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Thread: Hancock & Moore # 1053 Greyson Recliner in Ryan Taupe

  1. #11
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    Default Re: Hancock & Moore # 1053 Greyson Recliner in Ryan Taupe

    I have to say that doesn't shock me..that's fairly typical in most stores. There are no specific requirements for salespeople, so they hire just about anyone. Truth be told, I find about half the professional designers that use my store for product ask ME what they think will look best in a room - and I have no formal training! <laughing>

    What I do have is years of experience. And up until the last three years I did every delivery myself. That was twenty-five years worth of going into people's homes, about ten per week. You get to see thousands of room settings that way in a wide cross sections of homes and incomes. I am always observant when I do deliveries and see what works in a room spatially and what doesn't. I had some training in architecture back in college as well, so I'm always keen on seeing what the house designer was trying to accomplish in a room layout and how to use furniture to play off the strengths of a room. I also happen to be blessed with a talent to arrange spaces in my mind better than most, and I can work a layout in my head in a minute or two just standing in a room and that helps a lot as well. I've seen far more bad room layouts more than good ones. A common factor is over-furnishing a room, trying to put too much furniture in too little space. Most the time, less is more. I try to bring that into the plan when I help with layouts.

    Yesterday afternoon I had a nice young couple in my store and they said they were shopping for a sectional for their room. And they wanted a chaise on one end of it. They knew exactly what they wanted and I think I managed to lose a sale because I talked them out of it! Whenever I hear "chaise" and "sectional" used together my alarm bell goes off because that works in VERY few rooms. Most the time, its a block barrier. When they further told me they were going to place one back of the sectional up against the windows I said in earnest "You don't want to do that". We pulled out graph paper and scaled their room, then cut out a scale paper template of the sectional and I showed them how it was not going to work as their space wasn't large enough for what they wanted to do. Additionally they had photos of the room and I could see the visual block the sectional would make. After a bit, they left the store maybe a little confused, but thinking a mid-side sofa and perhaps two chairs rather than a huge sectional. Could I have sold them a sectional with a chaise yesterday? Probably....but it wouldn't have been the right thing to do. I don't need the money so bad as to encourage poor choices, so I'm happier that they went home to think about it and plan some more before they make a large investment in furniture they will come to regret buying. If they come back a few more times, we'll get it dialed in and get it right.
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Alexandria VA
    Posts
    15,889

    Default Re: Hancock & Moore # 1053 Greyson Recliner in Ryan Taupe

    I have to say that doesn't shock me..that's fairly typical in most stores. There are no specific requirements for salespeople, so they hire just about anyone. Truth be told, I find about half the professional designers that use my store for product ask ME what they think will look best in a room - and I have no formal training! <laughing>

    What I do have is years of experience. And up until the last three years I did every delivery myself. That was twenty-five years worth of going into people's homes, about ten per week. You get to see thousands of room settings that way in a wide cross sections of homes and incomes. I am always observant when I do deliveries and see what works in a room spatially and what doesn't. I had some training in architecture back in college as well, so I'm always keen on seeing what the house designer was trying to accomplish in a room layout and how to use furniture to play off the strengths of a room. I also happen to be blessed with a talent to arrange spaces in my mind better than most, and I can work a layout in my head in a minute or two just standing in a room and that helps a lot as well. I've seen far more bad room layouts more than good ones. A common factor is over-furnishing a room, trying to put too much furniture in too little space. Most the time, less is more. I try to bring that into the plan when I help with layouts.

    Yesterday afternoon I had a nice young couple in my store and they said they were shopping for a sectional for their room. And they wanted a chaise on one end of it. They knew exactly what they wanted and I think I managed to lose a sale because I talked them out of it! Whenever I hear "chaise" and "sectional" used together my alarm bell goes off because that works in VERY few rooms. Most the time, its a block barrier. When they further told me they were going to place one back of the sectional up against the windows I said in earnest "You don't want to do that". We pulled out graph paper and scaled their room, then cut out a scale paper template of the sectional and I showed them how it was not going to work as their space wasn't large enough for what they wanted to do. Additionally they had photos of the room and I could see the visual block the sectional would make. After a bit, they left the store maybe a little confused, but thinking a mid-side sofa and perhaps two chairs rather than a huge sectional. Could I have sold them a sectional with a chaise yesterday? Probably....but it wouldn't have been the right thing to do. I don't need the money so bad as to encourage poor choices, so I'm happier that they went home to think about it and plan some more before they make a large investment in furniture they will come to regret buying. If they come back a few more times, we'll get it dialed in and get it right.
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

  3. #13
    Join Date
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    Default Re: Hancock & Moore # 1053 Greyson Recliner in Ryan Taupe

    There's a bit of an art to recommending pieces for a room and it requires a in-depth knowledge of the product lines and you have to listen carefully to what the customer is trying to tell you. There's a bit of art in that interpretation, and needs be a willingness to really want to try to get the RIGHT piece for a customer, rather than just fill up the room. I also think that either someone has a knack for doing it, or they don't. I find it amusing that she took measurements - as they really are not very relative to spatial proportion but it puts on a good show for the customer. One can get a sense for what works in a room by looking at what the architect was trying to do with lighting and space (which is why I always ask folks to post photos from all angles when they seek decorating advice) , and its critical to know each piece being recommended. You can't do that from photos in a book, you have to have handled that piece and know the spatial presence of it. That's why I go to Market every 6 months and frequent factory tours, so I can put hands on all these pieces and get to know them so when folks ask me about them I can talk with some confidence on recommending them - or not.

    Yesterday in my store I re-arranged five sofas on the ground floor because I didn't like the way they were showing....and also talked a nice young couple out of buying a sectional with chaise that I knew wouldn't fit well in their limited space. There's as much to the "art" of furniture arranging and spatial placement as there is to the comfort and functionality of the pieces themselves. Anyone can flop open a book and say 'pick one', that's a sign of a detached salesperson doing that or they lack the skills to really assist. But its pride in a job well done when you take the time to get the RIGHT pieces for a room and you have respect for the cash the customer is laying out for these pieces that matters, at least to me. I will never just 'sell' something to a customer if I know they need a little help, or if I can make a better suggestion for them. Sometimes they leave the store confused thinking they knew what they wanted when they first came in but it they will return a few more times and work with me on their layout - we'll get it right.
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Alexandria VA
    Posts
    15,889

    Default Re: Hancock & Moore # 1053 Greyson Recliner in Ryan Taupe

    There's a bit of an art to recommending pieces for a room and it requires a in-depth knowledge of the product lines and you have to listen carefully to what the customer is trying to tell you. There's a bit of art in that interpretation, and needs be a willingness to really want to try to get the RIGHT piece for a customer, rather than just fill up the room. I also think that either someone has a knack for doing it, or they don't. I find it amusing that she took measurements - as they really are not very relative to spatial proportion but it puts on a good show for the customer. One can get a sense for what works in a room by looking at what the architect was trying to do with lighting and space (which is why I always ask folks to post photos from all angles when they seek decorating advice) , and its critical to know each piece being recommended. You can't do that from photos in a book, you have to have handled that piece and know the spatial presence of it. That's why I go to Market every 6 months and frequent factory tours, so I can put hands on all these pieces and get to know them so when folks ask me about them I can talk with some confidence on recommending them - or not.

    Yesterday in my store I re-arranged five sofas on the ground floor because I didn't like the way they were showing....and also talked a nice young couple out of buying a sectional with chaise that I knew wouldn't fit well in their limited space. There's as much to the "art" of furniture arranging and spatial placement as there is to the comfort and functionality of the pieces themselves. Anyone can flop open a book and say 'pick one', that's a sign of a detached salesperson doing that or they lack the skills to really assist. But its pride in a job well done when you take the time to get the RIGHT pieces for a room and you have respect for the cash the customer is laying out for these pieces that matters, at least to me. I will never just 'sell' something to a customer if I know they need a little help, or if I can make a better suggestion for them. Sometimes they leave the store confused thinking they knew what they wanted when they first came in but it they will return a few more times and work with me on their layout - we'll get it right.
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

  5. #15
    Join Date
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    Alexandria VA
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    15,889

    Default Re: Hancock & Moore # 1053 Greyson Recliner in Ryan Taupe

    Quote Originally Posted by Brenda O View Post
    Duane - I am not surprised that you have so many California customers. I recently visited our local high-end design/furniture store to see if I could find what I wanted. I was prepared to pay a reasonable premium to get the help I thought I could not expect when buying remotely. I told the interior designer what I was looking for. She showed me three leather sofas they had on the floor, then brought out the H&M catalog, and one of the 2 rings of leathers. I was pretty specific with what I was trying to accomplish, and thought she could help me sort thought the options - but she offered nothing - just put the catalog and one of the sample rings in front of me. So I asked her to come to my house to see the room I am working with, thinking she could then give me help relevant to my specific environment. She came, took measurements, but again did not give me any guidance other than to say the room would accommodate a sofa and one or two chairs, and I could choose from any of they lines they carry. NO suggestions re appropriate styles/colors for the room. I had more knowledge from reading posts on your website! I'd worked with a designer from the same store three years ago who helped me select furniture I love for two other rooms (French Heritage and TRS), but alas, he had moved on. Bottom line - I think you have a very good business model for selling high quality leather furniture. I'm glad I found your site and thank you for your patience in helping people like me select furniture.
    There's a bit of an art to recommending pieces for a room and it requires a in-depth knowledge of the product lines and you have to listen carefully to what the customer is trying to tell you. There's a bit of art in that interpretation, and needs be a willingness to really want to try to get the RIGHT piece for a customer, rather than just fill up the room. I also think that either someone has a knack for doing it, or they don't. I find it amusing that she took measurements - as they really are not very relative to spatial proportion but it puts on a good show for the customer. One can get a sense for what works in a room by looking at what the architect was trying to do with lighting and space (which is why I always ask folks to post photos from all angles when they seek decorating advice) , and its critical to know each piece being recommended. You can't do that from photos in a book, you have to have handled that piece and know the spatial presence of it. That's why I go to Market every 6 months and frequent factory tours, so I can put hands on all these pieces and get to know them so when folks ask me about them I can talk with some confidence on recommending them - or not.

    Yesterday in my store I re-arranged five sofas on the ground floor because I didn't like the way they were showing....and also talked a nice young couple out of buying a sectional with chaise that I knew wouldn't fit well in their limited space. There's as much to the "art" of furniture arranging and spatial placement as there is to the comfort and functionality of the pieces themselves. Anyone can flop open a book and say 'pick one', that's a sign of a detached salesperson doing that or they lack the skills to really assist. But its pride in a job well done when you take the time to get the RIGHT pieces for a room and you have respect for the cash the customer is laying out for these pieces that matters, at least to me. I will never just 'sell' something to a customer if I know they need a little help, or if I can make a better suggestion for them. Sometimes they leave the store confused thinking they knew what they wanted when they first came in but it they will return a few more times and work with me on their layout - we'll get it right.

    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Atlanta
    Posts
    98

    Default Re: Hancock & Moore # 1053 Greyson Recliner in Ryan Taupe

    Duane, I was looking for a chair for my daughters room (she is 8) and was wondering if this color is still in the HM lineup or is it being discontinued?

  7. #17
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    Default Re: Hancock & Moore # 1053 Greyson Recliner in Ryan Taupe

    The Ryan series of leathers has been retired.
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Atlanta
    Posts
    98

    Default Re: Hancock & Moore # 1053 Greyson Recliner in Ryan Taupe

    Ok. Got it.

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