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"Without exaggeration, this single article saved my business. It saved my home. It saved the homes of my two business partners. It also saved the jobs of all of our employees," Sheridan confesses. "The funny thing is, we never specifi- cally stated how much a fiberglass pool costs. We simply answered the question as best we could. We were honest. Remember, it doesn't necessarily matter what you say in terms of numbers. What matters is that you're willing to teach your pro- spective customers what would drive the cost up or down and help them get a feel for the market." PROBLEMS It may seem crazy, but honestly addressing problems that can occur with your products builds trust. Say you're doing an article on coun- tertops. People may have heard that marble is hard to maintain or granite needs to be sealed. Address the issues, explain the pros and cons, and encourage people to decide for themselves whether they make sense for their lifestyle. River Pools and Spas had the guts to post an article: Top Five Fiberglass Pool Problems and Solutions. Over six years, more than 260,000 peo- ple visited its website because they were research- ing problems with fiberglass pools. The article has generated well over $500,000 in additional sales since the day it was published, because it demonstrates honesty and transparency. Yale Appliances has a candid article on its site: Why You Will Have Appliance Problems and How to Avoid Them. VERSUS AND COMPARISONS Consumers are fascinated with comparisons. Run flat versus regular tires? Coconut versus olive oil? Although they only sell fiberglass pools, River Pools and Spas posted an article Which is Best: Fiberglass, Concrete or Vinyl Liner? It has generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue and reduced the number of prospects who were not a good fit for a fiberglass pool. Yale Appliances offers helpful comparisons such as Induction versus Gas: Which Sears a Steak Better? Gas versus Duel Fuel Pro Ranges. What comparisons would your customers like to see? It's important to know how to write an article like this. Say you're a stone fabricator and you offer granite, marble, limestone and quartz. First, admit this is all you sell and that there are other countertop options that might be better for the prospect. This way you're reassuring the reader upfront that the information you're about to share is trustworthy. Then give the honest pros and cons of various countertop choices such as solid surface, wood, tile, etc., as well as stone. Other comparisons prospects might like: Granite versus quartz. Custom versus semi-custom cabinets. Framed versus frameless construction. Stains versus painted finishes. Chrome versus stainless steel faucets. REVIEWS Who hasn't bought a car without first checking reviews on Consumer Reports or Car and Driver? Prospects can do the same on Yale Appliance with posts such as Bosch Dishwasher Review. Miele Dishwashers: Features and Review. They describe and explain features, compare them to other brands and models in their class and honestly make recommendations. BEST IN CLASS From Forbes' richest billionaire (Jeff Bezos) to People magazine's most beautiful woman (Julia Roberts), consumers all crave information on what's "best in class." This is especially true when making a major purchase. Here's where Yale Appliance CEO Sheinkopf really sticks his neck out. Based on his company's service data, he penned an article The Five Most Serviced/Least Reliable Appliance Brands. Yep, he did. Did manufacturers complain? Yep, they did. But clearly he would agree with Sheridan. "Content, assuming it is honest and transparent, is the greatest sales tool in the world today." ▪ 28 Kitchen & Bath Design News • January 2018 CONSUMER INSIGHTS N A T I V E T R A I L S . N E T Nickel, PERFECTED. Expert artisans and thousands of hammer strikes transform recycled copper and nickel into brilliant, one of a kind works of art. Generations of artistic tradition and state-of-the-art plating technology make for a bold 10-year warranty on the nickel finish. Circle No. 17 on Product Card