The Traveling Retailer's Bedding Sales Tip #1: Marie Osmond and The Other 20 Days This Month

Furniture World News Desk on 8/5/2015

by Gordon Hecht

You really got to respect Marie Osmond! Not many people would go on National TV and proclaim that they were 50 pounds overweight. And then show pictures of themselves. But one of America’s Sweethearts does just that, on TV commercials for Nutri-Systems, and you can see it about 50 times a day. If you think about it, most HEALTH ORIENTED commercials carry the same message; “Look how great I look and feel today, and see how lousy my life was before!”

Of course, the part that they don’t tell you is that feeling great comes from three major areas, Eat Right, Get Exercise, and let our bodies recover from the stress of the day. We call that last part SLEEP! The truth is eating right is HARD to do. So much of the really great tasting stuff is full of calories, fat, or some chemical you can’t pronounce. And EXERCISE; forget it! It’s supposed to be fun, but feels like work! If we have to take time to exercise, we’ll miss out on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and re-runs of Family Guy! However, match healthy eating with exercise, and top it off with RESTORATIVE sleep and the changes will amaze you.

Essentially-just like Marie, put in a little of the HARD WORK, and feeling great is easy! Here is how you can make this knowledge work for you.

Next month your next shopper should SLEEP for 10 days and will be AWAKE for 20 days. We love to talk about the importance of the 10 days-that ONE-THIRD of your shoppers’ lives when they sleep. Some RSAs ask their shoppers “How did you sleep last night”. We have been SELLING SLEEP for years, and yet we still have customers willing to sleep on a sub-standard surface.

Imagine if we flipped it around and started SELLING AWAKE. It’s the other 20 Days a month, that TWO-THIRDS of your shopper’s life when the world sees them and often judges them on performance, intelligence, and appearance.

I am not sure if Marie Osmond is a vain person, she sure doesn’t seem like it! But those Nutri-System commercials play to PEOPLE’S VANITY. And there is nothing wrong with LOOKING and FEELING healthy. When you can make your shopper aware of how a great night’s sleep plays into their overall appearance and performance, you are giving them SOLID, LIFE-CHANGING information.

The questions your sales team asks a customer can be slightly modified to help this awareness:

• Did you feel worn out this afternoon-Instead of How did you sleep last night

• Do you believe it’s worthwhile to invest in your well-being-Instead of how long have you had your current bed

• Do you feel YOUNGER or OLDER than your age-Instead of Do you toss and turn at night

• Are you completely satisfied with your daily performance at work/home/school-Instead of Are you getting enough sleep

Understanding rest and recovery is a MUST for everyone on your staff. Make it a requirement to read POWER SLEEP by Dr. James Maas. After reading it, they will be fully aware of how sleep and lack affects your next SHOPPER. Sell the 20 days your SHOPPER is AWAKE and chances are the Mattress, Base, and Accessories will go with it.