Find Their Comfort
A client says, “I hate sofas that swallow me. I want my feet to comfortably reach the floor.” Which depth category should you start them in?
What is "Shallow"
A client tells you, “My wall is only 8 feet wide.” Before showing them a sofa, what measurement should immediately be in your head?
What is 96"?
A client walks in and says, “I want something really deep and loungey.” Which two floor models should you physically take them to first?
What are the Crosby (Baillie) and Clint (Cunningham)?
Don't say: “This sofa has a 21-inch seat depth.”
Instead, give me a client-friendly selling statement explaining what that means.
“This is a shallower sit, so it's great if you prefer sitting upright and want your feet to reach the floor comfortably.”
A client loves the look of the Owen but says the 25.5" seat feels deeper than she likes. Name two floor models you could immediately have her try for a shallower sit.
What are the Nelson/Kane (21") and Liam (22")?
A client has a 90" maximum sofa space but wants the largest sofa possible. Which S&I sofa on the cheat sheet gets them closest without going over?
What is the Nelson at 88.5"?
A client says she likes Tony, but she'd rather have a slightly more structured cushion without the feather/fibre blend. Which sofa has the same seat depth, overall depth, arm width and sofa width?
What is Owen?
A client says, “Why is this 101" sofa giving me less seating room than I expected?” Looking at the Sturgeon specs, what feature could you discuss with them?
Arm width. Overall width isn't the same as usable seating space. Sturgeon's relatively slim 4.5" arms help maximize the seating area.
A couple wants something comfortable for lounging, but doesn't want an extremely deep 30"+ seat. Which two S&I sofas give them the deepest options in the Medium category?
What are Owen and Tony, both with 25.5" seat depths?
A client loves the Sturgeon sofa, but you determine its 101" sofa won't fit. They have a maximum width of 80". What configuration could keep them in that style?
What is the 78" condo sofa?
A client wants a medium-depth condo sofa under 80" wide. What are her available S&I choices from this sheet?
What are Sturgeon or Ridgewood, both with a 78" condo configuration?
A customer sits on Tony and says, “This feels different from Owen even though they look like they're about the same size.” She's right. What spec helps you explain the difference?
Cushion construction.
Tony has a foam core wrapped with a feather/fibre blend, while Owen has a foam core with poly fibre wrap, creating a different feel even though their dimensions are essentially the same.
A client tries the Cunningham and says, “I love how soft and loungey this cushion feels, but this sofa is way too deep for me.” Which medium-depth S&I sofa uses the most similar cushion construction?
Both use a foam core wrapped with a feather/fibre blend.
A client has room for a maximum 48" wide accent chair. She wants something from the Owen collection. Which size should you recommend: chair or chair-and-a-half?
What is the 47" chair?
The 51" chair-and-a-half won't fit.
A client wants a deep sofa but says, “My room isn't huge, so I don't want the sofa sticking way out into the room.” Would you start with Baillie or Cunningham, and what trade-off would you explain?
Cunningham is the better starting point if room depth is the bigger concern because it's 45" overall vs. Baillie's 46". However, Cunningham is wider at 94" vs. 90", so you'd need to consider both room dimensions.
“I want the biggest sofa I can fit because bigger means more seating.”
Give a salesperson's response explaining why overall sofa width alone doesn't tell us how much seating they're actually getting.
Look at arm width and actual inside seating space, not just overall width. Wider arms consume more of the sofa's overall dimensions, while narrower arms can give the client more usable seating in a smaller footprint.
Two clients both ask for a “comfortable sofa.” One sits upright and entertains frequently; the other curls up for movie nights. Explain why seat depth should be one of your first questions rather than simply showing both clients our “most comfortable” sofa.
There isn't one universally comfortable sofa. How someone sits and uses the sofa determines the appropriate depth. An upright sitter will generally be better suited to shallow/medium seating, while someone who lounges or curls up may prefer medium/deep seating.
A client needs a deep lounging sofa, but their room can only accommodate 92" of width. Using the cheat sheet, what is your strongest S&I option and why?
What is the Baillie?
It provides a 32" deep seat while keeping the sofa width to 90". Cunningham is also deep, but its sofa is 94" and therefore doesn't fit.
A client says:
“We're big movie-night people. I want a genuinely deep sofa, but my husband doesn't want anything wider than 92". We also don't want a huge chunky arm taking up seating space.”
Which S&I sofa would you show them first, and give three specs that support your recommendation.
What is Baillie?
Why:
A couple walks in:
“Our wall is 9 feet wide. He's 6'2" and wants something he can really lounge in. I'm 5'4" and don't want to feel swallowed by the sofa. We watch movies every night, but I also sit upright and read. We don't know what depth we want.”
You cannot simply tell them which sofa to buy. What should the salesperson do next?
Get them sitting on different depths.
Start by having them compare an actual shallow, medium and deep floor model—for example Nelson/Kane → Owen → Cunningham/Clint. Have each person sit the way they normally would at home.
The goal isn't to memorize a specification and prescribe a sofa. It's to use the specs to narrow the choices, then let their bodies tell you what's comfortable.