"Not within reach" - The Business of Furniture 3/30/16 - Stephen Says







Dear Stephen:

I am the outside contract rep for a major furniture retailer. We have had several different owners and we were recently bought by one of the major furniture manufacturers. We are basically a fancy Ikea that sells Knoll Studio and Herman Miller furniture to the public. Jon and Joan Q Public can buy from us and cut out their decorator or track down one of those pure contract dealers that rarely have showrooms. We are a national operation and then there are also a few of us in most stores who are outside contract sales rep's, and we call on architects and designers, even other contract dealers, and end users. We have some proprietary products, mostly though we are just like any contract dealer, but with a retail component. "Contract" for us is the A&D community, and we...well I am not sure what the term is, I guess we sort of boot-leg furniture. For instance, one of my accounts is one of the largest Knoll dealers. We sell Knoll and they sell Knoll. Guess what they buy from me the most? Herman Miller furniture! We are only allowed to sell specific products, but, nonetheless, this same dealer could be buying the same products from a traditional Herman Miller dealer. I guess they consider those companies more of a competitor. It seems every hedge funder today wants a Eames's chair in his or her office. Needless to say, business is booming. Hiring profiles for sales people change as often as our ownership too. Right now we're hiring people who our bosses think are stylish. They're all youngish--mostly all hipsters--and all appreciate iconic contemporary design, no matter what field they were in before. They are product snobs who could have been in any retail environment before they started with us. I make good money and love my bosses, but I HATE working weekends! Weekends are when we are the busiest, and it's a commission driven job, so to make money I need to be there when it's busy even though I am in mostly on the contract side of things. So, I'm looking to leave. When I go to interview, though, I am walled out because people think of me as a retail clerk (not that there is anything wrong with that!), or because major manufacturers are afraid to poach me--they're scared that my bosses will come after them because we represent their iconic brands. Truth is, I am a luxury retailer, pretending to be a contract player. I want to be with a real contract dealer or a manufacturer. What are my options?

- Not Within Reach
 

Dear NWR:

Let me start by saying there is nothing wrong with retail. And the grass is not always greener. There are a lot of advantages to having the customers come to you; you're guaranteed to have a captive audience. No one goes to a movie theatre if they don't want to see a movie. The fact that you are in the contract division, probably makes working on weekends slightly less important (and I see you understand this), but I also can see a doctor or lawyer with a private practice who wants to furnish their office stopping in over the weekend with their significant other so I get your dilemma. First, any rational dealer would be crazy not to interview you.
 

You'd be surprised at how many people are trying to get your job right now.
 

You just need to create a resume that does not make you look like a retail clerk. Make sure you name projects you worked on, A&D firms you have sold too, and sq footage. Then, lose the snobbery and apply to manufacturers who may not be or sell iconic brands. Apply right on their websites. Your background will lend high-end cache to their customers, even if their product does not meet all your design standards. Yep, for the time being, skip applying to the manufacturers you sell at the store. Then, believe it or not, my advice to you is to give your job a second chance. You'd be surprised at how many people are trying to get your job right now. If you decide that you definitely want to leave though, here is one more option I can suggest: go for the big-name residential manufacturers who have limited "outside sale" or hospitality outside sales positions and should love your experience. They all want to be in contract, and you bring that experience. Here are just a few off the top of my head: Holly Hunt, Dongihia, B&B, Vitra, Teknion Studio, Jonathon Adler, Janus et Cie, and Cassinia all come to mind. All of these great companies and... mostly iconic brands that are smart enough to not overlook the value that you could add to their bottom line and the benefits of your experience in your current job. Check their website for job opportunities or write directly to the VP of sales or local regional managers. They are all closed on weekends!

Stephen

BoF


 


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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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