When your customer purchases a mattress, they’re not just purchasing a piece of furniture. They’re buying a good night’s sleep–a primary resting place, a good dream, a luxury experience. They’re buying the item they spend a third of their lives on. Unsurprisingly, purchasing a mattress is one of the most intimate, personal purchases any consumer makes at your furniture store. And this, in turn, significantly affects the selling experience on the retailer’s end.
Many retailers ask: Is it hard to sell mattresses? Good question–that depends. It’s certainly more nuanced and personalized than other selling experiences. With how important mattresses are and have become (especially with advances in sleep research and the importance of a good night’s rest in daily productivity and longevity), modern customers enter your store or website armed with expert research and questions, more often than not.
A better question might be how do you sell mattresses quickly and efficiently? And we’re here to help you with that. Read on for 15 tips on selling mattresses and how you can dominate your local mattress scene consistently and close the sale, every time.
15 Ways to Sell a Mattress
Selling a mattress has a lot of variables, but many of them are elements you can prepare for. With the right tools and selling methods, you can make sure you and your team have the best chance of selling your customer a good night’s sleep.
Ready for all the best tips and tricks related to selling mattresses? We’ve got you. We’ll start with 10 tips for selling new mattresses and then move into tips for selling used mattresses.
1. Establish consumer connection.
When a customer comes into your store, they’ve often done research and may have a certain level of anxiety about choosing the wrong mattress or being sold on an option that isn’t right for them simply because it means a higher commission for you. Help your customer feel at ease. Listen to their research and questions, and use these as touchpoints to establish a strong connection. You might even ask more about their research, what they’re looking for, or if they’ve come up with any recommendations from friends or family.
2. Incorporate a pillow.
At the beginning of your sales experience, consider starting by fitting your customer with a pillow. This shows customers that you care and demonstrates that you’re in the business of selling an entire sleep experience. It establishes credibility (fitting a pillow becomes the metric of how expertly you will fit a mattress) and a sense of care for your customer. It also tells them what they can expect from their experience with you and whether you will respect their choices or not.
3. Ask questions regarding pain points.
Literally and metaphorically. Let your customers tell you about their bodies and what problems they’re looking to solve. Investigate what it is that brought them into your store or to your website. Chances are, something isn’t working with their current mattress or maybe even their sleep habits. Remember–your job is to improve their entire sleep experience.
4. Ensure good use.
A product is only as good as customers know how to use it. If you’re selling a good night’s sleep, a great mattress won’t do the trick–you need to sell a mattress perfectly fitted to your customer’s life and needs and ensure that they know how to sleep on it and properly care for it. Make sure your customer knows how to maintain their mattress, (especially if it has moving parts), and how to utilize it for the best night’s sleep. This will show care and that you believe they will be using it for a long time.
5. Be well-informed.
This goes without saying. However, it’s important to be well informed on the right topics. Be sure to be well-equipped with relevant sleep statistics and facts. Avoid getting too medical in your conversations with customers. Focus on the sleep experience instead of the specifications or the price.
6. Build confidence.
The best salespeople know that a hesitant customer doesn’t make a purchase–a confident customer does. Build on your customer’s confidence in the outcome of their experience with you. As much as you can, help them mitigate their fear of making a mistake. Validate their research, pain points, and recommendations. You might even comment on how well they’ve prepared to make a great purchase that will give them years of great sleep.
7. Show off the features of your power bases.
Every customer has concerns, and you should get to know them–tossing and turning, sleeping hot or cold, snoring, partner disturbance, etc. Once you’ve located specific concerns, present adjustable power bases in a way that shows how the mattress can address the customer’s specific concerns. With permission, raise the customer’s feet and then their head. Give them the remote so they can personally experience how the mattress articulates. If you can successfully demonstrate how the adjustable power base will address the customer’s sleep concerns, you’ll sell the mattress.
8. Validate choices.
Once your customer makes a choice, or you can tell they’re leaning toward a specific selection, focus on reassuring them about their selection. Have they chosen a particularly comfortable innerspring? Or a mattress with great warranties? Validate their choice and emphasize the specific features and benefits that address the sleep concerns the customer has mentioned. In essence, help them feel like they’ve made a great choice, and they’ll head to the register happy.
9. Manage expectations.
Of course, selling a mattress is only half the task–preventing returns is the other. One way to prevent returns is by properly setting expectations during the selling process. Make sure your customer knows that it takes about two to three weeks to adjust to a new mattress. Give them tips for getting a good night’s sleep (address any sleep habits or sleep preparation practices that might detract), and tell them what they can expect from their first night. You should also tell them about any other issues that could surface and how to best address them.
10. Ensure great delivery.
Your customer is about to drop a lot of money on a mattress–hundreds, maybe even thousands of dollars. Naturally, you want to assure them that their precious investment will be delivered expertly by a trained team. If you have the resources, promise that your team will come in, carry the mattress up the stairs, and set it up. You might even include the removal of the old mattress in the deal.
If your mattress is used and not headed to the landfill, the selling process is slightly different. Selling a used mattress comes with unique challenges and an entirely different target audience. The main thing is to do your research, get to know similar products, and sell accordingly.
11. Check your local laws.
Wherever you are, make sure to check your local laws and regulations when selling your used mattress. In some states, used mattresses can only be sold if they meet specific labeling and processing requirements. In others, only components of the mattress can be sold (box springs, frame, etc.). Always do your due diligence and research your local laws and requirements.
12. Ensure cleanliness.
Though you may think your mattress is clean, or “clean enough,” having it professionally cleaned and sanitized can do a lot to ease potential buyers’ minds about bed bugs or rotting memory foam. (It may also be required by law in your area.) If you do employ professional cleaning, make sure to take the mattress to a reputable cleaning facility and to list both the facility and cleaning in your listing. Always use a mattress protector when you resell and be honest about the condition of the mattress.
13. List in the right places.
Once you decide to sell your mattress, listing it in places where your target audience will find it is crucial. Consider using sites like OfferUp, Craigslist, eBay, Amazon, or social media platforms like Facebook Marketplace. You might even be able to sell it to a traditional retail, secondhand, consignment, or thrift store. Make sure to check out all of your options and determine where you’ll get the best deal.
14. Use good photos.
A picture is worth a thousand words–but in the case of selling a used mattress, it’s probably worth more. Regardless of what your listing says, your pictures tell potential buyers how clean your product is and how reputable you are. Emphasize the type of mattress and mattress size. Make sure to use high-quality photos and stage your mattress so customers can picture it in their homes.
15. Mark a fair price.
Research other mattresses similar to yours to see how much they’re going for in your area. Some buyers might even pay extra if you’re willing to deliver the item. For a used mattress in good condition, you should plan to make around 20-30% of the original retail price (also depending on the mattress brand and if it’s a new or old one). However, take timing into consideration. If you want or need to sell faster, consider lowering the price or negotiating to clinch a buyer quickly. You can also include a topper and a free sanitizing coupon.
Use Podium to Sell More Mattresses
Ready for the greatest mattress-selling tip? Ready to reduce hassle, boost your mattress brand, and flood your online marketplaces with leads?
Try Podium. Podium’s platform provides a number of automation, review, communication, reputation, and lead-generating tools that help your team work together seamlessly and communicate with customers on the next level. With our text touch points and templates, you can create an outstanding customer experience that will wow every buyer who comes into your store or visits your website.
With the right review invite and response text message features, personalization features, and more, you can effectively collect and respond to reviews via text all from one place. Podium connects your texts with your CRM, increasing personalization and providing insightful notifications. And with Podium’s Webchat tool, you can uplevel the way you sell mattresses by easily turning online interactions into sales via online chat. Learn more about how Podium can revolutionize the way you sell mattresses.
Speed to lead is critical in today’s fast-paced market, and Podium offers an unparalleled advantage by ensuring businesses engage with leads within a couple of minutes—guaranteed. Podium’s AI Employee guarantees your business engages with leads within a couple of minutes; during peak hours, off hours, and every hour in between.
Don’t let your competition beat you to new leads. Try Podium’s AI Employee today.
