That’s the most often asked question I hear from drum department managers. They want to know how to display them, and how to sign them. "They’re such a mess!" they tell me with frustration.

The answer to drumhead display is much easier than you might think. I concede that the sheer number of drumheads that stores must carry has grown dramatically over the past few years. There are so many different styles! And to complicate matters further, more manufacturers are producing drumheads today than ever before.

How do you handle drumheads? If you’re like many retailers I’ve worked with, you’re probably so frustrated that you keep them in the back room. But why carry a product if you can’t put it on display? When customers enter your store, they should be able to see all your available merchandise. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to have merchandise in the back room that customers aren’t aware of.

The Package: Built-In Challenges
Most manufacturers package drumheads in boxes. These boxes vary significantly is size because they contain heads ranging from 6 inches to more than 30 inches. This size differential makes a workable display solution seem impossible - especially when you consider that all these drumheads, regardless of their size, are often packaged in boxes of the exact same design. How can you expect your customers to make sense of them, when even your employees have a difficult time doing so?

Give Customers the Information They Need ... With Style
What do customers need to know? Basically, they need to be able to see how one drum head differs from another, and then make a comparison. And they need to be able to do this as easily and quickly as possible.

To make this happen, you need to supply them with information that’s easy to see and understand. That means integrating an actual sample of the drumhead with a descriptive sign. Whenever you add a new head style to your line-up, always order a 6-inch or 8-inch sample head. When this sample head arrives, get out your hot glue gun, along with a Sho-All slatwall/pegboard sign clip (used to hang signs on slatwall). Glue this special clip to the sample drumhead. In this way, you can easily display sample drumheads on slatwall fixtures or wall surfaces (see illustration).

Make the Differences Clear With a Sign
Your customers might see the drumhead sample, but not understand how it differs from other heads. This is why you need to integrate signage into your drumhead displays.

A sign (3.5 inches by 5.5 inches) in a sign holder should accompany each drumhead sample. This sign should describe the key differences in comparison to the other head samples displayed, and make those differences crystal clear and easy to understand.

Color-Coding
Next, you must make it easy for customers to see the samples, read the signs, and find the drumhead sizes they need from your inventory. Color-coding your inventory can help you do this effectively.

Start by placing a colored dot on the signage that accompanies the sample. You can use colored circle labels, which are available from most office supply stores. These labels are often available in multiple colors. If the colors you need aren’t available, you can quickly color them yourself with colored markers, available from the art supply store.

Once you’ve placed a different colored dot on each head sample, place matching colored dots on the side panels of each corresponding drumhead box. This makes it possible for customers to determine which drumhead designs they desire by perusing the head samples, reading the signs, and looking at the colored dots. They can then look at the inventory, find the sizes they are interested in, and look for the corresponding colored dot.

Shelving Options
All boxed drumheads can be easily displayed on any type of shelving on the display floor. This shelving can be on a gondola or on a wall. Use the Sho-All SA-706 Drumhead Basket for most applications, or when using a wood shelf or the base of a gondola, use the Sho-All SA-224 Slatwall Bookends to support the heads at spaced intervals.

The signage and color-coding make it easy for the customers to "help themselves." The configuration of head samples and matching, color-coded boxes helps them quickly see the alternatives. You will find that many customers, once they become educated about the possibilities, will refit their entire drum outfit with new heads. As an added benefit, your employees will find it easier to keep the shelves stocked and find the proper drumheads when assisting customers.

Stop the Headaches With Proper Head Display
Drumheads don’t have to cause the headaches they so often trigger. As you can see, they can be displayed in a very organized and customer-friendly manner. Many dealers have made the switch ... and report impressive increases in drumhead sales.

Heads you win!