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This week's topic is about comparing Polywater J to Polywater FST and SolidSeal (SDP). At first glance there aren't many similarities, other than the Polywater brand. One is a cable pulling lubricant; the others are foam duct sealants. This is apples and oranges, right? Not necessarily. With the previous two weeks' articles on the Polywater Laboratory's expertise on FST as a backdrop, let's look closer. First, other than a lube, what is Polywater J, really? It's the flagship product of the Polywater line, and has been for more than 2 decades. It was introduced as a revolutionary, patented innovation, and is still the leading high-performance product in its class. It is specifiable, economical, and supported by a complement of marketing and instructional materials that make its sale and use a slam dunk over the competition. That's all well and good, but over the decades a significant reason--if not the most significant reason--for its success (essentially complete global domination over competitive products in engineered cable installations) is that beneath all the glossy flyers, pithy sales pitches, and extraordinary front-line sales agents is a bedrock of undeniably deep and superior technical knowledge. Polywater's seasoned lab and sales personnel became the world's leading experts on the surprisingly complex science of cable lubrication: coefficient of friction, cable compatibility, residue combustibility, environmental hazards and regulatory compliance ... and on and on. Long-time readers have heard it all a million times. This claim was proven true again and again when competitors began throwing up their hands and telling customers who asked tough technical questions, "You'd better call Polywater on that one." This is what FST and SDP have in common with J: Polywater is now the world's leading technical expert on the science of plugging ducts with polyurethane foam. Our last two articles were preludes to making this point--and the point is fundamentally important. Customers have questions, important questions, technical questions, lots of them. Better than anyone else, we can answer them ... or study the matter and work toward an answer. This is again allowing us to dominate a market. Today, most FST and SDP competition is inferior and indirect (duct putty and canned foam) rather than me-too product. It's relatively easy to sell against. Polyurethane foams aren't new chemical technology, and FST isn't a patented innovation. It's the result of methodical, scientific testing for the ideal formulation (there are infinite possibilities) for optimal performance in a narrow use spectrum. Even if competitors come close on performance parameters, they won't understand why. Like Polywater J, FST and SDP are supported by an unrivaled depth of knowledge on cable/duct compatibility; surface adhesion characteristics; combustibility studies; water head and air pressure analyses; safety, environmental and regulatory concerns, and on and on. Our supporting technical expertise will not be beaten. When customers have finally heard enough mumbo-jumbo from the other guys, they'll seek real knowledge. They'll find us. A little more than 3 years ago we made a bold prediction in maybe The Most Prescient Friday Fax Article Ever Written. Then we did it. |
