Dealers and Manufacturers: The Two-in-One Companies

Hey there!

Let’s talk about something that’s both fascinating and maddening to me in the furniture industry; what I call: the two-in-one company. It's a concept I coined myself to refer to a business that has to juggle two immense, equally critical operations: in the interior design industry is usually Product and Retailing. You'll see how it can become something pretty big, pretty fast (not in a good way).

The Product Business Unit

First, let’s break down the Product side of things. This unit is split into two major parts:

1. Production Department: Think of a buzzing warehouse with inventory, a production line with subcontractors, materials providers, importers, logistics—the whole shebang. The focus here? Manufacturing high-quality products efficiently and cost-effectively.
2. Research and Development (R&D) Department: This is where the magic happens. The design team is dedicated to creating new collections, testing products, and collaborating with international designers to stay ahead of the latest trends. Innovation is key, ensuring that the brand continually offers fresh, appealing products to the market.

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The Retailing Business Unit

Now, let’s switch gears to Retailing:

• Creating store experiences that attract and retain customers.
• Managing sales associates and setting ambitious sales goals.
• Providing top-notch customer service and nurturing client relationships.
• Organizing events and attending local and international fairs to promote the brand.

This unit is all about driving sales and building a strong brand presence. You can see where I’m going with this—it’s a lot to handle.

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So, What’s the Catch?

When you decide to go the “two-in-one company” route, you can’t avoid the inevitable disconnect between both “companies” inside your big company. In a way, they’re enemies. Retail is driven by numbers, sales, and KPIs—immediate answers for immediate results. The urgency here is palpable. Meanwhile, Product is all about output quality and quantity. It’s a less hectic environment, focusing on feeding the brand name with new “memorable, statement pieces that bring value” every season.

So, what’s more important? Sales or R&D? Production or customer experience? I won’t answer that. The truth is, these are not valid questions for a two-in-one company because you’re already having different goals from the get-go.

The Unicorn Profile

Here’s where things get really interesting. In the retail world, you’re looking for what I call “unicorn profiles.” I wrote a whole article about the unicorn profile, but these are rare individuals who can balance both sales and design competences—salespeople with spatial and aesthetic sensibilities or designers with outstanding commercial skills. When you find one, jackpot! But let’s be real, these profiles are as elusive as they sound.

It’s not your recruiter’s job to gather a "blessing" (herd of unicorns, funny, right?). In today’s world, with fewer people getting formal education and more aiming for new jobs like content creation and “influencing,” relying on luck to find unicorns is a bad strategy.

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That’s Our Cue!

I can’t say much more about the Product unit, but let’s dive into Retail and why a service like Prontto’s is a game-changer. Imagine this: your retail team needs design support. They reach out to the in-house design team—remember, the one swamped with their own critical tasks. This leads to delays, lost deals, and endless back-and-forth. Not ideal, right?

Here’s where Prontto makes a dent in the universe (ok, maybe just in the furniture industry). We provide the design support your retail team needs, transforming them into unicorns without the impossible hunt.

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How Does Prontto Boost Efficiency?

By being your store’s “blessing” (pun intended). Seriously, once you have a sharp, laser-focused sales team, equip them with the design support they need to shine. Our partnership reduces the turnaround time for visual materials from weeks to just 48-72 hours, significantly improving the customer experience and boosting sales conversion rates.

Here’s the process:

1. In-store team nurtures the client relationship.
2. In-store team submits a Prontto request.
3. Within 24-72 hours, the branded project presentation is ready to present.
4. In-store team presents the project and closes the deal.

Between steps 2 and 3, your team keeps generating new opportunities. No more process linearity—your team does one thing, we do the other.

An important side-effect? Consistency across all proposals and presentations. We develop a presentation template with your marketing team, ensuring a cohesive aesthetic in both store and digital experiences. This consistency drives sales and enhances brand recognition.

See a presentation design sample here.

So, why leave the foundation of your retail operation to chance? Stop hunting for unicorns and start leveraging focused, professional support. Join our Facebook group to share insights and connect with others tackling the two-in-one challenge. Let’s find solutions together and drive the industry forward.

If you're interested in finding out about how to free your retail team from asking favors to your product team, check out Prontto plans here.