I was fortunate to speak to the
plumbing diva Mary Labowitz of Premier Marketing about strengthening
relationships amongst showrooms and reps to expand horizons in the
market. Although I have known Mary for several years, the most
eye-opening aspect of the conversation was being able to see the
industry through the lens of a manufacturer representative. Sometimes,
it is too easy to neglect the difficulties your peers and colleagues
experience while building your own business. Gaining perspective is the
first step toward mending a stronger relationship; that is certainly
the truth in both business AND life. Take a moment now to ask yourself,
"am I proactively utilizing my business relationships to maximize
engagement?"
Feeling the Love
Both showrooms and representatives
have different needs. Coming from a small design showroom, we heavily
rely on our reps for support and to promote our brand. From our
perspective, we truly value reps that believe in our company vision
while offering the best and most knowledgeable service in plumbing.
Attention to detail, follow up, and just knowing that the rep is there
for support whether it be in a consultation design or damage control in
the heat of an unfortunate issue is so important for our business. But
why would there ever be a problem in plumbing?
Conversely, reps need to feel the love
too. I did not realize the depth of the challenges until my
conversation with Mary. What is important to reps is knowing that the
showroom is genuinely invested in the line and not just adding a line
for the sake of unlimited product selection. Showrooms being more
selective with their product selections actually enhances the customer
experience by preventing confusion in the design process, so it is
really a win-win.
Tip - Jobsite visits by both the rep and showroom designer are a great way to engage personally. with clientele It makes you unique as a designer and adds value to your service.
Communication
Naturally, building any relationship
comes back to communication. For reps, if they do not hear from
showrooms, most would be led to believe that no news is good news.
Because showrooms have different needs, it is important to communicate
to your reps exactly what you need. They are there to develop creative
solutions to issues showrooms might have ranging from increasing sales
and ordering parts, to helping with installation or assisting with
projects.
Showrooms also need to
hear from reps when there are updates to existing lines. This goes
beyond the annual visit to present new pricebooks and price increases.
No one can learn everything there is to know in just one PK. Repetition
is so vital when becoming familiar with new product and let's face it,
showrooms sell more of what they are most comfortable with. It is the
rep's responsibility to educate showrooms on their lines and neglecting a
showroom will certainly reflect in those sales.
Tip - Reps survey your showrooms to
evaluate your performance. Surveying is a simple and easy way to learn
more about what each showroom needs individually.
Education - CEU Events
The more our market knows about decorative plumbing, the better for everyone. Continuing Education Units (CEU) events
and presentations have been the main source of education connecting
manufacturers with the consumers. CUEs are required for architects and
designers to maintain their licenses and or designations. For example,
ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) requires a minimum of 10
hours of approved CEU every 2 years to maintain their status as a
certified designer. This is where showrooms and reps can get creative.
Marketing through CEU events is an excellent way to engage with
existing and new clientele while strengthening the rep-showroom
relationship. Collaborate on creative ideas for events; some are held
directly at showrooms, others at off-site in a lunch setting, or social
gathering. Why not bring the CEU event directly to the client in their
office? The possibilities are endless and organizing successful CEU
events are one of the most under-utilized engagement tools over the past
several years.
Tip
- Showroom designers should go beyond basic sales education and learn
as much as possible about plumbing. The sale does not end with the
payment, and continues long after the project is completed. Your
customers rely on you for knowledge and the more plumbing knowledge that
you have, the more value you provide.
Conclusion
One aspect I love about the plumbing
industry is the people. Once you are in the plumbing industry, you
never leave the "black hole." I'm not sure if that is a blessing or a
curse, but probably a little of both. In any case, after being in
business with the same people for years and years I find that you
develop lifelong friendships and foster a family culture. In an age of
technology, text messaging and Instagramming, the best tip of all is to
never forget that good business will always be done with good people.
No comments:
Post a Comment