By Gordon Hecht & Denny Bradford, Ashley Sleep
Your shopper has settled on their choice for a new mattress. They’ve picked one with a clean white top that glistens like snowfall on Christmas morning. This is the bed where they will spend the next 3000 nights of their life!
You want to bring up the idea of them purchasing a Mattress Protection Program, but are not quite sure how to do it. In fact, like many other sales associates, you may not be sure it’s worth the price! Of course, you know that major mattress manufacturers will not service a soiled bed-for obvious health benefits. You want to protect your shopper’s mattress warranty, but you also know that your customer can purchase a mattress pad from the Mega-Mart for about half the price your store charges.
As the old saying goes-you get what you pay for! While it is true that both discount store mattress pads and Mattress Protection sold in Sleep Shops and Furniture Stores are waterproof, the similarity ends there. Your shopper might be able to find either a product that is waterproof or one that claims to be hypoallergenic, but finding an exact product for less is unlikely. Most waterproof products at the discount stores are plastic, and tend to be very noisy, sleep hot, and cause sleepers to sweat while they sleep. Upgraded Mattress Protectors are not plastic and have a waterproof but breathable membrane that allows body heat to pass through, providing a cool sleep surface without that irritating ‘crinkling’ noise.
Another advantage of a true Mattress Protectors is that it not a quilted pad. A better quality Mattress Protector has a 100% Cotton Terry Surface and is lightweight so it doesn’t affect the feel of the mattress. A further benefit is that it is also hypoallergenic.
A quilted mattress pad is a perfect place for dust mites to burrow. It also holds body moisture and skin cells within the quilting. Even though you can launder a quilted mattress pad, dust mites will get back into the pad once it’s back on the mattress. The Mattress Protector is a barrier to body moisture and skin cells, keeping them from reaching the mattress, which in turn will keep the dust mites out. A 2008 study showed that by using the mattress protector with a brand new mattress will reduce the dust mite allergens by 99.9%!
Make it a point to offer every shopper the opportunity to purchase the Mattress Protector. Always discuss the health benefits of the protector first. Ask your shopper if anyone in the family suffers from allergies. Dust Mites can colonize in a mattress in less than 3 months. The only way to prevent this is by using a mattress protector. Eliminating dust mites can help give your shopper an allergy-free night’s sleep.
And-because your shopper wants to get the most out the next 3000 nights, they need to know that a mattress protector will help your mattress last longer by keeping the moisture out of your surface. Moisture will flatten and breakdown the fibers and foams in mattress surfaces in a very short time!
We suggest that our dealers tell their customers that, "your can rest assured that you will get full value from your Ashley HomeStore mattress protector. The 10 year warranty on product performance meets or exceeds the mattress warranty of almost every bedding product in the store!" Try getting that from the Mega-Mart!
When you present your store’s Mattress Protection not as another “Add-On”, but as a necessary component in providing your shopper with a Great Night’s Sleep, your shopper will see the health benefits and value of this product. Show it and sell it with confidence and both you and your shopper will be better off!
Next Week: Comfort Based Selling
This series is written by Gordon Hecht and Denny Bradford, Ashley Sleep Directors of Sales. To comment or ask a question on any of the bedding tips in this series, contact Gordon Hecht at ghecht@ashleyfurniture.com.
Gordon Hecht is a 35+ year veteran of the Furniture Business, starting as a delivery helper in Las Vegas, NV. He has served as a Regional Manager and Director of Training for a large Midwestern chain. Currently with Ashley Sleep division of Ashley Furniture Industries, Gordon travels the East, Midwest, and Canada training retail sales teams on selling bedding and works with store owners to maximize sales. Gordon resides in Columbus, OH with his wife, and has one adult son.
Denny Bradford started in the bedding business as a store manager for a Texas based waterbed dealer. His 18 years of sales and management experience includes directing a seven-store bedding chain and serving as Bedding Director for a Dallas based retailer. Denny covers the Western US and Canada for Ashley Sleep. He resides outside of Dallas, TX with his wife and son.