Rob Nall, territory manager for Century Furniture, left, working with Marta Kowalska, head of customer service for Intiaro, at Robb & Stucky in Naples, Florida.
GREENSBORO, NC — Furniture retail and design professionals showed a willingness to learn and use 3D tools to increase customer engagement and sales during a 3D training tour last month, according to a survey made by the 3D visualization technology company, Intiaro.
More than 300 industry professionals participated in Intiaro’s free 3D training tour in Florida this summer. The one-hour training sessions were hosted by leading retailers and design centers including Baer’s, Clive Daniel, Annabelle’s, Norris Furniture & Interiors, International Design Source, Robb & Stucky, Designers Buying Group, The Decorators Unlimited, Island City Traders , Freestyle Interiors , Designer Resource Center and Grand Interiors International.
The survey was completed by the participants immediately after the training session. It consisted of five questions assessing attitudes toward technology in the industry, knowledge of 3D visualization technology to improve job performance, ability to learn tools for daily use, value of 3D tools as a competitive advantage, and the importance of product presentation to close a sale.
The responses, ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree, revealed:
- Almost 70% strongly agreed that furniture companies that do not adopt 3D visualization tools will lose a competitive advantage.
- More than 71% strongly agreed that using 3D tools and applying them on a daily basis was much easier than they expected.
- Some 82% strongly agreed that 3D visualization will revolutionize the furniture industry in the next six to 12 months.
- Around 77% strongly agreed that using 3D technology will improve their work and sell more furniture.
- Nearly 82% strongly agreed that product presentation is the key element in their sales process.
“We want to help educate the industry about the benefits of 3D visualization throughout the sales funnel. Everything that happens in the furniture industry today happens in an interconnected ecosystem,” said Intiaro CEO Pawel Ciach, who personally conducted several training sessions in Florida. “Physical stores, sales channels, retail partners and their sales representatives, designers, and e-retailers all contribute to the final purchase decision.”
Brands and retailers that have current partnerships with Intiaro, using its specialized 3D visualization technology for the home furnishings industry, include Ethan Allen, Century, Lexington Home Brands, Tommy Bahama Outdoor Living, Norwalk Furniture, Rowe, El Dorado Furniture, Kravet and Vanguard.
“The overwhelmingly positive feedback, based on the survey and emails that landed in our team’s inboxes after the event, supports a growing need and demand for technology and educational opportunities like our training tour,” he continued. Ciach. “Florida was a testing ground for us, and we will be taking this show on the road again.”