Frequently, I observe showroom salespeople who miss the boat when it comes to maximizing the potential of a project. Whether it is after a certain amount of time or after a given number of items, decision fatigue sets in on the consumer or the showroom salesperson. This submarines the showroom owner’s ability to maximize profit and makes the buying process for the customer difficult and inefficient. 

On the consumer side, the abundance of products available alone gives them too many choices and detracts from the ability to sell. The consumer’s brain shuts down. Have you ever been in a showroom with a 40-foot wall of side-by-side faucet displays that are mostly chrome? I often joke that you see all of them and none of them all at once. 

My suggestion is to not use vendor-provided displays whenever possible, and assort products by style, color or type. As a showroom consultant, you should be confident that all products on your floor are of great quality.

If you are the consumer looking at that giant faucet wall or hardware wall, you lose total willpower. Making decisions you will live with for what could be more than a decade is often overwhelming and frustrating for you if the showroom isn’t skilled in helping manage your decision process.

So how can the showroom salesperson minimize decision fatigue for consumers? Here are a few ideas:

•  Minimize selections in the showroom. Of course, consumers do plenty of research online first. However, if you have two lines of accessories on display instead of five, you may have a better chance of closing the sale. 

It may make sense to experiment with putting some displays out of view if possible. If you want to see something like this in action, visit a boutique luxury retailer such as Tiffanys, Hermes or Tumi luggage. Tumi likely has more than 20 carry-on luggage options, but the stores only show about four; it avoids the paralysis of too many choices and speeds up the sale. 

Of course, this all starts with measuring what sells currently. If you know what styles (traditional/modern) and finishes are popular, you can narrow down the lines a little easier. Then measure what brands sell with the best margin and add then into the decision process. 

Keep in mind that getting something “out of the back room” may make customers feel special if what you have on the floor doesn’t suit their needs.

•  Show more vignettes. Complete thoughts win, all the way down to making sure the toilet paper dispenser has toilet paper on it. Leave nothing to the imagination with vignettes and max out every option — again — using products that you know are higher margin, and price the vignette as a package. This helps consumers get an overall price concept and allows them to compare it to their budgets.

•  Product knowledge wins. The more confident you are with the fewer lines you display, the faster the sale will go from bid to close. Even if consumers are unsure of their selections, the salesperson’s confidence can help make the process accelerate.

•  Take breaks often. Be sure to include great hospitality in your showroom, with better quality snacks, beverages and comfortable seating. Consider making the appointment in two sessions and separate the decisions by product type — plumbing, lighting, accessories, etc. Keep in mind that the customer would rather shop in one place than go all over town.

•  Be aware of the environment. Is the temperature right in the showroom? Is the music too loud? Is it too dark/bright? Making sure the surroundings are comfortable is another key to ensuring you get the most of the sale.

• Consider using separate salespeople based on the type of product. Have a hardware and accessory expert. Have a lighting expert.

•  Use technology to assist. Ensure your website has the capability to provide a wish list for your customers to use. They can at least go online and select some products or images they like in the comfort of their own home. This helps reduce fatigue and adds to the total sale volume.

•  Use working displays and “touch and feel” experiences. They help accelerate the decision-making process. The benefit of ecommerce is being able to experience a product and see the quality.

•  Use tasteful signage to help with the decision-making process. Photo frames holding information near the products makes the space look like a home, not Best Buy.

Staff Engaged

Forty-four percent of CEOs surveyed by Inc. Magazine say their employees have post-pandemic burnout. This makes decision fatigue even more enhanced and problematic. Having your employees/salespeople coming to work already worn out makes a bad problem even worse.

As an owner-manager, it is a best practice to make sure your team has their head in the game when taking the sales floor. Checking in on everyone daily is a must. Having a monthly, 15-minute review of goals is a great way to see if an employee is emotionally in the game. 

I am sure like most showroom owners, you are lean on staff and struggle with hiring and retention of team members. Being authentic, and I am not using the phrase only for buzzword bingo, is critical to retaining a top-quality sales team. The best showrooms in the country all have long-term, well-seasoned staff who were once new employees. However, because the owner genuinely cares about the team and compensates them fairly, they stick around and enjoy success together.

For salespeople who get fatigued, I suggest the following:

•  Compensate your people for adding specific lines to a sale. These are items that need to be sold, such as hardware, vanity lighting, water conditioning, bath ventilation, etc. It is amazing how commissions make salespersons fatigue disappear quickly.

•  Reward your people for training. It could be for specific vendor training they take and are tested for competency.

•  Empower your people. Give them tools to offer “add-on” kits easily, as some ERP systems allow packages of products to be created. For example, a toilet with seat, bolts, wax ring or a bidet.

•  Insist on multiple appointments for large project homes. Have the authority to order food and break up the consultation.

•  Try visiting the customer on-site if applicable. People are more comfortable in their own space.

•  As a salesperson, you need to keep organized. If you have great product knowledge, finding what you specs you need to show the customer or getting additional information should be quick and effortless.

When the showroom business is secondary to the wholesale business, and when the management team thinks the wholesale business and showroom business can be measured and managed the same way — you will see excessive burnout and turnover as well.

I believe most of us can agree that the post-pandemic world of kitchen and bath showrooms has become increasingly challenging. The pressure of e-commerce, supply chain problems and labor shortages make for what can be a bad shopping experience in your showroom.

Great leadership with owners and managers who authentically care and have a commitment to training is the key to ensuring decision fatigue is managed well. If your team understands this, it can take what is a tedious process and make it a pleasant journey for your customer. They will remember and tell others about it.

And don’t worry — I follow articles in many different industries, and we are all in the same boat, looking for great talent at a fair price that will stay with your business and industry. I think we will be in this mess together for a good while, so do your best to enjoy the ride.