In the era of quick & cheap online shopping, retailers need to give their customers value that they cannot find online. Showrooms that lack the ability to inspire, engage and educate the customer are slowly disappearing from the market.
Are you designing your showroom or trying to refresh it for the upcoming season?
Are you stuck with making the right decision?
1. Figure out what makes YOU different and define your core business values
With so many retailers and competitors in your area, why should your client choose you? What makes you the right choice for him/her? If the customer doesn’t recognize your values, like experience and knowledge, they will make a decision based only on price or convenience.
If you are reading this article, it probably means that you don’t want to be the cheapest seller on the block. You want to be the best and you want to VALUED. You want your showroom to stand out, reflect your brand & your business values, and you want to provide the best customer service to your clients. You must stand out and tap into your client’s deepest desire.
2. Set goals for your business and your showroom
Once you have your core business values established, it should be easy for you to recognize what roles your retail space will play, and how it will help you serve customers and lift sales. A well-planned and carefully executed presentation will elevate your brand awareness, increase product appeal, and inspire your customers.
3. Create a space that emulates a sense of home
Take a step back and imagine, that you are your dream customer. You don’t know anything about the product you are selling, and you are looking for the best/most affordable/most convenient options (depending on who your client is).
Make your entrance inviting, bright and specious. Create a space that emulates a sense of home and showcase settings that appeal to your customer. Let them dive in! Walk them through the path you want them to walk, show them settings they can envision and easily incorporate into their homes. Then, help them decide what style, solutions, and qualities they are drawn to.
Displays are meant to provide ideas and inspire. Once customers have identified what they like (because they can visualize this in their own homes), lead them through a top-down approach of their options to help them decide. This is where you can start going more into details about products differences and benefits.
4. Design a beautiful and thoughtful showroom
You are selling building products and your customers expect you to be the expert. The first impression of your showroom’s interior design can immediately build trust or create doubt about your capabilities. Why trust someone with the job of helping me select the right entrance tiles for my home, if their grout colour doesn’t match their own tiles?
Every customer is different. Providing full introduction on how to buy, and a full selection & design options, wins customers.
5. Find the best display systems to support your strategy
Once you have planned the role each part of your showroom plays, you can start the search for the best display solutions for each space. Provide a clean design that integrates consistent and reliable displays that are functionally sound, easy to refresh and last forever (ask us how!). Present yourself the way you want your ideal customers to see you! Make the first impression a slam dunk!
At some point, your customers are going to have questions. Are you planning to keep a team of trained and reliable sales associates on the floor to answer all of them? Or should you consider displays that consistently help lead your customers down a simple purchase path when sales associates are busy helping other customers? Consider the customer journey and what will make their experience valuable. And consider that some customer’s appreciate building their knowledge prior to engaging a salesperson.
Keep your showroom organized in a way that is easy for your customer.
Maximize options and presentation in the smallest possible space.
Both your customers, and wallet will love you for it.
Are you stuck with making the right decision?
