Other categories of furniture are really fashion choices, as opposed to potentially life altering purchases. Certainly it could be said that the pleasure derived from having the perfect bedroom or dining set, in just the right setting with just the right fabric is in its own way "life altering". Yet it is clearly on a much more simplistic level than the selection of the correct mattress product, and the potential affect on the consumer’s day to day existence.

Looking at the price structure of other furniture categories you can see some significant differences as the price rises. Better construction, quality details, materials, styling, and scale all serve to justify the price of the goods. Many of these advantages are visibly apparent to the customer. However, do these advantages translate into benefits that could be considered "life altering"? I often use the example of the 7 drawer dresser. If the customer is comparing dressers of roughly the same scale, one middle of the market in quality and price, and the other being an upper end piece, which one will hold clothes better? If the customer makes a buying mistake the result is a piece that may not fit the room or in some way clashes with the look desired. Perhaps the piece does not fit the intended use. The selection of the wrong mattress can result in consequences that reach far beyond the home itself!

The mattress sale is unique in that this is a decision that can affect the customer’s life in ways that other purchases will not. The mattress sale is not about the beauty of the home, but about making life more beautiful! The quality of sleep obtained on a sleep system that is well fitted to the needs of the customer will be substantially better. The list of the advantages of a better nights sleep is long and useful. The key is the way these advantages affect the customer’s daily life. The result will be a consumer that is fresher and more alert during the day. Mental sharpness is enhanced, patience is expanded. The body heals more quickly, memory improves. All of these benefits have a direct affect on our consumer’s quality of life.

Taken in this context it’s easy to see that the mattress buying decision is a very important one in the life of the consumer. A mistake in selection here can have far reaching affects, including the safety, health, and happiness of the customer and the people in their lives. To serve the customer on this level we need serious people that understand the importance of what they are doing. The sales staff must be sold on the idea that what they sell the customer is important and that selling an item that is inappropriate can actually hurt the customer.

Now, I’m not forgetting the fact that I am a retailer at heart! I want to sell the best product possible (read highest price) to every customer. I want to maximize the ticket and get every dollar possible from every customer. This thinking is not contrary to the somewhat altruistic thinking in my opening paragraphs.

This product category has a tremendous advantage over most others in that the material differences in the product can relate directly to life benefits to the consumer. The inclusion of visco-elastic memory foams, different varieties of latex, exotic fibers, fabric treatments, each can have an effect in aiding our consumers in obtaining a better life by using a better sleep system. It is not coincidental that adding these materials, adds to the cost and retail price of the goods.

The first and most important sale each day is the one we make to ourselves. If we are sold on the importance of this product in the life of our customer, and acknowledge a responsibility to truly help the customer find the best possible product we will be much better equipped to sell our customer on this concept. While this message is not new, it is often forgotten in favor of get the sale at any cost thinking.

Creating a culture and sales training that teaches a healthy respect for the life of the customer, not just in customer satisfaction, highlights the cost of placing the customer in the wrong sleep system, including the cost of comfort returns, may be the first and most important step a retailer can make.

What we do has value in the customer’s life. It deserves our best effort everyday. The outcome we create by serving the customer well or poorly has far reaching impact on the customer’s daily life. Belief in and acting on this principle is what professionalism is all about.