Interior Designers' Resource

When a professional designer is looking for a trade showroom and designers' resource with which to do business, it's important to choose a showroom that offers more than just wholesale pricing.

While wholesale pricing to designers is worth noting, choosing a showroom with a full range of furnishings, manufacturers and styles, as well as impeccable service and attention to detail is paramount to keeping any design project on schedule and within budget. In this way, choosing the right trade showroom can insure client satisfaction. And happy clients are a design firm's or interior designer's best form of advertising.

Lets look at some qualities that a designers' trade showroom should posess.

* Location, location location

Is the trade showroom and design center convenient and in reasonable proximity to your travel routes? Also, does the showroom have a website where designers can contact sales, get help, or place an order.

* First Impressions Count

Is the showroom in an attractive well-cared for building that creates a good first impression?

Is the front entrance well-maintained? What about window displays... Are there any? If yes, are the displays well laid out and updated regularly?

When you take your first step inside the showroom, does the overall look and feel have a style that you can relate to?

As you walk around the showroom, are room displays well accessorized?

Is there good lighting to discern color, texture, and subtle nuances in fabrics?

Is the overall look and feel of the showroom consistent with the price point of the furnishings and furniture being sold. If you are in a high-end furniture showroom, the displays should have a very high quality look and feel typical of high end furniture manufacturers.

Are you comfortable with the showroom's cleanliness?

After all, you will likely be bringing in some of your clients to help with design choices. You want a trade showroom that evokes an atomosphere that equates totally with the quality of your design project and your client's expectations.

* Knowlegable, Experienced Staff Ready to Assist

Are you met with someone who welcomes you into the showroom within the first few minutes, and who wants to know what your design project requires so they can guide you to the resources you need?

Does that person explain how to find the design resource rooms in which the furniture catalogs and fabric samples are located?

If you are with a client, does the showroom sales associate make an effort to include them as well?

Do they inform you about pricing - whether furniture prices are list or wholesale? If they are list prices, does your sales associate subtly suggest having a private moment without the presence of your client to go over your designer's discount.

* Selection, Selection, Selection

Does the showroom feature a diversification of furniture manufacturers, lines, products and styles? This is important.

And do they offer the ability to place custom orders from a selection of furniture manufacturers?

You and your client want the shopping process to be uncomplicated and to take the least amount of time. To this end, does this Sales Associate really know the furniture manufacterers and lines that are available not only on the showroom floor but in the catalogs as well?

* Knowlege is Power

The showroom sales associate can make your job a whole lot easier by knowing just where to find what you are describing.

Do they know the available options on different furnishing products such as finishes, fabrics and sizes, or can they quickly locate that information?

As you move back and forth between rooms quickly, thinking out loud taking notes, do they get confused and flustered, or can they easily keep up with you?

Do they know how to interpret a floorplan or artitectural blueprint with a keen eye and good understanding so that their decorating and furnishing suggestions make good sense with your project?

* Puctuality, Efficiency, Courtesy - Time is Money

If you've a pre-set appointment with your showroom's sales associate, are they ready to meet with you on time and fully PREPARED.

Have they pulled together the furnishing items, furniture catalogs and samples that they want to present to you based on their research for your project?

If your appointment lasts for an extended period of time, are you offered refreshments, snacks, or lunch?

* Roads, Phones, and Information SuperHighways

Does the trade showroom and design resource offer several avenues for contacting them?

Although it's wonderful to be able to visit a full-featured design trade showroom in person, it's not always possible. So, it's equally important to be able to contact the showroom via telephone and internet.

Do they have a full-time, knowlegable staff ready to take your call to answer questions or help you place an order. Do they have a website where you can submit a question, order catalogs and products from anywhere worldwide? In fact, do they offer their services to designers nationwide and/or worldwide?

These are just some of the questions you should ask yourself when choosing a designers' resource and trade showroom for your interior design firm or business.