How to sell furniture? What a furniture seller needs to know. How to sell furniture: advice from an expert on sales techniques How to sell furniture in a big city
An unprofessional seller who is unable to answer not only objections, but also simple questions from the client about the cost, configuration and discounts on the product is a fairly common occurrence. There are also often overly intrusive and illiterate “specialists” from whom, like a cornucopia, pour out product characteristics that are uninteresting to the buyer and do not meet his needs.
The main disadvantages of sales training
Selling furniture is one of the areas where workers undergo a lot of training that is divorced from reality and are taught skills that only scare away customers. Intrusive and aggressive sales consultants make them want to refuse cooperation. The buyer needs clear answers to his questions, therefore incompetent consultants who do not understand the advantages of their product and have not studied its basic characteristics are also unlikely to be successful in their business. The best way to gain the necessary skills is through experience, studying the product and working with clients. It is also important to communicate with experienced, successful employees and learn sales techniques from them using real examples.
Who should ask questions
There are many techniques for effectively selling furniture, but learning them does not guarantee the appearance of professionalism when working with people. Success depends primarily on the seller himself and his activity. It often happens that the client bombards the consultant with questions, and he only answers, and often inappropriately. But the one who asks the questions controls the conversation. Therefore, if a consultant or furniture sales manager does not ask a potential buyer anything, he is unlikely to be able to make a successful deal.
The market situation is constantly changing, so the seller should not wait for the client to make a purchasing decision. Due to the wide range, constant sales, promotions and discounts, and the opportunity to purchase used furniture on free classifieds sites at lower prices, it is becoming increasingly difficult to motivate a client to make a purchase. What can you do? What does a furniture seller need to know in order to manage his behavior himself, and not leave him alone with the goods?
Why do you need an individual approach to the buyer?
Today, when working with a buyer, there are no universal schemes that would be suitable for everyone and work regardless of the person’s character and preferences. The approach to the client should be individual, and the seller’s behavior should change depending on who he communicates with. To understand how to sell furniture, go to initial stage work, the consultant needs to study the main types of clients, sales techniques and working with objections. Currently, the usual sale of a product with a story about its advantages is ineffective; the seller should learn
Customer focus: basic steps
The customer-centric approach consists of several steps that must be followed sequentially, one after the other:
- Preparation.
- Entering into contact with the client.
- Identifying his needs.
- Product presentation.
- Work with objections.
- Deal.
The first step is preparation. It consists of the following points:
- Product knowledge.
- Customer insight.
- Studying competitors.
- Appearance.
- Sales skills.
- Planning.
- Appearance.
The basic principle of customer-oriented sales: “Do not sell the client a product, but help him buy it.” To do this, you need to understand the client’s desires and be able to put yourself in his place. But how to do this and learn to help the client choose the product he needs?
The Importance of Product Research
A seller who wants to figure out how to learn how to sell furniture must first of all thoroughly study the product with which he is working. It is important that the consultant can answer any question about it immediately, without hesitation and without asking anyone again.
The most common questions from customers when buying furniture:
- Contents - which items are included in the price and what needs to be purchased separately. For example, is a mirror included in the price of the hallway?
- Color scheme - furniture is selected to match the interior, so it is important for the client to know whether a suitable shade is available and, if not, whether it can be ordered.
- Manufacturer - most people prefer well-known companies that they have heard a lot about and can trust, as well as domestic brands. If the company is unknown, they want to know more about it.
- Possibility of additional equipment - is it possible to add or change something in the furniture set. For example, various covers may be sold for sofas, which the client is ready to purchase in the future if the color scheme of his interior changes.
Discounts as a motivation to buy
When making a purchasing decision, the cost of a product is not as important as it might seem. According to marketing research, the average buyer is able to change his opinion about the acceptable price of a product by up to +20%. The cost is always on the same scale as the product, and the seller’s task is to make these scales swing in the right direction. But the client must clearly understand why he should pay more in this particular case.
Discounts are the last thing customers are interested in, since most promotions can be repeated in other stores, so they have ceased to be an advantage. But they can serve as additional motivation for purchasing if all other factors, except cost, are satisfactory. Having studied the product, the seller needs to learn how to find out the needs of his client and become familiar with basic sales techniques in order to learn how to plan communications with potential buyers. Next, you need to study what similar positions your competitors offer and how they work with customers.
Dress code for furniture sales assistant
At the next stage, even if the organization does not have a dress code or corporate uniform, the consultant must bring his appearance into line with the standards of business clothing. Upon entering the store, the client must immediately understand that this is a specialist to whom he can turn with a question, and not a potential buyer like himself. As a representative of the company, the salesperson must look the part and stand out, instilling trust in the client with his appearance. furniture, if you yourself look unpresentable? Business style in clothing allows you to feel more confident and comfortable.
How to properly contact a client
Working with a client begins with a greeting. It is very important here to choose the right form for it and not to use hackneyed phrases that unnerve everyone, for example: “Can I tell you something?”, “Have you already chosen?”, “Can I help you with something?” etc. At best, the buyer will laugh it off, but more often than not, such greetings cause everyone to have negative emotions and a desire to respond rudely and leave the store. To typical questions, the client will always have a typical answer that does not encourage further conversation.
“Hot” and “cold” clients
According to one theory, of the total number of people, those who are ready to make a purchase right now will be no more than 5-10%. Such clients are called “hot”. Trivial questions will force them to immediately make a decision not in favor of the seller who asks them, and look for someone more professional. Doubting customers who want to buy, but have not yet definitely decided on the desired characteristics of the product or its cost, will account for about 25%.
The rest of the people are “cold” customers who either wander aimlessly around the store or are simply not ready to make a purchase right now. Separate question— how to sell furniture online, when the client simply views offers and does not communicate directly with the seller. Thus, the majority of potential buyers are “cold”, but they are able to bring maximum profit to the store with the correct work of the sales consultant. Therefore, if you ask them a question in order to force them to make a purchase decision that they are not ready for, it will only discourage and seem pressured to customers.
How to greet a buyer correctly
When addressing a client, a salesperson must first greet him and introduce himself. Further, experienced sellers can act in different ways, for example, not offering help in choosing right now, but informing the client that they can be contacted with questions about the product. Sometimes consultants continue to obsessively follow the client's heels and tell him about the characteristics of the product without waiting for questions. But in this case, the potential buyer will still not remember most of the information, and the communication experience will be unpleasant. People prefer to buy, but don't like to feel like they're being sold something. Even customers who are ready to make a purchase will most likely leave the store without listening to the seller. Excessive intrusiveness and flows of information make you feel obligated to buy something, which causes discomfort. A conversation with a client should be a dialogue, not a monologue of one of the parties.
Identifying buyer needs
Before selling furniture, the seller must find out the purpose of the client’s visit and under no circumstances leave him unattended. Friendly communication without pressure or negativity is the optimal behavior strategy. Unfortunately, very often, before selling furniture, sellers, instead of identifying the buyer’s values, begin a thoughtless presentation of the product or begin to dryly list technical characteristics. Efficiency and intrusiveness are two different things. The client should feel comfortable and be able to walk around the store without the close attention of the salesperson. It is important to take a personal approach, speak the language of the potential buyer and talk about what is relevant to him. The conversation should be about the client, his goals and needs. If a negative attitude occurs, the seller needs to retreat.
How to ask questions correctly
When working with a client, it is important to ask him the right questions. They can be of two types - open and closed. In the first case, the buyer will be required to provide a detailed answer, and in the second, confirmation or disagreement. Both options help identify client needs and are one of the important components of sales techniques. For example, before selling antique furniture, you can ask about what antiques the client already has. This will allow you to offer an option that will be combined with them.
Clients with high incomes prefer products created in a single copy. Identifying such a desire will be one of the answers to the question of how to sell furniture self made. If the client answers a question with a question, the consultant can give a short presentation and talk about the benefits of the product, moving from general to specific. Then you need to take the initiative again and ask an open-ended question. When a salesperson knows how to ask questions and uses this skill effectively, he will be able to quickly connect with customers and respond to their needs. If you show initiative and activity, then no problems or questions about how to sell furniture will arise.
Product presentation
Product presentation is an important component of sales techniques. Having identified several client needs, you can move on to it or first find out the details. Only laudatory reviews of a product cause buyer distrust. Before selling upholstered furniture, the seller needs to look at it through the eyes of his client and find out what questions he may have. A presentation based on needs rather than features generates greater buyer engagement. You should talk about new furniture, used furniture, or just a project in a certain sequence. First, its properties are described, obvious characteristics that do not raise questions from the client.
How to describe the benefits of a product
Before selling cabinet furniture or another product, the consultant needs to carefully study both their and non-obvious characteristics or advantages that distinguish the product from others. At the end of the presentation, the seller should tell about the benefits that the client will receive if he purchases this particular furniture. The properties of a product tell the buyer what exactly he is buying, the benefits tell him why he is doing it, and the benefits tell him what he gets as a result of the purchase. It is important not to forget that the client is looking for a product that can solve his problem. The seller only needs help in solving this problem.
In this case, Maslow's pyramid and focusing on the needs of the buyer can help. For example, before selling old furniture, among its characteristics you can mention natural materials, from which it is made. This will satisfy the customer's basic need for security.
Work with objections
Common mistake salespeople - arguing with customers instead of identifying what is behind their objections. But real work professionalism begins precisely when the buyer says: “No.” Wanting to understand how to sell furniture quickly, a consultant must understand how to work with objections and not be afraid of them. After listening to them, you should thank the client and provide additional arguments in favor of purchasing your product. If we again use Maslow’s pyramid, then it is worth considering that when working using this system with a complex client, you need to transfer him to a level with higher needs. This will allow you to sell the furniture at a higher price. For example, from the basic need for safety and health, switch his attention to the need for belonging. If the client is not particularly concerned about his own safety, he will definitely think about the safety of his loved ones.
Make a deal
Final stage The job of any seller is to close the deal. At this time, you need to act decisively and not overdo it, discouraging the buyer from purchasing the product. Closing the sale and making payment is an important time where there is no room for error. The salesperson should pay attention to the client’s signals about readiness to make a purchase, stop the presentation in time and lead him to the cash register. After confirming the order amount, you can offer additional products and services, such as an additional guarantee. It is also important to complete the documents correctly. Then the seller should thank the client for his choice and see him off, saying goodbye kindly.
If the client is not ready to buy now
Another common mistake made by unprofessional salespeople is to lose interest in a client if he is not ready to make a deal right away. At this point, you can lose more than just future rewards from one person's work. A buyer offended by an inattentive attitude will definitely take advantage of word of mouth and share his dissatisfaction with family and friends who are unlikely to decide to purchase something in this store. Thus, the seller loses several potential customers at once. A professional will definitely give you time to think, tell you about additional discounts and bonuses in the future, so that the buyer leaves with pleasant impressions and returns again some time later. You can ask the client for his phone number and offer to call him back later if a better offer comes up. For effective sales, the main thing is to do everything right and solve the client’s problem. Then he will definitely come back again and recommend the store to his friends.
Buying expensive used furniture - office, cabinet, upholstered, home furniture in any condition. Preliminary estimate based on photographs, payment in cash on the spot or by transfer to the settlement account under the contract.If you have old furniture for export, or you just want to quickly sell it at a profit, then this service will be very useful.
Furniture is accepted even if only the frame remains - all remnants and fasteners, strong boards go into secondary production and are restored. For example, an old chipboard board is glued, veneer is applied to it, it acquires a new one and beautiful view, and therefore can be used to make new furniture.
Price list for purchase is indicative. In order to use the purchase of used furniture, you need to send a photo for a preliminary assessment; the price may be increased or decreased on the spot. So, how much can you sell for:
- The frame of a sofa without upholstery – 2700-3500 rubles;
- Sofa with solid upholstery – 7500-25000 rubles;
- Leather furniture - from 15,000 rubles;
- Office tables – from 4500 rubles;
- Wall, slide – from 5500 rubles;
- Office cabinet – from RUB 3,000;
- Safes – from 11,000 rubles;
- Kitchen dinner table– from 3300 rubles;
- Kitchen - from 5300 rubles;
- Soft corner - from 5500 rubles;
- Computer chairs and armchairs – from 2200 rubles;
- Chairs for visitors – from 800 rubles;
- Sliding wardrobes – from 3000 rubles.
If the furniture is in good condition, then it can be sold at a high price to a thrift store.
In order to submit an application, you need to contact the managers and send a photograph of the furniture, preferably with a good camera from several angles, with detailed description defects. Next, a time is agreed upon, and an appraiser and a team of master loaders arrive on site. If the cost suits both parties, the furniture is disassembled and removed. Cash payments are made on site, for offices, entrepreneurs and legal entities transfer possible. Also, in some cases, used furniture can be purchased in exchange for new or restored furniture. In this case, the buyer pays the difference.
If the furniture is already in substandard condition, that is, fiberboard and wood panels are broken, the purchase may be refused. In this case, it can be removed for an additional fee at the price of garbage. The following can also be exported along with the furniture:
- Old household appliances;
- Wooden frames with windows;
- Interior and iron doors;
- Electric and gas stoves;
- Baths and heating radiators;
- Pipes and plumbing items;
- Sanitaryware.
These accessories can be taken away free of charge or with a ransom, just like the purchase of used furniture, each case is assessed individually! Phone +79253595322.
Examples of evaluating old furniture
Of course, valuation rules when buying old furniture change daily. An important role in this is played by the availability of alternative raw materials, the situation on the secondary market, the number of people willing to get rid of furniture and seasonality. For example, in the summer prices rise slightly, since old sets and cabinets are sold at good prices to dachas, and it is more profitable for a person to carry out a transaction directly through an advertisement.
Soviet sofa-book, also known as a sofa, in excellent condition. Full upholstery, excellent wood. The purchase cost is 2600 rubles.
An old desk. Chipboard, varnish with minor chips, drawers in excellent condition. Price - 800 rubles.
Old-style kitchen made of fiberboard with plastic veneer and aluminum inserts. The cabinets are solid, the doors on the sink are slightly sagging. Cost – 3000 rubles.
Ikea children's wardrobe with two sections, a compartment for clothes, a shelf for books and drawers. Excellent condition. Price – 3000 rubles.
The living room wall-mounted wall of the “Pharaoh” type is almost new, a secretary, glass doors, a lower chest of drawers, cabinets. Price – 12,000 rubles.
Corner dinner Zone type "Jasmine" with a table, sofa and chairs. A couple of scratches on the table. Price – 3700.
Wardrobe, perfect condition, shelves intact, no scratches, doors open perfectly. Purchase – 2700 rubles.
Hallway, corner wardrobe, new. Sliding doors, original design, shelves for things. Price – 14,000 rubles.
Quite often, owners decide to sell new furniture, this often happens when a person changes apartments or moves. Accordingly, if an urgent purchase is needed, the price may fall slightly, but a good item will be sold at a good rate one way or another.
How to sell expensive used furniture?
How to sell expensive furniture used, which when purchased cost over 60 thousand rubles per unit? You can quickly sell walls, office cabinets, kitchens and sliding wardrobes in Moscow - there is a high demand for them on the secondary market, so they are purchased on a priority basis. Bedrooms, living room sets, home offices and children's rooms are sold no less actively, and when appraised, rare and antique models can be valued even higher than the original cost.
A significant portion of people decide to purchase used luxury furniture in excellent condition rather than new, low-cost furniture.
Examples of evaluating expensive used furniture when purchasing sets in good condition:
Carpenter's office made of solid walnut and mahogany (bookcase, desk and executive chair made of leather) – 550,000 rubles in cash or by immediate transfer.
Italian living room with two display cases and a TV table made of solid walnut, carved, bronze. Estimated cost – 150,000 rubles.
Sofa Padishah Avanti, sofa and two armchairs. Good condition, some minor wear. The cost of the set is 700,000 rubles.
Antique cabinet "Badminton", ebony, lapis lazuli, amethyst, agate, gold, quartz finishing. Purchase cost – 2.7 billion rubles.
Sharpei George Roberto Cavalli bed and pouf from the same company. Cost – 1,400,000 rubles.
Chinese, Italian and German used furniture usually receives priority when considering purchase applications. Antiques can be sold through auction.
The cost of the examination is affected by holes, abrasions, broken mechanics (hinges, locks, lifting mechanisms for beds), chipped varnish, broken springs or dented backing. But market demand has a decisive influence, so the assessment by an intermediary differs from that carried out by bailiffs or independent experts (for example, when dividing property).
Conspiracies to quickly sell furniture
You can quickly sell old furniture yourself using spells. The most effective in this case are the ancient spells of the priests from Transylvania.
It is worth remembering that you should read them only if you have a firm decision to sell furniture and this is very important!!! If the idea is subsequently abandoned, the thing will be mysteriously spoiled, since the spirits seem to transfer it into the ownership of the new owner, placing in his head the desire to find and buy it. Accordingly, if he does not buy it, the connection will remain and may have a negative impact.
So, the first conspiracy is to sell any furniture. You need to urinate on a cloth or napkin, wring it out, lightly wipe the item you are going to sell, and then dry the material in the sun. Next, you need to go out into the open space (on the balcony or onto the street) at midnight, turn to the west, set fire to a rag and say loudly three times: “Timofti-timofti, preshedintele meu roman, uite pe mine che sunt nebun, o pule kalului igo-go”, and then scatter the ashes to the wind, and leave without looking back.
The second plot only works well for sales upholstered furniture. You need to make something like a sofa or chair that you are going to sell from bread crumbs, put it in a jar, fill it with urine and put it under the door or under the car of a person with a good salary. At the same time say: “Well, yes, feces, yes, urine, treyaske-treyaske mike raspberry”, spit over your left shoulder and leave without looking back.
Usually, after the ancient conspiracies of the Transylvanian priests, used furniture goes flying, either through Avito or through an ordinary advertisement at the entrance. These are proven white magic remedies that work 100%.
Where to donate office furniture?
It is more profitable not to hand over office furniture, but to sell it through an auction. This type of furnishing is in high demand, so it sells out easily, and you can get much more money than the residual book value.
The auction takes over the entire sales cycle of office furniture - photography, loading, transportation, sale. The commission is 15% of the final price. The seller himself has the right to regulate the bidding step, set the blitz price and auction terms.
Pass office furniture it can be used for a standard implementation, or, if it is broken, for processing. Computer tables, chairs for visitors, counters, accounting cabinets and safes - all this is as liquid and in demand as possible.
Buying used office furniture is part of the lives of Russians as closely as resale of cars and household appliances. If a thing can serve other people, it can be repaired and given a second life, why spoil the environment and recycle valuable raw materials? The maximum service life of an MDF panel can be up to 120 years, and if you change the edges and do surface treatment with polymers, it is almost endless. Restoration is a real business.
Also, used office furniture can be rented out; such services are widely popular during exhibitions, registration of fly-by-night companies, and sometimes even orders are received from television studios.
Selling furniture, or rather sales volumes, is the primary concern of any entrepreneur involved in the furniture business. Therefore, any methods or techniques that, to one degree or another, help increase sales can be considered effective. The sales department is very important for every company, since it is from it efficient work it depends on gaining market share, increasing sales volume, as well as being the first to enter the niche in question. The head of the company should constantly be interested in how effective the sales department is, what measures should be taken to increase volumes, and what problems exist? But if we look at the situation more specifically, an increase in sales volumes depends not only on the sales department, but also on all the processes that take place in the company.
In addition to the above, it is worth saying the following - the director of the sales department must have a maximum understanding of all possible options and ways to increase sales volumes, both indirect and direct, which are under his direct control. If we talk specifically about techniques for effectively selling furniture, then first of all we need to say the following:
- you need to understand and navigate well the situation on the furniture market, as well as your own and your competitors, and all this knowledge needs to be directed in a positive direction;
- An important point is to determine the strategy of how to win the target client, you need to decide with whom cooperation will be most beneficial for both parties, who are the target clients for the company and, of course, you constantly need to be in search of new niches in which it is worth developing;
- in the process of managing sales, the company needs to correctly select the number of channels, their distribution, participants, also control the participants, motivate them;
- it is necessary to develop and implement conditions that will be mutually beneficial and interesting for both the company and target clients;
- Don’t forget about existing clients – you need to constantly maintain relationships with them. It often happens that in the process of sales growth, many people forget about old customers. This shouldn't happen. It is necessary to constantly increase the volume of purchases from customers, maintain relationships, build their commitment and loyalty;
- to attract new customers, there must be motivated and well-trained personnel who know and love their products, while maintaining high standards of service for both existing and new customers of the company;
- depending on the general economic situation in the country, the purchasing power of the market and competitors, pricing needs to be varied;
- new products must be developed and offered to customers depending on their needs, suggestions and wishes, as well as claims, develop and bring the brand to the market;
- informing customers about their products, services, the company as a whole, which can be done through participation in exhibitions, PR, advertising, Internet resources, etc.
These were just some of the techniques that should be adopted by those who really want to effectively sell furniture. As noted above, participation in exhibitions also affects sales efficiency. Let's look at this in a little more detail.
First of all , participation in the exhibition- this is an undeniable advantage, thanks to which personal contact is established between company representatives and existing and potential clients. The exhibition allows you to present and clearly indicate everything positive quality its products on neutral territory, comparing them with competitors' products. At an exhibition, when meeting with a client, there is an opportunity to gain the client’s trust, and also, importantly, to analyze information about the client’s problems, needs and interests.
Of course, everything that was said above regarding exhibitions is of great importance. This information can be classified as basic and main, but still it is not the only positive side, which greatly expands the possibilities for promoting your products and services. By participating in the exhibition you can announce your innovations, developments, and present a number of your products. If the exhibition is chosen correctly, then you will promote your brand. At the exhibition you can advertise products that cannot be sold without demonstration. The exhibition is best place, where your customer's needs are clarified, and positive and negative feedback about your marketing is also obtained. In turn, you can see your shortcomings.
Currently, almost every furniture company sells its products using dealer schemes. As for the work of the furniture manufacturer and the entrepreneur, an agreement is concluded between them. In fact, the scheme of work is almost the same as with classic dealer relationship schemes. In most cases, the manufacturer provides the dealer without payment with samples of laminate, fabric, product catalog and much more. Furniture can also be provided directly as a display case. In general, the dealer is supplied with all the necessary information. After an order is received from a client, after a certain time the dealer delivers the products on his own or using the plant’s transport. As for the use of plant transport, it is mainly used for large order volumes. The seller is also obliged to assemble the furniture.
An important role not only in furniture manufacturing, but also in any other activity is played by personnel selection. It’s worth dwelling in a little more detail on recruitment rules:
- One of the important points is the indication of the employee’s salary. Thus, you can select an employee with the required qualifications;
- To identify professional and personal qualities, and also to determine character traits, fill out a questionnaire;
- Personal testing is carried out;
- Verification of educational documents and recommendations is carried out. Preference is given to a certified specialist who has impeccable recommendations.
For quality work employees need to be motivated. Without them, you are unlikely to achieve great financial success. Of course, a decent salary level is an important point. But not only material motivation of employees is important, but also intangible:
- corporate recreation;
- studying programs;
- guarantee of normal working hours;
- payment of lunches for employees;
- disease prevention and much more.
And in conclusion, it would be worthwhile to dwell on selling furniture via the Internet, which is becoming more and more popular every year. Popularity running a furniture business via the Internet is determined by its advantages, which are as follows: the cost of renting premises is significantly lower, only a warehouse is required, and only an operator can be present from the staff, who simultaneously answers calls, takes orders and coordinates delivery. Selling via the Internet has a lot of advantages, since everyone can familiarize themselves with the full catalog of products at any time of the day and choose the option they are interested in, both for price reasons and depending on their needs.
Articles about ways to sell furniture
Preparation for furniture exhibitions
Selling furniture online
Working with dealers
Discuss ways to increase furniture sales:
Furniture makers forum:
Video about how to effectively run a furniture business and increase sales
"About business": Furniture business
How to build an effective furniture business structure
Therefore, perhaps the main task of any furniture showroom is the work of “retaining” the visitor and leading him to the decision to make a purchase in this particular salon. I don’t want to send even a client who is convinced of the quality and low prices to other salons in the hope that he will become confirmed in this opinion. There the buyer can simply be convinced.
And since the buyer’s desire to visit several stores when choosing furniture is a question of consumer psychology, then its solution lies in the field of sales psychology. Likewise, the area of converting visitors into buyers is the responsibility of sales personnel, provided they are prepared.
To effectively sell furniture and resolve all the client’s doubts (without additional visits by the client to other stores), the seller must take into account in his work a number of specific features, both the behavior of customers when choosing furniture, and the furniture itself as a product. And what’s more important is not just to know, but to be able to use these features when working with a client, to gently guide him to a purchasing decision.
The specific characteristics of buyers when choosing furniture are set product characteristics furniture:
1. FURNITURE IS IN THE CATEGORY OF HIGH VALUE GOODS.
Therefore, in the sale of furniture distinctive features are:
1.1. Increased customer demands (both for product and service).
In fact, selling furniture is always a VIP sale, regardless of the client’s level of income. Partly, this is due to the fact that when selling an expensive product, every customer is important. But the factor of client expectations is much more significant:
In sales practice: Taking these expectations into account in a special way, when establishing contact, accompanying the client and presenting the product, the seller creates and maintains a state in the client that is conducive to making a purchase. The seller receives the client’s attention and favor, and therefore the opportunity to work with him (including his doubts).
Which is especially useful, since the high cost of the product causes a state of doubt and increased anxiety in most customers.
1.2. Increased anxiety (doubts).
For most buyers, furniture is a type of important and infrequent purchase that they cannot afford often. Therefore, the client treats the purchase with special responsibility (after all, he will give a lot of money for himself, and he will have to live surrounded by this furniture for several years).
The natural reaction of the buyer in such conditions is doubt and increased anxiety, which largely encourage the client to visit many stores before making a purchase.
In sales practice: The client, of course, can resolve his doubts himself... But, perhaps, in another store... Or the seller can competently and discreetly help him with this. Because his task is to keep the client in his store and lead him to the decision to purchase there.
1.3. Price factor.
When selling furniture, cost is one of the main limiting factors for making a purchase. Therefore, there are always objective and subjective restrictions on the issue of cost.
The spread of loans and various forms of installment payments largely resolves the buyer’s objective limitations, significantly expanding the range of goods available to him.
In sales practice: In sales practice: If, in addition to providing loans, there are sellers in a furniture showroom who are able to expand the subjective restrictions of buyers regarding price and availability, then only then the credit policy reveals its full capabilities
2. FURNITURE IS A MULTIFACTORY GOODS.
Furniture, as a product, has many characteristics:
External (style, design, color, size, etc.);
ergonomic (configuration options, usable space, ease of use, etc.);
quality (materials, fasteners, coating, etc.);
and much more.
And when making a purchase, the client also takes into account the characteristics of the room (space, geometry, colors, etc.), existing furniture and elements present interior design, as well as your personal preferences and the preferences of those around you (family, friends..., business partners), on which this choice sometimes depends.
Such a large number of factors that need to be taken into account makes furniture a “complicated purchase”.
That's why, most of buyers when choosing furniture:
Does not have a clear, established idea of the desired product and its characteristics and goes to a furniture showroom with vague ideas or separately highlighted requirements for the product. This is what opens up great opportunities for the sales consultant (more on that a little later).
Has idealized expectations (more about that right now)
2.1. Idealized Expectations
The client's expectations often diverge from reality, namely: from the available product or the financial capabilities of the client himself. This requires the seller to be able to smooth out differences between the buyer’s desires and the available assortment, aligning it with the client’s expectations.
In sales practice: A satisfied customer is the goal of any sales organization. But often, when a client comes to buy a product, he has idealized expectations (and wishes) in relation to the product.
During the selection process, such a client “comes down to earth” and still acquires the real product he needs, and not an idealized dream.
However, at the same time, he can “come down to earth” in the next store, where unsatisfied expectations will lead him and where, having seen the same assortment, he will let go of his ideal and condescend to consider the actual product available. He will definitely buy the goods... But the store will be different.
And even after purchasing this product, the client will have a “residue”... “Sediment” in relation to the store where the purchase was made. Will the customer start searching for a product next time from this store...? Hardly! And you are unlikely to want this to apply to your store?
Currently, there are more and more such clients. And they are very “sticky” if they find what they want in their ideal.
And what is very important: Any salesperson can work well with such a client if he uses the advanced presentation technique. A technique that allows, unnoticed by the client, to reduce his idealized expectations to real ones, without destroying them. This creates a strong emotional attachment to this product, and hence customer satisfaction.
2.2. Doubts in the selection process.
Uncertainty, due to the many characteristics of furniture and the desire to take them all into account, causes uncertainty and doubt in the client about his choice.
Exactly this feature encourages the buyer to visit many stores and explains the psychology of the “client - walker”:
To resolve these doubts, the buyer, not yet having an idea about the furniture he needs (its characteristics), goes shopping and makes a decision on the spot.
And here, everything is the same as in matters of cost:
The client can decide on the characteristics of the necessary furniture himself (the only question is “when” and “where” this will happen), or the seller can gently help him with this (and thereby lead the client to the decision to purchase a model available in the store’s assortment ).
Whether such a potential buyer will go further or become a client depends on the seller... and characterizes the professionalism of the seller.
In sales practice: Such a client is an ideal object for the work of a sales consultant. The buyer does not yet have an established opinion and is easily susceptible to external influence (provided that the seller has the technology to manage customer requests).
2.3. The buyer's opinion is susceptible to external influence.
The buyer, without having an established opinion, intuitively feels that he can easily succumb external influence and creates a “protective barrier” around itself.
His typical behavior is detachment (isolation), and the typical response to an offer of help or recommendations from a sales consultant is a refusal or a typical phrase: “I’m just looking.”
In sales practice: If the seller can bypass this barrier through a soft and unobtrusive contact, then he will receive an “easy” buyer, and the store will receive a satisfied customer. And if not, another store will probably get that customer.
2.4. Individual way of making a decision (lack of a single logic of purchase).
The many factors that influence buyer preferences when choosing furniture, in turn, give rise to many individual strategies for making purchasing decisions.
In sales practice: Template presentation models in the process of selling furniture show themselves to be ineffective. This makes the skill of individual presentation, based on the client’s personal characteristics (values, key criteria, decision-making style) - the main working tool for the seller’s effective work with any buyer.
3. THE BUYING OF FURNITURE OFTEN INVOLVES SEVERAL PERSONS.
3.1. Furniture is purchased to suit the needs of several people.
This is especially important when selling “home furniture”. When the buyer takes into account not only his own opinion, but also the opinion of his loved ones, who may not be around at this time.
In sales practice: The seller's ability to work with the client - to take into account the interests of other interested parties - allows him to expand the range of models offered and reduce the likelihood of returning goods.
3.2. Several people (family or company) are involved in the process of choosing furniture.
In this case, the seller has to work with a group of people, and the opinions of these people may contradict each other.
In sales practice: To make a successful sale, such conditions require the seller to be able to establish and maintain group contact, identify a leader, and reconcile disparate expectations and opinions, leading them to a compromise.
4. ADDITIONAL STRATEGIES.
In addition to the basic skills needed by every seller:
Establishing contact and trusting relationships;
collecting information about expectations, values and opportunities;
managing the client’s emotions (creating useful states: trust, interest, confidence, etc.);
use of speech influence strategies;
application various techniques presentation and handling of objections.
In selling furniture, it is worth highlighting additional strategies:
4.1. Working with product catalogs.
Not all products can be displayed in a showroom, and not all sellers know how to successfully make a presentation using catalogs. This significantly reduces the store’s ability to sell products, limiting it only to a clearly presented assortment.
In sales practice: The ability of sellers to work with catalogs reduces the dependence of the salon's sales volume on the presented retail space, significantly increasing the profitability of the store.
4.2. Double sales technique.
Furniture provides great opportunities for using a “double sales” strategy: a strategy for selling additional accessories by linking them with a common purchase logic to an already completed purchase.
In sales practice: A simple but effective technique that allows you to significantly increase sales volume, as it increases the purchase amount (ideally, the purchase amount of each client).
Taking into account the characteristic features of the furniture sales process presented above forms the basis for success in working with the client, allowing not only to significantly increase sales volume, but also to increase customer satisfaction.
Director of the Center for Business Development Technologies "ABION",
business coach, Alexey Skvortsov.
Nizhny Novgorod
Igor Kochetov
retail chain "Mebel-plus"
Now we are seeing serious changes in the structure of consumer demand. Firstly, sales of upholstered furniture have decreased significantly. Accordingly, its share in our trading floors. Upholstered furniture had not previously been a core product category for Furniture Plus; this position was well represented by subtenants who collaborated with local suppliers. However, with the onset of the crisis, many small operators closed their outlets. We faced the need to increase purchases in order to fill the vacant space. When choosing a “soft” assortment, we focused on the most inexpensive models costing from 10 to 15 thousand rubles: they sell the best. The products of federal suppliers operating in the middle segment simply ceased to be in demand. For example, we have always bought good sofas from the Pushe factory. Today they are no longer relevant. Now everything is dictated by price. Logically, it needs to be reduced, but factories, on the contrary, increase the price tag. We have no choice but to suspend work with them.
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In the cabinet furniture sector, furniture from our own production “Ash” has taken a leading position. We have been striving for this for a long time and are now very pleased that, thanks to assortment restructuring, we can influence selling prices ourselves. The most popular product items of "Ash" are small furniture forms. Small walls, kitchen corners, cabinets, cabinets, chests of drawers, inexpensive beds And computer tables. Based on our direct order, Yasen launched the production of popular analogue models. For example, we are now successfully selling an analogue of the Lotus wall “Samba” and several kitchen modules, the prototype of which was the “Stolplit” model. We don't feel any remorse. We would be very happy to sell furniture from the factories themselves if they supplied it to us on time and in the right quantity.
Nevertheless, the products of the Stolplit factory still occupy a significant share in the Furniture-Plus product portfolio. Stolplit kitchens are the most popular among buyers. I also cannot complain about the sales of the Miassmebel and Volgogradmebel factories. They also run smoothly.
In general, I would like to note that the average bill in our stores has decreased by 30 percent. People most often make purchases that do not exceed 15 thousand rubles. A purchase of up to 20 thousand is already considered large.
Belgorod
Irina Bondarenko
chain of stores "Expert"
Since the beginning of this year, upholstered furniture sales have become worse. Buyers have lost interest in sofas costing more than 80 thousand rubles. Since last year, we had two sofas at the exhibition for 200 thousand each, and we are happy that we managed to sell them in early February. We currently do not plan to order such models. For our customers, they have definitely moved into the expensive category. The most popular models are Eurobook sofas. And it doesn’t matter who produces them. The main condition for demand is price. It should not rise above 50 thousand rubles. As for suppliers, the best results for our stores are shown by the Int and Frayling factories. The rest fell by thirty percent.
There is better dynamics in cabinet furniture sales. The products of our main suppliers - Dyatkovo and Angstrem - are still on sale. True, even in the “corps” consumer preferences are gradually changing. The average purchase price decreased by 15 percent. At Dyatkovo, sales of the mid-price Melody program have practically stopped, but buyers’ interest in the economical Concept has not disappeared. By the way, the factory recently introduced new colors. The new ones are getting worse. The buyer needs time to get used to the updates. I don’t know how far-sighted it is to experiment with popular models during a crisis.
Ufa
Farit Sakaev
retail chain "Cozy House"
Tables, chairs, chests of drawers, computer desks - these are now the most popular items in our stores. Sales volumes of small forms have not decreased. However, there was a change in favorite suppliers. Previously, our undoubted sales leader was Elburg products. Until recently, we actively supported their signature format “City of Tables and Chairs”. However, with the rise in the exchange rate, prices for Elburg positions increased by 20 percent. The buyer responded immediately. Sales fell. Now in the table and chair sector, sales of furniture from another wholesale and retail company, Domoteka, have begun to increase. Their prices are lower and their offer in the economy segment is wider. Domoteka has its own own production, and they are less affected by currency fluctuations.
Demand for bedrooms has fallen. Not to say that they are not bought at all, but somehow they are not particularly active. People stopped buying full-fledged sleeping sets right away. They prefer to buy a bedroom in parts. First a bed, a month later - a closet, then a chest of drawers... We understand that it’s easier for them this way, and we meet them halfway. We “remember” customers and notify them about new arrivals.
The most popular models in the bedroom category are the “Legend” set from the Lotus factory, as well as “Geneva” and “Eden” under the same brand.
Perhaps, Lotus products remain one of the most popular among buyers. Their famous Samba wall and a range of living room models continue to be very popular. What is typical is that similar models from Interdesign sell much worse. In general, I can say that against the backdrop of negative sales figures in the living room furniture sector, only Lotus is showing at least some positive dynamics. Unfortunately, Lotus remains difficult to work with due to systematic violations of contractual obligations.
In the segment economical furniture the best indicators are at the factories “Three Ya” and “Intedi”. Children's rooms and hallways are selling well.
Sales of upholstered furniture have fallen. I am especially worried about the situation with the Rival factory. Previously, their sofas sold very well, now there is almost a 50 percent drop. However, a similar picture is observed only among federal suppliers. Products from local factories are becoming relevant. They make the same sofas, and you can negotiate the price with them, unlike Moscow manufacturers. Now the share of products from local manufacturers in our assortment matrix has increased by 40 percent. Accordingly, the share of federal producers has decreased. The most popular models in the upholstered furniture sector are Eurobooks and sofas with withdrawable mechanisms. That is, sleeping options. Nobody needs chairs.
The average bill in our stores decreased by a third - from 30 to 20 thousand rubles. Now is a difficult time for active sales. Not only is it a crisis, it’s also the beginning of the off-season. We, of course, have already begun to prepare to pass it with the least losses. It is important to maintain customer loyalty. Now we have developed an installment payment program with one of the banks. We see that people are ready to buy a complete set of the same bedroom, but they don’t have enough money - we offer installments. In this case, we release the goods to the buyer without a discount, since the discount amount goes to the bank. This service is now gaining popularity, because people, despite the crisis, have not yet lost their consumer sense.
Moscow
Evgeny Leontyev
retail chain "Sofas and Armchairs"
I can’t say that our average bill has decreased. Of course, some redistribution of price preferences occurred, but this did not particularly affect the network’s turnover. Sales of mid-segment models have fallen, but indicators in the “economy” segment have increased. Profit, of course, decreased, but this was due to a decrease in markups and our desire to maintain the maximum low prices. Today our task is to maintain prices at pre-crisis levels. So far it’s working.
I also can’t say that there are any hit models online. We have controlled demand. If we decide that this month it is necessary to sell the maximum number of “Eurobooks”, then we prepare a corresponding promotion. Since this kind of promotion is planned for the year ahead, we do not expect any surprises in the form of an unexpected change in the relevance of the models. For us, the product that we choose is effective.
Meanwhile, the development of the Sofas and Armchairs network continues. We are expanding our trading floors and have opened 9 new stores over the past three months.
Chita
Alexander Dmitriev
trade and retail enterprise Rimex-M
We have six of our own stores. In Chita, Khabarovsk, Krasnokamensk, Mongolian Ulaanbaatar, and another one was opened in the city of Borzya, Trans-Baikal Territory. We work in the “medium” and “medium plus” segments. In Chita, we have a separate trading format, “Folk Furniture,” where we sell economy-class products.
It is clear that we see different situations in different segments. In “economy” the average bill decreased by half. A purchase of 10–15 thousand rubles is considered very successful for the store. Although previously the average bill exceeded 25 thousand rubles. The sales leader in economy is Stolplit. First of all, kitchens and beds from this factory sell well.
In the “middle plus” segment, the decrease in the average bill is not as noticeable as in the “economy” segment. In principle, we have so far managed to sell all the furniture displayed in the halls. Unlike other operators, we continue to actively trade in imported furniture in the mid-high price segment. Everything is simple here. They just reduced the markup a little and remained at the same prices. However, “average” Italy and China have dropped significantly.
Sales kitchen furniture fell by 15 percent. Our former leaders - the Maria, Rossibalt and Ulyanovskmebel factories - are still showing negative dynamics.
In the upholstered furniture sector, MC-5 continues to be our priority factory. Of course, the average bill for furniture from a Kirovo-Chepetsk company has decreased. Previously, we easily sold sofas worth up to 500 thousand rubles. Now models costing from 70 to 250 thousand are selling well. In the middle segment, Dobry Stil and Pinskdrev are leaders.
In the mid-price category, Kirov-based Lotus has good sales. But, unfortunately, we don’t earn much from it. Delivery delays and organizing our own service eat up all our profits. I hope that the situation with Lotus will improve over time. In any case, they have been promising us this for several months now.
Novosibirsk
Elena Zemtsova
"Escado" store
Buyers' interests are slowly but surely shifting towards essential furniture items. We sell a lot of chests of drawers, cabinets, tables and chairs. The hallway is already considered a big purchase. People are splitting orders. One bedroom can be purchased within three months. First they will come and buy a bed, then - cabinets, then - a wardrobe. ABOUT dressing tables there is no question. They are already considered a luxury.
We see the same thing in the upholstered furniture sector. Three-piece sofa sets plus armchairs are no longer relevant. But small case models costing up to 16 thousand rubles are very popular.
We see the same price shift in the “corpus”. Ready-made kits are in demand. Among them are Lotus’s “Samba”, Diamond’s “Sakura”, Angstrem’s “Freestyle”. The old proven models of Zarechye and Red October - Arcadia and Lunaria - are selling well. In general, the old economy series show positive dynamics in almost all factories. One gets the feeling that the buyer is afraid of new products and prefers to take what is sold at a stable price and has proven itself well.
We, focusing on changing consumer demands, are forced to revise our assortment policy. Of course, we react warily to changes in price or any characteristics of popular models. We believe that now is not the time for such experiments.
Irkutsk
Valeria Vasilyeva
retail chain "World of Furniture"
I do not notice any sharp changes in the structure of demand or the scale of purchases. There has always been a specific buyer in Irkutsk. And in better times people did not make large acquisitions, preferring to buy furniture sets in parts.
The demand for the assortment has remained virtually unchanged compared to November last year. Surges of interest in specific product groups depend on seasonality. Nowadays living rooms and bedrooms are in great demand.
The tastes of buyers have not changed, but the same cannot be said about their capabilities. The average bill decreased by 10 percent. In addition, we noticed that people began to buy more often, but for less money. They are afraid to spend large sums, and in our case this is a purchase of 10 thousand rubles or more.
In general, it is quite difficult to track consumer trends in furniture retail based on visitors to our stores. The tastes of our customers are essentially shaped by our suppliers. We sell what we want to sell, not what they want to buy from us.
The Dyatkovo programs “Concept” and “Octave” remain the sales leaders; they are selling well modular system"Prestige" of the Angstrem factory. The “Arts and Crafts” line of the Avangard factory near Moscow is also very popular.
Vladivostok
Dmitry Semakov
retail chain "Mebel-Grad"
I cannot yet provide accurate data on changes in the structure of demand. We are just doing calculations and analysis. Unlike other Russian regions, which reported a serious decline in demand already in November, Primorsky Krai held on for another three months. Our decline began at the end of February and continued in March. We are now seeing a 15% decline in sales and a change in the nature of demand throughout the network.
The average bill fell by 10 percent. In general, it was never particularly high - it remained at the level of 15 thousand rubles. Now we are seeing a gradual decline in consumer activity and a clear desire to save as much as possible. This is how the situation in Vladivostok is developing. In regional centers and towns the decline is more noticeable. The average bill remains at 8 thousand rubles.
We have already adjusted our purchasing policy. For now, we have suspended work with suppliers offering middle-class furniture. We focused on the “economy”. We sell the entire Stolplit line in the same volumes, but we have removed furniture from the Lotus factory from the matrix. They could not agree on the terms. The Dyatkovo mid-price line has been reduced. On the catwalks in stores we strive to leave only those models that will be of interest to our customers, that is, “economy” and “budget”.
Rostov-on-Don
Valentina Novikova
wholesale and retail company "Mebeltorg"
Sales have been declining since the beginning of the crisis. Several times we failed to fulfill the monthly plan. November of last year and February of this year were quite harsh months. However, in March the dynamics improved. Probably, consumer panic has subsided, and we, in turn, being not only a retail but also a wholesale company, have increased the number of counterparties.
We are not losing optimism: no matter what the times are, furniture in the South is still selling quite briskly. Chechnya and Adygea purchase significant volumes.
We fill the economical niche with goods from numerous local manufacturers. The middle segment is also quite stable. Our main suppliers are the Kaliningrad factories Interdesign, Mann-Group, Feiga, Eurofurniture, as well as the Ufamebel company. In addition to our own stores, we service the trading floors of our partners in the Rostov, Volgograd and Astrakhan regions. In the near future we intend to open a wholesale warehouse in Grozny.
Despite the general decline in sales, we are not going to revise the range. Recently held in Krasnodar furniture exhibition showed that operators do not lose interest in our furniture. Of course, the buyer is now focusing on inexpensive models, but our suppliers have such in their product portfolio. Nowadays the “Italian” collection of “Interdesign” and the “Sahara” program of the Mann-Group company are selling well. The new Ufamebeli program, “Cary Princesses,” also has good dynamics.
Ekaterinburg
Arkady Potorochin
retail chain "Centromebel"
Since the beginning of last fall, we have recorded a 40 percent drop in sales. I can’t say that some segments sank more and others less. We are seeing a uniform decline in demand for all categories of furniture. In this situation, we, of course, have to reconsider our assortment - abandon slow-selling models and develop a promising product. In our stores, the products of the companies Yartsevo, Borovichi, and Angstrem are sold well. All of their popular lines are still in demand. After the Zarechye factory regulated the prices for its Harmony program, this collection also began to be sold. There was no drop in sales for furniture sets from Louis Dupont. This company probably shows the best sales results for us.
