"The Pandemic Sales Spike is Over: My Boss Doesn’t Get It!"
08/07/23 Edition Stephen Says Column
Dear Stephen,
I work for one of the high-end European furniture brands and our sales absolutely spiked during the pandemic. It was great!
Now, instead of recognizing that the sales surge was a pandemic phenomenon, my boss is handing me increased goals, based on that spike.
I can’t get sales close to these new goal numbers - I’m still struggling to get back to our pre-pandemic sales numbers, never mind exceed these new goals, which is what my company is expecting. Worse yet - we have no new product launches, no new designs, and my bosses just expecting this business to appear out of nowhere! To say I’m frustrated would be an understatement.
I hear this same story from my colleagues who work in outdoor furniture, kitchen and bath, tile, and stone. The pandemic was a boom period for interior designers and all the companies that manufacture anything they specified. It did not even have to be real luxury. The #DIY set kept #RH, #IKEA and similar retail stores very, very busy.
During the pandemic everyone was spending money redoing and upgrading their home environments since they were working from and using their homes more intimately than ever. People were busying themselves in quarantine with new outdoor spaces, kitchens, and bathroom remodels.. and they needed new furniture to go with it.
Business has not stopped, it is just not gushing like it was, and the pressure is enormous to grow back to the pandemic numbers that have just disappeared. My boss will not negotiate our sales goal to pre-spike levels, and I have had it and want to quit. What should I do?
Signed,
Spiked Out!
Dear Spiked Out,
Your story is one I hear almost every day from sales leadership executives. I explain to our client companies (owners and CEO’s) the need to consider adjusting sales goals to align with pre-pandemic numbers especially when there’s no new product introductions. The smart companies heed my advice, and they keep their good people.
Meanwhile, other companies do not consider the pandemic spike legitimate. The owners and CEOs of these companies naively believe that they earned those sales increases just because of their brand and not because of the circumstances of the pandemic, and they think their business will just continue to grow organically. If your boss is in that category, you should update your resume, start to interview, and quit when you find the right fit. It is twice as easy for companies like mine to poach these smart leaders today because they see no way out. Just look at all the changes in leadership lately. Trade and retail - it is no coincidence.
My advice is start looking for a new job. If your boss is out of touch and unwilling to listen, find a boss that is on the same page with reality. You could also consider other industries, where you can use your skills and experience.
We all know that in general the pandemic was bad for business, in fact, the interiors industry was incredibly and uniquely thriving throughout it. It just has to do with the premium that was placed on the home environment by the pandemic.
Here’s a tip: do not just call recruiters, call your competitors directly! Find yourself that next job and put the equivalent of the recruitment fee in your own pocket. Chances are you will be most appreciated and financially rewarded at a direct competitor. And remember what I always say; everyone has had a boss they’d like to dismiss…and every boss has at least one employee they would love to replace, which creates opportunity for the person willing to look for it!
Signed,
Stephen
#DIY #RH #RestorationHardware #IKEA #Luminaire #BrownJordan #BoH #BoF #MMQB #MillerKnoll #Steelcase #Haworth #PoltronaFrau #Cassina #BDNY