Andrew Heinz of Christian’s Mattress Xpress shares his tips and selling tricks.
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“I don’t sell springs and foam — I promote health and wellness through better sleep,” says Andrew Heinz, a store manager at Christian’s Mattress Xpress, which has nine locations in California. Heinz started his sales career at Foot Locker in the 1990s, where he earned the nickname “Mr. Insole.” At Foot Locker, weekly store goals called for selling seven to 13 of the product per week across all employees. But Heinz? He never sold fewer than 75 units in a week. After managing shoe stores and a few health clubs, he transitioned to sleep products. According to Heinz, it’s not too different — but more on that later.
Mike Graville, district sales manager for Christian’s Mattress Xpress, who nominated Heinz, says: “Andrew is a customer centric RSA. I have been in the business for over 25 years and I have not seen a sales associate like him that is able to slow a guest down really get them to share what their real needs are.”
By combining warmth, humor and tapping into his own experiences with pain, Heinz is able to connect with customers in a multitude of ways. Keep reading to learn his best tips and tricks.
From Foot Locker to Mattress Retail: The Journey of “Mr. Insole”
Heinz shares how his past experience selling shoes and current job selling sleep products are surprisingly similar.
“No one comes in and asks the salesperson what his favorite shoe is, and then buys that shoe,” Heinz says. “You try on what fits you best. And then most shoes don’t have arch support. So you put in a little insole that has some basic arch support. Same thing with a mattress. We’re going to get you a pillow. We’re going to find out a few things about why you’re here. And then you’re going to try the bed like you would when you try on shoes.”
Heinz’s approach? “My sales pitch is ‘Don’t listen to me, listen to your body. And your body is going to tell you which one of these fits you best when you lie on it.’”
Prioritizing Health and Wellness Over Components
Heinz doesn’t focus on components; he focuses on health and wellness. His approach stems from personal experience with injuries, including a motorcycle accident. When customers come in who have survived something similar, he uses a bit of humor to offset the seriousness. “I’ll give them a high-five and say ‘Welcome to the roadkill team.’” Heinz jokes. “But we survived.”
He touts the following benefits of a properly fitted mattress:
- Reduces back pain
- Improves posture and spinal alignment
- Supports better breathing and reduces issues like acid reflux
“What brought them in was their body,” Heinz says. “Not them wanting to just spend $5,000 on something that’s going to sit in the room covered up that they can’t show off to anyone. No one wants to do that, right? But it’s because of the health benefits that people will spend this money, because it’s a lot less than back surgery, physical therapy or chiropractor visits. So I treat it as a health-related experience, because it’s health and wellness.”
Simplifying Mattress Choices for Customers
Mattress shopping can be overwhelming. With dozens of models and types, customers often don’t know where to start. Heinz starts the process by leveling with shoppers. “I put myself in their shoes,” says Heinz. “One of my questions is, ‘Do you know exactly what mattress you want? And which one’s the right one?’ And they always say, ‘No.’ I say, ‘Okay, well, if I were you, I’d be super confused because there are way too many choices. Not only in this store, but online and at 50 other mattress stores in town.’”
He then simplifies the process by narrowing options into two main categories:
- Quilted traditional tops with coils
- Smooth tops with foam or memory foam-coil hybrids
From there, he guides customers through firmness levels (firm, medium or soft) and lets them try one of each.
“Trying all 60 beds doesn’t make sense,” Heinz says. “It’s kind of like smelling cologne or perfume. By the time you’re smelling the fourth or fifth one, they all smell the same.”
This method reduces decision fatigue and helps customers find a mattress that fits their needs.
The Importance of Adjustable Bases
Heinz emphasizes adjustable bases as essential to better sleep. “The way you get better, improved health is a better night’s sleep,” Heinz says. “We’ve all had a good night’s sleep, and we’ve all had a not-so-good night’s sleep. But the secret is a mattress. You can get the best mattress in the world. But if it’s flat, it’s just good. If you get the adjustable base, that’s where you get the health benefits that help reduce some of your sleep disruptors.”
Adjustable bases help:
- Alleviate back pain
- Improve circulation
- Enhance sleep positions for better rest
Proper Adjustable Base Demonstrations Are Key to Closing Sales
“I think the biggest key for RSAs to make more money, close more deals, hit goals and have more value in what they do for a living is the adjustable base demonstration,” Heinz says.
It’s important to be spot on with the health benefits but not oversell it, of course.
Heinz adds: “If you can tie it to what brought them in, and at the end say, ‘Remember when you came in, you mentioned that back pain?’ Well, this is what’s going to help reduce it.’
According to Heinz, an adjustable base is everything that 95% of what their customers need. “They don’t always get the same pitch when they go to other stores,” Heinz says. “So you stand out. You end up being different. It becomes a health-related shopping experience, not about springs and foams and how low the dollar can be.”
Try Removing Money from the Sales Conversation
Heinz says that a lot of customers come in and state that they’re not willing to spend more than a certain amount of money before trying a bed. By pivoting the conversation to health, aches and pains, Heinz says it removes the focus on money.
“If you can get the money question out of there, now we can get down to some of the things they really want and need,” Heinz says. “And when you can bring their wall down, gain their trust and build rapport, the money is not even a factor anymore; it becomes the quality of life that they’re going to experience because the truth is everybody’s had a bad night’s sleep and knows how that affected their day. Everyone’s had a good night’s sleep that’s affected their day.”
Tips for New Retail Sales Associates (RSAs)
Heinz shares his best advice for those who are new retail sales associates:
Never stop learning
“Don’t stop training,” Heinz says. “Don’t stop learning. I watch videos on YouTube that I’m pretty sure I’ve seen every week, like ten times. There are a million videos to watch online on YouTube or Sleep Savvy. You always think you’re the best, or because you’ve had some good success, you think that there’s nothing more for you to learn. But I learn from customers. I learn from new salespeople because maybe a word they’ll use is better than a word I use. And so never stop learning, never stop getting better.”[Text Wrapping Break]
Prepare for meetings, regardless of experience level
“I study before I go to a meeting,” Heinz says. Despite having more than 25 years of sales experience, he never assumes he knows everything. “Because, number one, there’s been a meeting or two where I didn’t have the answer, and I didn’t want to feel like that again.”
Why Christian’s Mattress Xpress Stands Out
Christian’s Mattress Xpress is a faith-based, family-run company with a focus on health-oriented sleep solutions. Impressively, he notes, that while some companies are sadly closing doors, Christian’s Mattress Press opened three new stores in the last year in California’s Fresno Valley.
Heinz highlights their unique sales process, called the Comfort Test Process, which guides customers to the right mattress based on sleep position, the sink of the bed and the right fit.
“If you look at [online] reviews that I’ve gotten,” Heinz says, “They all say the same thing. ‘Zero sales pitch. Great atmosphere in the store. Great company. And zero pressure on spending more than I wanted to.’”
The Takeaway
Andrew Heinz shows that mattress retail isn’t just about selling products — it’s about promoting wellness through sleep. By simplifying choices, focusing on health and leveraging the power of adjustable bases, Heinz turns every mattress purchase into a life-improving experience.
Know a stellar RSA? Nominate them here.
