True Strategic Selling Wins the Customer and Protects Your Margin.
As a manufacturer, you know every stitch, every fastener, and every square metre of fabric in your play park. You understand the resilience of the materials and the engineering behind every castle. But what about your customer’s customer? What truly drives the purchasing decision of a hire company or reseller?
The truth is that selling inflatables isn’t about listing technical specifications. It’s about selling peace of mind, hire turnover, and profitability. It’s about making your customer (the hire company) see themselves as a hero to their customer (the family hosting the party).
If you want to stop competing on price alone and start being seen as a strategic partner, mastering persuasion is your next masterstroke. Let’s dive into the 6 techniques.
1. Talk About the Hire Company’s Pain, Not Your Technical Features
The hire company isn’t buying an “air mattress with reinforced seams”. They are buying “attractions that don’t burst at the crucial moment, that impress clients and generate referrals”. Your communication must mirror this.
In Practice for this Niche:
Hire Company (Client): “My big fear is taking on a large booking and the toy tearing at the first event.”
❌ The Technical Response (that Pushes Away): “Our fabric is 420D with double-stitching and a zig-zag stitch.”
✅ The Strategic Response (that Engages): “I understand perfectly. Reliability is your capital, isn’t it? That’s precisely why we invest in [Name of Technique/Raw Material]. The focus is exactly on eliminating that risk. You’ll have the security of knowing the toy will not only withstand heavy use but will maintain your company’s professional image, event after event.”
Why it works for the Manufacturer: You translate a feature into an emotional benefit (peace of mind) and a commercial one (professional image). You connect your quality to the reputation of your customer’s business.
2. The Wave of “Yeses” that Leads to the Year’s Order
Before showing the catalogue, prepare the ground with questions that generate agreement on values.
How to Do It in the Inflatable Sector:
- For durability: “[Hire Company Name], to maintain a healthy profit margin, is it crucial that the toys have a long lifespan, reducing the need for constant replacement?”
- For design/attractiveness: “A modern, attractive design is a key differentiator when your customer chooses between you and a competitor, agree?”
- For logistics: “Having an option for a toy that is more compact and easier to transport and store makes a difference in your daily operations, correct?”
The Power Behind the Tactic: By obtaining several “yeses” about concepts, when you present the product that embodies these concepts, acceptance will be natural. You’re not selling; you’re offering the solution to needs the customer themselves has acknowledged.
3. Mirroring: Speak Your Customer’s Language (Whether They’re an Entrepreneur or a Large Company)
A hire company owner who is a family man with a van has a different energy from the procurement manager of a large amusement park.
In Practice:
- Small Customer/Individual Entrepreneur: More personal tone, focus on direct financial return (“with this model, you recoup the investment in X parties”), accessible language.
- Corporate/Large Customer: More structured tone, focus on ROI, KPIs, durability (TCO – Total Cost of Ownership), certifications, and documented technical support.
Why it works: It shows you understand the scale of their challenge and their operational reality. Builds trust through appropriateness.
4. The “Mini-Closes” that Guide the Sale of a Portfolio
Use strategic questions during the presentation to validate interest and steer the conversation.
Applied Examples:
- After showing a waterproof model: “Does it make sense for you to have a product line that can be used at the beach or a club, widening your hire opportunities?”
- When explaining production time: “Within your planning for the peak season, is a lead time of X weeks feasible?”
- “Of the models I’ve shown, did any fit the profile of your clientele better?”
The Natural Transition: If the response is positive, advance: “Perfect. To finalise this sample/order, should it be the standard model or would you like to customise it with your company logo?”
5. Pre-empt the Price Objection by Talking About Value for Money
The “it’s expensive” objection is inevitable. Address it first, with authority.
How to Do It with Conviction:
“[Customer Name], investing in an inflatable is an asset for your business. And certainly, you will find cheaper options on the market. The difference lies in what’s inside: in the fabric weight that prevents tears, in the stitch quality that prevents slow leaks, and in the support we offer if something rare happens. You’re not just buying a toy. You’re buying operational peace of mind. A cheaper product that tears in one season has a much higher cost per use than ours, which lasts for years. Agree?”
Why it works: You position the price as an investment, not an expense. Shifts the conversation from “how much it costs” to “how much it yields/protects”.
6. Shift the Focus from “Product” to “The Customer’s Business”
Stop selling inflatables. Start selling memorable experiences and recurring profit.
The Practical Magic for the Manufacturer:
- ❌ Product Focus: “This model is 5 metres long and has 2 slides.”
- ✅ Value (Transformational) Focus: “This model is the flagship hire for school and neighbourhood parties. With two slides, you double the turnover of children, reducing queues and increasing satisfaction. This means the event organiser will recommend your service, and you can hire this same toy 3 times in a single weekend. It’s not an expense; it’s a revenue-generating machine.”
Golden Tip: Create a simple “profit calculator”. Show, based on the average hire price in their region, how many events it takes for the toy to pay for itself.
Between the Lines
For the manufacturer, high-level persuasion is the lever that pulls you out of the commodity space and places you in the consultant tier. Your customer (the hire company) doesn’t just want a supplier; they want a partner to help them grow. When you sell value, durability, and peace of mind, you’re selling what truly matters.
The challenge is this: in the next call or visit with a potential customer, abandon the technical script for 10 minutes. Use Technique No.1 and listen actively to what their true concern is. Only then start speaking.
You will see the quality of the conversation transform.
Inflated Greetings!
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