edwood displays you can build

Display Building Tips

Christopher Grover, promotion manager of the California Redwood Association, makes the following recommendations for designing and building displays: o ldentify your promotional goal and your target audience:, i.e., Are you selling siding to builders or decks to do-it-yourselfers? o Keep everything on the display large and graphic. Avoid small type. Remember: the hrst job of adisplay is to get the customer's attention. If it doesn't do that, the rest doesn't matter. o Clearly display the customers' choices in lumber patterns, construction techniques, et cetera. Show the options but keep it simple. o Keep your displays well maintained. Keep demonstration decks uncluttered. Keep literature racks full of related literature. Shabby displays aren't going to impress anyone.

. Use your displays to sell projects, not products. Customers are interested in houses not siding and they are interested in decks not 2x4s.

. Use your display to distribute redwood literature. This doubles its effectiveness by giving the customer something to take with them while they are planning their redwood projects.

Redwood deck displays are attention getters, whether they are indoors or out, large or small. Do-ityourself customers are always interested in seeing how redwood decks are constructed. A deck display will answer many of their basic questions without tying up a sales clerk. A good deck display provides examples ofconcrete footings; post, beam and joist construction; recommended spans; nailing patterns and finishes. Rails, steps, benches and planters should be included in deck displays. Paints, stains, water repellents, lacquers and varnishes are an important part of any redwood sale. Redwood holds finishes beautifully with an entire spectrum ofpossibilities for interior and exterior finishes. A display showing finishes on redwood lumber will increase both redwood sales and finish sales. The California Redwood Association designed and built a finish display for educational seminars for retailers under the auspices of dealer associations. The free-standing, two-sided disptay shows several interior finish options on one side and several exterior finish options on the opposite side.