3 Reasons to Believe in a BIG 2012

Posted on March 6, 2012 by Q

Profits soar 300x225 3 Reasons to Believe in a BIG 2012After Las Vegas, we are coming out of what I would call one of the most exciting markets ever for the mattress industry. Many of the bedding producers out there brought new product lines to market, fresh new marketing ideas, and the attitude that they were going to make something happen this year. Well, most of them anyway. Attitude is great, but will the stars line up to deliver a strong 2012? This is all dependent on a questionable macroeconomic condition, uncertainty on the political front, and oil prices that are creeping higher and higher, not to mention the conflict going on with Iran, which isn’t going to help anything.

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Finding the “Herbal Essences” of the Mattress Industry

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Q

The following is a guest post from Penny M.D.

happy customer full 213x300 Finding the Herbal Essences of the Mattress IndustryFinding people who genuinely get excited about buying a new bed can be akin to finding people at the beach who have never seen the ocean. The reason people aren’t getting pumped up about buying a new bed is because the mattress industry isn’t doing a good job informing them about how wonderful restful sleep really is! It’s up to the mattress manufacturers and mattress retailers to spread the word and educate consumers in order to flip these emotions and get them excited about jumping into bed at night.

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A Secret Weapon for Increasing Bedding Sales

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Q

new top secret 300x237 A Secret Weapon for Increasing Bedding SalesAre we missing out on opportunities to sell mattresses outside of the typical store environment? Consider several groups of people who could really use a new bed for one or more reasons: Continue reading →

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The Most Intimate Valentine’s Day Gift Money Can Buy

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Q

heartbed1 300x195 The Most Intimate Valentines Day Gift Money Can BuyValentine’s Day actually dates back to 270 AD during Claudius II’s reign over the Roman Empire. Old Claudius didn’t want his men getting hitched during wartime because he thought single men made better soldiers. So he forbid people from getting married. Enter Bishop Valentine, who went against Claudius’s wishes and performed secret weddings. For this, he was jailed and later killed. Love stinks!

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Is the Tempur-Pedic brand enough?

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Q

tempurpedic symphony 300x243 Is the Tempur Pedic brand enough?Tempur-Pedic has been great for the mattress industry. I’m a big fan in many ways. By targeting consumers, the company has grown awareness in the importance of a good mattress and single-handedly raised the average unit selling price for ALL of us in this crazy business. I have a profound respect for its marketing approach. Tempur’s team has built a truly compelling brand. All of this is coming from an innerspring guy, by the way!

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Serta’s Cheap-Ass Plan to Hijack the Buzz

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Q

IMG 0462 300x225 Sertas Cheap Ass Plan to Hijack the BuzzIn case you haven’t heard, at Las Vegas Furniture Market, Serta had a 40-foot banner hanging from the side of the building that said, “It’s Time to get iComfort, Not a cheap-ass knock off.”

Boy did that stir the pot!

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The King’s Fruit is Rotting (and other business lessons)

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Q
Low Hanging Fruit 1 300x200 The Kings Fruit is Rotting (and other business lessons)

This original piece of art was created for this blog by my friend Doug Marshall. Visit his incredible work at www.oakridgestudio.com.

Have you heard the expression “low-hanging fruit”? It refers to something that’s valuable and easy to get. If you’re just starting out as an RSA, your uncle with a bad back who sleeps on a futon would be considered “low-hanging fruit.” He’s an easy target. Look around your company. Do you have branches bending that are full of easy wins? What happens if you don’t harvest that fruit? Have you given that much thought?

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What happens in bed(ding) in Vegas

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Q

LasVegasSign1 300x239 What happens in bed(ding) in VegasAs I write this, we are days away from the first furniture market of the year. Some great things happened in 2011, and I think 2012 is going to be very exciting for the mattress industry.

From Serta, Tempur-Pedic, Simmons, and Sealy, here are my thoughts on what to watch for in Las Vegas: Continue reading →

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The Term HYBRID Can Transform Bedding Sales

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Q

Why did the Palm Pilot all but disappear from the consumer lexicon? The device was great when it came out, wasn’t it? You could manage your calendar, take notes, keep contacts organized, and much more. Millions of people LOVED the Palm Pilot, so what happened?

cockapoo 74 15 258x300 The Term HYBRID Can Transform Bedding Sales

The Cockapoo, or Cocker Spaniel + Poodle, is an incredibly popular hybrid.

As you may know, the Palm Pilot merged with several other devices that used to operate independently. Cell phones gobbled up the PDA, music player, camera, gaming system, GPS, and more to create a HYBRID device. Look around you. Life is filled with hybrids. You have hybrid cars, (electric + gas), hybrid animals like the Cockapoo (Cocker Spaniel + Poodle), and even a hybrid golf club (wood + iron), which can really help your game if you find yourself 175 yards out. Continue reading →

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Serta’s New Product Line is iTastic

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Q

Before you read this, I feel it’s important you know that I worked for Serta for nine years and they are a customer of Leggett & Platt, my current company. Neither of those things have anything to do with what you’re about to read.

ico VertBirds Eye View1 200x300 Sertas New Product Line is iTasticAs you may know, Serta has had tremendous success with iComfort and in a past blog, I touched on that fact but wanted to go a little deeper. When people ask me why I think Serta has been successful, I see some key factors: Continue reading →

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