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How to Communicate Your Style Preferences to a Furniture Store Sales Consultant So You Are Speaking the Same Visual Language
 | | Column author Leslie Carothers, furniture industry sales, design and education expert |
Have you ever had the following experience?
You walk into a furniture store to find an entertainment center, a sofa, a comfortable chair. It's been a while since you've shopped for home furniture but you've been searching the internet, watching HGTV, and taking notes from home magazines so you have a pretty good idea of what you want to buy.
The sales consultant asks you, as they are trained to do, "Do you have a particular style in mind? You say, "Well, yes. I kind of want something that is traditional but with a bit of a twist so it reflects my personality." Not too traditional, but I don't like contemporary- I know that for sure."
At this point, the sales consultant looks at you and thinks to themselves, "Hmmm... I will just show her around the floor because I don't really know exactly what she means by "traditional with a twist." Or perhaps, the sales consultant will explore your preferences further by asking you what colors you like, if you have a preference for fabric or leather, what else is in the room might impact your selection etc." All of these are great questions, but the big one is still left unanswered, "What exact style details does 'traditional with a twist' need to have in order to satisfy YOU? "
Unless the savvy consultant asks this all important question, you know what happens next. You are shown all around the showroom until you land on a style that you like-or not. It's frustrating because you only have so much time before you have to go get the kids, make a meal, and get back to work or, sometimes, all three! You were really hoping this sales consultant could MAKE IT EASY for you to find the right piece-FAST. After all, YOU know what you want when you see it.
Here's the good news. They can, but you have to help. Here are two important tips to make your next trip into a home or office furniture store more productive and faster if you have a specific style in mind but don't have the ability to communicate to your sales consultant exactly what details appeal to you.- Take pictures of the styles you like to show your sales consultant. However, go one step further. Label the pictures like this: I like the way the foot of this chair is carved. I like the pattern on this chair because....it is small in scale, it is a traditional fabric but used in a unique way, it makes the traditional carved chair look fresh because of its color, etc. You get the idea... tie it down to SPECIFICS so the consultant can do the same for you as you are looking around their furniture showroom. If they're good at what they do, they should be saying back to you "So, what you're looking for is a chair that has some deep carving, but not too much, and a small scale fabric with a lime green and apricot color palette that gives the traditional wing chair you like a bit of a "pop." " Are there any other style details you want to share with me before I show you some specific pieces that will tie in perfectly with what you've just described?"
If you don't hear this from the sales consultant, ASK them to paraphrase back to you what you've said so you can make sure they have understood what you're after and you haven't left out a detail or two that is important to you.
- If you use the internet, go online and research what specific style details represent the look you love. If you can't find the vocabulary for a particular style detail that you like online, email a picture to a store designer and say, "Can you please tell me what the correct technical term is for this particular style detail?" "I really like it and want to be able to communicate it properly when I come in to your store, For example, if you want an "old library" feeling to your office, you might want distressed leather, tapestry or woven fabrics, woods with a patina that makes them look well-used, burgundy, browns, blacks, cognac, forest greens for color, task lighting that can dim, nailhead trim on upholstery, lots of needlepoint pillows, etc. When you go into the store, bring a picture of each one of these style details with you so you can help the sales consultant save you time.
With these two tips, you will be able to insure yourself a much more productive in-store shopping experience with your sales consultant. You will be shown only those items-whether on the showroom floor or in a special order catalog- that will help you achieve the exact style that represents your vision and save valuable time- which can be better used enjoying your new furniture when it's delivered to your home.
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Bathroom Furniture
