Most salespeople don’t like to sell mattresses because most customers don’t like to buy them. Ask around. It’s true. This doesn’t mean either group hates to sell or buy them, they just may be indifferent. But few, if any, like the process. If asked to rank the category of products they like to sell, many furniture salespeople would put beds low, if not last, on the list. This book takes a look at why that is and what to do about it.

PLEASE DON’T GO

If you are one of the many who do like to sell mattresses, please don’t go. This book is for you too. It has dozens of helpful ideas to make selling even more fun and effective. Check out the table of contents for the chapters that interest you.

DON’T READ THE WHOLE THING!

You may already be thinking, "How can there be so much information about such a simple product?"

Don’t worry, You don’t have to read the whole book.

At least not now! This is a user-friendly book designed to be compatible with your workday. With the hours most retail salespeople work, the thought of reading and studying a sales training manual is probably not very appealing.

YEA! NO WORKSHEETS

There are no worksheets or assignments, no weekly or monthly programs or goals in this book. Most sales people have been exposed to sales books that resemble college textbooks. Few people have the energy or desire to tackle them.

This book is written in a casual manner and can be read the same way. You may try keeping it at your store and read it during down times between ups. It is not meant to be read sequentially. Think of this book as a cafeteria of ideas.

You can pick and choose items that are of interest to you and read them in brief increments. Each chapter has helpful hints and concepts that can be put to use immediately. As time goes on, some ideas may take on more meaning for you and others may not. Try reading one or two items at a time and then use what you learn to see if it helps you.

FROM THEORY TO PRACTICAL USE

Understanding and applying are two separate skills. Many people will understand the ideas in this book, but until they are put into use they remain concepts. Toward the end of this book under the "Managers" section you will find some ideas about role-playing that can be useful for putting ideas into practice.

The great thing about this book, is that every idea has been tested over a number of years by numerous sales people. They work. So applying them in practice can work for you as well.

DO READ "NEEDS AND WANTS" CHAPTER

To get the most benefit from this book, read "The Need vs. Wants Phenomenon." In fact, if you don’t read any other part of this book, this chapter can change your whole attitude about selling mattresses.

The underlying principle of this book is the difference in selling items that people NEED as opposed to items that people WANT. Understanding the attitude and motivation of the customer is vital to effectively selling mattresses.

SEEKING LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS

Many books suggest that you highlight important ideas, underline, and make notes in the margin. That is a great idea, it is suggested you do the same here if you want to. Read, scan, study -- you pick. But please enjoy. Think of this book as a long-term companion that you can refer to as time goes on. Add bits and pieces of knowledge and ideas, as you desire. You can scribble over the parts you think are stupid or find boring. Ideas that don’t seem to apply now, may later, and vice versa.

" I LOVE YOU JUST THE WAY YOU ARE"

Do not think this book’s purpose is to change your selling style. Quite the contrary. This book holds retail salespeople in high regard. The ideas contained here are just concepts to add to what you already do. Adapt them to your own style. There is no "reinvention of the wheel," just insights, concepts, and perspectives that may help you. Because the book is written to be read at random in small increments over time, some of the information may appear to be redundant. But each chapter is written to stand on its own so that you don’t have to constantly refer to other chapters to understand what you are reading. Also, some of the major ideas of this book are repeated to reinforce their importance.

POLITICALLY CORRECT DISCLAIMER

A brief word about terminology. People that sell things now have a variety of titles. Salesman, saleswoman, saleslady, salesperson, sales consultant, sales associate, etc. To simplify, this book will, in most cases, use salesperson or salespeople for plural. This book is gender neutral. All concepts apply to male or female salespeople and customers unless specified. The use of he or she, him or her, is interchangeable, no bias is implied he may appear more often than she because there is one less letter to type.

PC CLAUSE # 2

This book is meant to be compatible with any brand of bedding. There is no attempt to show any preferences. The bedding business is extremely competitive. Any manufacturer competing in this environment has something to offer or they would be out of business. You may have noticed the subtitle of this book, A Supplementary Guide to Mattress Sales. That is because this book is to be used with the information you get from your vendors. There is no information here that will "undermine" the sales training from any brand. Hopefully it will "set the stage" for you to better learn and understand mattress sales.

Objectivity is the goal, no judgment or bias is intended toward any brand or product. To avoid adding $30 of attorney fees to the cost of each book, no brand names are mentioned.

" A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME"

There are a few different terms used to describe a mattress set. Mattress set, mattress and foundation, mattress and box spring, bed, sleep set and bedding. These terms all mean the same thing and will be used interchangeably throughout this book to reduce redundancy. The term mattress by itself is used to describe only the top part of the set. At the end of the book you will find a basic glossary of commonly used bedding terminology, as well as some that is relatively obscure.

THEY ARE NOT JUST YOUR CUSTOMER

This book is written for your benefit. That is why it addresses you directly in most cases. For that reason, "your customer" appears frequently. Keep in mind that while you are the one that primarily deals with the customer, there is quite a support team behind you. So actually, your customers are your stores’ customers. This concept is helpful to understand. Try reading the chapters, The Big Picture and Teamwork.

PURPOSE

The main purpose of this book is to give retail salespeople insightful information to help customers select and purchase the best set of bedding they can afford for the right reason, their comfort, health, and quality of life.

This book also contains lots of peripheral information that can be of great benefit to you and your customer, including ideas, observations, concepts, and insight, as well as practical suggestions.

Overall, the knowledge you gain can make the process of selling and buying mattresses easier and more pleasurable for you and your customers.

YOU DON’T HAVE TO HIDE THIS BOOK

It is OKAY for customers to read this book. Unlike some books on sales, there is nothing to hide from the customer in this book. In a popular trade magazine, an article about retail sales suggests that salespeople step away from the customer after the first approach, then go act busy for a moment. It recommends sitting down and writing something, like a grocery list or anything to look busy. "The customer won’t know what you are doing." The article suggests that customers like working with salespeople who look busy and important --so pretend.

Let customers read that, and for the rest of their lives, they will think every "busy" salesperson is making out a grocery list and plotting against them. Unfortunately it will confirm what many customers already believe.

Even though there is nothing in this book to hide, a customer would probably not enjoy it. There is entirely too much information about a subject they would have little interest in. But the point is, this book is not a manipulative strategy of salespeople vs. customer. It is about getting everyone on the same page.

A SPECIAL NOTE TO SLEEP SHOP SALESPEOPLE

You probably saw the statement that most salespeople don’t like to sell mattresses. That is true in furniture and department stores. Obviously that doesn’t apply to you. You would not be working at a mattress store if you didn’t like to sell them.

While there are many references to furniture store and department store salespeople, this book was written with you in mind. Mattress specialty stores are growing rapidly and most of the information in this book can be particularly helpful to you, since mattresses are what you sell everyday.

If you think about it, this is a benefit to you. If your experience has not included furniture sales, the insight here can be of value.

Understanding your customers’ attitude and motivation is the underlying theme and this applies to every customer, regardless of where they choose to shop. So, this book can be your key to a more pleasant and productive selling experience for you and buying experience for your customers.

A NOTE TO DEPARTMENT STORES

Every reference to furniture stores applies equally to furniture departments in department stores. It is just too cumbersome and redundant to write furniture departments in department stores, as this paragraph demonstrates. Sorry.

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Visit Gerry's SleepTrust website: www.betterbeddingsales.com