Leviton Introduces Program to Help Builders Sell Benefits Of Residential Products

Leviton Manufacturing Co., Little Neck, N.Y., has launched a new program to help homebuilders market and sell the company’s residential products and systems to homeowners.

The primary goal of Leviton’s new "Build on the Possibilities" program is to afford builders greater flexibility to customize programs that best suit the needs of their customers, while enabling them to upsell new technologies in their homes.

The program helps builders clearly demonstrate how new residential wiring devices and systems work in such a way that the average person can understand and relate to them. For example, because structured cabling resides "behind the walls" and many of its components are contained within a wiring cabinet hidden away in a basement or garage, the technology is less apt to be understood or appreciated by homebuyers than more visible amenities like high-end countertops and appliances.

Offering resources for model homes and showrooms, Leviton’s "Build on the Possibilities" program includes various "packages" that builders can offer their homebuyer customers, including networked, high-speed Internet; home office capability; whole-house audio; home theater; lighting controls; and energy saving devices.

To communicate benefits to prospective homebuyers, the program provides brochures and literature that explain each of the product offerings as well as merchandising aids such as displays, easels and wall talkers for showrooms and model homes. The program also offers design center training for builders and their sales agents, as well as print advertising to build demand among homeowners for these newer residential technologies.

According to Jana Alvino, marketing program manager for Leviton, "Because upgrades like high-end kitchen and bath appliances, countertops and carpeting are household items people readily understand, there’s little need for builders to provide much background or education on these items. The newest enhancements to our Builder Program help builders package, apply and sell the lifestyle benefits of our products, such as structured wiring, as a home technology. We also inform our builder customers how we can help them effectively manage their ‘last mile’ challenges by providing accurate, on-time delivery of products, in addition to providing comprehensive training and technical support for product, installation and system design questions."

Leviton’s consumer brochure provides builders with an applications-oriented overview that highlights how individual products influence the homebuyer’s lifestyle. Topics covered include structured cabling, multi-room audio, outdoor music and home theater; digital multimedia entertainment; energy efficiency; power quality; security lighting; universal design/child protection; lighting controls; and entertaining.