Adam Hankinson, Managing Director at Furniture Sales Solutions, talks about why being calm in tougher times is key to winning a customer’s confidence.
In 45 years on the shop floor, there have always been periods where confidence dips. The headlines get louder, the outlook gets darker, and customers become more cautious. Footfall softens, and the customers who do come in are harder work. They take longer, they shop around more, and they need more reassurance before they commit.
That’s the reality.
But here’s the part that gets missed – lower confidence doesn’t mean lower sales. It just means higher skill is required.
What we tend to see in stores at times like this is tension creeping in. We feel the pressure. We try a bit harder, push a bit more, or sometimes we back off completely. Either way, it shows. And the customer feels it.
Calm is contagious.
If a customer walks in slightly guarded and meets urgency or nervous energy, it reinforces their hesitation. But if they’re met with calm, with ease, with someone who looks completely comfortable, it settles them. It lowers defences and gives us a chance to build something.
That might mean the first few minutes look unproductive on paper.
We’re not diving into product. We’re not rushing. We’re just talking. Finding out if they’ve been in before. Where they’ve travelled from. Whether we know the area. Picking up on the small details – names, family, even the dog. Nothing forced, nothing scripted, just normal conversation done properly.
Most people rush this. The best of us understand this is where the sale actually starts. Because before they buy the furniture, they buy into us.
From there, we move it on. What’s the project? What are they trying to achieve? What matters most? In this climate, customers are more considered. They want to get it right. That means our questions, our listening, and our understanding have to be sharper than ever.
And the reassurance we give has to be specific.
Not “it’s good quality” – that means nothing anymore. They want to know what it’s made of, where it’s made, how long it will last, and why it’s worth doing now. We’re not just selling a product; we’re helping them feel confident in a decision they’re slightly nervous about making.
That’s where most sales are won or lost.
The best operators work differently. Outwardly, calm, measured, unhurried. Inwardly, we absolutely want the order. We’re driven, focused, and we expect to win. But the customer never feels that pressure. That balance – intent without tension – is a proper skill.
And it’s exactly what we need right now.
Because in tougher markets, we don’t get away with average. We either raise the standard of the conversation, or we accept lower conversion.
There isn’t a middle ground.
We can’t control the headlines. We can’t control the wider economy. But we can control what happens on our shop floor.
And in times like this, the calm, skilled, professional salesperson will always outperform the one who rushes, pushes, or waits for it to get easier.
It won’t get easier. We just need to get better.
