A remodeler calls and asks what you have in casing.
You quote casing.
The order gets filled, the customer gets what they asked for, and everyone moves on.
But that trim order is often telling you something much bigger. If a customer is selecting casing, there is a good chance they are also making decisions about doors, windows, stair parts, finishes, and other millwork products.
The opportunity is not selling more trim. The opportunity is to capture more of the project.
Every Trim Order Opens a Window into a Larger Job
Millwork rarely drives the decision to start a project. By the time a customer is choosing trim profiles, they have usually already committed to a remodel, addition, or new build.
That means a trim inquiry comes with valuable clues. You already know there are openings to trim. You likely know there are doors involved. There may be windows, stair components, decorative mouldings, or exterior trim requirements as well.
Yet many dealers stop at the first question.
In today’s market, growth often comes from serving more of the projects already coming through your door rather than simply finding new customers. Every trim order creates an opportunity to have a broader conversation about the rest of the job.
The Good News: You Do Not Have to Do It Alone
Many dealers recognize the opportunity but hesitate because millwork can feel overwhelming.
The category includes countless profile options, materials, styles, manufacturers, and price points. Building a successful assortment requires expertise, time, and market knowledge.
That is where Do it Best delivers value.
Members have access to 18 approved millwork brands, 31 approved door brands, more than 16 approved window brands, and three of North America’s leading millwork distributors. More importantly, members have access to people who can help navigate those choices.
“Our job is to look at an assortment and curate it for our members and the consumers who come into their stores, so they don’t have to make the hard decisions.”
Abeer Saeed, Merchandise Manager, Millwork & Interior Solutions
Rather than sorting through hundreds of possibilities on your own, our team can help evaluate your market, recommend assortments, identify gaps, and build a product mix that aligns with local demand.
Sometimes the Opportunity Starts with a Question
Not every member has extensive millwork experience. That should not prevent them from pursuing opportunities.
Ryan Cooley, Midwest Regional Sales Manager for LBM, recently worked with a dealer that was not actively selling windows.
“We basically educated them on how we could help and what you need to look for with windows. We started quoting for them, and now they’re bidding and buying some windows.”
The dealer did not find a new customer base. They simply started serving project needs that were already there.
That support can include:
- Product recommendations
- Vendor selection guidance
- Quoting assistance
- Market-specific assortment reviews
- Connections to approved suppliers
- Merchandising and display programs
For many members, having access to that expertise creates the confidence to pursue project opportunities they may have previously passed on.
Selling a Category Does Not Mean Stocking Everything
One of the biggest concerns dealers raise is space.
No yard can stock every trim profile, every material, and every specialty item. Fortunately, you do not have to.
Customers do not expect you to carry everything. They expect you to help them make informed decisions and guide them to the right solution.
The most successful millwork dealers are not always the ones with the largest inventories. They are often the ones whose teams can confidently explain options, discuss tradeoffs, and leverage supplier resources to meet project needs.
Programs like the SBP rack program help simplify the merchandising side by providing ready-to-sell moulding assortments, displays, and support that make the category easier to manage and easier to sell.
Start With What You Already Have
If you are looking for a place to begin, review your last twenty trim orders.
How many of those projects included doors?
How many included windows?
How many orders involved additional millwork products that were ultimately purchased elsewhere?
The answers may reveal opportunities already sitting in your customer base.
Reach out to your Do it Best LBM representative or contact [email protected].
Our team can help evaluate your current assortment, identify opportunities within your local market, connect you with trusted suppliers, and provide support on projects that may fall outside your team’s current expertise.
Capture More of the Project
Millwork touches nearly every remodeling and new construction project. A customer may come in asking about casing, but the conversation rarely ends there.
The dealers who grow the category are often the ones willing to ask one more question and leverage the resources available to help serve the entire project.
With approved vendors, merchandising programs, assortment planning, quoting support, and the expertise of your Do it Best LBM team, you have tools available to help capture more of every job that comes through your door.
The next time someone asks about casing, don’t stop with the trim order.
The rest of the project may still be up for grabs.
