Do customers want to know about coil counts and constructions?
David Perry, Bedding Editor -- Furniture Today, December 31, 2006
Today's topic: What should you say about coil counts?
Overview: Innerspring bedding is still the most common type of bedding on the market today, despite the impressive gains made by specialty sleep products. And innerspring beds can be discussed in terms of the types of coil constructions they offer, and the number of coils in the mattress. (Be sure to note if the coils counts are for a queen or a full-sized mattress. There is a growing trend today to cite the coil count numbers in a queen model, the industry's biggest-selling size, rather than in a full, which used to be the standard for coil count numbers.) Coil counts are one way to describe a bed in objective rather than subjective terms, but more coils doesn't automatically make a more comfortable, better bed.
Challenges: Some consumers are going to ask about coil counts, so sales associates have to be ready for those questions. Sales associates need to be ready to explain that coils are only part of the overall quality story. The gauge of the wire, the number of coils, and the coil construction all enter into the picture, and it may not be a good idea to talk too much about hardware, when consumers are looking for a good night's sleep.
Opportunities: Coil counts are one way to differentiate beds. Some of today's high-end beds feature coil counts in the thousands — a number that may impress consumers. Being able to intelligently discuss various types of coil constructions gives a sales associate an aura of authority, which helps build trust with the consumer.
What sales associates say:
Focus on the feel: "Consumers do want to know about coil counts, but it isn't a make-or- break thing to them. You have to show them the bed and make sure they like the feel, regardless of the coil count."
Talk about coil constructions: "Most of my customers could not care less about coil count. They do seem to be interested in coil construction, however. Every now and then I get a customer who has been trained that coil count is the only thing to look for in a good mattress. I am usually able to re-educate that customer and get them more interested in the coil construction than the coil count."
Use coil counts to differentiate mattresses: "I use them to compare mattresses so the consumer can get an idea of why one mattress is more expensive than another."
Use mattress demo units: "I never mention coil count in my sales presentation simply because I don't believe it is that important. I do mention coil construction and features such as head-to-toe helical wiring and how weight is dispersed on the coils inside a mattress. I use my mini-mattress display materials to show customers how the coils look inside the bed. In addition, I have a competitor's individually wrapped coil mattress that I have cut apart to show how easily the coils are compressed when pressure is applied. I also have one of our coil units from an actual bed, so that I can show customers first hand how it is put together and how strong the steel is."
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