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The Trend Report is proudly sponsored by INDEAL U. Partners in progress in the commercial interiors industry. To learn more about INDEAL U, please visit their website athttps://www.indeal.org/

The Trend Report introduction music is provided by Werq by Kevin MacLeod Link:https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4616-werq License:http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

2 Listeners

Digital Sales Strategy - Part I

The Trend Report

11/15/21 • 19 min

We are living in a digital world and our sales strategies must shift to comply. I recently did a training session for INDEAL University talking all about digital sales strategies and how to elevate your brand and your business. Listen in as I share more about digital sales and why you need to incorporate it now.

Do you know what constitutes digital marketing and sales?

Have you ever looked up a product on Google and then moments later you see ads in Facebook and Instagram from that business? That’s digital marketing. It’s a way to show you potential customers information they are actually searching for.

Additionally, digital marketing and sales allows you to become more intimately connected with your ideal clients and customers. For instance, if your digital strategy included LinkedIn posts, your future customers are likely on LinkedIn. They comment, you comment back, a conversation starts and before you know it, they’re purchasing from you.

LinkedIn is only one platform that you can do this on. There are many!

Digital sales and marketing allows you to build brand trust and loyalty in a unique way. You can put together a true content strategy by asking your audience what they want to know more about. There are so many ways to build deeper relationships and more meaningful connections.

Listen in to this first part of my Digital Sales Strategy class and then stay tuned for part 2 next week.

In this episode:

[01:57] Welcome to part 1 of this two part series.

[02:41] A digital strategy makes your brand readily available and easy to find.

[03:26] Listen as I share some powerful forms of digital marketing content.

[04:55] Three areas that you need to focus on when building a digital platform.

[06:51] Why digital marketing is important now.

[08:32] 60% of Instagram users say they discover and buy products they’ve seen on the app.

[10:33] Which questions should you ask yourself when building brand trust?

[12:30] 78% of consumers prefer to be engaged with you and your brand on multiple platforms.

[13:54] I agree with anyone who believes that cold calling is dead. It’s time to switch your mindset.

[16:40] Learn what I call the fifteen minutes of fame.

[18:08] We find new customers today by allowing them to find us.

[19:19] Thanks for listening to part I, stay tuned for part II next week.

Links & Resources:

INDEAL University

Connect with Sid:

Embark CCTon Facebook

Sidon LinkedIn

Sidon Instagram

Sidon YouTube

Sid on Clubhouse - @sidmeadows

The Trend Report is proudly sponsored by INDEAL U. Partners in progress in the commercial interiors industry. To learn more about INDEAL U, please visit their website athttps://www.indeal.org/

The Trend Report introduction music is provided by Werq by Kevin MacLeod Link:https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4616-werq License:http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

1 Listener

CEO Chat with Boaz Ashkenazy of Simply Augmented

The Trend Report

03/01/21 • 36 min

You’ve likely heard of virtual reality, but what do you know about augmented reality? Boaz Ashkenazy of Simply Augmented is helping dealers and brokers to showcase their products to customers using the interactive tool of augmented reality, and he’s sharing all about it.

So what is augmented reality? It is an interactive experience of a real-world environment. Why would this be important to the contract interiors industry? Think of creating entire virtual showrooms. Creating scale models of interiors in which customers can change the layout and materials used in the space.

There are so many applications for our industry that would help facilitate a smoother buyer’s journey and experience.

Listen as Boaz chats about ways his company Simply Augmented has helped companies in the contract interiors space to streamline their showrooms and sell despite the effects of Covid. We tend to be late adapters of new technology, but with the changes in our society and the world, this is one time that we need to be ahead of the game.

The uses are endless and the need is great. Along with creating a solid eCommerce platform, start looking into added AR to your marketing and sales processes.

In this episode:

[01:18] Shout out to JCWall7 for the five star review!

[02:44] Welcome to the show, Boaz!

[02:53] Boaz shares his background and the company that he leads.

[03:58] Listen, as Boaz describes the difference between augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).

[05:48] Boaz discusses how he went from being an architect to working with AR.

[08:42] Why AR is important in the contract interiors industry specifically.

[11:39] Per Boaz, and me, eCommerce suites are the way of the future.

[14:20] How AR can enhance the customer’s journey.

[16:36] Boaz shares the feedback they have had from the dealer community.

[17:43] Another game changer for the industry is removing the cost of physical mock ups.

[23:06] Go to the Nook website if you want to see the work Simply Augmented does.

[25:46] Listen as Boaz shares why he uses the term “content” when discussing AR.

[28:09] What he would say to anyone on the fence about using AR.

[30:11] How AR allows for interactive showroom tours for potential buyers.

[35:20] Thank you so much for being on the show!

Links and Resources:

Connect with Boaz Ashkenazy:

Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter | Email

Connect with Sid:

Embark CCT on Facebook
Sid on LinkedIn

Sid on Instagram

The Trend Report introduction music is provided by: Werq by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4616-werq License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Rethink, Redesign, Repurpose with Brandi Susewitz

The Trend Report

02/15/21 • 31 min

Covid has certainly rocked the contract interiors industry, but something that we ALL need to be thinking about regardless of how everything rebounds is sustainability. It took the downtime that Covid offered for Brandi Susewitz to do more research on the subject but when she did she was shocked.

More than 17,000,000,000 pounds of office furniture have been dumped into U.S. landfills. In fact it makes up about 25% of all materials in a landfill with another 25% consisting of construction materials.

This is a shocking number and one that should be on the radar of every manufacturer, dealer, designer, and broker. Unfortunately however, it’s not. So Brandi set out to do something about it.

She has created the very first online marketplace where people can buy and sell used office furniture. It’s called ClearOffice and their mission is to reduce the amount of materials going into the landfill each year.

Other furniture manufacturers have done the same but the difference is the way office furniture is built versus big box and home furniture. Office furniture is built to last. That means that it’s much less likely to break down over time which keeps our landfills full and represents an untapped source of reusable materials.

Listen in to learn more about how you can become a part of the sustainability conversation and why it is increasingly becoming an important topic in our industry.

In this episode:

[03:31] Welcome to the show, Brandi!

[03:46] Brandi shares her background in the industry, meeting her husband and starting their first business together.

[07:52] She noticed that the used furniture system is broken.

[08:50] Listen as Brandi discusses what happened when COVID hit and the depression she went through.

[11:20] She took the downtime to revisit her idea of repurposing used furniture that usually ended up in a landfill.

[14:12] Her new company ClearOffice is the first online marketplace where people can buy and sell their used office furniture.

[16:25] The ClearOffice site was launched on October 5, 2020, and she immediately knew that they had something special.

[17:21] Brandi discusses how both buyers and sellers can use their website.

[22:15] Ikea has launched a used furniture division of their company to be more sustainable.

[23:12] How people can use their platform to see and design their offices with used office furniture.

[27:07] Times like this is when the greatest companies are born.

[31:04] Brandi, thank you for being on the show!

Links and Resources:

Connect with Brandi Susewitz

ClearOffice

Email

Connect with Sid:

Customer For Life: How To Turn the One-Time Buyer Into A Lifetime Customer by Carl Sewell

Embark CCT on Facebook
Sid on LinkedIn

Sid on InstagramThe Trend Report introduction music is provided by: Werq by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4616-werq License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

How the Office Furniture Industry is Changing with Paul Holland

The Trend Report

02/08/21 • 44 min

Paul Holland is going on 37 years in the furniture industry and he has no concerns about whether or not it will continue. The past year has definitely been rocky and numbers are certainly down, but let’s remember that 2019 was a record breaking year for many.

He’s here to chat about changes in the industry as well as how all the players in the furniture business can and will grow in the coming months.
Here’s the thing, you have to look at our industry, and really any industry, with a positive outlook. Are we down right now, yes, but that doesn’t mean that our landscape will look the same next week, next month, or next year.

So, what can you do right now to stay afloat? Paul says it’s all about adaptation and creating a wonderful experience for your current customers. (I even share a bit about why I will always be a Sewell man when it comes to purchasing vehicles, and it’s all about the experience.)

This was a fantastic episode full of hope and advice for everyone in the furniture industry from manufacturers, to dealers, to retailers and more. Listen in to learn the most important part of thriving in a turbulent market.

In this episode:

[02:12] Welcome to the show, Paul!

[02:48] Paul shares his background in the furniture industry.

[05:45] Paul discusses the recent research he has done on the industry.

[09:21] Listen as Paul shares what people in the industry need to focus on in 2021.

[12:17] Paul believes you have to look at the industry with a positive outlook.

[15:51] Growth happens when you are uncomfortable.

[19:41] Paul says the challenge for manufacturers and the dealers is how they adapt to the new environment.

[22:11] More about the changes he sees in e-commerce and digital strategies.

[27:04] What he hopes the industry will see with the distribution sector of the industry.

[31:35] Floor coverings and architectural products are outgrowing furniture.

[34:27] Retail is transforming, but that it will evolve and be about the customer experience.

[40:33] Paul speaks about finding out what the client wants.

[41:06] The future is bright in the office furniture industry.

[43:55] Thank you for being on the show!

Links and Resources:

Episode 37

BIFMA

Connect with Paul Holland

Email

LInkedIn

Connect with Sid:

Embark CCT on Facebook
Sid on LinkedIn

Sid on Instagram

The Trend Report introduction music is provided by: Werq by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4616-werq License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

CEO Chat with Bruce Platzman of AIS

The Trend Report

02/01/21 • 40 min

For many of us in the office furniture industry, we didn’t plan to be here. Instead we found our way here by accident and never left. The same is true for Bruce Platzman, CEO and president of AIS. After finishing college at a prestigious business school, he had an interview with an office furniture company and never looked back.

About ten years into his career, he founded AIS and has since helped to build it into one of the leading furniture companies in the industry. He’s sharing how the company has evolved over the years and what they’ve done to stay relevant in a constantly changing market.

One of the things that really sets AIS apart is their willingness to adapt. When something stops working they’re quick to innovate and look at ways to change what they’re already doing to better fit the market. One of the most evident examples is their shift into mask making in 2020.

They’ve now been declared an essential business and have not had to shut down at all during the pandemic. In a year of decline, they’ve actually continued to see growth while at the same time creating a huge impact for our nation.

Listen as Bruce talks about the changes the pandemic has wrought on the nation, his projections for the future of the industry, and why giving back means so much to him and the company.

This is truly an amazing conversation with someone who has been in this industry for over 40 years. You won’t want to miss out on his insights and his wealth of knowledge.

In this episode:

[02:05] Welcome to the show, Bruce!

[02:30] Bruce shares his journey in the office furniture industry.

[04:13] Listen, as Bruce gives a brief overview of AIS and what they do today.

[08:23] Bruce discusses how AIS has evolved over the years.

[09:42] Bruce speaks about what has fueled the significant growth of the company.

[12:04] A quick story from when I worked for Bruce at AIS.

[13:55] Bruce talks about what he believes sets AIS apart from other companies in the industry.

[15:35] AIS is considered an essential business, so they haven’t had to close down during COVID.

[19:23] Bruce shares that they have continued to push forward with plans they had before the pandemic.

[20:56] Bruce speaks about how they have been able to support their customers and employees while they work from home.

[25:59] Bruce shares an idea on how to reduce cars on the road by offering incentives for allowing employees to work from home one day a week post pandemic.

[27:31] Listen as Bruce speaks about the philanthropic programs they are involved in.

[33:24] Learn about the two awards AIS won in 2020.

[35:40] Bruce shares some final thoughts about the industry.

[39:12] Thank you so much for being on the show!

Links and Resources:

Connect with Bruce Platzman

AIS

LinkedIn

Connect with Sid:

Melissa.Perttunen@CBRE.com

Embark CCT on Facebook
Sid on LinkedIn

Sid on Instagram

The Trend Report introduction music is provided by: Werq by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4616-werq License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

A Voice For The Office Furniture Dealer with CBRE

The Trend Report

01/18/21 • 45 min

Have you ever heard of a firm that helps clients figure out how to buy their furniture for a project rather than what to buy? That’s exactly what the ladies from CBRE do and their sole goal is to help clients, dealers, and manufacturers come together and build healthy relationship.

Julie, Melissa, and Aileen understand all aspects of the customer buying process from design to purchase and they are there to fill in the gaps between the design firm and the dealer. They help facilitate better dealer relationships thereby creating long term relationships.

Listen as they share examples of value they’ve created for their customers and why focusing on people is so important to them. You'll hear amazing advice and have a chance to change your perspective.e

They’re digging deep into their RFP process and why it never goes to plan. This is definitely an interview you won’t want to miss if you’re looking to expand your industry relationships.

In this episode:

[02:06] Welcome to the show, ladies!

[02:18] Julie shares her title and what she oversees.

[02:39] Melissa gives her title and what her role is.

[02:57] Aileen focuses on the strategic side with clients.

[03:18] Listen as Julie explains what the CBRE is.

[07:30] The CBRE comes in ideally either immediately before or just after the design firm is retained.

[09:16] They are acutely aware of the dealer and their role, and they are there to fill in the gaps between the design firm and dealer.

[10:07] Julie shares an example of the value they create for the customer.

[14:20] Listen as they speak about what the people component means.

[17:13] Julie discusses what the CBRE RFP looks like and the data they need.

[25:33] They don’t want the dealers to come in with a PowerPoint; they want to talk to the dealer about their service capabilities.

[29:28] Aileen shares the advice she would give to the dealer community.

[31:04] Melissa’s advice is to learn to speak in terms of square feet.

[33:15] Julie says for all the RFP’s they’ve worked on, they have never had one that didn’t have errors. She would suggest having a SWAT team to look for errors.

[36:15] Julie discusses the advice she would give to manufacturers in the industry.

[39:06] Aileen agrees with Julie that the dealer and the manufacturer need to have a strong partnership.

[40:22] Melissa says that having an open conversation with the manufacturer is key; ask questions, and don’t break the rules.

[44:25] Thank you all for being on the show!

Links and Resources:

Connect with the CBRE Furniture Advisory Service Group:

Julie Deignan

Melissa Perttunen

Aileen Pendleton

Julie.Deignan@CBRE.com

Aileen.Pendleton@CBRE.com

Connect with Sid:

Embark CCT on Facebook
Sid on LinkedIn

The Trend Report introduction music is provided by: Werq by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4616-werq License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Rest and Recovery of the Corporate Athlete with Kibibi Springs

The Trend Report

01/25/21 • 40 min

Have you ever wondered what it means to be a corporate athlete? Have you ever even heard the term? Believe it or not when it comes to your corporate career, rest and recovery is the key to longevity. Listen as Kibibi Springs shares her tips for rest and recovery and why you should be treating your body as if you were an athlete.

It didn’t take Kibibi long in the corporate world to realize that her passion lay in making sure that her colleagues were properly taking care of themselves. She even sought to obtain her Ph.D in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, otherwise known as occupational psychology.

She is now the workplace wellbeing knowledge lead for Herman Miller and uses her expertise to be sure that their employees are taking proper care of themselves. As a certified ergonomist she is able to assess physical workstations to be sure they are set up properly for each colleague.

Listen as she shares her tips for increasing your own wellbeing no matter if you work in corporate or at home. Everything from moving your body more to keeping track of your breathing as you work. There is so much that goes into maintaining a healthy body, but for corporations the world over, this is a worthwhile conversation.

In this episode:

[01:46] Welcome to the show, Kibibi!

[02:03] Kibibi shares where she works and what she does.

[03:42] Listen as Kibibi speaks about what got her interested in the furniture industry.

[05:22] Kibibi chats about her journey to getting her Ph.D.

[08:58] Her role at Herman Miller.

[11:20] Well-being in the workplace encompasses everything from the time you walk in the door to how the atmosphere makes you feel.

[16:24] What it means to be a corporate athlete.

[20:06] Why she feels guilty when taking vacation time.

[24:13] Kibibi shares some tips for rest and recovery.

[29:16] Taking mental breaks by taking deep breaths is one way to provide clarity.

[31:01] One way to take physical breaks is to take five minutes every couple of hours to walk around the building.

[33:45] Rest and recovery will help you perform better as a corporate athlete.

[37:44] Put the time in your calendar to take a step back.

[39:42] Thank you for being on the show!

Links and Resources:

Connect with Kibibi Springs

Connect with Sid:

Embark CCT on Facebook
Sid on LinkedIn

Dutch Invertuals - Room Screens

The Trend Report introduction music is provided by: Werq by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4616-werq License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

From Dad’s Company to Our Company with Jeff and Jennifer From DARRAN Furniture

The Trend Report

01/11/21 • 34 min

Jeff and Jennifer have spent their entire lives watching the changes in the furniture industry. Their father founded DARRAN Furniture and now they have stepped up to continue his work. Listen as they share their background, their passion for the industry, and what it’s like running a company together as siblings.

It wasn’t just a love of furniture that pushed their father to create DARRAN Furniture. He knew that there was more to offer the industry when it came to casegoods and he was driven to show it. He offered his customers more options and mass customization and created a wealth of jobs for his local area.

Now Jeff and Jennifer manage the business and they’ve started to change the furniture offerings that DARRAN presents. Listen as they share more about why they shifted their products lines and how that shift has helped them.

They are also dedicated to maintaining U.S. based manufacturing to continue to help support their local economy. Their loyalty to the people in their community is the backbone of the company and fits perfectly with their core values.

Jeff and Jennifer are truly a dynamic duo in the industry and you won’t want to miss out on their perspective and their banter. This brother and sister team have made working together work for them and the industry as a whole has been elevated because of it.

Listen in to learn all about DARRAN Furniture and the family that has kept it afloat through some tough economic times!

In this episode:

[01:39] Welcome to the show, Jeff and Jennifer!

[02:48] Jeff discusses the history of the company.

[04:32] How the type of furniture they make has evolved over the years.

[06:47] Jennifer and Jeff share some of the biggest milestones the company has had over the last eleven years.

[11:39] Listen as Jennifer and Jeff discuss why they have kept the company in North Carolina.

[14:41] Jeff speaks about selling to the U.S. only and why they have never gotten into the import business.

[17:25] Jennifer shares some challenges they are facing now through the pandemic.

[22:07] Listen as Jeff and Jennifer discuss their new screen division.

[26:05] Jeff and Jennifer speak about their new product line called Honey.

[30:58] Listen as they share what it’s like to be a dynamic brother sister due and how they work together.

[33:52] Thank you both for being on the show!

Links and Resources:

Connect with Jeff & Jennifer:

DARRAN Furniture

Honey - Workspaces

Connect with Sid:

Embark CCT on Facebook
Sid on LinkedIn