Hot Takes with Doug Shapiro 

The workplace is changing faster than the conversations guiding it. We’re stepping up with a sharper plan for Season Seven: weekly episodes designed to spark action, challenge assumptions, and give you practical tools to build spaces and businesses that actually work.

Spin the wheel, drop the script, and rethink how selling actually works. We invited Doug Shapiro, VP of Sales at JSI, to rapid-fire share hot takes on the habits our industry clings to—cold calling, showroom “chair boxes,” bloated list pricing, and the time sink of three-day trainings—and we cut straight to what creates real momentum: intent, story, and trust.

We start with outreach. Dialing for dollars is noisy and slow; targeted outreach that turns cold into warm is faster and more human. From social touchpoints to referrals, relevance beats volume. 

That theme continues into training. Instead of marathon factory sessions, we argue for microlearning that sellers can use on the move, backed by story-led content that explains why the product exists and how it solves real problems. When reps understand the narrative, they stop pitching features and start framing outcomes clients can feel.

Then we reimagine space. 

Static showrooms that stack chairs like trophies don’t entice potential buyers; application-based environments do. Build settings that mirror how teams actually work—executive zones, collaboration hubs, wellness areas, even healthcare scenarios—and you’ll let clients test workflow, not just view finish boards. 

Finally, we take on the bid process and inflated list pricing. The theater wastes time and muddies trust. A better model is partner selection through interviews, transparent net pricing, and alignment on goals so everyone rows in the same direction.

Under it all sits one simple practice: ask better questions. 

“Why do you need a hundred chairs?” uncovers the business change that points to a better solution set—acoustics, pods, height-adjustable tables, or something else entirely. We don’t sell furniture; we sell confidence, productivity, and spaces people want to use. If you’re ready to trade noise for clarity and transactions for relationships, this one will sharpen your playbook.

In this episode: