My first job was working at a furniture store in a small rural community.
At the young age of 16, I was learning to set up a well-organized showroom and keep it fresh by moving product around from time to time, otherwise, regular customers quit looking around.
Since that time, I have always stopped and looked at showrooms of all types of businesses to see the work they put into making their showrooms count.
Regular maintenance is the first key to a successful showroom that your customers will love to explore. Not many staff get excited to go dust off products and change displays around, but it is very important that this task gets done. So, build a showroom maintenance calendar that ensures each member of the staff has a turn doing their part. If someone goes through and dusts off the products you display just once a week, then keeping them clean becomes very easy. Also, a daily check should be conducted to ensure that shelves are full, product is pulled forward to the front of the
shelves, and there are no empty spaces on the displays. Finally, check to ensure that everything has a price tag, either on the item itself or on the shelf. Without a price, most customers will leave the item on the shelf, as they don’t want to come to your counter to find out the item is more than they are willing to pay.
Making sure you have the right products on display is another key to making your showroom count. A showroom should feature retail or impulse items. The best rule is that if the box you have on display is a plain brown box with a part number on it, or there is no way for a customer to know what machine it is for, it should be stored in your back parts area, not in the showroom. Display actual retail items, such as tools, regular wear, maintenance parts, or merchandise like toys, clothing, or other impulse items. Finally, seasonal displays are great but also make sure they are current with the upcoming season. Having a display of lawn mower maintenance kits when there is snow on the ground just doesn’t make sense.
Finally, make sure you change your showroom from time to time. Again, a yearly calendar can be a great tool to ensure you have a plan in place for your showroom. Move product around every 3-6 months so that your regular customers notice a change and have to explore the showroom to find what they are looking for. I think there is great value in completely rearranging your shelves and displays once a year, so that customers notice a significant change and are encouraged to look around. You often see this done in retail stores, in a desire to keep things fresh. Map out new locations for your shelves and displays and take advantage of the slower times of year to truly maximize your showroom’s count impact.
Whether your showroom is new with lots of space or you have a smaller location with space restrictions, your showroom conveys a message to your customers about your business. Giving this space the attention it deserves will show your customers you are paying attention to the little details and are delivering a great customer experience. So, have some fun with your showrooms, and if you haven’t changed it up in a long time, Christmas is almost here so there is no better time to make a big change.
Article Written By: Scott Brigden
SCOTT BRIGDEN is a trainer with NAEDA’s Dealer Institute. Prior to joining DI as an aftermarket specialist and trainer, Scott held various training and leadership positions across several dealerships in Canada, and he currently manages a truck repair shop. He looks forward to helping dealers succeed by improving their parts and service operations.
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