The three final bedding blunders
By Gordon Hecht, YSN Contributor
Last week I cited four of the Seven Deadly Sins of Retail, any of which can lead to missed opportunities for growth, profit and comfort.
Well buckle up mattress merchants, ’cause here come the final three:
Deadly Sin No. 5: Prejudging
There is still some prejudice in retail, but not the sin you think it is. We often get an ill-informed impression of our incoming shoppers based on the car they drove up in, their appearance, accent, single vs. couples status, age (too young/too old) or the number of children in tow. But the No. 1 prejudice of all time: the shopper who’s been in your store five or more times and hasn’t bought a mattress.
All those customers have something in common. They all sleep! Treat all of them like guests and they will buy.
Deadly Sin No. 6: “I never sell that model”
Not as bad as prejudging people, but another business sin is not presenting all the merchandise in your store. It’s great to sell those premium luxury beds. Sell those and sell them often, and your business life will be great.
But don’t forget budget beds and mid-priced models. If you want your sales team to become great closers, they gotta sell all models that you show, not just the ones they like, or pay the most commission.
Deadly Sin No. 7: “We can’t sell accessories because they are cheaper at Ginormous-Mart”
There are bargain hunters everywhere, but not everyone shops for the cheapest price. Some of the most expensive places to buy beer and cigarettes are convenience stores, and yet your local Stop-’n-Rob minimart still sells a ton of them! If you guessed it’s because of convenience, you win!
Shoppers will buy sheets, protectors and pillows from you, just because of the convenience factor. The sin is in making them an add-on sale, instead of a must-have part of a sleep system. If you want to sell accessories, learn what makes them exceptional, price them right, show them to every shopper as part of the purchase and include them for $2- to $7-a-month on a 60-month contract. Shoppers will buy from an expert.
Absolve yourselves now of these retail sins and watch your business flourish!
Gordon Hecht is a business growth and development consultant to the retail home furnishings industry and a regular contributor to YSN. You can reach him at Gordon.Hecht@aol.com.
