High-end resource Phillips Collection sells occasional and accent furniture, including its Negotiation coffee table.

HIGH POINT — Occasional furniture is a broad and diverse category generally referring to items like small tables, nightstands, side tables, coffee tables and chairs that are easily moved.

It’s an extremely expansive category, and many customers enter a store not quite sure of what they want. Others come in intending to make a bigger purchase, such as a sofa, but walk away with a complementary coffee or accent table.

That’s where retail sales associates come in. RSAs are the crucial conduit for educating the customer and surveying their needs.

But how should RSAs maximize the chance of a purchase? What should they highlight? Should they focus on standard features? Materials? Should they sell the specific item or a broader look?

First, industry leaders say to focus on the basics, but also not to shy away from romancing a product up.

“Selling accent pieces requires romanticizing,” said Jared Worrall, national sales president at Classic Home. “Make sure the customer understands how something is made. Tell them if its English dovetailed. Tell them about the look and the finish. Our case goods come out of India. We spend a lot of time to ensure that our product is fantastic. Customers need to know that.”

At accent furniture and accessory specialist Chelsea House, telling a story is critical.

“Features such as soft close doors and drawers should be demonstrated and customers encouraged to try them themselves,” said President Pamela Cain. “If, for example, the hardware is lost wax brass casting, it’s wonderful to be able to explain why that makes it special. Consumers want information, the more the better. Our industry needs to do a better job of helping consumers know what to look for and feel comfortable in their decisions.

“It’s important to point out the standard features, but even more important to tell a story” Cain said. “Pull the customer in with the romance about what makes the piece special and how it will help transform their home.

Cain noted that it’s up to the manufacturer to educate the RSAs with that information. “If we design a piece that is an updated transformation of a classic found in an English manor house, it helps (the RSAs) to be able to share that romance with their buyers.”

Currey and Co.’s director of furniture, Aimee Kurzner, agreed, although she did issue a bit of caution.

“I suggest knowing the basics of wood species, construction, materials and hardware,” she said. “But it’s best to read the customer, and if you find it’s going over their head, try to relate this back to features that they may already have in their home.

“I believe many customers want to learn and are interested, but they typically don’t want it all listed to them all at once, as this can be overwhelming.”

Occasional and accent pieces are often sold with items such as sofas and can help RSAs secure the larger purchase.

“Many customers walk into a store with a product in mind, like a sofa or dining table,” said Jason Phillips, vice president of sales and marketing at Phillips Collection. “But often RSAs have success getting a client to add an item like a coffee table that is merchandised well with the sofa they are considering. In that sense, anything well-stylized in a retail store is up for grabs.

“Think of a mannequin in a clothing store. You generally are drawn to one item, maybe the jacket. But the RSA convinces you it works with the undershirt as shown. Before you know it, they’ve sold you on the jeans the mannequin is wearing because you’re already in a buying rhythm,” Phillips added. “Lean on the expertise of the showroom designer/merchandiser and find out why she put that occasional table with that particular sofa to have added ammunition when working with customers.”

“We’re a full home resource. We sell everything, from bedroom to outdoor to indoor to lighting to artwork, etc.,” said Worrall at Classic Home. “Accent chairs are part of a bigger sale. We try to use accent pieces as sort of ‘jewelry’ for the room. You can take a lot of our pieces and mix and match. That’s big when selling.

“Our sales reps do a good job of teaching RSAs how to sell the whole room to the customer. It’s important to sell that broader view.”

At Chelsea House, Cain agreed. “Occasional tables can be an add-on,” she said. “Once a consumer invests in new upholstery, it’s easy to want new accent furniture to finish the fresh look. However, often buyers want to give a room a refresh without the larger expenditures of upholstery and new accent tables can give a whole new vibe.”

Another aspect to highlight when selling occasional and accent tables is their flexibility in a home.

“Accent tables have multiple uses and could be used in dining, entryway, etc.,” said Donnie Lesley, vice president of product development at Classic Home. “They’re multi-purpose and serve more than one lifestyle.”

“We are seeing designers use smaller drinks tables throughout the home to accessorize and also be a smaller statement piece,” said Kurzner. “Usually, you can always find a spot in the home for a lovely little table.”

“While it’s not important to have a great deal of sophisticated terminology, RSAs should know enough about the piece to be able to describe what makes it special and exude confidence in doing so,” said Cain. “We have found consumers WANT to be educated. They want to feel confident in the purchasing decisions they are making.”

Phillips agreed. “We all want a beautiful home, and while the consumer is more and more researched than ever before when entering a store, they still lean on RSAs for additional information,” he said. “You should be prepared for the casual as well as the expert shopper, with the basic information about what you’re selling as well as the special and unexpected features.”

Robert Dalheim, senior editor of case goods and global sourcing, has been writing about the woodworking industry and business news since 2015. He is a graduate of Northern Illinois University with degrees in journalism and political science. Contact Bobby at rdalheim@furnituretoday.com or by calling (336) 605-3815.

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