How did you get into selling office furniture?

In college, I worked at the Career Services office, helping other students with mock interviews and resumes. Our office was also responsible for planning a Career Fair. My bosses told me about HON, its welcoming culture, and opportunities for career growth. I visited HON at their booth, applied, and got accepted into the Sales Leadership Development Internship program. I’ve been at HON for over six years, and have fallen in love with the company and its approachable, people-focused culture. Everyone has a shared ability to create success for the company and everyone’s opinion is valued.

What is most important to you in working with a furniture dealer?

It’s important that both the manufacturer and the dealer have a shared interest and commitment to servicing the client and really understanding what they want. Once we understand the client’s needs, we collaborate to choose the right products and design their desired workplace.  Then when the client is moved into their new space, we work together to show the client how to use, adjust, and maximize their new furniture.

Favorite part of your job?

I love meeting with clients. I enjoy showing people that furniture can be fun because it can impact company culture and help in attracting talent and retaining employees. We work to make personalized spaces where people want to spend their time. My job also gives me the opportunity to work with many types of organizations like nonprofits, corporations, and across different industries.
 

What can you share about sales?

I never thought I would work in sales, but that’s because I didn’t understand what a true sales professional did.  I had a misconception that you had to be pushy, but through my training at HON I learned it’s the complete opposite.  When I started at HON, my boss asked me what I wanted to do with my career. I told her that I liked being a college tour guide because I could build a relationship with prospective students, find common interests, and connect with people. I would listen to what they were looking for in a school and then tailor my tour to their interests. My manager smiled and said “that’s sales.” I learned that sales is centered around listening to the client’s needs and goals and then pulling in the right product to deliver a tailored solution.  At its core, sales is about building trust and strong relationships.   

Favorite product?

I love HON’s Flock and Grove products. With these product lines, we can create what we call “third spaces,” a current trend in the industry. The concept is that people have two places: home and work. The third space blends the two.

Companies are adding collaborative areas or one-on-one spaces that employees can use to get away from their office and work in a lounge chair, for example. These areas give employees different spaces to accomplish different tasks. Flock and Grove both have full product lines that allow clients to create lounge and retreat areas.  Clients can customize these pieces with fun fabrics to make the office space feel more comfortable, like home.

What do you like about HON?

HON provides its members with the ability to excel in a current job, gain new experience from a different department, or achieve career growth.  We focus on providing strong training, putting mentors in place, and helping our members achieve their career goals.


What do you like about working with Contract Furnishings?

Christopher and Daniel have built such a great team of people who view themselves as family. Everybody feels involved and their opinion is respected and valued. They look out for each other personally and professionally. That’s hard to find.