Chris Taheny, formerly senior vice president of sales for Dreamfit, has resigned from the company and is taking up a new role as senior vice president of business development at King Koil, a new position for the manufacturer.
The news was the worst-kept secret in the industry, but it was especially significant because of how much Taheny did at Dreamfit over his three years with the company.
He brought the brand back to life — increasing the company’s customer count by 60% over the three years he was there. Anyone who talked to him knew he was the brand’s biggest cheerleader, and he has continued to be a huge advocate for the importance of sleep necessities.
So why the change? We caught up with Taheny to find out, and he said he attributes it to two things.
“I want to be associated with the very best in my profession,” Taheny says. “King Koil, to me, exemplifies that, from its executive leadership all the way down to its sales and territory managers. They have done a tremendous job positioning themselves as a luxury to ultra-luxury premium line. Some of the more generic manufacturers are one-trick ponies, and that might not settle well for a retailer that wants a split-head mattress program on their floor or an organic story on their floor. It’s the kind of place I want to be.”
In addition to the change of company, Taheny will now be selling mattresses, which he says is the first time in his career that he’s sold them. Over his 13-year career in the bedding industry, he held several roles at Protect-A-Bed before going to Dreamfit.
Sheets may have been his main game, but he says he’s not worried because his selling style is not overly aggressive and he doesn’t try to sell a retailer something they don’t need.
“This is a big jump for me, category-wise, and I feel comfortable with it,” he says. “I try to be as good at the game as possible. So I do try to at least have fundamental knowledge about what manufacturers are doing, their sweet spots and fortes, etc. And the trust that I have in my new team at King Koil will make sure that I learn more 215- and 315-level material.”
He says that the bedding business has been kind to him and he wants to give back. Now that he’s not associated with any sleep accessories companies, he’s able to do things like give retailers unbiased program assessments or help them create and implement KPIs.
“I can explain how to talk about KPIs in meetings and incorporate them more effectively in discussions and oversight,” he says. “At the same time, I can determine if they have room for improvement in certain areas — whether it’s a slot price point or if they have to overhaul their program — I can now give unbiased recommendations. At the end of the day, I’m not bound to anybody on that side anymore. If a retailer needs help in these areas, I’m glad to do it.”
Taheny officially starts at King Koil on Jan. 6 and says he’s particularly excited to work under an industry legend like David Binke.
“I always want to keep learning — I don’t purport to know anywhere close to everything,” he says. “ I’ve got a lot to learn, and I can’t think of many better people in our business than to learn from David.”
As he heads into a new role, Taheny says he sincerely hopes to help as many retailers as possible with great product that speaks for itself.
