We have all walked into a showroom and been thoroughly impressed, but chances are you have seen a few that, well, leave a lot to be desired. You think to yourself, "How can anybody do business in this place," or, the biggest question, "Why would anybody want to do business with this place?" Here are just a few of the more obvious problems I encounter, with some ideas on how to create a showroom that works for you.
1. Dirty, Dusty, Dingy, Yuck!
It's hard to believe that keeping a showroom area clean is not common practice, but it happens more than you would think. Showrooms often have dust migration issues. It is essential to keep the customer areas as clean and as fresh as possible. You might not think it is a big deal, but it is. Your customer might figure: If you can't even keep your showroom tidy, what in the world will you do to her home?
2. Small Samples
Selling flooring from a picture, a single plank, or even a small display sample can be a recipe for disaster. You can describe the character of the grade and color variations all day long, but, ultimately, the customer will only remember the actual sample they see and touch. This is just a fact in our sensory world. Consider building larger panels of your best sellers to give a better representation of what your customer can expect. A little bit of effort on your end will save you a lot of frustration, heartache and money in the long run.
3. Oops, I Tripped-Call the Lawyer!
Another commonsense thing that gets overlooked is clutter all over the place. Clutter and general messiness is a major turnoff in a place of business. It is annoying-if not all-out hazardous-to your customer. At the very least, most folks just don't perceive it as professional. The customer would much rather go somewhere without samples stacked everywhere in the walkways, displays falling apart and open boxes of flooring laying around everywhere.
4. Trying to be Everything to Everybody
This is a tough situation for sure, and it is a real problem for your showroom. You can't display everything available. Control your showroom by showing only your best movers and the products from your best suppliers. You can let it be known you can access just about anything in the industry, but you don't want to confuse your customer by displaying 23 oak gunstock builder grades from different manufacturers. When you can, avoid displaying redundant, overlapping products. All your customer wants is a good product at a good price with a simple, pleasurable selection experience. Overwhelming your customer may make them go down the street. In this case, oftentimes less is more.
5. The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
Another problem lurking in your showroom: missing, discontinued, out-of-date, old and just worn-out sample boards. It is hard to sell from a scratched, dinged-up sample while you are explaining how hard the finish is. And, as you know, wood changes color with age and exposure, so replace your samples every so often. Many manufacturers and distributors have programs to help you do this. And always have brochures available at the rack.
There are many overlooked little things that can make a big difference to your ultimate success. Remember, the showroom is a reflection of you and your company. Finally, the most important element in your successful showroom? Your well-trained, knowledgeable sales staff.
