When I open the ballroom door and enter the 2022 DPHA conference, the booths catch my eye but I am looking for familiar industry wide faces and those new personalities that i do not know. The DPHA conference is all about the decorative plumbing and hardware, period. It presents me with the opportunity to see new products from decorative plumbing and hardware focused vendors, industry relevant education sessions and opportunities to interact with the people that manage and own DPHA businesses.
As an owner or manager, your laser focus is on each vendor’s profit and, mistakenly, assume that your salespeople share your bottom-line focus. I suggest you are focusing on the deliverables, and they are involved in the process, the sales process. In most cases, you will not be able to move your salespeople to your side of this question by simply showing them the money. The way to move them is to show them how these HVVs will fuel their desire to be a great showroom salesperson.
When a product niche reaches this level of performance consistency, most manufacturers gravitate toward the same basic product platform. Is a faucet from vendor A really that much different than one from vendors B, C or D?
I have been back on the road for a while and have just returned from another week-long tour. I would like to report that the decorative plumbing showroom world remains vibrant and as diverse as ever. The question that I am most asked is: How are showrooms and customers reacting to COVID-19 in their business practices in 2022?
Jeff MacDowell, director of Luxury Products Group (LPG) attended the 2022 IMARK Summer Invitational alongside exclusive brands Australian Designer Faucets and Current. IMARK members from across the country were invited to attend and were able to learn more about what the LPG strategic initiatives have to offer.
A simple sales process change to improve efficiency in the showroom.
August 8, 2022
In a quiet home or company office, away from the hustle and bustle of a busy 21st-century decorative showroom, a knowledgeable salesperson will dig into their knowledge of today’s market, the designer’s style filtered through their meeting notes to create the total schedule.
During my 2022 travels, I have noticed one combined practice that both delights and concerns me. Many salespeople and trade professionals have consciously sped up their product selection process by condensing the sales/selection process.
Any business can install factory displays side by side, set a few toilet, cabinet, mirror and faucet looks and declare the space a decorative plumbing showroom.
These exclusive trainings are sponsored by LR Brands — An Oatey Innovation, and will give members access to best practice tips, to be used both personally and professionally, as well as coveted general advice from experts belonging to one of the world’s most renowned etiquette institutions.
Defining product market fit is not an easy task for a stand-alone decorative plumbing showroom. It's especially complicated for showrooms that are a part of a multi-product brand that may supply PVF targeting plumbers, HVAC targeting builders or any of the many building products with re-distribution models.