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February 2015 | ForResidentialPros.com | 19 product demonstrations and live events are the norm at PIRCH: A typi- cal week in the Dallas showroom might include a Monday Steam Cooking dem- onstration, a Tuesday Hearth Cooking demonstration, a Wednesday EVO Cooking demonstration, a Thursday Range Cooking demonstration and a Friday Outdoor Grilling demon- stration. Upcoming February events include Sourcing Saturdays, wherein the showroom employees gather fresh produce and meats from local farmers' markets, and then use these to help attendees produce a unique and tasty dish from the ingredients; a Yumologoy 101 Patio Demo, with tips for cooking out-of-doors, and a Cooking by the Book event, among others. In the same vein, the products and showroom displays are designed to engage visitors; appliances are often "live," faucets turn on and of, show- ers stream water so people can get a sense of the water fow and not just the aesthetics of the fxture, toilets fush, lighting fxtures can be dimmed, etc. Perhaps it's no surprise, then, that the average visitor spends more than two hours exploring the showroom, Meeuwisse states. GETTING PERSONAL According to Meeuwisse, another interesting aspect of the PIRCH show- room model is, "We don't have stock or carry inventory. And not having stock makes it easy to have a no-pressure sales approach because we're not trying to unload a tub that we have 5,000 units of…instead, we can fo- cus on helping people fnd what they love and what's right for them, so they can make their house into a sanctuary that's truly unique to them." In some cases, the company doesn't even sell what it displays, rather working with partners who sell the cabinetry, countertops and backsplash- es. Indeed, PIRCH has forged exclusive alliances with a handful of key com- panies, including SieMatic, Precision, Oceanside Glasst ile, Cosent ino, Eleganza, Eldorado Outdoor, Water Techniques and Century Shower. The company's philosophy, "Live joyfully!" expresses the frm's person- centric focus, Meeuwisse believes. "Live joyfully means diferent things to each person; even in each room of the house, it can mean something diferent. We don't want to 'put our customers into something,' we want to help them fnd what they need, and bring their dreams to life. That's very personal." Every detail matters, and to that end, the Dallas showroom even boasts an on-site gift boutique that ofers cu- rated items for the home, with unique décor selections ranging from statues and hand-woven placemats to art- work and crafted pieces from local artisans. The showrooms do not have certi- fed designers on staf, but rather they employ salespeople/lifestyle consul- tants who are there to help both the trade and consumers. If a consumer comes in looking for a designer or architect, they will also refer local professionals as needed. Currently, the majority of trafc comes from the trade, Meeuwisse notes, estimat- ing that 70-75% of showroom trafc is made up of professionals. However, she says, "We are starting to see that shift a bit because our new locations are in luxury malls. So an end con- sumer may come in because they heard about us, or just saw the show- room and became intrigued, and often they will browse by themselves. Later when they come back, they bring their design professional with them." TECHNOLOGY Unlike many showrooms today, PIRCH doesn't use technology to replace dis- plays. The company does, however, have a variety of giant touch screens that play diferent messaging, with information about upcoming events, specifc products, etc. These can be particularly helpful for those who come in and aren't yet ready to talk to someone, but prefer to browse quietly and gather info on their own before seeking out one of the showroom's lifestyle consultants, Meeuwisse says. The company is also working on additional technology, called PIRCH Advisor, which is "only partially rolled out" so far, according to Meeuwisse. She explains, "It's a way that our sales team/lifestyle advisors can walk up to any vignette with a customer and pull up a picture of the vignette and show them every option avail- able, almost like their own personal Pinterest page." This is particularly helpful, she notes, because pricing is much like what one would fnd in a car dealer- ship: There's an "as shown" price and a "from" price, because there are so many possible options that impact pricing. "There are so many bells and whistles you can put in a refrigerator [and PIRCH Advisor] allows our team to talk through all of the options in each of vignette. It's a wonderful sales tool that helps to educate clients." Looking ahead, the firm has growth on its mind, and hopes to be opening an average of three new showrooms a year in diverse locations, including one planned for SoHo in New York City in 2016. "There's a lot in the works, and we're very excited about the future!" Meeuwisse concludes. PIRCH uses strategically located large screens to help provide product info and share important messaging with showroom visitors. Bath displays are designed not just to showcase aesthetic appeal, but also let visitors see and feel things such as how the water fows from the shower.