Lights, Camera… Action!
Patina Announces Plans For Its First DVD.
Patina today announced plans to create a DVD that will help educate designers about both Patina, Inc. and the process of creating its line of fine, hand painted, Italian furniture.
 “We’ve found that some designers feel intimidated or overwhelmed by the large number of options Patina offers,” says President and CEO Marylu Stevens, “And that’s not how we want our customers to feel. We want them to feel comfortable ordering Patina and free to let their imaginations run wild.”
The DVD will include sections detailing both the history of the company and painted furniture in general and a behind the scenes look at Patina’s workshops in Italy where we’ll follow a Patina piece through all stages of production from choice of wood through construction, decoration and aging.
The viewer will be walked through a detailed breakdown of the model number, that somewhat bewildering string of letters and numbers associated with every Patina piece. When broken down it actually makes complete sense and holds the key to differentiating one piece of Patina from another.
 Last, but not least, the DVD will take the designer through the complete process of working with Patina to create unique custom pieces. From sketches, to strike offs, to delivery and installation, the entire process is broken down in easy to follow steps for the designer wishing to create a very special piece.
“We hope the DVD will help familiarize designers with the order process and model number distinctions so that they’ll feel more comfortable and knowledgeable about Patina’s entire product line,” says Marylu.
To pre order your copy of the Patina Design DVD contact Patina Inc. or your local Patina representative.
The Making of A Patina Rep -
What Does Patina Look For In A Sales Rep?
Patina markets its furniture exclusively to interior designers through a series of regional sales representatives both in the U.S. and around the world. This is the only way you can buy Patina furniture and the representatives’ showrooms are the only place you can see Patina furniture first hand.
 These regional reps, located in all the major design centers, are an important part of the Patina family and over the years Patina has gone to great lengths to ensure that its sales representatives are the best in the business and are ready to help its client designers at any stage in the process of creating their dream looks.
According to Patina CEO, Marylu Stevens, it all comes down to customer service. “We want to make sure that the Patina buying experience is as pleasant as possible and that customers are thrilled with the end product.”
The sales reps’ knowledge of their customer base and regional styles is an important part of the equation for Patina. Based on this knowledge, the reps choose what Patina pieces they will display in their showrooms, effectively striking a balance between local taste and market realities.
“What sells in New York and what sells in the South West can be very different and often that’s based on regional taste, style and architecture, “ says Marylu, “ We trust our reps to have their finger on the pulse of their local markets.”
 This mutual trust between Patina and its sales reps has made for many a long lasting relationship. “We are loyal to our reps and we’ve had a long history with most all of them. We have changed some reps in the last year, in a few regions, but most of that was due to changes in the regional markets themselves and business decisions in general.”
“For instance, Christopher Norman in New York sold his company and ultimately closed. We had a long, very happy relationship with them but now we’re delighted to be with Summer Hill in New York. We’re very fortunate to be with such a highly respected rep in that area.”
When choosing a new rep one of the biggest factors for Patina is feedback from its designer clients. Patina regularly talks with its designers about their favorite showrooms and their level of satisfaction and experience with all the reps in a particular area.
“It’s important for us to have that feedback from designers,” says Marylu, “It’s all about customer service. In the end, if our clients aren’t happy with the entire experience of purchasing a Patina product and they and their clients aren’t thrilled with the end product then what’s the point?”
The point, for Patina, is customer satisfaction and creating some of the world’s finest, hand painted, Italian furniture and for its carefully chosen sales reps, the point is caring for and conveying that furniture into the hands of some of the most talented interior designers working in the business today.
Visit your local Patina sales representative, soon, to see what’s new from Patina for your area. | 
