Mattress Retailing 101
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Keep spending on advertising, especially in these tough times
David Perry, Bedding editor, July 11, 2008Bedding retailers thinking about cutting back on their advertising in tough times should think again. History shows that's a losing strategy. Advertising expert Jon Parks, executive vice president of Horich Parks Lebow Advertising, based here, made that point in a presentation at Furniture/Today's latest Bedding Conference in May. More
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Mattress Retailing 101 -- Veteran salesman finds success with his ears
David Perry, Bedding Editor, May 4, 2008Patrick Schweitzer, the manager of the newest 1800mattress.com store in New York, is a veteran mattress salesman who finds success with his ears. The biggest key to mattress sales is listening to the customer, he said. The more you know how they feel, the better you can help them. I am a good listener. More
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Mattress Retailing 101 -- A good mattress helps you do what?
David Perry, April 17, 2008It is the magic question, a single, simple question that helps consumers unlock the secret to a happier, more fulfilled life. And, best of all, the consumers supply the answers to that question themselves. All they need is a little prompting. More
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Mattress Retailing -- One size does not fit all at Mattress Barn stores
David Perry, Bedding Editor, March 17, 2008EDITOR'S NOTE: Mattress Barn, based in Rockledge, Fla., has built a reputation for good service. The 23-unit bedding specialty retailer, founded by furniture veteran Ron Bolding in 1989, has carved out a solid niche in the ultra-competitive central Florida market. Furniture/Today recently visited several Mattress Barn stores and talked with veteran sales associates about some of the strategies ... More
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Mattress Retailing 101: Selling the Verlo way
David Perry, Bedding Editor, February 28, 2008MUNDELEIN, Ill. — In the end, says Stuart Lazarus, a Verlo Mattress Factory Stores franchisee here, it is all about better sleep. More
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Mattress Retailing 101: Gallery Furniture strives to keep bedding fresh
David Perry, Bedding Editor, January 11, 2008HOUSTON, Texas Our case study for this month's edition of Mattress Retailing 101 comes from one of the most colorful retailers in the furniture business: Jim McIngvale, owner of Houston-based Gallery Furniture. With a heavy diet of zany TV and radio commercials, he built Gallery into one of the country's most successful furniture stores, generating sales of approximately $130 million from a single location. More
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Mattress Retailing 101: Skillful hiring, training give Sit 'n Sleep an edge
David Perry, Bedding Editor, December 20, 2007Sit 'n Sleep has a reputation for having some of the strongest retail sales associates in the business. It is a veteran, experienced group, mostly composed of men. More
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Mattress Retailing 101: Veteran salespeople share insights on sales success
David Perry, Bedding Editor, November 15, 2007EDITOR'S NOTE: Sit 'n Sleep, based in Gardena, Calif., operates the largest bedding sleep shops in the country. Those are also the industry's most productive sleep shops, generating an average of more than $6 million in sales per store, according to Furniture/Today's latest report on the Top 25 Bedding Retailers. More
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Mattress retailing 101: Consumers: Sales associates don't meet their needs
David Perry, Bedding Editor, October 19, 2007The bedding industry can boost sales and increase consumer satisfaction if retail bedding sales associates better connect with their customers. But there is much work yet to be done in that area. Those were some of the major lessons learned by top bedding executives and consultants who spent a week listening to bedding consumers around the country. More
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Mattress retailing 101: Retail Sell the importance of a good night's sleep
David Perry, Bedding Editor, September 13, 2007Retail bedding expert Craig McAndrews made a sobering discovery when he took a close look at how retail sales associates sell bedding: They are four times more likely to talk about specifications and price than the importance of a good night's sleep. Since a good night's sleep is what consumers really want, the industry is sacrificing that key selling feature when it focuses on specs and prices... More
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Mattress Retailing 101: New, safer day dawns for bedding industry
David Perry, July 23, 2007A new day has dawned in the mattress industry. It's a day that has been many years in the making, and that has involved thousands of members of the bedding industry who have introduced new fire-resistant technologies to the market. The new era officially started July 1, when a new federal mattress flammability standard went into effect. More
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What if the customer wants to walk?
David Perry, June 1, 2007Today's topic: What to do when a customer wants to walk. Overview: Even the best sales associates will tell you they don't close every sale. Strong salespeople have higher close rates than their less-effective cohorts, and some of their success comes at this point in the sales process. An experienced associate doesn't fear the "I'll be back" promise. More
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Do your customers care if a mattress is one- or two-sided?
David Perry, March 14, 2007Today’s topic: What about those single-sided beds? Overview: Simmons was the first bedding major to introduce single-sided beds, which it did back in 2000. Over time, most of the other major players followed. More
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Mattress Retailing 101: Should I talk about new fire resistant bedding materials?
David Perry, February 2, 2007Today’s topic: How to sell mattresses with new fire-resistant materials. Overview: Serta was the first national bedding producer to incorporate new fire-resistant materials throughout its bedding lines. Initially, that company made safety part of its marketing program, but later concluded that effort wasn’t worthwhile. More
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Mattress Retailing 101 -- What if the beds are made in China?
David Perry, December 28, 2006Today's topic: Selling beds produced in China. Overview: There has been lots of talk in the industry about the impact that Chinese-made mattresses may make in the U.S. bedding market. More
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Mattress Retailing 101 -- Morris' book contains wealth of selling advice
David Perry, November 30, 2006GREENVILLE, Texas -- Sales training is assuming greater importance in the mattress industry -- as it well should. More
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Mattress Retailing 101 -- The selling process begins with effective questions
David Perry, October 12, 2006Today’s topic: Answers about questions. Overview: Questions are a basic tool of the trade for the successful bedding sales associate. The selling process starts with questions designed to build rapport, and ends with the most important question of all: Will you buy this mattress from me? In between are questions that enable the savvy sales associate to zero in on the customer's needs. More
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Mattress Retailing 101 -- Selling sleep easier than simply selling mattresses
David Perry, September 21, 2006Today’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.
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Mattress Retailing 101: How to close the deal
David Perry, August 31, 2006There are various schools of thought on this key topic. In this guest column, bedding consultant Tim Sommer provides his insights on a “new school” method of closing that stands in stark contrast to the “old school” approach, which relied on making an overwhelming case for why the sale should be made. More
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Mattress Retailing 101: Two takes on selling features and benefits
David Perry, July 20, 2006Today’s topic: Selling features and benefits. Overview: Should you sell the features that your beds provide? Or is it better to sell the benefits of a good night’s sleep? Features lead directly to benefits, which is why the “features and benefits” story is often considered together. But they can be considered separately, and presented with different emphases. More
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