Page 51 - Lighting Magazine October 2018

“I can show my customers samples
of everything, and they get excited, but there’s always a ‘Wow!’ factor when they see magni cent xtures in person for the rst time.”
want to specify,” she comments.
With her time at a premium, Mikulich needs any
trips to lighting showrooms to be expedient. “When I do take a client to a showroom, it has to be produc- tive,” she states. “That starts by making sure ahead of time that they have the xture I plan to use — or others that are comparable in nish and size — so the client can clearly see what they are going to be ge ing. It’s o en hard for them to understand the size and scale of xtures, especially large-scale
chandeliers, so it’s helpful for them to see just how expansive they will be.”
Besides inquiring about the xture itself, Mikulich also asks whether the showroom will provide a trade discount. With clients regularly looking up the price of products online, receiving a trade discount can make a big di erence in available margins depending on the line and the showroom. O en Mikulich nds the best solution is to bill clients for both her time and the published online cost of the xture — which together typically equals the showroom’s published price. “My clients feel like they’re being treated fairly paying that price, and I’m being fairly compensated for my expertise and time,” she remarks.
If a showroom doesn’t have what Mikulich is looking for, she’ll turn to other sources: choosing distribution trade partners through referrals from other designers or manufacturers, respecting the territorial borders that manufacturers and reps have in place, and opening direct accounts with manufacturers.
“I have direct accounts with some small indepen- dent lighting companies and am very con dent in their product quality so those are easy sells to make to my clients. When those lines don’t t the look or budget of a project, I use the internet to source a x- ture and gather all the technical speci cations, but then I buy it through a local distributor or rep who carries that line. I know they will provide everything that needs to be done from order through delivery, as well as be there for any a er-sale support that my client might need. I don’t buy anything directly online because I want to be able to control as much of the process as possible. I can’t be sure of the level of service, quality, and authenticity of an online re- tailer, nor would I know for certain that they would respond and appropriately take care of any issue that might arise. My name is on these projects and everything that goes into them; I have to protect my reputation as well as my clients’ interests.”
ADviCe For sHowrooms
Mikulich o ers a few recommendations for light- ing stores that want to expand their business with designers.
“Clients’ eyes naturally wander around the store, so I really appreciate when salespeople help keep my clients on task when we are in the showroom,” she notes. “It also gains my loyalty when the show- room sta respects designer-client relationships and defer to my vision and keep my clients’ interest
OctOber 2018 | enLIGHTenment Magazine 47
the Designer-showroom BonD