By Betsy Amoroso Communications director, Mannington
Today’s consumer is more educated and product-savvy than ever before. She has access to so much information—through websites and blogs, television and magazines—that she has a pretty good idea of what she likes before she even comes through your door.
Even so, there are some attributes of laminate flooring that she may not fully understand. So it’s your responsibility, as an educated salesperson, to provide her with more information about these benefits and help her make a more informed decision.
1. An eye on design. First and foremost, consumers want their floors to look great, and laminate designs offer incredible versatility and realism. Today’s laminates provide “high definition” designs that look just like their natural counterparts, whether it’s wood, slate, stone or tile. And thanks to technology advances, the patterns also have realistic embossed surface texture and grout lines.
2. Unbeatable durability. Quality laminates are made with super-strong, high-density fiberboard that can withstand denting from even the heaviest pieces of furniture. And the melamine surface is impregnated with aluminum oxide, which is second only to diamonds in hardness, for incredible wear, scratch and stain resistance.
3. Easy maintenance. Laminate flooring is as close as any homeowner will ever get to a maintenance-free product. Occasional cleaning with a cloth mop (microfiber or terrycloth) is all they ever need to do. Bigger messes, like paint or nail polish, usually come clean with alcohol or nail polish remover, and wax or gum can be gently scraped away, all with no residual damage to the floor.
4. Installation is a snap. In recent years, laminate flooring has gone glueless so planks are clicked together without the use of nails or glue. This floating floor can be laid on top of almost any existing flooring (except carpet) so it’s both easy and fast, with a minimum of mess and disruption to the household. A cushioned underlayment keeps out any moisture that rises from the subfloor, provides padding for walking comfort, adds a bit of insulation and dampens noise.
5. Environmentally responsible. Nothing catches a consumer’s attention like the word green, and laminate’s got a lot going for it in that area. It contains over 70% post-industrial recycled content, and at the end of its life in a home can be recycled or burned in a waste-to-energy system. The installation is glueless and, in the case of direct-pressure laminates, so is the manufacturing system. That helps tremendously with indoor air quality, a concern of many homeowners, particularly those with allergy concerns or young children.
So, the next time a customer is looking for a floor with many virtues, recommend laminate with confidence. You’ll have a happy customer who will rely on your expertise for future purchases.
Today’s consumer is more educated and product-savvy than ever before. She has access to so much information—through websites and blogs, television and magazines—that she has a pretty good idea of what she likes before she even comes through your door.
Even so, there are some attributes of laminate flooring that she may not fully understand. So it’s your responsibility, as an educated salesperson, to provide her with more information about these benefits and help her make a more informed decision.
1. An eye on design. First and foremost, consumers want their floors to look great, and laminate designs offer incredible versatility and realism. Today’s laminates provide “high definition” designs that look just like their natural counterparts, whether it’s wood, slate, stone or tile. And thanks to technology advances, the patterns also have realistic embossed surface texture and grout lines.
2. Unbeatable durability. Quality laminates are made with super-strong, high-density fiberboard that can withstand denting from even the heaviest pieces of furniture. And the melamine surface is impregnated with aluminum oxide, which is second only to diamonds in hardness, for incredible wear, scratch and stain resistance.
3. Easy maintenance. Laminate flooring is as close as any homeowner will ever get to a maintenance-free product. Occasional cleaning with a cloth mop (microfiber or terrycloth) is all they ever need to do. Bigger messes, like paint or nail polish, usually come clean with alcohol or nail polish remover, and wax or gum can be gently scraped away, all with no residual damage to the floor.
4. Installation is a snap. In recent years, laminate flooring has gone glueless so planks are clicked together without the use of nails or glue. This floating floor can be laid on top of almost any existing flooring (except carpet) so it’s both easy and fast, with a minimum of mess and disruption to the household. A cushioned underlayment keeps out any moisture that rises from the subfloor, provides padding for walking comfort, adds a bit of insulation and dampens noise.
5. Environmentally responsible. Nothing catches a consumer’s attention like the word green, and laminate’s got a lot going for it in that area. It contains over 70% post-industrial recycled content, and at the end of its life in a home can be recycled or burned in a waste-to-energy system. The installation is glueless and, in the case of direct-pressure laminates, so is the manufacturing system. That helps tremendously with indoor air quality, a concern of many homeowners, particularly those with allergy concerns or young children.
So, the next time a customer is looking for a floor with many virtues, recommend laminate with confidence. You’ll have a happy customer who will rely on your expertise for future purchases.
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