Case Study: How REVEAL® Took Sherman’s Comfort Rating System to the Next Level

“We talk about the REVEAL system in our mattress sales advertising. We call it ‘The 4-Minute Mattress Match’ to draw people into the store. Customers come in and specifically ask for this experience. It works.”

Sharon and Jack Sherman, founders of Sherman’s in Central Illinois, long understood the value of offering service that eases customer buying anxiety. Their ‘Comfort Rating System’ was like an analog precursor to the REVEAL® by XSENSOR Mattress Recommendation system. To stand out among the crowded market, they knew they had to invest in something that would set them apart.

After encountering REVEAL, they knew it was the marketing story they wanted to tell. The work culture at Sherman’s, which has come down from Jack himself and continues with his son Paul, is of perpetual innovation and growth. The implementation of REVEAL and its leading-edge technology was a great philosophical fit with the leadership team.

“REVEAL is an impressive product that took our ‘Comfort Rating System’ to the next level and has helped us stand out,” says Tasha Scott, Sherman’s Furniture Buyer.

Challenges

• The Shermans wanted to add customer value that would set them apart in a crowded market.
• Their legacy Comfort Rating System, which served them well over the last few decades, needed to be complemented by innovative, science-backed technology.

Solution

The Shermans shopped around, encountered REVEAL through Nationwide Marketing Group (NMG), and knew it was the marketing story they wanted to tell.

Results

• With the REVEAL system, mattress sales close rates were up 7% from 2019 to 2020, even through a pandemic.
• Because customers had more confidence and were happier with their buying experience and purchase, the REVEAL system reduced return rates.

The biggest thing is that customers gain more confidence when choosing a mattress. Giving customers the confidence to select a bed that is right for them out of a sea of mattresses is tough. When asked to believe a salesperson they have just met, there can be a lack of trust.

“The technology behind REVEAL gave them something tangible to base their decision on and gave the staff more credibility in making recommendations,” said Tasha Scott, Sherman’s Furniture Buyer. REVEAL makes a significant purchase, like a mattress, easy, and it establishes customer trust: “They are assured the salesperson is not making up a suggestion – the results of their 4-Minute Mattress Match are visual and ‘right there’.”

From a sales point of view at Sherman’s, REVEAL simplified the process by providing an actual, three-dimensional customer experience without guesses or gimmicks. “Today, everyone uses the system with every mattress sale,” said Tasha. The most consistent customer feedback? “Everybody thinks it is ‘really cool!’”

Impact

When a system like REVEAL helps move products, it is hard not to be enthusiastic. As Tasha said, “We have told all our suppliers about REVEAL. 95% of our business is TEMPUR-SEALY, and they love the idea!”

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