5. Avoid the Time/Price Push
Don’t place all the emphasis on delivery time and price. You are designing and building you or your customer’s “custom furniture” or your dream home theater! Cheap chair companies often promise tomorrow-delivery. They play to the buyer’s misconception of importance. They often fail to deliver on schedule, and installers look foolish when they are late. Under promise… over deliver! Instead, expect quality, custom design and a lifetime of comfort. Remember, you or your custom’s recliners are being built especially for their/your theater. Plan early and deliver more than expected. Price should never be the deciding factor… Ben Franklin once said, “The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.”
6. Commit to the Category
“Hey, that sounds great,” an installer might be saying. “I think I’ll try a couple in my showroom.” That kind of participation in this category would be like carrying just one flat screen TV or one or two pairs of speakers. When clients come into a showroom, you must create the confidence that, along with your extensive audio and video expertise, you are the home theater seating expert, too. That means offering a selection. Who are the most successful dealers in this category? They are the guys who have an array of seating choices, and the client is compelled to sit in them, admire them and also buy them! They should sound like experts and understand furniture. PremiereHTS
In today’s market, fewer dealers have showrooms, and it is nearly impossible to sit in what might become your room seating. That makes it even more important to deal with a manufacture who specializes in working with the industry’s top-rated designers, builders and integrators… and some direct with client/owners. DO YOUR HOMEWORK! Some 90% or more of theater seating is sold on-line, without ever sitting in it. That might be fine and a deal, but “Buyer Beware,” is truer than ever before.
7. Update that Showroom
Take a good look around your showroom. Those couches, love seats and director chairs with the speaker company logos! Yeah, they must go! If you are one of the few showrooms around today, specialize in only selling the BEST! It only takes one or two recliners to display comfort and quality! If you show, Good, Better and Best in each category, allow you client to decide what is their specific situation. Those office chairs you brought in from home, they aren’t making any points with your customers either. More importantly, they’re not establishing you as a complete solution dealer.
Your showroom offers you valuable space that can demonstrate the complete experience. Take advantage of that. Build an illusion. A riser with a few chairs, front and back, and a small home theater completes the image. Show them the finished product. Their only question will be, “how much is this room”? Not how much are these chairs, projector, speakers, etc.
Ever been to a furniture store? They have vignettes (complete rooms). They know most people are design-challenged. People buy the room, not the couches. Help them imagine a complete package. Many, 60,000 square foot furniture showroom/stores have one theater group off in the back corner of the store. Not much of a commitment to the category!
8. Befriend the Designer
Include a professional, the wife and the designer and/or integrator, in your installation if necessary. Yes, the designer. He or she will be one of your best assets — especially once you realize the designer has the homeowner’s ear when it comes to budgeting and designing their furniture package.
If you are an A/V dealer, allow the designer to use you and your showroom to sell furniture to their own clients. Develop a team of designers in your market, and you will be busier than you ever have been.
Seating is the ultimate attachment sale and completes the experience. You may have the best projector, screen, sound system and processors, but if they are not comfortable it all fails!
The dealer/integrators who take on the opportunity of selling home theater seating will find that they can complete the vision their customer’s desires/imagines.
By doing your homework, studying the category and partnering with experts, you can widen your attachment presentation and value by being the Theater Room Expert!!
Bottom Line... You might think this is only written to a Dealer, Designer or an Integrator, but you too need to see the information, recommendations and prepare yourself to be a knowledgeable, well-informed customer. You will be received well by your chosen dealer, if not… MOVE ON!
Michael Laurino CEO/President Premiere Home Theater Seating Premierehts
