Rep Partnerships Enhance Showrooms

By Jim Babbitt

While decorative hardware and plumbing professionals have many potential avenues for strengthening and growing their businesses, one of the easiest ways to add value to their showrooms is to take advantage of the knowledge of manufacturers' representatives. Partnerships are invaluable in any industry, and they are particularly important in the case of the showroom, where the decorative plumbing and hardware professional frequently carries a multitude of lines that are constantly changing and evolving.

Earlier this year, a discussion posted on the DPHA Web site found that one of the largest impediments to a rep's ability to create value is a misunderstanding of expectations. In fact, "expectation management" is critical to creating successful partnerships between manufacturers, representatives and showrooms in the decorative plumbing and hardware industry.

Creating a common understanding requires effective communication. According to Steve Bates of Bates & Bates, "Representatives not only represent the factory, they also represent the dealer in many situations. The good representative can balance both and make it look easy."

While it may seem that a rep's primary job is to expand a product's presence in showrooms, in a successful partnership, the rep's job is far more complex than that. Showroom professionals have any number of products to choose from; what they really need from reps is not just more products, but quality products backed by solid information about how the product works, what makes it unique, and how they can use that product to enhance their overall sales. Finally, if a rep is to be a true partner to the showroom manager, he or she must become and remain a source of reliable and dependable assistance should problems arise.

Training is key

Clearly, representatives are increasingly being called on to drive business to the showroom. For that reason, training is essential.

Rod Denhart of Legacy Brass understands the importance of training at all levels. He explains, "Sales-people [and other showroom personnel] have to be comfortable with a product and know that if there's a problem, it will be taken care of with minimal effort on their part."

As Ron Raffel of Raffel Sales notes, "A rep also needs to work with warehouse staff and others in the company who take delivery of products. They need to know how goods are packed and shipped, how to process return goods authorizations and what to do if goods are damaged or defective at delivery." In addition, many distributors and dealers have their own customer service departments. Forgetting to train all of these people can lead to substantial problems.

One of the continuing struggles for decorative hardware and plumbing professionals is keeping up with the constant influx of new products and changes to existing lines. Representatives can create value by educating those who specify, sell, ship and install decorative products.

This process must be woven into the fabric of daily operations due to the dynamic nature of the industry. When change occurs, information flows from the manufacturer to the representative who, in turn, passes it onto the showroom, staff and specifiers.

"It's not sufficient to simply to update binders," states Debbie Stehr of Stehr Enterprises. Stehr recommends representatives regularly schedule appointments with showroom staff to explain new products, describe how they can be used and offer pricing suggestions.

Invariably. these sessions are win-win. Not only can showroom staff get questions answered face-to-face, which can help them sell product more knowledgeably and effectively, but input from showroom professionals can also help reps and manufacturers identify and resolve any problems and glitches they may have been unaware of on their end. Additionally, regular face-to-face interaction with customers enables reps to troubleshoot problems and lets showroom personnel know that the products they sell have the support they expect and deserve.