“Inside Track With Gerry Borreggine” | Where are We Coming Up Short on Selling Sleep?

Inside Track host Gerry Borreggine and sleep expert and retailer Terry Cralle identify the challenges and how to overcome them in order to close the gap between what customers expect to spend and what they actually spend.

Consumers expect to spend more on a mattress than they actually are. Why?

• We must educate consumers on the value of sleep.
• The mattress is the most used item and an important purchase for the money spent.
• Salespeople must connect the two and show the consumer the benefits of a good night’s sleep to get them to spend what it is worth to them.

Transcript

Gerry Borreggine
Hi, and welcome to Inside Track, sponsored by Therapedic International. I’m Gerry Borreggine, and today I’m here with Terry Cralle, registered nurse, proprietor of Green Truck Furniture and spokesperson for the Better Sleep Council. You’re quite the package, Ms. Cralle.

Terry Cralle
Well, sleep health is my life, and it’s been a wonderful journey. And if we can help anyone get a better night’s sleep, we’ve done a good job.

Gerry Borreggine
Well, let’s talk about some of the Better Sleep Council research because we use that information to help us craft a better sales experience for our customers. But right now, the research shows that consumers expect to spend about 2 to 3 or even $400 more than they’re actually spending when they walk into a store.

That says a lot. That means we’re leaving money on the table, for one thing, and we’re probably not doing a good enough job making those dollars come into the industry. What can we do differently?

Terry Cralle
We have to talk to our customers about the value of sleep, and it’s a challenge. Sometimes, I’ve had people come into the sleep gallery and say, I’m not spending over X amount of dollars no matter what. No, you spend what it takes for you to get on the most comfortable, appropriate sleep surface for you so you get a good night’s sleep every night.

Gerry Borreggine
We’re not doing a good enough job explaining what the benefit is. Right. And when you look at number one, the amount of time it gets used in the house, it’s the most used home furnishings item in the house and probably one of the least expensive hard home furnishings items in the house. So, it’s something that consumers need to consider.

How important is it for you to have a $5,000 refrigerator and a $500 mattress? There’s an inconsistency there

Terry Cralle
I think that’s always going to be a constant battle, trying to get people to really respect sleep and prioritize it in their lives. It’s an investment in physical health, mental health, well-being, and quality of life. Everything hinges on a good night’s sleep.

Gerry Borreggine
Sleep is important. And the sleep surface is critical in delivering that important good night’s sleep. So we have to draw those two things together. We have to do a better job of storytelling. So, all those things translate to consumers wanting to spend extra money to achieve those benefits. So I think that’s critical for all the salespeople to do.

We appreciate you watching this Inside Track episode with our guest star, Terry Cralle—Inside Track, sponsored by Therapedic International. Thanks for watching.