6 | APRIL 2018
News
Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk
TOP TIPS FOR SHOWROOMS
Here are some top tips to
make your showroom sparkle,
no matter the size, space or
budget, from Synseal Group’s
Head of Installer Development,
Steve Hutchinson.
Getting the
basics right
The most important thing
you can do in your show-
room is to make it easy for
your customer. Think about
creating focal points and
eye-catching displays, with
informative brochures and
samples. Think about the
layout of your show space
and how it flows. Placing
your counter at the back of
the room will give people
time to think about what
they want before purchas-
ing, and you could include
paper and pencils so they
can write down ideas or
product codes. A seating
area is also useful, plus a
few toys are a great idea to
keep any children occu-
pied.
The most successful
showrooms reflect the
aspirations of that busi-
ness – so if you’re selling
orangery products, make
sure your customers can
browse this range in your
showroom and get a feel
for what it would be like
inside their own orangery.
There are lots of creative
things you can do with
products to maximise on
space, without the need to
install a full-size product
into your showroom. Talk to
your supplier about mod-
ular units which combine,
for instance, a GRP door, a
window and profile samples
all in one neat space. For
roof products like lanterns,
you should be able to get
cut-through samples or
downsized examples.
If you can’t fit full-size
or even downsized exam-
ples of the products you
sell, it doesn’t mean you
can’t show off your range.
Consider a TV screen with
a time lapse video for large
products like conservato-
ries, demonstrating what a
finished product could look
like in the home. Combine
this with some low-cost
brochures, customer case
studies, product samples
and colour swatches, and
you can achieve a compre-
hensive showroom in the
smallest of spaces.
Important rules
Let’s not forget some of
the all-important showroom
rules. Firstly, make sure
your products are clean!
It may seem obvious, but
clean products – particular-
ly glazed ones – are more
enticing than dirty, grubby
ones. Make cleaning part
of your daily routine and
use the correct cleaning
products for your different
samples. If you take pride
in your showroom, it shows
your customers that you are
diligent and will look after
their home too.
Rule number two: the
right environment makes all
the difference. Make sure
your showroom is a com-
fortable temperature and
your lighting is good – espe-
cially around your products
and colour samples. A bit of
background music can cover
up any awkward silence on
a slow day, and sometimes
offering your customers a
cup of tea and a biscuit can
be just the thing to make
them feel more relaxed.
I also think people often
forget just how vital staff
training is. Giving your staff
the knowledge to really sell
your products will help to
get sales over the line, and
avoid encounters where you
can’t answer some of the
basic questions. Your suppli-
er should be able to provide
you with training as well as
technical information, bro-
chures and samples so you
have all the equipment you
need to sell confidently.
Above all, if you have a
showroom make sure you
shout about it. There’s no
point kitting your show-
room out if you’re not going
to tell the world it’s there.
Think about the ways you
can tell people about your
showroom using social
media, local magazines, fly-
ers, your website and even
word of mouth. Don’t forget
to make your showroom
obvious from the outside
with external signage, and
an A-board on the pavement
if showroom is hidden away
down a side street.
That extra step
If you have a bit more
money to spend, you can
start to look at more inter-
active approaches to show
off your products. There are
numerous software packag-
es available which custom-
ers can use to design their
own conservatory, door or
window, and even get this
priced up on the spot. You
can also use free resources
from your supplier, like the
Masterdor Craftsman AR
app available to our door
customers.
Given that the most
popular home renovation is
now a single storey living
area, a lot of your customers
will be looking for products
that can complement new
kitchen and dining spac-
es, like bi-fold or sliding
patio doors. If you have the
space, you could display a
small kitchen area (which
doubles as a refreshment
area), perhaps even working
in conjunction with a local
kitchen supply partner, or
a local furniture seller for
sofa and dining spaces. This
can give your customers a
real idea of what their home
might look like, and how
different products comple-
ment each other.
steve.hutchinson@synseal.
com