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Leslie Carothers

Oh, say can you SEE-a real WOW!

Once in a while, an idea comes along who's time has truly come… What is the biggest reason the consumer doesn't buy-that doesn't have to do with price?

They can't visualize it, right?

Every day the following happens:
Consumers go online or walk into a store and see a piece of upholstery, an entertainment center, an area rug, and cocktail and end tables that they like.  However, why doesn't the consumer buy it ALL right then and there?

They can't visualize it all together so they start with one or two pieces and then wait until they're delivered and then add a few more.

Now, imagine this…

What would happen if your consumer picked all of these items out-from your website or from your store-  all from different manufacturers and then could pull up each individual and actual item( with its exact shape, size, etc.) ONLINE in THREE DIMENSIONS and build their room using their actual paint, flooring, window treatments, architectural elements,etc.?What if they could then place the actual pieces in color in that space and move these pieces around, "walk" around them, view them from different angles and change the color or size at will-again all in three dimensional perspective?

Do I hear the words -exciting experience leading to sales and happy customers and no returns on special orders?

Well, this technology has now arrived and will be available very, very shortly.  It's easy and intuitive to use…a complete technophobe(like I use to be a few short years ago) can "get it" with just a tiny bit of practice.

I know, I know, you're thinking…what's it going to cost… unbelievably, the cost is very low, -or so it seems to me and I hope every retailer and manufacturer in the country gets on board with them NOW because as soon as the consumer can literally be reassured that what they dream about and desire will really be perfect in their homes and can see it in three dimensional perspective- sales for our industry should skyrocket!

If we can take our two main objections away from the consumer—-can't afford it(credit sometimes solves this and we're pretty good already at offering that-although more to come in a future column on new developments in this arena) and "I can't visualize it and don't want to make a mistake…we will be well on our way to satisfying the dreams of millions of Americans and their families for a personalized, beautiful home.

I hope you can, like I can, see the implications for this piece of technology for not only our industry, but the landscaping industry, the window treatment industry, etc. I am extolling the virtues of this technology so emphatically because I really believe that this inability to visualize has been has been our missing link for so long with respect to not closing much larger "whole room" sales.

Please write me at tkp@sbcglobal.net and I will be more than happy to hook you up with the software provider so we can get going on making this an industry standard for retailers and manufacturers alike.