Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM APRIL 2024 36 I f you're in the luxury appliance business, you understand just how critical – and often difficult – it can be to establish and maintain strong relationships with the design community. Any customer that walks through your front door is important, but when that person hails from the design industry, they represent just a little bit more. In the case of higher-end projects – and their clients – design professionals play an essential role in influencing the myriad decisions that have to be made – including which appliances will help round-out that brand-new kitchen. So, when a designer turns to you for help with completing the project, it's an incredible opportunity to provide an essential service to the designer – and it can result in future business with the designer and possible referral business if you've gone above and beyond their expectations. What do designers look for in a solid retail partner? Nationwide Marketing Group recently gathered feedback from a cross- section of the design community to help answer that question. Designers were eager to share their insights with independent retailers, and even more specifically, with luxury appliance showrooms. You can review the full scope of what the designers said in the new Luxury University program, developed in collaboration with renowned motivational and results-oriented strategist Lynne Jensen-Nelson, and available for streaming on the Nationwide Learning Academy. Below, we'll dive into three things designers stressed that they need from the luxury appliance retail community to develop deeper partnerships. 1. A TEAM SALES APPROACH When a designer is coming to you on behalf of a client, it's essential to recognize that the designer already has an established relationship with the client. Thus, it behooves the retailer not to try to circumvent that relationship by attempting to go directly to the client. Rather, the designer will prefer to think of the retail relationship as an extension of their team. Be there to support the designer as they walk the client through the appliance purchasing process. They've approached you as an expert in the appliance world, so you do have the opportunity and ability (perhaps even the designer's expectation) to educate the client and designer. Make the experience personal for the customer, and ensure that they feel valued and heard. Going above and beyond here may even involve inviting the designer in on some exclusive learning opportunities before meeting with their client, so that they can appear knowledgeable during any appliance-related conversations. 2. COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY This feedback from the designers we surveyed will be familiar to any retailer. Just as a customer will expect you to communicate clearly, the designers shared a similar expectation. The "Five Cs of Communication" matter a lot to this crowd: Customers Crave Confidence, Clarity, and Consistency. With high-end projects and clients in particular, you can never assume that they understand what's going to happen next during the appliance purchasing process. That makes it essential for you, as the retailer, to be in touch often with and offer simple messaging throughout the process to both the client and the designer. Keep everyone in the loop, outline what's going to happen next, and make sure everyone understands what's expected of them for a seamless appliance buying experience. Going above and beyond with effective communication – especially with high-end projects and clients – simply means communicating effectively. This is an area where excellence is expected. Any slip-ups will generally result in the client or designer feeling that their expectations weren't met. 3. BE A FIRST RESPONDER This is another way of saying "The client is always right." In an age where instant gratification is the norm, speedy service is one more thing that's expected. Customers don't want to wait to hear from you, and they don't want to wait for their questions to be answered. Designers, too, want to be able to lean on you and get quick answers that they can relay back to the client. When working with the design community, availability – yours, or that of someone on your team – is expected. Of the designers we surveyed, two-thirds told us the ability to contact a human will influence their decisions about who they want to work with. With high-end designers and their clients, timing is everything. Ultimately, none of this is groundbreaking information. When it comes to developing strong relationships within their communities, independent retailers and luxury appliance dealers have always known that a customer- first approach is the surest way to excel. What the designers we surveyed are looking for is really that you simply follow that approach with them and pay extra-careful attention to the details. 3 THINGS DESIGNERS EXPECT WHEN WORKING WITH LUXURY APPLIANCE RETAILERS John O'Halloran, Director of Luxury Appliances Nationwide Marketing Group John O'Halloran Appliance Trends RO

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