Stop Thinking You Sell Toilets, What You Really Sell Is Happiness

There have been voluminous works published on the changing luxury paradigm. Today's luxury consumers, (e.g. decorative plumbing and hardware showroom clients), are not renovating their bathrooms or building new homes to necessarily impress neighbors or to make a status statement. The primary emotional driver of the decision to redo a bath or kitchen or build a new one is to become happier. Happiness is not the byproduct of what someone buys. Instead it stems from experiences or what people do, and converting a master bath into a personal retreat or providing a facelift to a powder room is an attempt to live a happier and more rewarding lifestyle.

Cornell professor Brian Wansink has conducted numerous experiments that illustrate if you can change a consumer's perception of a product, you can change the consumer's behavior, e.g. they will purchase more expensive products and increase the happiness quotient from the purchase. In a recent experiment, Wansink invited two groups of diners to a eat meal. Group 1 was given a menu that listed the ingredients such as fish, green beans, scalloped potatoes, salad and chocolate cake and then were served the meal at institutional-type tables on paper plates. When asked to rate the quality of the meal on a scale of 1-10, the diners in Group 1 rated the experience on an average of 3.4 points.

Group 2 though ate at tables set with linens, candles and floral centerpieces. The lighting was dimmed and the menu provided detailed and fancy food descriptions. The meal was served on real plates with restaurant-styled table and stemware. Group 2 received the exact same meal as Group 1, however, the average rating from this group was 8.0 points on a 10-point scale.

The difference had everything to do with perception. And therein lies the lesson for decorative plumbing and hardware showrooms. If you believe and act like your role is to "sell toilets", you are most likely to receive the same rating that Group 1 gave their meal served on paper plates. However, if you tell compelling stories to clients - that your role is to make their lives easier, more enjoyable and happier by specifying the perfect products that will benefit their lifestyle daily - you are positioning your showroom to receive ratings similar to those provided by Group 2 or even higher.

Consumers with the means to purchase luxury products don't buy because they want to make a status and prestige statement.  That's the old world of luxury that no longer applies.  Consumers with resources to purchase new baths and kitchens from your showroom want compelling stories and experiences that will make them happier.