There are many trade showrooms that cater exclusively to interior designers across the country, but all are not "equal". As a professional designer, you want to be sure that your needs will be met by high standards of care before deciding which trade showroom with which to place your business. Here are my suggestions for what questions to be considering when choosing a design trade showroom:

Is the Showroom location convenient and in close proximity to your travel routes? Is it housed in an attractive well-cared for building that creates a good first impression?

Are the front window displays and entrance well-maintained? When you take your first step inside the front door what does the showrooms' overall look and feel say to you, and do you see it having a style to which you can relate?

As you walk around are displays well accessorized and is there good lighting? Is the overall look and feel of the showroom consistent with the price point of the furnishings and furniture being sold. If you are in a high-end furniture showroom, the displays should have a higher-end look and feel. Are you comfortable with the showrooms' cleanliness?

Are you met with someone who greets and welcomes you in to the showroom within the first 5 to 10 minutes, and who wants to know what you are interested in finding so they can steer you in the right direction. Does that person explain how to find the design resource rooms in which the furniture catalogs and fabric samples are located? If you are with a client, does he or she make an effort to find out a little about them as well?

Do they inform you about whether the prices on the tags are list price or wholesale. If they are list prices, does your Sales Associate subtly suggest having a private moment, without the presence of your client to tell you about your designer discount. Also be sure that he or she is interested to know whether to quote list or wholesale prices on items selected from catalogs.

Showing and selling a nice diversification of furniture manufacturers, products, lines and styles is important. You, as well as your client, want the shopping process to be as uncomplicated as possible and to take the least amount of time. To this end, does this Sales Associate really know the furniture manufacturers and lines that are available not only on the showroom floor but in the catalogs as well. Can they make your job a whole lot easier by knowing just where to find what you are describing. Do they know the available options on different furnishing products, such as finishes, fabrics and sizes. Or can they quickly locate that information. Are they adept at multitasking, since you may be moving back and forth between rooms quickly and in your thoughts. Do they get confused or can they easily keep up with you? Do they know how to read a floor plan with keen understanding so that their decorating and furnishing suggestions make sense?

If you have made a preset appointment time with your showroom's sales associate, are they prepared and ready to meet with you on time. Have they pulled together the furnishing items/catalogs and samples that they want to present to you as a result of their research?

If you are in the showroom for an extended time period, are you offered refreshments in the form of an assortment of drinks and snacks or lunch if appropriate?

In Part 2 of WHAT PROFESSIONAL DESIGNERS WANT IN A TRADE SHOWROOM, I will be discussing what to look for in the quoting and ordering process as well as how to judge the quality of a showrooms' customer service.