Cars and Cabinets...First Impressions are Everything

The big day has come..you have finally saved enough money and you are going to buy a brand new car.  You are very excited to start looking at all the new models and trends.  You go to the most recognized car dealer in the area and start to look around at the cars.  You notice right away that many of the cars are older models.  The cars are dusty and some of them even have dents and dings in them.  How would you feel about that car dealer?  Probably not very confident. If they cannot keep their cars clean, how is their service?

Now think about the person coming into a cabinet showroom...

In the past several weeks I have been in at least 10 showrooms and am amazed to see the following:

• Displays are dusty
• Displays are outdated
• Hardware broken
• Little or inaccurate signage

In a recent study of 1373 homeowners. They identified the showroom tour as the number one activity in helping them make their buying decision.  So what does it say when your displays have many of the problems I have identified above?

Below are 4 things you can do to make sure your displays are looking good.

1. Dust Your Displays Daily...Yes, that's right.  Assign everyone who works in the showroom a day of the week and have them dust the displays every morning.
2. Make Sure Displays are Signed Properly...Brand, Wood Species, Color and maybe even price should be easily located.  Also, make sure that the appropriate brochures are on each display.  I have seen my competitors brochures on my displays.
3. Make Your Displays Interactive...Every wonder why shoppers open and close the drawers?  It's because they are wanting to interact with the displays.  Don't use displays for storage. Load them with items a homeowner would. Pots, Pans, Canned Goods and cleaning supplies.  Makes the displays look more real.
4. Keep Displays Up-To-Date...I know this costs money but, it is really embarrassing when someone asks about a display and you tell them that they cannot get it because it's discontinued.  Have a plan in place to replace displays as needed to keep you showroom fresh.
5. Bonus Tip....Use Graphics to Compliment Your Existing Displays...Surround displays with attractive images of kitchens you have recently completed.  Hang them on the wall...Put them in a frame and put them on the counters.  This will build credibility and will engage the client.

Executing the 4 steps (plus the bonus tip) and making them a habit will help your showroom stand out from your competition...So grab a feather duster and get to work.

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