A tale of two mattress salesmen

Very recently I was in the market for a new mattress, and in fact not just a new mattress but a new bed (that includes a mattress, box spring, and frame). So, as anyone not looking to pay too much for a bed would do, I decided to shop around. 

So, first stop was store A, let's call it Sleepwell (names changed to protect the innocent, and the guilty!). The store itself was just what you would expect, a big showroom with a whole bunch of beds lined up in rows across the floor. After what seemed like 10 minutes of browsing, a salesman finally comes over. He introduces himself, let's call him Jasper, and proceeds to tell us how his store has all kinds of wonderful beds. He then asks for our preference of firm versus not firm and then gets us to try out a couple of beds. The beds themselves weren't particularly impressive, and, when we looked at the prices, we were even less impressed. Jasper noted our displeasure with the prices and proceeded to show us cheaper models that much less appealing. We then took another quick look around the store and decided to move on to the next stop. Sensing that he was about to lose a sale, Jasper asked us what we didn't like about the beds we saw. Not wishing to get into a long drawn out and pointless discussion, we told him we were just browsing and might return later (not!). 

Next stop, store B, let's call it We Sell Almost Everything, and yes you guessed it, this is the kind of store that sells just about everything , from tools to pillows. So, we make our way to the section of the store where all the beds are and proceed to look around. After about 5 minutes, salesman #2 waltzes over, let's call him Ken. So Ken comes over with this big smile on his face, looking genuinely happy to see us and he says, "Are you looking for a mattress?" He's very smartly dressed, in a navy blue suit, tall and slim, wearing glasses, probably in his late 40s or early 50s. I feel he could probably help us out so I tell him that we are looking for a mattress that's quite firm. He then whisks us over to spot on the floor that has a queen size bed that doesn't look all that different from the other dozen or so models in the area. Then he launches into his pitch. He tells us that this is the most popular model in the store because it offers the most value for the price. He then tells us that the mattress is so durable and will not sag because it has about double as many coils as other mattresses of a similar size. He also says that he  bought the very same one for his father a few weeks ago - that was probably a line but I wasn't about to call his bluff - his demeanour and engagement was far better than what we experienced in the previous store. Then he goes on to tell us how this particular mattress has these tiny gel microcapsules that keep your body from getting too warm while you sleep. He says that since we are looking for a full bed, he can get us a deal on the frame, have it delivered and set up at no extra cost. This is all of course music to our ears.

Guess who we bought the bed from? You guessed it, it was Ken! Not just because of his smooth talking, but comparatively, it did seem like a much better deal versus the first store we went to. However, there can be no doubt that Ken had a significant influence on our purchase decision. In fact, even after the purchase, he walked over to us again to help us find good pillows though he wouldn't have got a commission from those.

So, what did Ken do right, separating himself from the multitude of mediocre salesmen (including Jasper)? Well, for starters, he seemed genuinely interested in us, what we were looking for, and how he could help. He made it a pleasant experience, educating us about the benefits of the various aspects of the bed that would make it more comfortable for us such as the numerous extra coils preventing the sagginess you get with other beds, and the cooling gel microcapsules - this was no ordinary features/benefits pitch but rather came across as a demonstration of a well thought-out design for the user's benefit. He did not use any technical jargon interacted with us in a way that was genuine. Lastly, he did not disappear post-sale like most salesmen do to go off and snag the next moving target. Rather he stayed with us even after the sale to help us find ancillary items we knew we needed.

So, what kind of salespeople do you have on your team - Kens or Jaspers?

​Which would you rather have?

​Humza Adam is the Principal and Founder of HFactor Solutions. At HFactor Solutions we strive to drive your top-line growth.
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