Spring Cleaning for your showroom
I probably get into more showrooms than anyone. I had always thought I could develop a sideline business on designing or consulting on showroom design. However, what I really learned is that there are no easy answers, and the most critical success factor to any showroom is the key sales people. Many times, the departure or arrival of one dynamo, changes the sales performance of one of my customers 10 fold.
However, above and beyond hiring that elusive star sales person, there are a few key points I have concluded over the years, mostly regarding stone samples, and I share them with you here;
1 There is too much product available anymore, and every supplier and every product has to earn its real estate. Hundreds of 12x12 stone samples pilled against the wall like some 70’s record collection, is not an efficient or effective selling technique. Less is more; it is better to really show a few things well, than to show a lot badly.
2 Really old samples are virtually worthless. A hot item, which gets handled frequently, and gets lent out often, gets broken. The simple truth is, that an old sample which is still in good shape, probably has never been looked at by anyone, and is also no longer representative of current inventory anyway. Samples should be dated, and thrown out when past their usefulness.
3 There are trends in business, and not showing one of your major suppliers current offering would be like going to a local car dealer, and all he has is the 1994 line. If a rep you know has wanted to send you what’s new, and you find yourself telling them that you haven’t room for much more, rethink it. Do you have samples laying around that you don’t even know who they come from? Do you have samples so old, they probably are no longer available?
4 Vignettes and grouted boards are a great way to help your clients visualize how to use a product. But vignettes and boards should show items that are hard to show any other way. Our Versailles, Ashler & Sierra patterns are perfect examples. They only sell when installed, but where installed, they sell phenomenally well. Don’t miss out on this kind of business.
As you know, I represent Monocibec through Ohio Tile & Marble in Cincinnati (513-541-
4211). Sean and his family there continue to add to the items they are stocking, and those
of you who know this line, understand why.
Olimpo, a porcelain tile, remarkably similar in appearance to tumbled marble, has met with dramatic success. Launched last year, at the show, it has grown to be our most popular offering.
New additions now include the Akropolis series, and from Iris, the Petra series. Each line sports three new colors, and samples are available at no charge.
We finally have a large inventory of architectural binders in five lines. If you service this kind of market, make sure you give me a call, so we can send you some. The increasing use of porcelain with a stone natural look, is perfectly timed with Monocibec’s dominance in this category. Call me at 212-580-9704, or visit booth 1846 to find out more.
Photo shown at left; Imperium series, which is a frost resistant porcelain with a 5 rating. This tile has natural travertine feel with alternating shiny and matte finishes. Also shown, antique listello.
Those of you on our mailing list should have just received the update to WMG’s new tile price list. While perhaps a little complicated on the surface, here are a few bits of advice to make the updating process a smooth one.
Recently, a few of our customers have called us with this question, and, whenever that happens, I am sure others would like to know the answer, even if they did not think to ask.
By and large, the advent of Miracle Sealants Porous Plus has given us all the confidence to use limestone in places we previously would have never tried; countertops, entrance ways, bathrooms, showers, etc. However, hard water, has a habit of leaving mineral stains on the surface of whatever tiles are used in showers, and this is unsightly.
What causes these stains? Lime scale. One of the most common minerals in water is calcium carbonate, which is also the principle ingredient to limestone! Many of the problems with hard water occur because this calcium carbonate crystallizes on the surfaces of anything it is in prolonged contact with, and forms lime scale.
When this lime scale forms, it constricts and clogs pipes, and forms a rough, streaky buildup on the face of tile. For more technical info, Click Here
The traditional solution to cleaning involves acids, which chemically brake up the chemical bond of the lime crystal. However, this action is highly damaging to the surface of limestone, which also gets broken up. Water softeners are a better solution, but can, over the long run, loosen the fill in limestone tiles.
In short, hard water is not a good marriage with limestone showers. Physically using squeegees to wipe down water after a shower is a supreme hassle. If your client has extremely hard water, prudence may indicate using an acid resistant surface like ceramic.
We have always contended that stone only gets a bad name when specified in inappropriate applications.
While this may go down as controversial, so be it. I think women reinvented our industry in this decade. And a good thing, too. 70% of my sales come from women owned or women run businesses.
Why? When women wanted to start in the tile industry, they found all the old established domestic manufacturers were locked up by old established tile distributors. They had no choice but to look to new vendors, new materials and new designs. They then brought to the process, taste, and an aesthetic sense for interior design that most men do not equal. Mostly, they represent our number one end user; women.
The chart below (from a recent USA TODAY), touts “entrepreneurial idea” as the leading reason women site for starting their own business in this decade. From one man who also started his own business in this decade, I can only say thanks!
Much to our surprise, demand for polished tiles is growing again. For every trend, there is a counter trend, and there are parts of my territory, where I am asked to send only polished samples!
Therefore, in addition to our incredible offering of limestone, slate and tumbled, WMG is beefing up its polished marble and granite tiles.
NEW MARBLE TILES;
Now offering 34 different polished marble 12x12s, WMG is proud to include these recent additions to our inventory;
NEW GRANITE TILES:
While we have been strong in Granite Slabs for years (our current slab price list sports 72 varieties), we have not had Granite Tiles in this decade until now;
STONE PATTERNS:
Patterns, in limestone and slate are growing in popularity. Perennial favorite, DURANGO LIMESTONE, which Westchester stocks in some 40 shapes and sizes, from 3x6 tumbled bricks on mesh, to 3/4" and 1-1/4" slabs, now comes in a random pattern. Called SIERRA pattern, it is a random design incorporating 4 sizes of pillowed DURANGO, sold in unit sets covering 16 sf. The soft tones of DURANGO, the gentle pillowed edge, and the diversity of many sizes, make this a truly beautiful offering. It is also priced very competitively.
The ASHLER MULTICOLOR design is a random pattern made from Indian Multicolor slate. This design incorporates 4 sizes, has a natural cleft surface, and perfectly shows off the varied colors of the slate, made all the more interesting in the large and small sizes of the pattern.
MOSAICS:
WMG has added to its Cartage collection of some 24 new items. This series, when first introduced last
year, is a tremendous success. Made from reclaimed old bits of stone and roof tiles, then hand crafted in
Tunisia, mounted on a thin veneer backer of real limestone, they can be installed as one solid piece.