My wife, Marcia, and I were having problems in the bedroom. After nearly 17 years, it was getting old, tired and uncomfortable. We were both losing sleep. Finally, we talked about it and decided to act. We did a good deal of research, and on a late summer morning we hopped in the car and set out to replace the mattress we’d had since we moved in together! As a small business owner, I thought the resulting experience was eye-opening, to say the least.
My expectation was that we would spend $1,500 to $2,000 to replace our mattress. I was in for some sticker shock. Our first stop was a big-box mattress retailer. The store had to be 10,000 square feet and filled with mattresses of every size, brand and firmness. “Great,” I thought. “This will be easy. They have something for everyone.”
We were immediately greeted by a man in a tie and blazer, likely in his late 50s. He was friendly and relaxed and began to ask us a few qualifying questions. Soon he was leading us to a group of what looked like three identical beds.
“Now,” he said, “we’re going to determine what firmness is best for you.” Marcia and I lay on each of the beds and quickly realized that one was very soft, the other very hard and the third somewhere in between. My wife chose the soft and I chose the medium. “Well, that complicates things,” I thought.
Next, he did what any great salesperson would do: He took us to their top-of-the-line Tempur-Pedic section and proceeded to tell us the features of these beds:
- Head and foot lifts
- Zero gravity
- Cooling mattress
- Underbed lighting
- Technologically advanced mattress material
The list went on.
“But we’re only looking for a mattress,” I said. “We don’t need all of the other stuff.”
He replied, “I know, but I want you to experience this. It is like nothing you’ve ever experienced before.”
Marcia and I lay on our backs and our salesman proceed to put the bed into “Zero Gravity” mode. WOW! We felt like we were floating. He left us alone for a couple of minutes, and we tried out a few of the other preset positions.
I thought, “This guy is a great salesman. I really want this. I won’t be happy with anything else.”
“How much is this?” I asked.
“What you’re lying on now starts out at $9,999.”
So much for that. I told him that I appreciated the experience, but we were really just looking for a mattress.
“No problem,” he said. “Let me show you some.” We were paraded around the store, pillow in hand, trying mattress after mattress. He expertly explained the advantages of all of the other brands: Beautyrest, Casper, Sealy, Serta, Purple, Nectar …. It didn’t seem to end.
I mentioned that I had done some research and had read good things about air beds. “Can we see one of them?” I asked.
“We don’t sell air beds,” he answered. “The technology isn’t there yet. They’re unreliable and prone to failure.”
So much for THAT!
The experience was confusing and overwhelming. After well over an hour, we felt like we were no further along than when we started. Except for that Tempur-Pedic. WOW!
By this time, it was early afternoon and Marcia and I were exhausted and hungry. We thanked the salesman for his time, took his business card and some brochures and left.
“I need a beer,” I said to Marcia. “Me too,” she said – and Marcia hates beer!
We stopped at our favorite local restaurant and sat at the bar. It’s a small town, and we knew everyone there. Eventually, someone asked what we were up to, and we recounted our experience. A friend overheard the conversation and said that he and his wife had a Sleep Number bed and they loved it. I’d always thought that Sleep Number was kind of gimmicky and told him this. “Just give it a try,” he said. “You’ll see.”
A few days later, we went to the closest Sleep Number store. We walked into a much smaller showroom, 2,500 square feet at most, with perhaps 10 to 15 beds on display. One very interesting bed in the corner had a flat panel monitor hanging above it.
Within 10 seconds, a very young man (we later learned that this was his last day because he was returning to college in Philadelphia) in a Sleep Number shirt greeted us, introduced himself as Jason and asked us what brought us in the store. We explained our situation, and he welcomed us and thanked us for considering Sleep Number. After the never-ending experience at the big-box store, I had to wonder if this “kid” knew his stuff. We found our answer very quickly!
He led us to the mysterious bed in the corner, where he told us to lie on our backs and get comfortable. Marcia and I did, and he proceeded to press some buttons on his tablet. The screen above our heads lit up and we saw both of our names, one on either side. A few seconds later, we were looking at a “pressure map” of our bodies. It was a real-time representation of how our bodies pressed down on the bed. Next, we saw a number under each of our names. Marcia’s was 25 and mine was 60.
“What’s with the numbers?” I asked. “That’s your Sleep Number,” Jason said. “The lower the number, the softer the mattress.” Well, that verified our initial experience at the other store: Marcia liked a soft mattress and I liked a medium.
Coincidentally, their top-of-the-line Innovation series smart bed was right next to the “test bed.” “Come over here and try this out,” Jason said. We hopped on, and he adjusted Marcia’s side to 25 and mine to 60. He made a few adjustments on his tablet and said, “You are now in Zero Gravity mode.” Apparently zero gravity is a thing with mattress companies! Who knew?
He handed us an iPad with an app that controlled the bed’s head and feet settings. We could select any of six presets and even program our own favorite. We could turn on “Foot Warming” to low, medium or high. We could change the “Sleep Number” or firmness at the touch of a button. We could even control the built-in underbed lighting. We were quickly forgetting about that Tempur-Pedic.
“How much is this?” I asked.
“What you’re lying on right now is our top of the line and it is $14,999.”
So much for that. But it sure is cool!
“Can you show us some more affordable options?” I asked.
“Of course!” He went on to explain the differences in their i8 and i10 mattresses. We lay in both and couldn’t really feel a difference. Great! We can save a few bucks! Next, Jason explained the differences between their selection of FlexFit Smart Bases. We HAD to have foot warming, so there was no savings there!
At this point, we’d been in the store for about 40 minutes. Marcia and I found what we liked the best and asked for a price.
“Great news,” our young salesman said. “With the promotion we have right now, this setup is just $11,999!”
“Well, that’s a lot cheaper than $14,999” was my first thought! It really was!
We asked a few other questions about warranty and delivery and thanked Jason for his time.
Coincidentally, our favorite restaurant was right across the street, so we stopped in for lunch. When we sat down, we looked at each other with that look we both knew well. “Today is going to cost a lot more than we planned,” my wife said with a laugh. We spent an hour talking about our big decision over a margarita and chicken fajitas. When we were done, we clinked our glasses, paid the bill and walked back across the street to the Sleep Number store.
“You’re back,” Jason said with a smile.
“Can you get the delivery date any sooner?” I asked. We fist bumped (this was during Covid) and he congratulated us on the great decision we had made. But he wasn’t done yet.
“I have more great news! Your purchase qualifies you for up to 40% off of bedding.”
By the time we were done, our invoice was $13,354.94, including the bedding and sales tax. This was more than $11,000 more than we wanted to spend just days before when this adventure began – about five times more than we anticipated.
What Can a Small Business Take Away from This Experience?
- A college student who probably slept on an old mattress in a dorm beat out a seasoned, professional salesman who likely slept on that Tempur-Pedic. He did this because he carefully followed a well-laid-out process designed to lead a customer to a decision. Every small retailer must have a defined sales process that is followed every single time.
- The seasoned salesman set the stage for quality and what was available. The college kid closed the sale. Stick to the script, be confident in your brand and your products and take the shot!
- A boutique brand beat out a big-box retailer because they created an environment of fun and function instead of overwhelming confusion. A larger selection is rarely better when selling quality products. Pick your products wisely. Offer quality and service and do it in a way that is intuitive and never confusing.
- In general, a customer wants to be gently directed what to do. Exposing them to dozens of options and expecting them to make a well-formed decision is a recipe for failure. Start at the top and take your cues from there.
- The customer WANTS the best. They cannot always afford or need the best. All things being equal, when given a choice, customers will almost always choose the best. Don’t be afraid to offer it! Top-down selling works.
- When exposed to great form, function, comfort and experience, a customer will spend much more than they expected. And they will be happy doing so. Position yourself, your brand and your products for success.
In the end, after some discomfort, frustration and expert advice, Marcia and I have completely resolved our problems in the bedroom.
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