Guardsman is actively supporting its retail partners not only by providing its extensive knowledge of the insurance industry and supporting them with meeting the FCA’s Consumer Duty obligations, but also by helping them with their online presence and providing products to support the sale of protection plans.
‘We recognise the increasing importance of online customer purchases for retailers, driving additional sales, and complementing and supporting their existing retail stores,’ says Lyndon Willshire, Guardsman commercial director.
Guardsman’s experienced online marketing team assesses a retailer’s website and creates a bespoke and detailed proposal explaining the best way to promote the Guardsman furniture protection plans online.
‘We want to help them utilise their website capability, so we will spend time doing a deep dive into how their website is created, understanding its features and capabilities. We then use this to offer advice on the best way to promote the service to their customers, including advice on selling compliantly, introducing offers at the right time and place in the customer journey, and also ensuring the consumer is equipped with all the information to enable them to make an informed decision,’ says Kate Way, Guardsman marketing executive.
Selling online can be challenging, with users spending seconds on a page, so creating engaging content is crucial. ‘Lack of personal interaction is one of the biggest issues with online selling, but if your brand is well known it helps, as well as having good reviews and good products. Prompts and reminders serve as a great way to subconsciously get the customer thinking, and we know this is a successful way of selling the Guardsman protection plans on an already established and well-known website. It definitely helps having a good website to start with.’
Partnership is at the forefront of the Guardsman approach, recognising it’s not just about training in-store or online, it’s the whole sales process and articulating the benefits for the customer. The team has worked with many retailers to create bespoke care kits to support the protection plans they sell.
The premium kit range has been expanded and offers so much more than a standard leather or fabric kit, now covering more delicate materials including natural leathers such as nubuck, suede and aniline. Recent introductions include products for other areas in the home, including room fresheners and sanitising products for mattresses and bedding.
‘Our furniture plans provide incredible customer value and peace of mind, protecting customers’ hard-earned investment. However, we are so much more than a furniture insurance provider, and we are excited for the future and the opportunities we have ahead of us,’ says Willshire.
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