Tom, the furniture sales guy

I just got a new living room set today.  I'm stoked, but more than anything was pleasantly surprised and excited to work with Tom, my sales guy.  If you're anything like me, you dread going to the furniture mega-warehouses where the sales people are generally overly aggressive and come across creepy and annoying.  Tom, however, was none of those things and I'd like to take a few moments to recap some great things Tom did and didn't do that helped him close the deal. 

Fist of all, he came across casual and had no cheesy intro.  This made me feel at ease.  No following me around pestering me, but he was within an ears shout if we needed him.  And we did, and guess what?  Tom answered every question and didn't try too hard to press the sale.  We were convinced on a sectional, but then we switched our minds when we saw another couch and love seat combo.  So, Tom helped us overcome our anxiety by explaining that if we moved or decided to change the arrangement, this would be more amenable to doing so.  This was a great explanation of an obvious and likely situation we'll find ourselves in some day.  He also related his own personal experiences but not negating our tastes. 

He knew the product, when to press, when to add some sauce to the mix, and when to walk away.  At one point he read a situation and backed away saying "I'll let you tell each other what you really think - I'll be back in 10 minutes."  This was perfect and did allow us to weigh our options in private. He kept the situation light, causual but professional.  He added knowledge and insight when necessary and provided relief from purchase anxiety.  He was also incredibly patient with us as we changed our minds 12 times. 

The best part of all of it, though, was after we made things final - when we realized the store had been closed for over 20 minutes.  Tom never rushed us, didn't even tell us or warn us, and simply stayed by our side providing help as we completed our transaction.  Then, he walked us out and thanked us for the business. 

Tom, who I spoke with more in depth after we had decided upon our couch and accoutrement, has been in sales for over 45 years.  He is a surefire pro.  Tom is going to retire at the end of this year and work part-time a few days a month, because he likes the job.  No doubt he's one of the best. 

Thank you Tom. 

Cheers!