In my previous post, I touched upon the subject of showrooms. Despite the rise and dominance of the internet in most areas of marketing and sales, home improvement products like new windows and doors remain a powerful and persuasive sales tool in an installer’s armory.
See it, touch it
Like with other major purchases, such as cars, kitchens etc, new windows and doors are products that people still want to see in the flesh before they make a purchase. This is where a showroom has to be the most exciting and enticing part of any installation business.
Despite what some may think, even some more outspoken and against the grain industry voices, new windows and doors should and can be an exciting home improvement purchase. The quality, aesthetics and choice of our products have vastly improved in a short space of time. Gone are the dull woodgrains and boring white panel doors. In are the plethora of timber alternative products, weird and wonderful colours, spraying options, custom door design and many other varieties of window and door products that can now hugely change the appearance of a person’s home.
An installation company’s showroom should be a place that can inspire, get the creative juices flowing in both salesperson and homeowner, and ultimately help to win the business of that homeowner. Choice is key too. There’s not point having just three doors stood up against a back wall and hope that does the job, because it won’t. In our place we have over 50 doors. We have dozens of windows. An outdoor conservatory showsite. We give our potential customers as much choice to look at as possible. And given the feedback we get from our own clients, we have a lot more on show than our local competition.
Showroom support from fabricators
Having a well equipped showroom is key. But one of the major problems is that most small to medium sized installers don’t have the spare cash to throw at a showroom and make it look amazing. This is why installers need support for their showroom from their fabricators.
When I mean support, I mean free. If an installer wants to draw people to their premises and get people in a stylish showroom, they should be able to rely on their suppliers to help provide products to display. It can cost a lot of money to put together a knockout showroom, most installers don’t have the cash to plough into something like that though. For me, when a fabricator agrees to put their products in a showroom FOC, it’s a show of faith towards that installer. Their way of saying “we’re going to support you”.
I don’t believe that installers should pay for their showroom to be filled with the products they are going to sell on behalf of their suppliers. I understand that fabricators cannot just spend endless amounts of cash on showrooms. But a balanced approach to quality installers who are prepared to push the products they put in their showrooms should ensure that money is spent wisely.
It’s not just showroom products that should be on hand, but marketing support to go with it as well. Despite the headlines pointing towards a healthier economy, I can assure readers that many installers are not yet feeling that flush with cash. That’s why things like free marketing support can be so beneficial to installers.
And lets look at this long term. If a fabricator helps out a quality installer with showroom products and marketing for free, it’s highly likely that not only with their cost be covered in a relatively short period of time, but may also start to make a profit on that showroom investment too. And lets face it, if we expect installers to sell products, they need to be in showrooms in the first place. You can’t sell what you can’t display!
What are your thoughts? Should fabricators be providing free showroom support? Should installers be putting their hands in their pockets instead? All comments welcome in the section below.
A physical showroom is – in my humble opinion – even more vital today as part of the overall sales and marketing mix than it was a few years ago.
Products which are displayed are definitely sold. System Companies and their down stream fabricators/trade suppliers need to help retailers get showrooms updated with the very latest generations of products. In return for product for showrooms, most fabricators and suppliers will be looking for some kind of exclusive supply relationship with the retailer – this seems fair.
I agree entirely with this post, a Showroom is one of the most valuable assets in securing business and giving customers the feel for a well established business. Over the past couple of years I have started a conversation with fabricators, to upgrade my Conservatory Showrooms and display. Responses have been, well we could give you a small discount, to not interested, one guy remarked …..that’s not the kind of support we provide… On the marketing side I am confronted by brochures from manufacturers extolling the engineering features of their product, not one has produced a brochure aimed at the… Read more »
“When I mean support, I mean free”. I’m gonna have to offer a contrary opinion. Nice in theory, but this is one area where the loyalty and support expected for free isn’t always returned in kind from the installer back up the chain, particularly with fancy showroom PVC installers who chop and change like the wind at times, and always on the latest in a long line of throat-slitting price undercutting. Obviously this doesn’t apply to everyone, but it’s a significant factor for any number of manufacturers in the industry I’d say. We used to regularly kit out some of… Read more »
Small showrooms are dying – not enough people visit to give value to those financing them. However, if there is room for really good quality products in quantity, then the suppliers and retailer getting together to display a powerful array of confidence inducing products, backed by well thought out marketing, will surely bolster sales for both parties and produce an enduring partnership. However, just as there are disreputable as well as integrity filled manufacturers, the same applies to showroom based retailers. To supply a major refurb gratis to a showroom run by principals who have had multiple business failures, treating… Read more »
I am with Ginty in the main on this , though would also add , for complete accuracy of presenting the current product on offer, the fabricator should be updating a customers showroom regularily, that said . so many installers don’t give a monkeys as to what they give a customer, despite what they show them !!