Stone & Image: Imagineering: The Art of Inspiring Imagination
Peter J. Marcucci
Special Contributor
You never get a second chance to make a first impression” is a fundamental rule to grow up with and a core principal to achieve business success. A first impression is merely one person’s first take, or image, of another person or thing–in an initial encounter.
Many business owners contend that image is everything. Others put it into perspective by suggesting that it depends on what stage your company is in. If you’re the new guy on the block, image is vital; conversely, if your company is well-established and profits are good, then production and quality, most of the time, take precedence. But to what degree? New company or old, aren’t we always looking for new customers? So, the question emerges: what brings new or return customers into your establishment, and what keeps them there?
It’s no secret that when a client enters your front door, they immediately begin by appraising you and your showroom: can this company design a quality product that satisfies my taste in design, functions well for my day-to-day needs, and—am I comfortable here? These are just some of the concerns that clients are silently dealing with. Yet all too many times in the fabrication biz, the grueling day-to-day encounters between sales staff and clients sometimes creates a “just another day, just another client” attitude, and sales people simply forget about the importance of image.
In our consumer-driven world, we are relentlessly inundated with ever-evolving designs in cars, furniture, homes, etc. that are created to satisfy our thirst for products that mirror our self-image and define who we are. These designs spring from the imagination of people who see the current design standards as “what is” and then raise the bar by imagining and designing the “what can be,” ultimately creating the cutting-edge products that we desire.
In our industry, these artists operate in a realm with no physical boundaries and possess the heightened sense of concept and creativity needed to mix shapes, colors and space into images that spark our imaginations. These images, when physically rendered, then become challenging for us (as fabricators) to build—and inspirational to our clients when viewed. The conceptual thinkers that push the envelope and bring fabrication to the next level have truly earned recognition as “imagineers.”
The Imagineers
To help quantify the importance of image, I interviewed two imagineers, Joseph Di Giovanni, designer and vice president of Triple D Marble & Granite, Inc., Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and Joseph Lubrano, designer and founder of European Marble Company, Inc., Sarasota, Florida.
While visiting both showrooms, I asked both gentlemen to comment on the importance of image and how they’ve achieved it. Mr. Di Giovanni, a prominent player in his area with over two decades of outstanding designs, quality and service, began by saying, “Our showroom is the first thing clients see when they walk in. It is their absolute first impression of us, and we’ve strived to create a cozy and comfortable setting, as if they’ve just walked into their own home.
“Our showroom inspires creativity and sets up the client’s expectations for who we are and what we can do for them. It says, ‘We can make you a one-of-a-kind kitchen.’” He continued, “Our company makes a great finished product, but if our showroom didn’t inspire trust in our company’s performance, sales would be lackluster at best. Our displays show clients what we can do by inspiring their imaginations, and this helps us to help them by understanding what they want.”
Mr. Di Giovanni went on to explain that his showroom is conducive to imaginative design because he always keeps it updated with the most in vogue colors and the best-selling materials that are available. He also proudly stated that Triple D will make any custom edge a client desires, even if it isn’t in their current display.
He then continued by saying, “Often designers will bring their clients here to spend many hours while working comfortably on one of our granite displays. We give them all the time and space needed to creatively discuss their choices of edge samples and colors, and then at the proper time, we offer our assistance. It’s a good combination.
“When most new clients visit us, they quickly feel at ease due to our straight talk and helpful attitude. Our in-house consultants always radiate a warm feeling and our clients validate this by complimenting us on how they’ve been treated.”
Confidently leaning back in his chair, he continued, “In the past, we’ve had clients come in to see what’s available and at what price, and then leave with a quote, only to return weeks later saying, ‘other companies were cheaper, but I didn’t feel comfortable with them, and I don’t mind spending a little more money’— and we get the contract. I love it when they tell us these things.”
Mr. Di Giovanni offered some final words of wisdom: “A showroom created with thought can give years of timeless beauty and inspiration. When you have a detailed showroom, it gives the client comfort knowing that you have a solid and stable company and that you are going to walk the journey with them.”
It seems crystal clear at this point that image plays an important role in getting the contract. Companies like Triple D Marble & Granite consistently have higher profit margins due in part to their well-thought out image.
To clarify long-term success to a finer degree, I asked our final imagineer, Joseph Lubrano, a 41-year veteran designer for his take on the importance of image. He began our conversation by stating how the magnitude of European Marble’s showroom has made a huge difference in his company’s success by creating a comfortable environment that inspires the imagination.
“Our showroom creates an image of superior craftsmanship and demonstrates our ability to create cutting edge, one-of-a-kind designs that exemplify our brand. It has been an ever-changing, work of art in progress since 1971 and allows our clients to touch and feel the products we produce.
“Our displays are the ‘what is possible,’ if you will, and give us the advantage in this ever-changing market. Many people know what looks good but lack the imagination needed to put it all together correctly,” he said. “It is therefore our job to honestly lead their imaginations into the process of judgment and decision through the proper use of displays and selection.”
Pointing to one of his latest vignettes, he continued by saying, “When clients enter our showroom, they are immediately immersed into an imagination-inspiring world of shapes and colors. By showing our ability to create excellence in this economy, sales have increased and profits are stable. The natural stone market is continually changing and we attribute our success to the commitment and drive of our sales staff who work closely with our clients, builders and designers in our showroom. They use our displays like a tool, and that keeps our company in the game. Contracts follow ideas, and our showroom inspires those ideas.”
Mr. Lubrano then turned towards me, looked straight into my eyes and stated in a very serious tone, “The start-up companies that only offer brochures and color samples wind up catering to price shoppers who want 35 percent off! That hurts everyone!” He then closed by saying, “Simply put, a showroom creates momentum. No showroom, no momentum.”
It’s true that stone fabrication is the ultimate business for creating image by combining thoughtful design with shapes and colors. Displaying image quality using up-to-date themes and concepts is crucial in this ever-changing business environment.
In the glory days of the housing bubble, it was simple: much of the time the products sold themselves. These days it’s not that easy. Showrooms with only minimal embellishments mostly attract thin wallets. Conversely, showrooms that inspire a high degree of creativity for clients, do so by underscoring your unique brand, quality and design.
A well-adorned showroom is conducive to growth and goes a long way in building client confidence and maintaining a high profit margin. A showroom is the “food for thought” and the ultimate tool for priming and confirming the expectations of our valued clients by saying, “Welcome! How may we inspire you?”
It is true that “good artists borrow, and great artists steal,” but the imagineers will always be at the pinnacle of design, advancing our industry and the quality of our lives.
So, if all this talk has inspired you to build or add to your showroom, what concept will you use? Hmm… concept! Imagine that!
