"Don't Hold Your Breath Waiting for Salespeople from Herman Miller or Knoll" - 05/19/21 Edition
Stephen Says Column




Dear Stephen,

I really thought that Herman Miller's acquisition of Knoll would be pay dirt in terms of those of us at a manufacturer or dealer trying to find new employees. I can speak for myself as a competitor, I smelled blood when I heard the acquisition announcement. I thought salespeople, in particular, might be concerned about their future and interested in interviewing both at the dealer and manufacturer levels. I'm the VP of sales at a medium sized manufacturer, and we're always looking for good salespeople nationally... so, I did what any smart manager would do; I started putting out feelers directly to salespeople and managers at both Herman Miller and Knoll as well as their dealers. Hiring someone from either prestigious brand who has that pedigree can only look good at our organization. I hate to say it, but sometimes I think even the worst sales people at Herman Miller and Knoll are still better than my best sales people.

Guess how many interviews I've been able to get with these people so far? Zero! For both manufacturers as well as their dealers, I've certainly sensed a bit of uncertainty, but, bottom line is, the salespeople from all of these organizations seemed emboldened, not paranoid. There's a certain level of concern, but nobody's jumping. Why is that? How could my hunch be so wrong? I've talked to colleagues at other manufacturers, and even some of our dealers, and they're all encountering the same experience with trying to lure people who may be leaving either brand. No bites. I would have thought they'd be in a bit of limbo. As a recruiter, what are you experiencing? Am I wasting my time? In the past, when manufacturers have acquired other companies, there is usually a bloodbath or mass exodus... why is this so different?

- Desperately Seeking Survivors Herman
 

Dear Desperado,

You're talking about one A player acquiring another A player. In the past, we've seen A players buying B players, or B players buying C players, this is the first acquisition I can think of where everyone is already on the same level.

The Viscusi Group recruits for dealers all across The United States. Dealership owners have been calling from Seattle, Dallas, Houston, Salt Lake City, Atlanta, you name it... In other words, across the country, dealers and manufacturers want to hire us on the assumption that this merger will result in tons of talent suddenly being available or looking to make a change. Both manufacturers and dealers have been salivating over this merger. We have blatantly not accepted these assignments and have discouraged our clients from assuming that this merger will bring disillusioned employees onto the job market or that lots of people in sales will be losing their jobs. I just don't see it happening... at least for now. Remember, the deal doesn't even close until October of this year, allegedly. Furthermore, the Herman Miller fiscal year ends May 31st. So, if any changes will be happening, June 2022 would be the time to start circling. Honestly, I'm a bit turned off by you describing your best salesperson being worse than the worst at Herman Miller or Knoll. It tells me a lot about your leadership. To me, this merger is like Mercedes-Benz buying BMW; why would anyone want to leave any of those companies, or their dealers? Or even the new combined companies? I'm having a hard time understanding why everyone thinks salespeople are about to come bursting through the doors and windows.

To me, right now, you're barking up the wrong tree. If you insist on this goal, at least wait until the second quarter of 2022. I don't have a crystal ball; I just know both companies have excellent reputations as do their subsidiaries. With new leadership at Steelcase, Haworth and Teknion, our industry is poised for a lot of growth. If you're going to circle any camp, why not HNI? You can usually tell when a company may be losing people when you see them running "help-wanted" ads on their LinkedIn thread. By the way – it's mostly the dealers that think that they're going to be able to poach people from these merged company's dealers. I just don't see it. Dealer salespeople are very smart, and they make an excellent living because they must juggle lots of moving pieces.

As far as where you should be putting your energy, instead of worrying about the Herman Miller and Knoll salespeople, I wish people like you would spend more time and money recruiting and training a more diverse salesforce from outside of our industry and simply invest the time it takes for them to develop relationships. Contract furniture is an exciting and fun industry that many strong salespeople from other industries would love to be apart of. I see too much emphasis on companies looking for immediate results, or, looking for salespeople with a "book of business." To me, this is just a mistake.

It will be fascinating for us all to see what happens in the middle of 2022. What announcements are made for how this acquisition will change the industry. For now, I see it only as a positive shake up at just the right time. But let's all stay tuned together.

Sincerely yours,

Stephen Viscusi
 

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Stephen Viscusi is a bestselling author, television personality, and CEO of The Viscusi Group,
global executive recruiters located in New York.
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