Four Tips: How to be Trendy
Woodland shared the following strategies it follows to keep up with and display the latest trends in its showroom.
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Identify new displays: research trending hardware, colors and features
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Identify new literature or signage; place it near the entrance
- Display home and design magazines; open them to the pages that feature brands you carry
- Identify training opportunities: brief staff about trending products
I’m sure you’ve experienced a customer who says they want their home to ‘have a more modern feel,’ then goes on to describe a classic window or door. So, what does the customer really want? Here is an opportunity to provide something of value: professional advice about trends that will enhance the value of their home with modern features that make life a little easier.
Our showrooms should be a place where customers can see these trends and the latest selections in windows and doors. To reach this goal, given the fast pace of change in the industry, at Woodland, we stay up on the trends and then focus on a few key ways to help customers modernize their homes.
Showroom Solutions
Each year at Woodland, we plan to showcase what we identify as key trends and add several important anchor products that represent what’s trending. We rely on manufacturer representatives to help keep the latest literature, samples, accessory boards and kiosks in our showroom. For example, in 2017, we identified three key areas that may appeal to customers: glass walls and open spaces; customized modern entry doors; and contemporary lines and colors.
To showcase glass walls and open spaces that connect the indoors to the outdoors, we selected a 14-foot by 10-foot sliding door. This Marvin Ultimate Multi-Slide Door also showcases contemporary stiles and rails, which are increasingly popular.
A challenge with the second trend was how to display a wider variety of styles and options that represent all the custom options available for entry doors. We remodeled a corner of our existing showroom to showcase modern door styles from Provia and Therma-Tru. We also incorporated the Therma-Tru DoorWays app that allows customers to upload an image of their home into the application to determine the best door style and color for their unique home.
Finally, to give our customers a feel for the contemporary lines and modern finishes that are trending, we brought in an Andersen 400 Series that features sleek black exteriors and interiors. While not every remodel is ready for a black window, we know this addition will draw a crowd and showcase that we are on top of the trends.
Staying Current
There is no question that residential windows and doors are evolving rapidly, imitating industrial styling, adopting commercial features and offering fashion trends. Homeowners in the market for windows and doors are aware of these trends. That’s why we’re committed to keeping our showroom exciting, which also means doing the hard work of keeping it current.
The secret for us is to study and plan. We attend conferences, shows and workshops, and read home and trade magazines. As members of the WDDA, we attend GlassBuild America every year to see the latest window and door innovations, hear from industry leaders and, most importantly, compare showroom strategies with our fellow dealers.
Our manufacturer representatives have an open invitation to visit our location to share their latest products and help us improve our materials and displays. Each year, we have a showroom plan for the next year that includes a list of improvements and maintenance designed to keep our showroom modern.
We’re all architects and designers, not just window and door peddlers or installers. Tomorrow’s customer is from a new generation. They want fresh looks, options to customize and create windows and doors that represent their very modern world. At Woodland, we think that, if you build a trendy showroom, they will come to you.