In our industry, much importance has been placed on shopping the competition. While it is certainly vital to do this and do it often, we also have the opportunity to make the competition irrelevant. How you ask? By creating a unique competitive advantage, YOU! That’s right YOU INC.

One of my favorite industry stats is the one put out by Furniture Today, that states, “40% of the people that become dissatisfied with a living room or family room set have failed to make a purchase after one year.”

What other industry or product or service can say the same?

Auto? I don’t think so.

Computers/Electronics? Heck no!

Even housing? No way!

I believe that is because many customers come in contact with uninspired and unmotivated salespeople. And on any given day that can be anyone. Even the best most competent RSA’s have an off day. However, the more experiences your customers have with these types of salespeople the harder it is for you to prove and differentiate yourself from the weaker links in our industry.

Generally speaking most stores carry enough selection to satisfy most customer’s needs. There are of course some exceptions. Whatever store you work in, it will more than likely never be the lowest priced store in town because there is no bottom in our industry, someone will be lower. And contrary to popular belief most sales are not driven by price. Sales are made by trusted relationships and creating a great living space.

That brings us to the tiebreaker. That’s YOU.

It’s you providing the activity and energy that transpires between YOU, the professional sales consultant, and the customer.

I say energy because sales are made emotionally and justified logically. The heart is the filter to a decision (anyone with any experience of irrational behavior in the throws of love will surely attest to this fact).

The customer falls in love with it then supports the decision with logic.

I can afford it.

It is a good value.

I have saved for this purchase.

It’s under budget.

Be prepared to stoke the emotion fire with enthusiastic demos that are rich in features and benefits that the customer needs.

Sketching the room for yourself and the customer can be a great vehicle to get the customer jazzed about their project, and bring you into their world .

Be assertive not aggressive.

Have an assertive attitude. Save aggressive for the football field.

Remember how Pete has so astutely reminded us of the fate Charlie Brown has found himself in with Lucy.

Assertive is having an attitude of positive anticipation, this means engaging the customer with a degree of certainty of a positive outcome for both you and the customer.

Assertiveness is a belief in yourself and the products and services that you sell. A passionate belief that the customer is far better off buying from you here today than they are anywhere else.

It has to come from the heart.

Keith Castonguay

In times of uncertainty, most people are appropriately concerned about their investments and are especially cautious about making new investments if they choose to make them at all.

As a result of the difficulties over the last several years, most every expenditure will most certainly be scrutinized, especially bigger ticket items.

With today’s retails, most mattresses fall into the “big ticket” category officially qualifying them as an investment. We know that our product even in good times is a “grudge purchase” by many consumers.  I’ve stated the obvious for years: people simply prefer to buy the things they want rather than the things they need.

When it comes to investments, the criterion we use to justify our expense is most often based upon our belief that it will appreciate in value.  Obviously, mattresses won’t, making our job even more difficult.

On a positive note, we know people that are not sleeping well will only put off buying a mattress for so long. So as we are finding out, even in slow economies, bedding is not the worst product to sell. How would you like to be in RV sales?

But even if mattresses continue to sell, in times like these,  you would think the average ticket price almost certainly goes down for obvious reasons. “As long as we have to buy, let’s make darn sure (Texan for “certain”) that we get our money’s worth.” But actually, many dealers have increased tickets.

But either way, the question remains: Do you think mattresses are a good investment? 

Do you think most consumers think they are a good investment nowadays?  Hopefully so.

It’s important that you do, so that you can help make the case to your shoppers. 

Here is why I believe mattresses are one of the best consumer products to buy, or sell.

Another way people evaluate their investments is on the “return.” What they get out of it, or the benefit.   The return on investing in a top quality comfortable mattress may be better than any investment one could make at any time.

Take a person today, and suppose they sleep on an inexpensive mattress with minimum support and comfort.  Let’s then suppose that like many do, they keep it for 10 years, not knowing the difference because of lack of awareness, no good reference point by having never slept on a great mattress and the incremental nature of gradual wear.

Then take another person and have them sleep on a top quality mattress for the same time period and compare.   I would bet there would be a dramatic difference between the two in many ways, their health, physical appearance, income, relationships, happiness, and overall quality of life.

If you have ever been to a high school reunion, it is always shocking to see the difference in former classmates.  While genetics and other variables certainly play a role, the daily choices people make over time can make some look better than they did in high school and some look like they misread the class year by 10 or more.

I have to believe that in addition to making other good choices, most of the ones looking good, sleep well.  The toll taken upon the body, mind and spirit from lack of quality sleep can literally shorten one’s life. The effects of daily stress over the long run take their toll in so many ways. 

Think of an opposite scenario, the positive cumulative effect of taking a small vitamin, or walking for a few minutes daily over a 10 year period. Sound REM sleep renews our minds and bodies every night.  Multiply that over 10 years and you get the picture.

I understand that people want to hold on to their money.  I also understand that many people will not even be receptive to a discussion about the importance of quality sleep.  They just want to buy a bed and be on their way.

But, I believe it is a responsibility for those of us that have chosen to sell mattresses to help as many consumers as possible understand that there may be no better product you can buy than a mattress.  In addition to being a safe investment, the return outperforms all others many times over.

Have you made an investment in a top quality mattress. The best selling tool of all, is sleeping on one yourself and then wanting to share the positive impact it has had on your life with others.

Sleep well and help others do the same,

Gerry Morris

A place where retailers can share ideas!

Before I discuss the contents of this article, I just wanted to provide you with the backdrop from where I am fortunate to derive a lot of this information. The showroom I work in has 15 full time salespeople. Five of them have delivered over one million dollars of furniture in a year, at one time or another. Of those 5, two have done it ten times, one has done it 5 times, and the other two have done it once. Needless to say, there is a wealth of knowledge and skill in this showroom. I watch and learn from these pros every chance I get. I am going to refer to a saying that I came up with. “It is not what they say; it is how they say, what they say.” This is in many ways the basis of the successes I see.

Hopefully, by the end of this article, this saying will make more sense. Starting with the greeting, the pros, do not approach the customer, they wait for the customer to approach them first. If the customer darts off in a direction, before a formal greet can occur, they will let the customer wander, and greet them at a more appropriate time somewhere on the showroom floor. The pros, establish rapport and trust very early on in the sales process. In many cases, they are not even discussing furniture on the re-approach. Their goal early on is to make a friend first. The pros are always watching the moves the customers make, even if it’s from afar. They see the customers touch, feel, sit on the product etc. They start to formulate what the customer likes, and does not like.

The best time to reconnect with a customer is when they re-approach an item for a second time. This is where the pros start to zero in on the sale. They ask the right questions, they have total belief in their products, and are asking all the pre-qualifying questions leading to a close. Would you like me to check the availability of the inventory? Would you like to pick-up or have it delivered? How would you like to pay for it? Do you need existing furniture to be taken away? The pros never give the customer a reason to doubt them. All their responses are with conviction.

They know the product; they overcome objections, and are always asking for the sale. Because they have gained trust, they have more latitude with the customer. They have earned the right to ask for the sale on multiple occasions. As one pro put it, if you don’t hear 6 objections during the sales process, you have not done your job closing the sale. The gentleman who has shipped over a million dollars 10 times, told me the following, “If you have established rapport with a customer, you are entitled to ask the toughest question that a salesperson must ask of a customer, Sir or mam, or use customer’s name, what is really holding you back here?” Always emulate the customer. If the customer is sitting, you sit. If they are standing, you stand. If they lean forward, you lean forward, etc. In closing, “it is not what they say; it is how they say, what they say.”

Alan Barnett

Today’s post is from Tripp Braden.  Tripp helps clients translate their business strategy into action by developing stronger partnerships and business development systems for leading midmarket and mission driven entrepreneurs. He shares weekly blogs on effective management, results focused marketing, and how to leverage your best partnerships at Market Leadership Journal at http://www.marketleadership.net and Developing Serving Leaders at http://www.trippbraden.com .

I started my career selling for a business that Warren Buffett bought, Kirby.  The Kirby Vacuum Cleaning system sold for $1000 each in 1984.  Since then, I have worked with over 15 divisions of Berkshire Hathaway in my career. I’m a huge fan of how Warren builds organizations. I’m also a fan of how he sells and deals with others. He owns several furniture businesses, including Nebraska Furniture Mart and Jordan’s Furniture.  I can hear you saying, “Warren Buffett doesn’t have to sell anything.”  Well, he does and he understands the three key elements that can help your furniture sales career take off. If you read his biography or spend any time around his different leadership teams, you quickly understand Warren Buffett is a master of influence and persuasion.  He started his career selling pinball machines as a young man many years ago and today he sells his Berkshire Hathaway shares for thousands of dollars per share.  So let’s see how he can help you be a better sales person starting today.

The first secret of Warren Buffett’s sales success is he believes in what he sells in. He’s a strong advocate for all the brands he owns and that he invests in. To be a great sales professional you must believe in what you sell. If you don’t believe in the products and services you sell, find something else to sell. Mr. Buffett is constantly seen drinking Cherry Coke, buying GEICO Insurance, and eating at Dairy Queen.  He understands that his role as CEO is to present his products and services in their best light. When he visits his many organizations, it reminds me of Sam Walton when he would visit his stores. His attitude is contagious.  Many sales professionals I’ve interviewed in the past have told me all the reasons they didn’t like the products or services they sold. If you’re working in a tough competitive market, and most of us are, your first edge will come from selling something you believe in.  There are few people who can fool us all of the time. Sell only the products and services you believe in.

The second secret of Mr. Buffett’s sales success is he knows how to make timing work. I know Warren is a constant watcher of human behavior. He doesn’t do hostile takeovers, but he is willing to wait for the owners to decide when the best time is to sell. He has learned how to work people through a slower sales process while also seizing on when the person is ready to sell. Many of his multi-billion dollar deals have closed in less than 60 days. He lets the people know he’s looking out for their best interests by asking well thought out questions and knowing when it’s best for them to close the deal. He also makes the pain of change less uncomfortable by setting up the right conditions to get the deal completed. You shouldn’t be afraid to ask early and often without looking too aggressive, if my experience in buying and selling big ticket items is true. I feel very disappointed when people don’t ask me to buy once they convince me I need the product. Don’t be afraid to ask why your customer is buying today. Holidays, weddings, anniversaries, and birthdays are great opportunities to close business today when you’re on the selling floor. I love to buy and don’t even mind being sold. But you will lose me as a customer if you don’t try to get me to take action the day we meet.  Use birthdays, anniversaries, and other dates to stay in touch with prospects.  These are natural buying times for many of your clients and customers.

The third secret of Warren’s sales success is he never appears to need a deal today. Have you ever met a desperate sales person?  How did they make you feel?  Warren has mastered the balance between wanting to get a deal done and waiting for the best time to close the deal for the customer. If you’ve asked the right questions, you know when the customer is ready to go. It’s your job to listen to both the verbal and nonverbal cues to know the right time to close. You should try to judge if the deal will close that day. Don’t oversell once the customer has decided to buy. Confirm they would like to move ahead and then do what’s needed to get the product delivered in a way that exceeds your customer’s expectations. Get the order and keep moving forward. You cannot get an order if you don’t ask.  Help lead your customer to the right decision. You both will be glad you did.

Finally, and as an added bonus, if you want to sell like Warren Buffett, know who your best customers are and aren’t. Warren can tell you what he wants to buy in his sleep. We can talk about that in another blog.  You should know what kinds of people buy from you and why. Then look for more opportunities to find those customers.  When I sold in retail, I would review my fellow salespersons account lists and customers to find out who they might have that would fit my sales profile. I’d ask if they were following up with those customers to check in and ask for referrals. Most weren’t and gladly asked me to follow up. I’d call the customer and split the deal with the salesperson to make sure we got the customer back in the store.  I also asked the customers for referrals because the sales person wouldn’t. That extra question made me the number one sales person out of 2000 for an established 60 year old retail business in less than 90 days.

Now go out and get a Blizzard from Dairy Queen and let’s get started doing deals like Warren Buffett today. See you there.

Last Wednesday was a sad day for me as I learned that my former classmate and Olympic Champion Jeff Blatnick had died at the young age of 55 years old of a heart attack. The words from Garth Brook’s song came to me, “If tomorrow never comes will they know how much I loved them?” It is not lost on me the irony that my 55^th ezine’s subject focuses on Jeff Blatnick who died at 55 years old.

I learned a lot from Jeff and wrote about it in this article http://peteprimeau.com/selling-furniture-mattresses-7-secrets-to-winning-from-a-gold-medal-winner/. I have now learned my last lesson from Jeff. Something that I already knew but with Jeff’s untimely passing it is now cemented in my heart, mind, and soul: All we have is this moment, the next one isn’t promised to us. So in this moment I choose to love and be loved with all that I have. In all that I do I will give all that I can so when this life is done I will have no regrets.

It’s Your Turn- When you hear this news, What are your thoughts? Please share them with us. Someone out there needs to hear your words. Please post your comments at the end of this article where it says it Post A Comment. Thank You!

Wishing You Success,

Pete

Do you ever remember a time when you looked like you couldn’t win? I recently spent time at my college homecoming and it reminded me of several principles of how to overcome adversity in life. I believe that there is a lesson we all can learn as professional salespeople.

We just celebrated our 30^th year reunion of the BW 1982 Football Team. We had a great bunch of guys who loved to win. Our 4 year record was 36-6. We only lost twice in the regular season in 4 years! We were blessed to have some truly great athletes. We had our share of All Americans and All Conference players and some truly great coaches too. So what does this have to do with selling? Nothing yet. I want to tell you a story of promise, tragedy, determination, perseverance, and triumph. I hope you will agree by the end of this article that it has a lot to do with selling.

Tragedy- Ox Baker was full of promise. He was our best offensive lineman in our freshman year. It was a summer day between our freshman and sophomore year when I was told that Ox was in a horrible accident and that he might possibly never play again. His arm was shredded in an accident in a factory when it was caught in a machine. There was no skin left on his arm between his elbow and his fingers. He lost many of his ligaments. He lost one of the major nerves in his arm and to this day there are parts of his arm that have no feeling. He underwent five surgeries to repair his arm.

Perseverance- There isn’t a salesperson who has sold for very long that hasn’t suffered a set back or had to overcome an obstacle. Think back in your life when you had a serious challenge. To succeed one must decide first and foremost that they are not going to quit. Ox made up his mind that he loved this football team and he was going to be a part of it no matter what. Our coach did something very smart.  He told him that he wanted him to be part of the team while he was recovering from his injuries, so Ox helped Mrs. Tressel with the uniforms and helped our trainer with the laundry and was around the team for practices and games. He traveled with the team to all the away games.

He stayed involved and engaged. It was the best thing for him. I am convinced that he healed faster because he longed to be out on that field contributing. Sometimes we as salespeople have to walk before we run. A lot of the work we do isn’t glamorous but it is necessary. Ox had a lot of rehab to do that no one ever saw. He was the only person who really knew how much sweat, blood and tears he gave to rehab his arm. The same is true in sales. How do you prepare to win? No one except you really knows how much you are putting into it.

Triumph- If you are expecting that Ox magically returned to his starting position the next year you would be wrong. He did play the next year but he did not start. A lot of people would have quit but not him. The next year he received more playing time but still did not start even though by this time he certainly was good enough to. He could have quit and complained about the coaches, but he didn’t. He worked out harder and recommitted himself and yes the next year he started in all but one game due to a rib injury. Ox’s triumph was three years after what could have been a career ending injury for a normal guy. How long did it take you to succeed in selling? How many times did you want to quit? In my humble opinion it takes longer than three years to become a good salesperson. Ox has applied the lessons he learned in overcoming his injury and has gone on to achieve both personal and professional success. If you apply the same strategies that Ox did you will be successful too.

Action Step- Please share your success story with us! What kept you going when you wanted to quit? There is someone out there right now that needs to hear your words of encouragement!  Please post your comments and questions. I answer them all.

Please email me any ideas for articles that you want me to write. Have you written an article on sales, goal setting, or time management? I’ll be glad to publish them in my ezine and on my website! Please email them to me at peteprimeau@ameritech.net.

Wishing You Success,

Pete

A place where retailers can share ideas! Randy owns a store in Ohio and sells as a percentage of his total more high end beds than any dealer I know. His advice is pure gold. I want him to develop this into a series of articles that I will publish for him right here. The best advice always comes from our retailers.

Hi Pete,

Thanks for keeping me in the loop with your ezine.

I was reading the article from Gerry Morris and thought to myself… we in the mattress industry are missing the target for the best bed for the customer.

Retailers have a hard time figuring out what is really important to the customer while they are in the selling process. We always talk about getting a better mattress. I have found out there is something missing with this focus.

When I talk to customers about a new mattress I ask them to place themselves in one of three categories.

1) I want a new mattress.

2) I want a better night’s sleep.

3) I want to wake up every morning feeling mentally refreshed, physically rested and pain free.

Most customers come in for a new mattress and easily upgrade themselves to a better nights sleep. The bedding industry has stopped at the second offering. Very few sales people have figured out the third. The third option is the one that will drive the bedding industry to new heights. The stores that learn to sell the third category will excel in the sleep industry. Fortunately for me, no-one has figured it out but Tempur-Pedic and Serta are coming close.

Randy Thompson

Today’s post is a guest article from Keith Castonguay.  Keith has experience in retail sales,  retail sales management as well as the buying end of the furniture industry.

Several years ago the FAA made sweeping changes in the world of air safety. These changes resulted in using what was commonly referred to as the “preflight checklist”.  The result of implementing this checklist was a 50% decrease in airplane accidents.

Using one in your store for rookie and veteran salespeople alike could prevent the crash and burn of many sales encounters.

Using a checklist so that salespeople can re-engage themselves as to where they are in the selling process with their customer can often be very helpful. They can also be customized to reflect the culture of our company’s mission.

Here is an example:

Where are you in the selling process?

• I HAVE EFFECTIVELY GREETED MY CUSTOMER 

I gave a non-product related, sincere greeting.

Welcome to (your store). Are you folks enjoying the great weather?

I gave the customer the option of looking on their own or making the search easier.

Would you folks like me to get you started in the right direction or would you just like to look around?

(This approach will often put customers at ease because you are providing the customer a choice)

I KNOW MY CUSTOMER’S NAME AND THEY KNOW MINE.

I HAVE MADE A SOLID MEANINGFUL INITIAL CONNECTION WITH MY CUSTOMER.

• I HAVE PERFORMED A NEED’S ANALYSIS

I have inquired “tell me about your room”.

I know which room of the home my customer is working on.

I know who will be using this room, and how it will be used.

I know about my customer’s shopping experience.

I have sketched the room.

I know why they are in search of a new set.

I have offered solutions and gave great demos.

A good opening here is, “I would love to help you find a great new sofa for your room, before we do, do you mind if I just ask a few questions about the room it will go in, this will help make the most effective use of your time while you are here’?

• I KNOW WHICH OF THE FOUR SHOPPING STAGES MY CUSTOMER IS IN

1 – Dreaming

2 – Exploring

3 – Planning

4 – Decision

*I also have a plan to move my customer from each stage to enhance their shopping experience and move my customer closer to the decision stage.

Try to be cognizant of where you are in the selling process with each customer during the day.

After each opportunity write down 3 things that you did particularly well during the exchange and 2 things that you could do to improve.

Use your next up to work on the two things that challenged you the most.

Start with the fundamental belief that the customer is here to buy or to at least find the solutions to their room needs. I have the skills and the products to make this happen. This customer is better off buying from me here today than anywhere else with another salesperson. This is true until I have gained enough information to believe other wise.

Give it a try.

Keith Castonguay

My five year old amazed me recently with her bulldog tenacity. She was told no in no uncertain terms but she persisted to ask again and again. She brushed aside my objections and she restated what she wanted and why. My no was nothing to her but something to navigate around or simply bowl over. She never quit. I started to ask myself how often do I hear a no and keep on selling? How much would I sell if I had her determination? Could it be that at five years old she has mastered three important selling attributes? Are we born naturally great salespeople and then we are conditioned not to be? Will she grow up to be a great salesperson? I have been fortunate to work with some of the best salespeople in our industry. While they are all individuals who use customized techniques to maximize their sales, they all agree these three attributes are vital to selling success.

Determination- Great salespeople have high levels of determination. I really don’t know why some people have more determination than others. I know that great salespeople ask for the sale not once or twice but as many times as it takes. That takes determination.

Commitment- Great salespeople are committed to themselves, to their customers, and to the companies they represent. It shows in everything they do. They treat their customers, teammates, and management team with respect, courtesy, and dignity. It takes high levels of determination to mold their intentions into commitment.

Persistence- All great salespeople agree that persistence is necessary to be successful long term. Customers will say no especially when they don’t understand. It is incumbent on the professional salesperson to dig deep to help the customer fully understand. Persistence is the child of determination and commitment. The great salespeople who routinely persist past where other salespeople give up find true satisfaction in serving their customers well. When I ask the top salespeople, “How many times do you ask for the sale before giving up?” I almost always hear this, “If I believe that I have the right solution for the customer, I never give up!” That is persistence!

Thank you to Brian Pancost and my daughter for the inspiration for this article! Brian correctly pointed out to me last week that the biggest mistake salespeople make is not asking for the sale!

Action Step- What did I miss? Please share your wisdom with us! Your feedback is critical to this blog’s success. Please post your comments and questions. I answer them all. Please email me any ideas for articles that you want me to write. Have you written an article on sales, goal setting, or time management? I’ll be glad to publish them in my ezine and on my website! Please email them to me at peteprimeau@ameritech.net.

Wishing You Success,

Pete

Question: I really enjoy your website and your articles on selling! I sold furniture and bedding in the 80’s and 90’s, then changed my career path. Now I am back in the retail furniture industry and am trying to understand the changes in the bedding industry. In the past, I was told by bedding reps that if you sell a mattress without the box spring, it voids your warranty. Back then, before memory foam and platform beds, people rarely if ever wanted to buy just the mattress anyway.

Nowadays, buying a mattress only (without the foundation) seems to be the norm for many people and I have not been able to get an answer from my reps concerning this issue about the warranties.

Can you help me? I have been told that foam mattresses are fine on top of slat packs or bunkie boards if the customer doesn’t wish to purchase the foundation. Is this true?

Some people have told me it is fine to sell an innerspring mattress for use on a platform bed or low profile bed with slats. What is your take on this?

Thanks,

Linda C.

Answer: Hi Linda! I am so glad you enjoy the ezine. The warranty is not automatically voided if a mattress only is sold. It is only voided if it is found to be on a non supportive frame, rails or old box. Please look on my YouTube channel for a video on selling the set. It is one of my best videos. Just Click on my head. I am not a fan of bunkie boards for children over 100 pounds. The customer is better served with a half inch thick piece of plywood. I hope this helps.

Wishing You Success!

Pete

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmFaDBxqurM&list=UU4MBGOiQ1oBe-yrkXWbwlng&index=15&feature=plcp