5 Ways to Turn Your Lobby Into A Showroom

When customers walk into your lobby, what do they see? Are there piles or back stock inventory in view? Are there pictures of your staff at a music festival or from your last fishing trip on the wall? Do you simply have a reception desk? A lobby represents the first impression a customer receives about your business that you can actually control. Follow these five tips to turn that empty square footage into an education and sales area for your customers.

1. Keep It Clean: Dirty fingerprints on walls, doors and tables send the wrong message about your craftsmanship. You might work in the shop all day but they don’t!

2. Give Them Something to Look At: Utilize your walls to narrate the story of your products and services. Hang demonstration pieces to showoff how talented your shop is or discuss the benefits of your top products. Make these pieces educational and interactive to inspire customers.

3. Have a Theme: No, I don’t mean decorate like a superhero birthday party. A showroom should be a concise collection of samples, education stations, and areas for discussions. The showroom also needs to be easily duplicated in the even the company changes locations or franchises out the brand. Carpet, counters, and walls should have similar or complimenting colors. Pushing away distractions will make your samples stand out so keep the lobby clear of busy patterns.

4. Less is More: There is no need to hang every product you make on the wall or a poster for every service. Take the time to pick five to ten items you are really proud of and let them be your exhibits. Leave plenty of counter space to set down inventory, drawings, or finished pieces to discuss your services in greater detail with customers.

5. Promote: Many small businesses don’t utilize their lobby as a showroom; so if you have one, let it be a destination for your customers. Get the word out through social media and trade publications that you have just opened up a showroom and provide images. Hold workshops for your customers to build value and loyalty to your brand. That showroom is an extension of your sales team and your top performer if utilized correctly.