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Immediately addressing some concerns shared by many can take away shoppers’ fear of buying mistakes — and when you do that, you will clinch more bedding sales.
Answer the questions, “How do I know it will fit?” and “How do I dispose of my old mattress?” up front and you leave the door open to proceed with some creative selling. That’s the advice of the sleep/sales experts at Sealy, which has been making mattresses for 125 years. Through more than a century, the world’s largest bedding manufacturer has partnered with retailers to support strong sales by accenting the benefits of a comfortable sleep set to consumers.
Sealy has been a National Home Furnishings Association Sponsor for 14 years, supporting programs and activities that help home furnishings retailers enhance the productivity and profitability of their businesses. Sealy’s participation makes it possible to provide continuing education that encompasses all areas of operations. The company, itself, is vitally concerned with educating consumers on the benefits of restful sleep and informing retailers on how to reinforce the importance of sleep and the role of quality bedding in providing restful comfort.
The Sealy experts emphasize that steering shoppers to the proper-size bedding is a cardinal strategy in the sales process. “The bigger, the better” could well be a sales slogan, especially when working with shoppers who share a bed with a partner. Adding children or pets to the bed dictates lots of sleeping surface. If the customer is unsure if super-size bedding will fit the room being furnished, suggest that they measure it before making a final selection. Better yet, if you have the manpower capabilities, assign a staff member to visit the home to measure.
Often, customers would opt for a king or queen but are afraid it will not fit through narrow doorways or stairwells. Sealy says this is an easily-solved problem with split foundations that can be moved separately, and some mattresses that can be bent without damaging the springs.
What about the other oft-asked question, “What can I do with my old bedding?” If you don’t offer the option of picking up the old mattress when delivering a new one, you may be sending shoppers off to a competitor that provides this service. Also, say the people at Sealy, when retailers dispose of used bedding for customers, they discourage the practice of handling down mattresses to children or moving them into a guest room. “Sleeping on tired, old bedding is a “no-no” for children, and visitors deserve a good night’s sleep.”
Another frequently-asked question is, “How much should I pay for a mattress?” The Sealy answer to pass along to your customers is a good one: “Buy the best mattress you can afford.”
An imperative for taking home exactly the right mattress is for the customer to stretch out on it and test the personal comfort. According to Sealy, “Consumers that spend at least 15 minutes or more testing a mattress are more likely to be happy with the purchase.
“The absolute best way to take the fear out of buying bedding is to honestly and knowledgeably answer frequent concerns, and provide privacy that allows shoppers to lie down and test the bedding for at least 15 minutes.”
For more information about Sealy, visit their website at
www.sealy.com
.