Page 44 - Lighting Magazine March 2019

Building Bonds
top: At the Idlewood showroom in Highland Park, designers are able to consult with their clients in privacy without being distracted by the goings on in the rest of the showroom.
aBove: The kitchen vigne e at Idlewood Electric features this hand-placed mosaic
pa ern accomplished by a local artist. There is a sign on the countertop
that refers customers to the artisan for custom work.
transformed our showrooms based on feedback we got from designers about wanting clean lines and LED xtures.” She went on to note that Idle- wood’s experienced team is very good at knowing which trends have staying power, and which don’t.
“When we are deciding about new products to bring in, we talk with designers about what will last, and look at our past sales history of styles and nishes. This helps us stay away from making big mistakes with fads,” Lansing says.
pRoMoting each otheR
Metro Lighting hosts, or takes part in, several special events within the design community every year. They also reach out to designers with monthly
calls/emails and regularly run promotions.
“We host open houses at our showrooms to create foot tra c,” Dorton states. “We invite de- signers to stop by and see a new line we’ve added or a new product being launched. We encourage them to bring in their clients as well. Typically we o er a light lunch, appetizers, or party favors to
show appreciation for their time.
“We’re currently making plans to take a group of
designers on a trip to one of our manufacturers and are excited about how many have signed up to go. We also regularly invite designers to a end brief educational sessions with our manufacturers’ reps who are introducing something new. We also spon- sor, or contribute to, ASID events several times a year that count toward CEU credit for designers.”
Metro Lighting will also be using its website and social media to promote the work of their interior designer clients by asking designers to share pho- tos from their projects. Furthermore, the Metro showrooms are building a portal on the website for designers to connect with.
“It’s fun to follow along as projects come together from beginning to end,” Dorton shares. “It’s a great way to promote both their businesses and ours on- line. And it inspires all of us with new creative ideas. I’ve found that the more I learn, the more I realize how much I still need to know!”
Making the DiffeRence
Even with the ease of ordering products online and the quick satisfaction it can bring, Lansing emphasizes that most people don’t want to make a signi cant investment in something as important as lighting without seeing it rst.
“When you’re investing in quality lighting that will provide the right look for your comfort and space, you want to know what you are ge ing,” she notes. “It’s not a guessing game. Because of that, the func- tion of designers and showrooms will continue to be important to homeowners who want to create an environment that appeals to them. You can’t re- ally visualize what it will look like – especially the size and true nish – without seeing and touching it. There is nothing that compares to seeing a xture in person.”
In summing up the value that Idlewood brings to designers, Lansing remarks, “When it comes to lighting showrooms, while we all carry the same products, it’s how we sell them that makes the dif- ference.” 
40 enLIGHTenment Magazine | March 2019
www.enlightenmentmag.com