The showroom, as we know it, can be an important sales tool, but it suffers from at least 9 limitations:
1) It requires a stretch of the imagination.
We will never see the real product bought by Mrs. Maria.
Dimensions, shapes, colors, sashes, handles, transoms, added transoms, wood greeds …
So we have to ask Mrs. Maria the effort to imagine something that doesn’t exist.
Are we sure that Mrs. Maria is thrilled to take on the responsibility of imagining something that doesn’t exist?
2) It does not allow a comparison.
The possibility to combine the same window in its entirety, but with different colors or hardware.
As well as the possibility to see it in combination with the color of the walls of the house.
3) The choice cannot be shared.
The purchase of doors and windows is an important choice and therefore Mrs. Maria may like to share it with her parents, with her sister or her best friend.
Do we make them all go to the showroom to imagine something that isn’t there?
4) You need to move physically.
Even without Covid-19, more and more people are used to buying all kinds of goods without leaving home.
Among these we find the range of young customers, attracted by technology, because they grew up on bread and tablets.
5) It limits potential (wealthy) customers.
For example, if a wealthy Russian client has to choose the windows for his new holiday home (located in your area), he will probably prefer to conduct the negotiation remotely.
6) It does not allow to foresee architectural limits.
If the window has a strange shape or will be installed in particular spaces that limit the possibility of opening the sashes, it’s impossible to foresee the nasty surprise that awaits Mrs. Maria.
7) It requires space.
A showroom needs square meters, which we don’t always have available.
Sometimes because the space is already entirely occupied by the production part, sometimes because the goal is simply to have a small resale, which does not generate too high costs.
8) Maintenance cost.
Heating, cleaning, updating it with new products…
9) Cost of realization
Are 50,000 euros enough? Often they are not enough.
Somebody might say “eh, but the physical experience excites more and then I can touch…”
However, human psychology doesn’t work just like that: for example when we watch a movie or read a book, we laugh, we cry, we get excited even without touching anything nor moving from our sofa. Am I wrong?
Having said that, I am wondering and I would like to ask you…
1) Are you sure that the traditional showroom is the sales tool of the future?
2) What if it was supported (or replaced) by a VIRTUAL SHOWROOM?
The VIRTUAL SHOWROOM overcomes all the limits we have seen above and through a very low investment, we can begin to offer Mrs. Maria a much safer and more innovative shopping experience.
What do you think about it?
