Mattress Retailing 101 -- Selling sleep easier than simply selling mattresses
Make the logical link between a better mattress and better sleep
David Perry -- Furniture Today, September 21, 2006
Today’s topic: Selling better sleep
Overview: Selling sleep is much easier than simply selling mattresses. Most everyone wants better sleep or more sleep, but many consumers aren’t really interested in buying a new mattress. Your goal as a sales associate is to make the logical link between a better mattress and better sleep. You can do that by stressing the science of sleep.
Challenges: The 2006 Better Sleep Month survey found that 66% of respondents are not likely to evaluate their mattress for comfort and support and, if needed, to consider buying a new one. That is a sobering statistic. It suggests the importance of playing the better sleep card: To get better sleep, you need a comfortable, supportive mattress. For some reason, consumers aren’t quick to connect the mattress with better sleep. You have to help them make that connection.Opportunities: Tires wear out. So do shoes. But we don’t use either of those products as much as we do our mattresses. What other product gives us (or should give us) eight hours of use per day? Beds wear out gradually. Many consumers need a new one today. These are your customers.What the experts say:
Nancy Shark, executive director of the Better Sleep Council, a non-profit organization supported by the mattress industry, knows the importance of the mattress in a good night’s sleep. “The Better Sleep Month survey results show that people overlook some of the most obvious components of quality sleep,” she said. “Take, for example, the reluctance, even if needed, to replace an old mattress. The mattress is literally the foundation of our sleep. Comfort and support aside, we spend an average of four entire months every year entirely on our bed. Given that kind of usage, your sleep surface cannot be an afterthought.”How long should a mattress last? Shark offers this insight: “As a rule of thumb, after five to seven years of use, it’s a good time to evaluate your sleep set. You can get used to a bed long after it stops providing you with the optimal comfort and support you need.”Ron Wolinski, who has trained thousands of bedding retail sales associates in his career, refers to “the science of sleep.” Wolinski, vice president of Profitability Consulting Group, offers this example of how the dialogue could play out on the sales floor:Sales consultant: Before we look at sleep sets, I’d like to share some information with you on the most recent sleep research. I want you to make an informed investment decision for the right reasons. Tell me, how long have you had your current sleep set?Customer: About 10 years.Sales consultant: A lot has happened since you bought that bed. Society is faster paced now, more competitive, more demanding on our time. The level of stress has increased dramatically. Everyone is more interested in finding ways to improve the quality of life for themselves and their families.Research has found that there are three elements that affect our lives. They are nutrition, exercise and quality sleep. Quality sleep has a direct impact on our ability to cope with the stress and pressure of everyday life. How many hours of sleep would you say you get regularly?Customer: I don’t know. Probably about six hours.Sales consultant: Well, you’re not alone. With all the things we have to stuff into our days, we often don’t consider the importance of quality sleep. It has been determined that on average we need eight hours of quality sleep to rejuvenate and revitalize ourselves so we can achieve peak performance. Research has clearly established that proper sleep is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. If we are getting six hours of sleep or less, our resistance to viral infection is lowered by 50%.Now that we’ve seen the need and benefits of quality sleep, let’s see how we can provide that quality sleep for you and improve the quality of life for you and your family.Conclusion: Talking about the benefits of a good night’s sleep is a great way to engage customers in the mattress shopping process.
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