46•
SHOWROOM STYLE
Branding your showroom: Be the #1 choice in your market — Part I
T
he K/BIS 2011 post-show showroom column will appear in the June issue and will fea-
ture lots of new and innovative bath, plumbing and kitchen products. I will be walking the show at 7 a.m. each day to cover the 565 exhibitors at the show. So tune in to the June issue. In the meantime, I have a “juicy”
Part I article on how to make your showroom the “brand of choice.” Part II will be in the August column and will include the actions that are nec- essary to make your plumbing show- room the brand of choice. I would highly advise you to share this article with your showroom managers, the executive staff and all the managers in your company. I’ve been quietly consulting with high-end luxury bath/plumbing man- ufacturers (50-plus), teaching them how to take their products to the mar- ketplace. This includes putting every- thing in place, including price market matrix, sales reps, showrooms, mar- keting and public relations. This es- pecially includes branding.
What is a BRAND? A brand is the embodiment of a
company’s values and the promises that it makes to its customers. A brand represents the sum of all expe- riences over time between an individ- ual and a company, product or service. A brand represents an expec- tation, a level of quality and its meas- ure of trust. It’s more than a “logo.” Products occupy a space on a shelf; brands occupy a space in your mind. Most of us are acutely aware of the concept of branding. Brands surround and influence our decisions every day. The difference between success and failure depends on how well rec- ognized the brand is. Branding has now become a com-
mon term used in marketing. Brand- ing is, essentially, burning your company (showroom) or website name or slogan into the minds of po- tential customers. Basically, if con- sumers and tradespeople recognize your name, logo and slogan, they are predisposed to buy from you. There is a sense of comfort, familiarity and security when purchasing a brand name product. Customers have trust and confidence in your company and know what to expect from you when they recognize your brand. I would also suggest that each of us
is a brand. Not in the context of a Kohler product, but in an attitudinal frame of mind. How each one of us po- sitions ourselves within our individual
showrooms, as well as in the business community as a whole, dictates our fu- ture success. The same branding prin- ciples used in companies every day can be tailored to individuals who want to stand out from the crowd. If great brands are above relationships, then in- dividuals have the greatest opportunity to brand themselves.
Benefits of becoming a brand name showroom
• Larger market share — Predispo-
sition to buy (McDonald’s vs. Bubba’s Grill). During a recession, branded businesses increase market share by a larger percentage. • High closing percentage. • Higher profit margins — Cus-
tomers for whom you have previ- ously worked have a greater trust and faith in you and will not haggle as much about prices in your showroom. With new customers, there is unfa- miliarity and uncertainty, leading them to obtain more estimates, with a greater focus on price alone.
Building the rapport and the brand promise
Over the past 25 years, I have often
said in my showroom columns that building customer rapport is one of the most important aspects of the sales process when selling luxury bath and plumbing products. Cus- tomers buy from people first. Cus- tomers want to build a personal (one-on-one) relationship with an in- dividual, not necessarily with the company brand. I know that we all represent our company’s brand, but genuine, long-lasting relationships are driven at the individual level. The reason for the customer to trust in their purchase is how well the sales, marketing and customer service pro- fessionals position themselves in the eyes of that customer. Another factor is how well a com-
pany delivers on its personal brand promise. Please do not confuse this with selling a consumer a towel bar, versus working with a professional tradesperson or with a customer who has greater needs, such as one or more complete baths or a complete custom home. This is when they want and need your valuable time and expertise.
Are you the BRANDED
showroom of choice in your market? While generic colas or even Pepsi-
Cola may win blind taste tests over Coca Cola, the fact is that more people buy Coke than any other cola. Most importantly, they enjoy “the experi-
• Be sure to visit
www.thewholesaler.com for web exclusive articles and videos! •
luxury? Remember to think “out of the box.” • Relevant. Are you standing out
in a way that is meaningful to your customers? Is it what you think the Baby Boomers and Generation X- er’s need/want or what they really de- sire or expect? • Credible/believable. Are you
able to tell your showroom story in a convincing manner and to consis- tently deliver on your brand promise? Is the selection and ordering process easy, do your products ship on time and how is your after care process? Do you provide a personal thank you note at the end of the process or ask customers how their experience was and how you can improve it? Do you ask, “Would you refer our showroom to your good friends and neighbors?” If the answer is yes, “Would you write us a testimonial?” • Esteemed. Are you running your business life in a way that builds re- spect and trust? I have always be- lieved that people and their human behavior (esteem/skills) are the showroom’s greatest assets. This is why I am constantly working on im- proving my own skills to be a more effective showroom and trade indus- try educator. •
Knowledge.Are you knowledge-
able about your company, your cus- tomers, your competition and your
ence” of buying and drinking Coca Cola. They prefer to relive fond mem- ories of childhood and refreshments than have a little better cola taste. It is the emotional relationship with
brands that make them so powerful. Let’s face it, nobody asks for a Curaid; people ask for a Band-Aid. Products as simple as Jell-o, Q-Tip and Roller Blades are “brands.” When you hear slogans such as, “Come see the softer side of_______ (Sears); “We love to see you smile” (McDonald’s) and “Just Do It” (Nike), what do they evoke? These are some well recognized
brands. What is “the experience” of your showroom brand? The fundamental commandments of branding • Unique/differentiated. Do you
stand out from the crowd? What can you do in 2011 to separate your showroom from the lower-end show- rooms trying to bridge the gap toward
• A brand emodies your company’s values
• Do customers think of your showroom first?
BY PETER SCHOR Showroom specialist
industry? Do the customers that you serve know what you do? Most new customers that walk into your show- room do not know what your show- room is and what it does. Are you wholesale and/or retail, and do you pro- vide installation? This is some of the in- formation that they need to know.
How does one properly position oneself? It starts with the right attitude. Atti-
tude determines altitude, how high you can soar. Visit the Archives on
www.thewholesaler.com to view my September 2006 column you need a “check up from the neck up.” No per- sonal brand can ever maximize its true potential without the right attitude. Next, do some research. You need
to differentiate yourself in three places: • Within your company • Within your industry • Within your targeted audiences. You do this by gaining insight into
the desires and wants of your target audiences. You learn what is impor- tant to them. Positioning in branding is focusing on your skills collectively. You cannot be everything to every- one. Please e-mail me some feedback
about this article. In August, I would like to write an article about the ac- tion steps needed to become a brand in your market.
n Peter Schor, president of Dynamic
Results Inc., is a bath/plumbing in- dustry speaker, educator, author, columnist and consultant in the many segments of our industry. For the past 20 years, he conducted seminars and speaks at numerous conventions. Schor has great expertise in the field of showrooms and hotel bathrooms and has won many industry awards. He also consults manufacturers in taking their products to market in the areas of sales, marketing and public relations. Schor can be reached at 1302 Longhorn Lane, Lincoln, CA 95648, phone 916/408-5346, fax 916/408-5899, email pschor@dy-
namicresultsinc.com or visit www.dy-
namicresultsonline.com.
•THE WHOLESALER® —MAY 2011
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104