Adam Hankinson, Managing Director at Furniture Sales Solutions, talks about the Christmas rush and demands that follow.
Every year, the words echo across the shop floor: “We need it before Christmas.”
The urgency is real. Families flying in, a new house to furnish, the first year hosting everyone around one table. You can almost feel the pressure rolling off the customer.
And that’s the danger. Panic leads to poor choices. We’ve all done it — rushed into buying something for a deadline, only to live with regret. In furniture, it’s costly. A sofa chosen in haste might last five years, but it never feels quite right. Whereas if they’d slowed down and chosen properly, they’d have lived happily with it for fifteen.
Removing the angst
The role of the salesperson isn’t to lecture, and it isn’t to say “yes” or “no” too quickly. It’s to slowly and softly remove the panic. To help customers breathe, settle, and think clearly.
That starts with a gentle framing question: “Is it more important that you have something, anything, in time for Christmas? Or more important that you get the right thing for the long term?”
Almost every customer will pause, reflect, and admit: “Ideally, the right thing.” And in that moment, the whole mood changes.
Slowing the pace
From there, calm questions open up the bigger picture:
• “If you could have anything, would you lean more towards leather or fabric?”
• “What colour would feel right in your home long-term?”
• “What do you have at the moment?”
• “If you don’t mind me asking, what’s driving the deadline?”
This isn’t interrogation. It’s gentle persuasion — leading the customer to the truth they already know: waiting for the right sofa is better than rushing for the wrong one.
You won’t win them all
Of course, not everyone will go with you. Some will cut you off: “No, no, no, we’ve just got to have something.” In those cases, you do your best. Maybe you’ve got an ex-display model, a quick-ship line, or even a loan sofa you can suggest.
But with many, if you stay calm and keep at it, you’ll win them over. Sometimes it’s as simple as saying:
“Look, while we’re trying to find you the right thing, let me make you a brew and we’ll see what we can do.”
That slows the pace, takes the heat out of the conversation, and often leads to a better decision.
The insider’s truth
And here’s something every retailer knows: cut-off dates aren’t always final. Manufacturers sometimes find capacity. Containers get squeezed. Orders placed “too late” often land in your warehouse after all — but by then, customers may already have bought elsewhere or made other arrangements.
That’s why it’s worth steering conversations towards the right product. Even if delivery isn’t guaranteed, the customer still wins in the long run. And occasionally, they even get a surprise when the piece arrives early.
The bigger picture
It isn’t about panic. It’s about softening urgency, guiding customers towards the right choice, and reminding them that while Christmas lasts for a few days, the right sofa will last for many years to come.
