Mattress shopping and fun

Gerry Morris

Mattress shopping and fun. Consumers rarely use those words in the same sentence. How about selling mattresses? How enjoyable is that? Is there a way to make the experience of buying and selling mattresses more fun? I say yes!

I learned about having fun selling mattresses as a rookie sales representative for Serta, thanks to Rick Robinson, Serta’s former national sales trainer, my friend and mentor, who is now president of Spring Air International.

Rick made everything fun, especially sales meetings. I think he’s the best trainer I’ve ever known.

One spring, we hosted a dinner sales meeting for a department store chain in Dallas. During the event, Rick whispered to me, “These guys don’t want to be here.” He quickly figured out why and asked the group, “How many of you would rather go home and watch the NBA finals?”

All hands went up. “Enjoy your dinner, then go home and have fun,” he told them. I couldn’t believe it. Rick not only got a standing ovation, our sales increased dramatically.

I’ve also learned about making shopping for and buying mattresses fun from another friend, Mark Hubbard, owner of The Mattress Gallery in Lafayette, La. (He’s also a former corporate jet pilot!)

In Mark’s words, “Most people want to have fun spending their hard-earned money.” That’s what motivates him to create extraordinary experiences for his shoppers. Mark keeps his store in constant flux by redecorating for the seasons and holidays with multisensory presentations.

But he goes beyond just having a great looking store. In every aspect of his business, Mark epitomizes professionalism.

I can imagine Mark’s customers telling their friends, “I don’t care if you need a mattress or not, you have to go see The Mattress Gallery.”

In spite of the tough economy, Mark’s business has more than tripled in the past five years. His average ticket is more than $2,100. His add-on sales are off the charts. His customers and employees are happy—yes, happy.

What Mark and Rick have in common is that behind their fun-loving attitude is a sincere desire to make a difference by helping as many people as possible enjoy the positive, life-changing benefits of sleeping on a top-quality mattress.

They understand that a foundational element of fun is deep restorative sleep and the sense of peace and well-being that it provides. Life isn’t much fun when you’re sleep deprived. If you’re not sleeping well on a quality mattress, don’t wait another day.

You can be happy, have fun and make a difference by helping others—all at the same time.

This story may illustrate it best: A young girl is walking down a beach covered with thousands of starfish that have washed up on shore. Every so often, she picks one up and throws it back into the ocean. An adult approaches her as she’s about to toss in another and asks, “With so many, what difference does it make?” She cheerfully replies, “It makes a difference to this one!”

While you can’t change every consumer’s attitude about mattress shopping, you can help your next shopper have some fun. More importantly, you can help as many consumers as possible invest in a top-quality, comfortable mattress.

What difference does it make? It makes a difference to each one!

Sleep well and help others do the same. ●

Gerry Morris is an author, consultant and training coach with more than 20 years of experience in the mattress industry. To find out what Morris can do for your company, call 903-456-2015 or email gmorris@innerspring.net. Visit his website and blog at http://sellmorebeds.com.