Business Marketing Interview – Upholstery

In an attempt to learn more about retail marketing, I’ve embarked on a series of interviews with local businesses. Here is what I discovered from one such interview.

The upholstery store I visited did custom covers for furniture, pillows, drapes and related home decorations. The owner was somewhat reluctant to talk to me and seemed to wonder just what my purpose was. Having worked at stores like this I realized immediately that this woman probably gets a couple of salesmen a week just walking in and trying to get her to buy something.

The store was quite modest. The staff seemed to consist of the owner and one employee. It was more of a workshop than a store. They had arranged furniture and completed pieces of work in the front window to both display the quality of their work and to conceal the working space behind it.

After a bit of convincing her that I hadn’t shown up to sell her anything she told me that she markets not to the end users so much as interior designers. She works with the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID). Here in San Diego there are regular events where the ASID gives tours of private homes that have been decorated by their members. The houses are always spectacular. This woman always has at least one room in one house on the tour where her work is highlighted. Her contact information is prominently displayed there.

She also gives discounts to interior designers that work with her regularly. To her, it was the quality of her work that sold it. When the interior designers were happy, she got return business.

It’s easier to sell to existing customers than it is to sell to new ones. The existing customers know your work and if they are satisfied then they are unlikely to try and find someone new and risk being disappointed.

Technorati tags: business / marketing / profit / retail