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40 | Kitchen & Bath Design News | June 2015 She continues, "You walk in and it feels more like a home than a show- room, and this is what your home could be like. It's also why I felt it was important to have appliances work- ing – I can make you not just a cup of cofee but a fresh vanilla latte or a soy cappuccino within three minutes of you walking in the door. I can turn on my oven and bake you cookies or a croissant, and the showroom smells like the cofee and croissant. In the afternoon, I can have cold cheese from the refrigerator, and bread baking, a glass of wine…the kids can watch TV in the media area or sit and do their homework. The experience is very important." Gilmer, however, sees it diferent- ly. "I don't think the smell of cookies baking makes people want to buy a kitchen," she says, preferring to focus the consumer experience on unique products that they can see and touch, and experience how they work. Donohue points out the impor- tance of having "a place to perch" in each of the displays, so people can sit down, be comfortable and spend time in the space if it strikes a chord. Most dealers and designers agree that working displays can help bring the showroom to life. "Kitchen displays should be live to take advantage of the designs you have created, the functionality and the products you have displayed. Re- member that today's consumers care most about how what you have to ofer afects their lives," says Geragi. "Can they see themselves in the room(s) you are showing?" He continues, "Light up the dis- plays on the inside as well as the outside. Light up the drawers and even cabinets that do not have open or glass doors. Show how you incor- porate outlets, lighting, iPad charging and Bluetooth connectivity into your cabinets." Kirk agrees that it's important to pay attention to all of the senses, including sights, scents and sounds, but also warns, "Above all, don't overwhelm them. People today want simplicity, not clutter. Show less and show it better; think of it from the customer's viewpoint." PRODUCT MIX Bailey states, "We believe that striking a balance is the key to success when it comes to product mix. Consumers should feel like they have unlimited options, but not be overwhelmed with decision-making. Organizing prod- ucts in an intuitive way to facilitate easy decision-making also makes for a very customer-friendly showroom experience." When it comes to product mix, Geragi believes, "The 80/20 rule is usually the best route to take. Most de- signer businesses will sell repeatedly from one or two of the lines ofered 80 percent of the time. While you need to be well rounded and understand the breadth of your customer base, a study of the time invested, learning curve for employees and the products sold usually bears this out." He adds, "Larger stafs, and a wider range of customer demographics and regional infuence, are more successful with multiple lines." Gilmer believes the number of product lines carried depends on the showroom, but feels that it's impor- tant to cover diferent price points and ofer a transitional, traditional and contemporary option in each of the lines carried. With a relatively small showroom, Dugan doesn't try to show an over- whelming amount of products. Rather, she says, "We have two [cabinet] lines from Rutt, and show four options for each line; within those, I have all of the bells and whistles. So, in the ofce cabinetry, I have three awning-style cabinets, but they all have diferent opening mechanisms so people can see what each is like. I show pull-out and lighted interior doors, just lots of organizational things so people can see what you can do from a feature and functionality standpoint. In Marin County, your storage has to be really, really dialed in, so this is important." EXPERT ADVICE It's impossible to have a discussion about the showroom without talking about the role of an experienced and knowledgeable designer in making the showroom a true resource for consum- ers. As Barbara Geller, ACSD, PKBD, of the Boca Raton, FL-based The Place for Kitchens & Baths states, "A designer's knowledge and design sense is very im- portant in creating a great showroom." Heiner adds, "With all that is available on the Internet, one of the reasons shoppers come to a brick- and-mortar building is to connect with industry experts to help guide them in their selections. According to a recent study conducted by Time Trade, 90 percent of consumers are more likely to buy when helped by a knowledgeable associate." He says, "Your design staf's knowledge and experience is what builds the trust factor with a customer," which is why staff expertise is so critical to the showroom experience. At the Bend, OR Neil Kelly show- room, Donohue cites a survey that said one third of those planning a re- model drop out early in the process because they're overwhelmed by too many choices and too many decisions to make. She explains, "With the Inter- net and Houzz and the food of 'stuf' that comes at them, they look to us to edit things down for them." Gilmer agrees: "The designer has to understand the showroom and what's in it, and when talking with the client, get a feel for which direc- tion to point them in, so you can take them to the areas that show what they like. It's like when I take my clients to a tile store, it's overwhelming be - cause there's so much there and they don't know where to start. That's why I go with my clients – because I know what price range they're looking at and what their taste is and I can direct them accordingly." Bailey calls Ferguson's product experts "the secret sauce," and says, "Both trade professionals and home- owners rely on our knowledgeable and experienced product experts to make their project a success." She concludes, "A beautiful, innovative, and/or interactive showroom is noth- ing without great people to facilitate a world-class customer experience. At the Ferguson showrooms, National Showroom Manager Kate Bailey believes that it's important to mix vignettes to provide inspiration along with comparative displays by type to allow for ease of selection. Working vignettes and interactive displays also populate the showrooms in order to allow consumers to enjoy a more 'hands-on' experience. She also sees clutter-free design, a space that engages all of the senses and a staf with plenty of product expertise as key to the success of the frm's showrooms. Photos: Courtesy of Ferguson