The key is knowing what your customers want and need from you When you run a business like a furniture store, your job is to produce and sell value. It’s both as simple and as complicated as that. When I see businesses getting value wrong, I have a physical reaction
So your operation has grown to needing a forklift, or another forklift and you’re looking for a forklift for sale. Buying new may be out of your budget and it’s time to consider the used forklift market. But where do you start? If you are planning to buy a forklift,
…and other retail challenges In a two-year study in conjunction with the Home Furnishings Association, we asked furniture retailers to state their top challenges. The results support what I’ve heard from our performance group members as well as consulting clients, with just six challenges making up the majority (more than
If only the sofas, chairs and casegoods you sell could be packaged and shipped like other products you buy—safe and snug in packaging that protects it from the bumps, grinds and sharp objects of the world. Unfortunately, the packaging for furniture doesn’t always rival the luxurious protection of a smartphone,
Find out how restructuring could save you money. Nothing about this time of year—not the heat, nor your upcoming vacation nor next month’s Labor Day sale—brings to mind taxes. However, this might be the perfect time to talk about them. Indeed, this might be the perfect time to consider your
2018 may be several pages removed on the calendar, but it’s closer than you think. The fourth quarter is almost here, and your head is probably in go-go-go-for-the-holidays mode. That’s good—you’re supposed to make hay while the sun shines, right? But the risk is you’ll wake up one day soon,
You can do just about anything at Sunnyland—even buy outdoor furniture if you like. When you think about it, David and Brad Schweig work hard to make their customers feel relaxed. As the owners of Sunnyland Outdoor Furniture, the Schweigs long ago caught on to the trend that homeowners are
Is your small business’s approach to employee benefits stuck in the past? The workforce is evolving rapidly, and your employee benefits offerings need to keep pace if you expect to attract, engage and retain top employees. MetLife recently polled both employers and employees for their 15th annual Employee Benefit Trends
Sometimes you have to say “no” for the customer to say “yes.” There’s an existing paradigm that salespeople are pushy and high pressure. Of course, some are so it’s important to create a paradigm shift as early in the selling process as you can. You must demonstrate to the customer
Jill Konrath’s thoughts on selling can seem puzzling until you stop to make sense of them Editor’s note: This is the last of a three-part series on improving sales. This month we look at how paradoxical principles can help you sell more. Sometime back, I ran across an article titled The
Geo-fencing is one of the most talked-about tools in local advertising, and one of the most misunderstood. For furniture retailers,
She stopped in front of the living room vignette the way shoppers do when something feels right. Hand on the
HFA proudly congratulates its CEO, Peter Theran, on being named one of The Home Furnishings 500 most influential people in
What if the biggest threat to revenue isn’t the customer who walks away? What if it’s the customer who stays?
If you’ve ever watched a great candidate slow down at the finish line, or walk away from what felt like
New research from Elevate puts the Gen X woman at the center of the furniture story. Surveying 1,210 Gen X shoppers at every stage of
Men and women often bring different priorities to their jobs, and the companies that understand those differences build stronger teams, deeper loyalty, and better business
MEMBER-ONLY DISCUSSION: Merchandising Connect with fellow HFA member retailers to exchange insights, challenges, and successes in merchandising. Share ideas for
