping up –not standing out.

Someone once told me that, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you always got.” These days you have to up your game just to stay even. But staying even doesn’t get you noticed. Standing out, doing something unusual, even if just for your geographic area, gets you noticed. 

Look around your area and see what everyone else is doing. If everyone else is offering plumbing services, you should too. If everyone else is offering tile backsplash and you aren’t, then you should as well. But, here again, “Keeping up with the Jones’ doesn’t make you stand out, it just makes you the same.” If your goal is to be the same as everyone else, that’s great. Just do what you’ve always done, or less. 

But if you want to stand out, be the “go to” shop, be on the short list, then find your niche. And now the whining begins. “But I already offer everything there is. What else can I do? How can I stand out? What’s left?” There is a lot left. You just have to figure out what it is and what is the best fit for your shop. Think about some of these suggestions and I bet before too long, you will come up with even more ideas.

You have run across that customer that wants something “FANTASTIC,” something that no one else has. One of the answers here is laminated edges. I don’t mean Eased or Pencil Round laminated edges. Everybody can do those. I mean something spectacular like Ogee over Ogee, Roman over Ogee or Dupont over Full Bullnose.  

Think about a double chisel edge on a customer’s Absolute Black Honed granite wet bar in their Man Cave. What could be better? It can be hard to do but you can charge accordingly. There is extra material and extra time involved not to mention the extra wear and tear on equipment and possibly buying some bits you don’t normally stock. 

There might even be some extra training for one or two of your guys to get it right. But once you get to the point where you can mix and match edges without hesitation, you can pretty much create something different for everyone – and if nobody else is doing it, charge what you want.

Now, back to that customer who wants something “FANTASTIC” that no one else has.  Think about specializing in exotic or semiprecious slabs. Exotics can be brittle and hard to fabricate. It takes a sharp blade and a special touch to get them right and even then sometimes it still chips or cracks. 

Some fabricators even refuse to fabricate exotics. We have several people a year walk through our doors because some fabricators in our area refuse to fabricate their exotic selections. The thing about exotics is that you do have to take the time to educate the customer on what to expect.  

Semiprecious, even though it is pieced together and manufactured with high resin content, fabricates like granite EXCEPT all the experts I checked with did say you have to use a high quality, ultra-sharp blade. So, if you are going to fabricate semiprecious, order a new blade from your supplier and let them know what you are going to cut. They can steer you in the right direction. And here again, if you are the only one in the game, you can charge accordingly.

I know there are those of you out there that are faint of heart and the exotics or semiprecious would make you nervous. Dial it down a notch and think about one of the beautiful collections from Antolini such as the Natura Collection. 

Granted, it’s not a great selection for kitchen countertops. But since you don’t do “just kitchen countertops” you can find a way to use it for so many other things. Think about the Starry Night pattern as a full height backsplash behind Absolute Black or Black Galaxy. Or, use the Volga Blue Arabecso pattern as a fireplace surround and hearth. 

The Eyes design would make a great front for a wet bar and be an amazing focal and conversation point. And if someone is talking or asking about it, your name will come up. The collection is big, the end uses are vast and the money is there if you just take a moment to think about it. And, truth be told, there is more than one collection. There are several. See which one is the right fit for you.

How about marble? You scoff and say, “Everybody has marble.” Sure we do. Almost everyone stocks a White Carrara or a Botticino. But those are far from being the only ones out there. Create a showcase of different marbles like Tropical Blue, Grigio Nuvolato, Calcutta Gold, Venato and Diano Reale. Take into account your area trends and stock accordingly.

With the advent of the 15 year or higher sealer, marble is quickly becoming a viable kitchen option. Take advantage of it, don’t run away from it. Be a “go to” marble shop.

Now, there is one thing that we have not touched on…CABINETS. This seems like a natural, go together combination. You have the plumbing fixtures, tile and turnkey services, which really do make you a one-stop shop. Why not throw cabinets into the mix as well? That is going to depend on where the bulk of your business comes from. 

If the bulk of your business is off the street residential customers, then that may work. But, if the bulk of your core billing base is cabinet companies and home improvement contractors, think about it long and hard. Once your home improvement contractors and especially your cabinet companies find out you are in the cabinet business, they will more than likely view you as the competition and pull up stakes to go elsewhere. Be very careful with this one.

These suggestions are not all there is but hopefully they will start you thinking. Once you decide on something, advertise it. Shout it from the rooftops, mention it in conversations and put it on billboards. Let it be known to your core billing base.  

Say it! “We are XXX Company and we specialize in XXXX.” It may take a while to catch on but slowly, in time, you will see the result.  Stand out; show to everyone you are willing to go the extra mile. Be the “go to” shop for those special things that customers want.

Sharon Koehler is a 10-year veteran of the stone industry. Currently she is the head of marketing for Artistic Stone Design in Richmond, Virginia and has been a regular contributor to various trade magazines for several years. Any thoughts or comments may be sent to sharon@artisticstonerichmond.com.