Veteran salespeople share insights on sales success

To sell Aireloom bedding at Sit 'n Sleep, sales associate Emil Dobrescu talks about Earl Kluft, the bedding veteran who makes the line.

"I wouldn't be able to sell Aireloom without telling Earl Kluft's story," Dobrescu said. "I emphasize this is a family owned business with tradition and craftsmanship."

One of the keys to selling bedding, says Dobrescu, who has been doing so for six years, is to tell stories. "To create an emotional connection with the consumer," he said, "you need to tell stories."

But those stories, like the one about Earl Kluft and his history of making fine bedding, must be believable, Dobrescu said. Consumers will see through stories that are made up simply to impress them, he said. "If a story is fake, it won't stick," he said. "You can't make up fairy tales. The consumer will cancel the sale and they won't come back to you. I don't want to compromise my integrity."

Integrity is a key word at Sit 'n Sleep. The retailer prides itself on a sales force that operates professionally at all times.

Mattress Retailing 101Dobrescu shared several of his keys to success in an interview at the retailer's store here. The process starts, significantly, with a friendly greeting. "It would be a lack of respect not to greet them," he says of his customers. He aims to greet them within seconds of their entrance into the store. "I say 'hi' and welcome them to Sit 'n Sleep," he said.

One of the most important parts of the selling process is the ability to listen, according to Dobrescu. "I listen a lot," he said. "I try to come up with the best solution based on comfort and price. I don't push them over the edge. I'm not always going for the most expensive bed unless they give me an indication they can afford it."

Consumers shopping at Sit 'n Sleep can be overwhelmed by the vast selection of beds: the retailer has about 140 beds on a typical sales floor. Dobrescu determines his customers' comfort preference by having them try three beds. Then he knows where to focus.

When showing beds, he talks about the benefits a new mattress provides. For example, he noted that foam provides pressure relief and offers comfort. He's had good success selling Tempur-Pedic in that arena, he said.

Dobrescu said it's important to remain current on the latest mattress constructions. "You need to know the mattresses inside and out," he said. "You need to be up on the newest trends. We are ahead of the game here. We are educating the market."

Arthur: Humor puts the customer at ease

Laguna Hills, Calif. — Roger Arthur, store manager and mattress salesman at the Sit 'n Sleep store here, uses humor to put his customers in a relaxed mood.

"I'm not here to sell you anything," he says. "I tell them, 'We don't have to pay for it or sleep on it.' It blows them away when I tell them that."

If he feels he has established enough rapport with a customer, he may take the humor to another level. When he is asked what type of mattress he sleeps on (a common question), he has a quip ready: "My mattress is the most important piece of furniture in my house. You are not sleeping in my house. You are not getting my mattress."

That brings a laugh — and it underscores the importance of a good mattress.

"Humor is very important," Arthur said. "If a customer doesn't think this is relatively comical, you've got a problem."

He's spent nine years selling mattresses, more than five of them at Sit 'n Sleep. "That's not long enough," he says of his time with Larry Miller, president of Sit 'n Sleep. "He's the best employer in retail in the U.S.," he said. "Most employees would work for him for half the money. He lets us be honest with the customer, and the customer senses that. He also lets us be nice to our customers and be nice to each other."

Arthur said customers respond to his words of praise for Miller. They believe that a company that treats employees well will treat customers well, too, he said.

He notes that one challenge on the sales floor is to give the customer just the right amount of attention. "One of the most difficult things I've encountered is the art of ignoring the customer without really ignoring them," he said. "That is the most compelling thing you can do in this store. Customers are getting pounced upon" in other stores.

Arthur said he tries to let his customers know that he wants them to sleep better, but that he won't push them into a sale. "The customer has to genuinely believe I care about them," he said. "If they purchase a mattress from me, thank you. If they don't, I will still sleep well. I have their best interests at heart. They are making a really important investment."

Source: Furniture Today, 11/15/07