KBB - February 2014 - 46

DEALER DISH

tables and other meeting places in our showroom, as well as areas in
which to hang out and relax. In most of our meeting areas, we have also
integrated, flat-screen TVs that link to our network where we can pull up
projects and images.

Is there anything regarding technology in showrooms that would
be helpful?
I believe in the ability to use technology together with your clients. If
you encourage them to use an iPad on their own in your showroom, you
are saying "Don't bother me." Having wireless Internet is important in the
event your clients want to bring in their own computers and show you
photos they have picked out. We offer our customers refreshments, and if
they drink coffee, they can see a live demo of our coffee machines.

What is your opinion of an ideal showroom layout?
Ideally, there should be a display window visible to the public that
identifies what kind of business it is. Splashes of color and lighting can
grab people's attention. Once a customer opens the door, it is important
for the space to open up. It works well to have some larger displays at the
beginning and middle of the showroom, with smaller displays toward the
perimeter. This variety allows you to show a breadth of styles.
There should be at least one or two universally appealing displays
that show today's trends. We also like to feature smaller displays with
designs that our customers may not have considered. People are drawn
to what I like to call "magpie" materials like a backlit glass countertop.
Nine times out of 10, people will walk over to something like this, even if
they don't end up buying it.
Showrooms need to be color sensitive, as colors can look different
under various kinds of lighting, which can be frustrating to clients. We
have multiple kinds of lighting so that our customers can take a color to
the area that houses the same lighting they have in their homes.

Is there ever an issue with there not being enough brands from
which to choose?

Cheryl Draa
Owner of Cheryl Draa Interior Designs, Atlanta

What is something about showroom shopping that frustrates you?
It seems like it is hard to get a good answer on how much anything will
cost or if it is even available. You may go in and see a great island, but the
uneducated staff doesn't always know enough about it.
A showroom also really needs to be accessible only to us. ADAC is
open to the public now, and it is frustrating when anyone can go in and
get information. If a showroom is trade only, they should make sure to
get everyone's credentials upon entrance. If a person can't give you
a business license and a tax id, do not give them the information they
are requesting.
Some showrooms offer discounts to designers, and then they turn
around and tell potential clients what the designers' costs are. I also don't
appreciate when a showroom person gives my client their business card
or a copy of the invoice. I am the designer, I am working on the project,
and the client should not be calling the showroom. If someone in a showroom does this, the designer gets circumvented, and sometimes changes
can be made of which we are unaware.

+
K BB

An ideal showroom layout will feature larger displays at the front, with smaller
vignettes around the perimeter. Showroom designers shouldn't be afraid to
display items that aren't necessarily "trendy" from time to time.

Yes, this has been an issue. I understand you can't always display
every available product in one showroom, but it would be nice to see
brands at different price points - high, medium and low. We would love
to upsell our clients and get them to spend more money, but only if they
clearly have the money. It's not good when there are too many options,
though, because this can be overwhelming.

Is there anything regarding technology in showrooms that would
be helpful?
Something like this may already be available, but a user-friendly program that would allow me to drop products into a picture of the client's
home would be helpful. I would also love to see catalogs online.

Does the way a showroom is laid out have an affect on your
experience?
There are some products that could belong in either a kitchen or a
bathroom. If those products could be displayed in the middle of the showroom with strictly kitchen displays on one side and bathroom displays on
the other, that would make it easier. n

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KBB - February 2014

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